despite being rather athletic. the trudge back to the Shack with the snowheavy Snape had left Sirius panting as he walked back over the threshold. having turned his wand off upon entering the front yard and using nothing but the glow coming from inside to light his path.
with his snowy boot he kicked away the blankets from the couch and laid the limp Severus down on it. removing Snape's shoes and icy outercloak. throwing them needlessly to the ground as he cast a Featherweight Charm on the couch and while pushing the empty chair out of the way. brought the entire sofa up close to the fire. close enough to possibly risk scorching the fringe that hung from its bottom.
he piled and pushed the strewn blankets around Severus' body. then rifled through the marked potion bottles Lupin had left him. he'd remembered watching as Remus had taken a single clear empty bottle and duplicated it with an Effingo Charm four times. creating the exact bottle four separate times so that he had five bottles to work with. and from his beatenleather softbox. produced five separate stoppered vials from a variety that he'd been keeping all through first term. the majority of vials held Wolfsbane. but a few others he'd made and kept with him for use incase he was ever to need them. having them easily on hand. and he'd seen fit to use them now for Severus.
after having filled the bottles with the necessary potions for Snape. he'd used a Colour-Change Charm to make each one a different color for easier differentiation. and lastly. he labeled them simply by what they did to make it as uncomplicated as possible for Sirius.
the black read SLEEP. the yellow CALM. the blue COOL. the green AWAKEN. and the red WARM.
Black snatched up the red bottle and went back over to Snape. pulling a face as he shoved two fingers against his thin purple neck. feeling for a pulse. and after a moment. he found it. weak. but there.
and pulling an even more grotesqued face. he slipped his hand beneath Snape's greasy wet head. lifted it. unstoppered the red bottle with his teeth. and dumped the contents into Severus' lax mouth.
it took a moment before he felt it working. the icycold weight that was Snape's head warmed. and suddenly he let out a great shuddering gasp as the ice in his lungs melted away instantly.
Black dropped Snape's head and backed away. gagging at the boy's foul breath that'd come in one great whoosh about his face. he stumbled into the kitchen.
his frozen hands took to the cold water as if it were lukewarm. and his face felt the same as he splashed some up onto it. then he threw his wetted hair back with his hands. calming himself.
he'd almost died. his mind was telling him. you were a breath away from Azkaban.
"I know." he said outloud to himself. "but it's alright now…he's not gonna die." then he added somewhat flippantly "unfortunately." and knew it wasn't exactly an all true statement.
he made his way back out into the livingroom. his eyes falling blearily on his charge. and he sighed remorsefully. regretting having washed his hands. as he saw that the lack of dressing around Snape's eyes needed attending to.
he bent and pulled Lupin's softbox from the floor beside the table. and opened it. pulling the vialrack up and out of the way to extracting a roll of white gauze from the bottom.
he went back and kneeled down by the side of the couch. looking down Snape's crooked nose towards the two knobs beneath the blankets that were his feet. and with a grimace. he took up Snape's head again. lifting it as upright as possible and held it there. pulling apart the end of the gauze from the roll. before holding it beneath one finger at the back of Severus' head and winding it about his eyes. covering the flaky bloodencrusted skin.
he wound the roll about his head until he decided that there was enough. and then let Snape's head drop back down into the couch cushion. ripping the gauze between his fingers and pressing it to stick against the rest of the gauze at his temple.
he was tempted for a moment to use a Permanent Sticking Charm on the bandaging. but the only thing that stopped him from doing such. was the fact that he didn't know how.
he found himself yawning widely a moment later. exhaustion having crept up on him. and he was more than willing to yield to it. once he'd gotten the couch back against the wall (where it would not look so suspicious.) and the chair replaced between it and the fire.Black sat down with a huff. wrapped his blanket around him. and felt a tiny weight pounce into his lap.
without opening his eyes. he felt around and with one fingertip scratched the little kitten on the back of the ear. hearing it immediately purr. its little claws kneading the thick blanket lovingly.
and before he really knew how it had happened. he was asleep.
Lupin was shivering. crouched low with his arms shoved straight down between his clenched naked thighs. his fingers splayed out to help balance himself. his breath kept breaking into pants and halfcoughs as he tried to get a hold of himself. having just transfigured back into human form. the pain only beginning to subside.
it was only three thirty in the morning. dawn just barely breaking.
his lanky blond hair hung shaggy and wet in his face. coated in sweat. but he was happy that it was over.
the room around him was relatively intact. despite the easily repairable vase on the floor and the extra clawmarks on the side of the bedmattress. nothing was damaged so that it couldn't be mended. he just hoped that everything downstairs would be the same.
he remembered vaguely when Sirius had come into the room. telling him that he was going into Hogsmeade for something. but that memory was getting fuzzier by the moment.
when he felt he could. he began to crawl across the floor. catching himself when he tipped. his muscles screaming at him with pain at having been pulled and stretched twiceover. his jaw felt tight and his fingers numb. as he made his way to the bed. finding a faded orange robe he'd laid out for himself. along with underwear. scarlet Hogwarts' sleeppants. and a pair of blue socks that had a hole in one toe.
using one of the columns of the fourposter bed. he pulled himself upward. covered himself in the robe. and made his way slowly towards the door with his other clothes draped over his arm. intent on a bath.
the breeze out in the hall was colder than the room had been. and he tried to shut his robe more tightly against it. shuffling across the hall to the bathroom and closing himself into it. collapsing in a heap onto the closed toilet.
he reached over when he found the strength and turned on the water. it gave a clunky refusal for a moment before letting out a hard warm stream into the tub basin. and he stoppered it with the plug. intent on enjoying a nice long. hot bath.
