Severus followed Remus at least five feet behind and to the side. He said nothing as he monitored the werewolf's progression back to the rooms Albus had lent to him. The man had to walk on his own, and Severus was not keen on him leaning all over him anyhow. Remus had to see to himself to grow strong again, or as strong as he had been. He knew the werewolf was not keen on the help everyone was shoving on him, and he really did not wish to be one of those doing so. He would get the werewolf to his room then be about his own business. It was not that far of a distance to travel and the frail man could make it of his own accord.
The trip, which normally should have taken only five to ten minutes took them near twenty. Severus was growing agitated the slower Remus walked, and the farther they went the slower his pace became. He knew the werewolf was growing quite wary from the short walk. He was not going to aid him unless he collapsed and that was all there was to it. He just stopped when Remus would to catch his breath. Neither man spoke to the other. Severus had nothing to say at the moment, and Remus likely had no wish to speak, if he had the breath to.
Finally, they arrived to Lupin's rooms. The werewolf opened the door and slowly moved inside, collapsing into in a chair as soon as he could. He raised a shaking hand to his brow and brushed back his hair. Severus noted it was longer than he remembered seeing it since their school days.
"I trust you can see to things from here on?" Severus asked impatiently. He watched as the man sighed and nodded. He had no doubt that Remus would remain where he was for the rest of the night. Severus growled and moved toward him. "Up. Albus will not like you sleeping the night in this chair." He hauled the werewolf up, much to Lupin's dismay.
"Severus, leave me alone. I'm fine on my own," he argued futilely. He had no doubts the lengths Severus would go for Albus Dumbledore. If Dumbledore wanted him taken care of, Severus would see to it with a growl and a scowl no matter how much he hated it.
"Fine on your own? Look at you! A disgrace to your filthy kind and to the man you use to be. Do you think your vile friend Black would like this?" He glared at Remus as he manhandled him over to the bedside. "Why you are behaving like this over the mutt I'll never know! He is not worth it, Remus!" He shook him for good measure.
"What would you know of it, Severus? You don't have friends and would not know the loss of one." He fell down on the edge of the bed. "Just let me be. Don't pretend to care about what happens to me."
"I'm not pretending to care. I don't care. Albus does, and for him I will see to this." He jerked Lupin's shoes off. "I can't believe I've stooped this low. Potter should be seeing to this." He looked up at Remus from his place at his feet. "But I'm sure he doesn't need to see you like this more than he must." He stood, glare in place.
"Leave Harry out of this," Remus said guiltily. "He should never have been brought here." 'Not to see me die.' Remus had no doubts that it was coming to that. No matter what they did he would end up dead. He really did not care. He would be with Sirius, Lily, and James and so many others that had died at the hands of Voldemort.
"I'm sure he would have enjoyed that owl. 'Dear Mr. Potter. We are sorry to inform you that your only link to your father has decided he wished to die. Please come to such and such address to attend his funeral.'" Severus felt like slapping the man. Why, he did not know. He cared little for the Potter brat or for Lupin. Perhaps it was just being stuck in this situation.
Remus shot Severus a slight glare. The first emotion he had shown in front of the man or really anyone. The satisfied smirk he saw on Snape's face let him know he had just been played. The damn man had counted on him caring too much for Harry to take that well. He had also counted on it reminding him just why he could not kick off whenever he pleased. Remus just sat in silence as Severus saw to helping him change and into bed. "You can leave now," he informed the taciturn man.
"I can leave whenever I wish as long as my legs still work," he remarked smartassed. "I want to know why you are acting like this over some damn mutt?" Severus crossed his arms and looked down at the man. "He was a womanizing twit that would have never gave your passing more than a second thought. He would have more important things to see to. Black cared for himself foremost then others."
"He would have cared, Severus. Again, this is something that you would not understand. You are too cold and isolated." He too crossed his arms and stared at the wall opposite the bed. "Just go away, Snape."
