Chapter 20: War Without End - Part 1

Beta and co-author Lukanicus

Remus Lupin was a very slender, almost wan looking man. There could be no mistaking his obvious attraction to both wizard and witch alike. He had animal magnetism by the bucket load. After all, He was a werewolf.

He was formerly a very well respected and gifted pupil and Professor at Hogwarts.
However, for the past twenty years he had kept a silent tongue in his head, never revealing his true feelings and never showing publicly his affection for anyone. He always looked like he had so much affection to lavish on someone special if given half a chance. It looked like it would consume him sometimes.

Yes, Remus was a truly unique individual. However, he was not alone and never had been either all these years. He was under the strict instruction of his husband and lover not to divulge their secret for fear of the ignominy and shame. However, more so, his lover's thoughts were always to protect him from possible attack from the forces of Lord Voldemort. The person who had singularly owned his heart for so long was none other than Severus Snape, Potions Master, Professor, Dark Mark holder and all round bastard to everyone, but just plain old squiggy to Remus.

Remus had not been caught by his stupidity. The need to gather as much info on Voldemort's newest weapon nearly had him captured and very nearly killed. He could not save thirty innocent Muggles that day. He barely got out with his life. He was caught just at the moment he had to transfigure from a squirrel back to a wizard so he could apparate and seek help.

His bitch sister, Chaeli, Lucius Malfoy's personal bodyguard and Lord Voldemort's newest big bad, had seized an opportunity to grab him and in the process ripped his arm off.

By the time he had been found by Hagrid, the poison from Chaeli's attack had started to debilitate his immune system. His Lupine antibodies which although naturally stronger, were deadened. All that Severus could do was to try to stem the circulation of blood, keep the gaping wound clean, and hope that the potion, unction and poultices he was brewing would somehow have a miracle effect in keeping him alive. He knew this was not the case and that Remus was doomed.

Now that the union of Farore and Din had bought forth the celestial being Nehru, with ancient Godly magic had repaired his severed arm and cleansed him of poisons, Remus was on the way to a recovery and Severus was on the warpath. Since the celestial Nehru departed, to the heavens for all any one in the room knew, all that remained were Snape, Remus and Dumbledore in an infirmary that all of a sudden looked strangely dull and felt cold.

"Remus, we need to know what you saw. If we have a new weapon to fight, it is all the more important that we know now. Time will be of the essence." Dumbledore was looking very gravely at Remus and Snape pleading for information.

"Professor, he is too weak at the moment. I want him to rest," stroking Remus' arm. "He can discuss all of this after he has rested fully."

"NO, I WANT TO KNOW NOW…" Dumbledore was furious and his voice seemed like a temporary Sonorous had been cast.

"How dare you. Do not think for one minute that you are going to force my lover to relive the nightmare he has endured without adequate sleep. Now if you don't mind Professor kindly leave us."

Snape was as surprised at how masterful he was with the Headmaster seeing that the headmaster was taken aback by his rebellion.

"Very well, but I must speak with him in the first instance tomorrow, time is of the essence."

And with that, Dumbledore left the infirmary. Severus was left to lavish private affection on his love, Remus.

"I could have spoken to him Severus. You didn't need to turn him away like that. He is our leader after all!"

Snape did not comment. He just shrugged and looked mildly hurt at the rebuke Remus had just given him. Remus seeing that his slight chastisement had upset him turned his face into a smirk and altering his voice to one of playful banter. He pulled Severus on to the bed and started to tickle him.

"But thank you all the same my ickle Squiggy, my ickle hero," all the time giggling and feeling better the more responsive laughter he was hearing from his soul mate.

"Sto… it… hahaha, Ree…, hahaha, I can't cope, hahaha, I'm going to f…, hahaha, that does it reve…"

"Ahmm, excuse us sirs. Have you seen Professor Dumbledore? Somebody said that he was in here before with Harry."

Snape stopped the tickling induced laughter immediately. He stood up, approached the owner of the voice and in a low almost hissing voice he spoke to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, what you just saw here, was nothing more than an old wizarding remedy to speed up recovery. Do I make myself clear?"

"Looked more like you were getting tickled by a bloke to me," Offered Ron, stepping into view from behind Hermione.

"Hello Sir, nice to see you."

"Hahaha, you always did have a way of stating the opane Mr. Weasley. How's your father?"

"Oh, very well sir, I and Mione got him a new corkscrew… A device Muggles use to open bottles."

"How tediously primitive," spat Snape with loathing and contempt while throwing an annoyed look of 'get rid of these kids' at Remus and a 'god I despise you' look at Hermione and Ron.