he loved taking hot baths after a night of transfiguring. they always seemed increasingly to be the best baths he'd ever taken in his life. and this one was no exception.
after he'd regained feeling in his appendages. and managed to make his fingers pruney. he got out. dried himself thoroughly. and dressed himself into all his warm clothes. only giving his face a fleeting glance in the mirror.
it looked sunken and tired. with dark bags beneath his eyes and a lightblond shadow of a beard crescenting his chin. he made a meager attempt at pressing down a large cowlick that made a clump of hair swoop ominously atop his head. but deemed himself haggard and went out into the hall. using the wall for support whenever necessary and then the stair railing as he made his way down to the livingroom.
he found Severus where he had left him. lying on the couch piled up to his chin in blankets. and saw Sirius sitting limp in a chair. snoring lightly. his long lanky legs were spread out wide beneath him. which would have been rather offensive (he being only dressed in boxer shorts from the waist down.) unless a good section of blanket had still been pinned precariously at his waist by a little bundle of black fur. it reminded Lupin reminiscently of the Puffskein he'd had when he was little.
and he was unable to hide the smile as he thought of how lucky Sirius was to not be subject to a de-boogering by its tongue. were it a real Puffskein instead of a kitten.
he shuffled over to where Snape lay. bending to check on the seemingly fresh bandaging. and put a tentative hand on the boy's forehead. feeling it feverishly hot. decisively he pulled a couple of blankets off him. and lingered through the potion bottles he'd left. they were all there but the red one. and he located it near Sirius' chair. having fallen from his loose hand.
he padded over to pick it up. hearing a soft thunk and faint sighing. then saw the kitten stretching out on the ground. bearing its tiny fangs in a large yawn. it walked sleepily over to him. sniffed at his socked foot for a moment. then rubbed up against it. purring lightly.
Lupin smiled. looking up asthe sloughing sound of the falling blanket reached his ears. seeing Black start awake when he noticed him standing next to him. but realize who it was and slouch back into the chair. rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
"well well well…" Sirius said through a great yawn. "it walks." and he pushed himself up. came alongside Lupin. grabbed his elbow and pushed him into the chair. knowing that Remus would be needing it more than he would right now. his head was still fuzzy with sleep. "want anything? breakfast?"
"not with the way you cook." Lupin managed. his smile twinging a bit as he tried to get comfortable.
"yeah." Sirius couldn't argue. he knew he couldn't cook for other people. he cooked things for too long. which suited his appetite just fine. but on serving it to others. the joke of calling his meals Dragon's Delight had come into being among the group. "I can get you some coffee if you want."
Lupin had closed his eyes. "do we have any tea left?"
"i'll check..." Sirius said as he disappeared into the kitchen. it didn't take long before he felt a tiny weight on his lap and Lupin looked down to find the kitten sitting there. looking up at him with large yellow eyes. intensely interested in him. he stroked it with the back of his finger. and the cat immediately went about purring. as if a switch had been turned on.
Sirius reappeared a few seconds later. having shrugged himself out of his peacoat that he'd slept all night in. but still wearing his hoody. which looked ridiculous with his white boxers with a phoenix across one leg. his dark hair was tousled about his head. but did nothing to detract from his handsomeness.
"water's on." he mumbled and sat down at Lupin's side. then reached out and stroked the kitten as well. "strange." he said. "i don't get the urge to chase after this." he scratched it under the chin with the crook of his finger. to which it promptly attached itself with its tiny teeth.
"you're a disgrace to canines everywhere." said Lupin. smiling slightly.
"oh yeah. you're one to talk. you bloody fool of a dog." Sirius countered simply. prying his finger loose from the cat's mouth as he heard the kettle whistle from the kitchen. having cursed it to heat faster.
the kitten – frightened by the shrill - bolted upright and tore across Lupin's legs. pounced to the ground with a squeak and disappeared beneath the sofa. poking its head out only when Sirius had shambled into the kitchen and stopped it.
Lupin watched the ridiculous kitten for a moment before letting his eyes move up to the sleeping form of Snape. his thin chest rose and fell weakly beneath the blankets. his lips together. his large nostrils flaring with each breath. he looked worse than he had last night. or maybe he didn't and his eyes were just fooling him. it was completely possible. he had had a trying night.
he blinked a couple of times before Sirius came back into the room.
"I saw you had to use a potion." Lupin said. watching Black carrying a full green teacup towards him.
"yeah." Sirius said as he handed it off carefully. "little Snivelly got cold as death last night so I gave him the warming draught." he was well intentioned to reveal the details to Lupin when he could better handle them. he'd been thinking about it while he'd been making the tea. and had decided that that was the smartest of his options.
"hm." was all Lupin said as he tipped the cup towards his lips. sipping lightly.
"how was it this time?" Sirius asked. standing at his side and looking at Snape as well. he was asking about the transformation.
Lupin tipped his hands for another sip of tea before settling back. sighing. "same as always. no better. no worse."
Sirius nodded his head understandingly. by this time in their friendship he'd learned to properly gauge the intensity at which Lupin transformed. he'd seen some horrible ones. this most recent time. however. had been one of the better.
"sorry I had to leave you last night. but i appreciate what you do for me..." Lupin began. but only got a dismissive wave as Sirius headed up the stairs.
"yeah. yeah." he called back over his shoulder. "just drink your tea you sappy git. and when you're up to it let's go to town. I still have to find you a christmas present." and he went up the steps. his voice trailing away after him. "maybe we can even leave Snivellus in Hogsmeade accidentally. I'm sure the Hogshead is looking for a new doormat."
and Lupin smiled faintly.