"Snape now? I touched a button did I? Good. Someone needs to make you realize that moping over that trash is a worthless endeavor." He knew eventually Lupin would raise to the bait. He would get a spark of life from him yet, and he cared little for what means he had to go to. The sooner the werewolf was closer to normal the sooner he would not have to worry about the headmaster 'asking' for his aid.
"Get out, Snape. I need to rest." There was a barely contained growl in his voice. Severus was pushing it. He may be weak and tired but he was not above raising his wand if he had to. He remembered several nice hexes that worked wonders on the man as a boy. He had seen James and Sirius use them enough, and it would only be fitting to use one of Sirius' favorites at the moment.
"Planning to hex me, are you?" He asked smugly. "Go ahead and try. Stoop to the bully your friends were. Maybe you'll bite me, get that chunk of meat you never did before, no thanks to your buddy Black." His eyes pierced into Remus' as the werewolf looked up sharply.
How dare he bring that up! "Maybe I should. Let you see just what it is like to be a werewolf. Then, if you ever make friends, I'll see one of them done in. You'll know what it's like to lose a member of your pack." His eyes flashed at the challenge. The glint was dangerous, Moony rooting for the idea of fresh blood, fresh meat.
Severus' glare dimmed slightly at the look in Remus' eyes. If he was this weak he could very well lose control of the best within. Normally, a werewolf was kept at bay while a man, but in his weakened state, Remus could very well go animalistic on them. Moony did not want to die. "What's it like, Lupin, to have a fight inside yourself? Half of you wanting to die and the other half wanting to live. At this rate, he'll win. He'll take over this form and he will kill. You'll be no better than Fenrir then, will you? Do you want to be your maker that badly?"
Remus looked away quickly, breath faster at the thoughts. He clamped his eyes shut and refused to think of what that would be like. he could never hurt those he cared for. He could not. But... If Severus was right and Moony took control... No one would be safe around him. He could not kill himself out right here to prevent Moony taking control, and he could waste away no where because then he likely would.
"Potter would be first. He would nobly try to stop you. Albus would either kill you or join the boy. Then Minerva, Poppy, perhaps even me. Then you would head to Hogsmeade. So many bodies and so little time. You would have to kill quickly and run. He would enjoy that. Fenrir would welcome you to his pack with open arms then."
"Stop it! Shut up, Snivellus!" He roared at him hands over his ears as though he were a child wishing away some horrible untruth. He could not bare the thought of doing those things to anyone, not even the contemptuous man beside him. He could never become like his maker. Fenrir was an evil man and a worse werewolf. He was siding with Voldemort. He was killing innocent muggles and mudbloods for fun.
"You have to face the truth, Lupin. If you can't live for yourself, and you can't live for Potter, then you must live to keep yourself from becoming that which you hate most." 'And when did I start sounding like the old coot?' He wondered to himself. "Sleep tonight, Remus, and think on this. Tomorrow you can let the Potter brat help you to live again." He turned and strode out, leaving the sobbing werewolf alone.
In the hall, he bumped into Harry. He sneered at the boy, for the first time noticing how much he had grown in the short time since he had left school. "Leave him be for the night, Potter. He needs time to think and rest."
Harry glared at Snape. What did the man know of what Remus needed? He would go in and see Remus if he wanted to. He made to go around Severus, to defy what he had just been told, but the iron grip on his arm stopped him. He looked up at Severus with an angry expression. How dare he keep him from Remus! What had he done to him that he did not want Harry to see? "Let go of me, you git."
"Language, Mr. Potter. Now return to your own room until the morning. You can spend the rest of eternity with your werewolf after that if you want to." He dragged the boy to his door. "In. And stay put, Potter." He shoved the boy into the room and left. He knew the boy would likely not heed his words so he set a charm outside Remus' door to prevent the boy's entry or any sound he made from reaching the werewolf inside.
Then he again made his way to his potions. He hoped he would not be disturbed again for any reason. He had to get his research done for the Dark Lord or reap the rewards of failure. He had no doubts a meeting was soon to be held. A sense of dreaded was creeping up his spine at the thought of it. His mark was going to burn soon. He just knew it.