"Squi…, don't make me get off this bed and spank you. You know I will. Remember what you said to me whilst I was near death? Something on the lines of if I survive you would…"

"You dare Remus Lupin! If you so much as finish that sentence you will wish you had died."

Remus had a huge grin on his face. Hermione looked fascinated and rested on one of the spare beds to get comfortable and not miss an ounce of gossip. Ron just stared at his feet, trying to act oblivious to what was going on.

"Come, come darling," Lupin continued whilst Snape's face got redder, "You said we were going to profess our love to the world and that you weren't going to make me live in denial anymore. Hermione get your wand out please!"

Hermione instantly obeyed the command, not knowing where she was to point it though. She glanced with a questioning look at Remus, who in turn gestured towards Snape with his eyes, "Ready Professor?"

"Now, be ready please because this must be a dastardly fiend, shape-shifted to resemble my lover of twenty five years."

"Cor Blimey!" was the very audible sound that came from Ron. Hermione just repeatedly looked back and forth between the smiling Lupin and, as she thought, 'a blind man on a motorbike would notice' the angry Snape, not blinking for fear of missing anything.

"Because the wizard I fell in love with would rather die than tell me a lie. Isn't that right Severus?"

"I am not ready to do that here, not in front of these…"

"Oh we don't mind Squish…" The death glare thrashed around in Ron's direction, took the smirk off his face but inwardly, he rejoiced that one line. Remus giggled. Then walked over to Severus, put his arms around his waist, pulled him towards him and kissed him gently on the nose.

"We have to start somewhere. I don't want to live another day away from you and having to hide my true feelings. If we have to start somewhere, let it be here where my life was saved. Please!"

Soul-searching black eyes met Remus' steely blue, bathing in each other's undoubted love. Hermione found a tear was rolling down her cheek. She welcomed the strong arms that were all of a sudden around her just as they were needed. Ron always knew just when he needed to be there.

"Are you sure this is what you want. There will be no going back. You do realize that?"

Nodding and giving him another gentle kiss on the lips, he answered, "It's what I have always wanted, to walk with my head high, knowing, everyone was aware I was the husband of the sexiest wizard in the world."

"Urgh, Yuk, OUCH, what was that for?"

"Shut it Ron."

Turning to Hermione and Ron, Snape took out his wand. Ron went to counter with his own but before he could.

"Idiotic boy, you're perfectly safe for now. I require your help, and of course, you will give it. WON'T YOU?"

"Err yes, of course, what?" they said at the same time. Hermione gave Ron a dig in the ribs to shut him up and proceeded to look open to any help that Snape required. She was having a great time with all this and the longer it went on the better.

"How can we help Sir?" Standing down from the bed and taking Ron's hand in hers, she awaited instruction. Whilst putting a silencing bubble around them so that what was said was not audible to Remus, Snape asked if they were familiar with Muggle Jazz. When Hermione informed him that she was quite good on a drum kit, and that her father was a great fan of that musical genre, Snape looked pleased. Asking what Ron knew made him smile even more as Ron had just finished a 'teach-yourself the double bass,' magical course and had been practicing with Hermione earlier. Amid giggles and hoots of how funny the two students thought this was going to be, Snape gave his instructions. Then dispelling the bubble, he flicked his wand again three times.

The beds turned into soft lounge seats and the walls turned into long seductive red velvet curtains. The effect was completed by a chandelier, a stage with 1950's style microphone stand with both Ron and Hermione in tuxedoes.

Gesturing for Remus to take comfort in a chair, he walked over to him, kissed him lightly on the forehead, "Very well Remy, as I promised, this is for you."

Two spotlights appeared, one upon Hermione on her drums and the other upon Ron with his huge Double Bass. Snape at the microphone clicked his fingers.

Never know how much I love you.
Never know how much I care.
When you put your arms around me
I get a fever that's so hard to bear.
You give me fever,

When you kiss me,
Fever when you hold me tight.
Fever

In the morning,
Fever all through the night,
Sun lights up the daytime.
Moon lights up the night.
I light up when you howl my name

And you know I'm gonna treat you right.

You give me fever,
When you kiss me,
Fever when you hold me tight.
Fever,
In the morning,
Fever all through the night.

Severus loved Remus
Remus you felt the same.
When you put your arms around me,
You said Sevee, baby, you're my flame.
Thou givest fever
When we kisseth,
Fever with thy flaming youth,
Fever, I'm a fire.
Fever, yay, I burn forsooth.

Draco Malfoy and that Potter
Had a very strange affair.
You know Draco's daddy will try to kill him.
Draco'll say daddy, no, don't you dare
He gives me fever,
With his kisses, fever when he holds me tight
Fever I'm his Mrs.
Daddy, won' t you treat him right.

Now you've listened to my story,
Here's the point that I have made
I am going to give you children.
Be it Slytherin or Gryffindor heirs
They'll give us fever
When they kiss us,
Fever as they grow, we learn
Fever, till they're adults
What a lovely home we've earned.

Walking over to Severus, Remus picked him up, and gently twirling around the room, whispered in his ear.

"That's always been our song darling, shame you couldn't have dressed as Stealia though."

Severus just leaned into his life, his love, his best friend in all the universe that was real to him was here on this spot. He was so thankful. He hated that it was to Harry Potter. But he pledged to himself that he would protect Harry with his life for the gift that he and Draco gave back to him, the life of Remus.

"Come on Ron let's leave them to it" Hermione whispered to Ron.

Ron did not argue. He was secretly pleased for Remus. He always liked him, and in a strange way for Snape. They exited the room leaving Severus and Lupin in a lover's embrace.

A couple of hours later being very sated, Severus turned to his lover. Staring into his eyes, he allowed his mind to stray to thoughts of a time without him as if he had not been saved. His melancholy prompted a quick reaction from Remus.

"It was Chaeli. She is with the dark lord and his death eaters."

"Don't my love don't speak of it now. Gain your strength and we can do this tomorrow" Severus actually wanted to know what had happened, the sooner the better for him.

"I came across a death eater camp in Wales and narrowly got away as Chaeli must have picked up my scent in the air. Before Apparating out of there, I saw them, processing bundles. I wasn't quite sure at the time what the bundles were. Following the trail further, I came across a quarry in Stoke and there were a huge number of these processed bundles. They were like on a conveyor belt, Severus it was awful."

Remus was clearly upset. Severus could see that the recollection was affecting him. He knew that Remus would have to speak of this anyway, so Severus held him and kissing the top of his head.

Remus continued, "They were Muggles, Severus. All tethered up like parcels. Mouths covered so they couldn't speak just like the dead animals in that abattoir we use sometimes, just hooked up, processed by those bastard sand elves. I needed to get a closer look so I changed myself into a squirrel and set myself on a shrub nearby.

"They fetched about thirty Muggle Parcels out and arranged them around a crystalline monolith. Then he appeared, Lucius Fucking Malfoy. He was laughing at the Muggles as if he had gone mad. He released their gags and they were all screaming and moaning as if they were scared for their lives. The sound was sickening Severus. I nearly lost control of my glamour at the sight. Then one of the Muggles, a young man in his thirties, started to curse and swear at Lucius. Next thing I knew Chaeli had soared through the air and ripped the front of the man's head clean off with one swipe."

Severus could feel nausea overtaking his every fibre. He steeled himself. He also had a grizzly feeling that Chaeli was going to die an equally dreadful death, and he intended that it would be at his hand.

"Malfoy just shrugged and complained about her ruining his little experiment. He told her that he was down one Muggle due to her proclivity for killing. Chaeli noticed my squirrel form and before I could escape she had stunned me and placed me in the same spot where the dead Muggle had been."

"Lucius stood on a raised platform in front of the circle. After exclaiming that the dark lord needed before and after footage of the experiment, he took a picture of the Muggles screaming and pleading for their lives." Remus was tearful and Severus was holding him tightly, realising the story was nearly at its end.

"Malfoy muttered something about this same thing occurring in every major capital city in the world and that the dark lord wanted to see how it was working as the previous 100 attempts weren't clinical enough, whatever that meant. Then he lifted his wand and flicking in the precise direction of the monolith cursed the Avada Kedavra spell at it. The Green fog left his wand, hit the crystal statue and engulfed it. The monolith shot out light of the same colour hitting one Muggle after the other in the chest. As its path progressed around the circle, each one fell down dead, drained of life and looking ancient. I think the life force remained in the monolith."

"When I saw the effects of the curse I quickly decided that leaving there at all speed was the order of the day. I transfigured on the spot and was immediately dodging spells from the death eaters who had seen my change. I had just narrowly missed the curse when out of nowhere, just as I was to apparate, Chaeli struck me and I lost my arm."

He gave a comforting rub to his arm, but the figure of Dumbledore appearing out of the shadows interrupted him, "I'm sorry to appear like this, I was hoping to hear you talk in your sleep."

Just as Severus was about to protest, Remus gestured that he should not. Waving an arm in the direction of the end of the bed Dumbledore said, "And the rest we know Remus. I presume?"

"Yes Albus, the rest happened right here."

"I fear that we are in graver danger than I first thought."

Both Snape and Lupin raised their eyebrows at this statement.

"It seems clear to me, that Voldemort is attempting to distract the army of light on hundreds of different fronts. Quite a brilliant strategy I think, but flawed."

"How so Professor" asked Snape.

"If Voldemort is planning on mass Muggle genocide, he will have to count on our forces not allowing it. This is where his weakness lies. If we have to split our resources to stop each attack, he has to devote more of his resources to achieve it. His forces will be spread too thinly on the ground, which will ultimately lead to his failure. However, I fear Voldemort is not stupid. He wouldn't play this card if he didn't have a huge ace up his sleeve. That's what worries me."

""Professor, I also heard Malfoy say something strange. He said that the mirrors outside the Muggles houses, where the wait for god to make contact, will be their downfall."

"Rita Skeeter used that term a few years ago when she was a respected member of the wizarding journalentia. If memory serves me correct, she referred to the Muggle obsession with exploration and building satellites in space. Malfoy must be referring to a satellite station in space. If that is the case, it is even more worrying Severus."

Dumbledore was looked very grave. Leaving the room shortly, he returned with a half-asleep Hermione. Relating his theory about using a satellite mirror system to send a spell from the ground, he asked her, as a Muggle expert, to guess the effects.

"If a concentrated beam of energy was sent in the direction of one of the earths manmade satellites and the calibrations on it were precise, you could send the same signal to thousands if not millions of places at the same time."

"Thank you Miss Granger. As always, you have been a great help."

When they were sure she was out of earshot they continued, "Severus, this must be a distraction. He could simply poison the water supply if he wanted to affect a mass Muggle killing. He must be thinking that we will go after each of the targets on earth and split our forces that way. This would allow him to send all of his forces after us in one battle. It would wipe us out. We will need to find a way of stopping this weapon before it is used or we will not have a choice but to join Voldemort ourselves."

"How so Albus?" asked Lupin.

"If Voldemort's weapon works, millions of Muggles will die by the hand of a wizard. The Muggles will hunt us down like animals and we will eventually need to band together to survive. They won't believe that it's the fault of a dark wizard. They never do. We will end up in a war with the Muggles that will never end until one side is annihilated. Voldemort will be on the throne of power if the Wizards get the upper hand that's for sure"

"One thing I don't understand, how has he got that sort of magic? I have never read about magic that dark or powerful before. Where did it come from?"

"I really can't say Severus, I really can't say."

Dumbledore seemed to be avoiding something and both Lupin and Severus noticed, "Professor I have one question that you could answer for me!"

Dumbledore stood still, turning his head only replied, "Really Severus and what is that?"

"Before Harry and Draco disappeared, you said that you were sorry, you said that you had missed them for so long. I also detected that you were not being looked at all by them. You said that you had waited 200 years to tell them that. What were you sorry for? And why did it take 200 years to tell them?"

"That it was my fault, Severus. That all of this was my fault."

"Keeping them apart when Potter and Malfoy were born, is that what you're on about, that was only 17 years ago."

"That's not the first time that I have encountered the spirits of Farore and Din. I first encountered them 200 years ago. They were joining and I was on dark wizard detection duties. I came across Philleda Marvolo and Sexton Evans. They had been courting for some time, but there had been rumours of dark goings on with both of them. Their union was just starting out. They were actually just about to join and the Farore spirit had started a seed of love within her, which Sexton needed Din to develop and there glorious progeny would be born. After the bond had taken place, but before I hoped they were totally possessed, I cursed the being that had taken over Sexton and drove it out. They were not as powerful as they are now. Harry's and Draco's power has made them ten times as powerful as they ever were before."

"The effects of my curse killed Sexton. Philleda grew bitter and hateful of all things. She had good cause too. The seed inside her grew, getting blacker and blacker. The essence of Farore stayed in her, keeping her youthful appearance for over 130 years. She then started to let herself be loved by another. This time she loved a Muggle that was kind and treated her very well. She fell pregnant to him and thought that the seed of darkness she carried inside her would turn to joy. She realised she would have to confess her secret. When she did, he left her."

"This made all the anger and pain and darkness that she had been containing for over 135 years spew forth and in child birth she died. Her son, never knowing his mother, never knew that the darkness had been battled from within her for over a century."

"Yes professor, that's a noble and tragic story but what does this have to do with us and now?"

Dumbledore turning fully and looking gravely at Severus and Lupin steadied his voice and said, "That boy's father was Thomas Riddle Senior. It appears that Lord Voldemort's magic seems to have come from the dark events that I instigated."

FEVER BY PEGGY LEE