Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything therein. No profit was made, etc. etc. etc.

Author's Notes: This is a Severus/Remus story. There might be some slight slash in upcoming chapters. Therefore the rating may change as new chapters are added. Not sure exactly how long this will be. I'd like to get a sense of what direction to take by reader response. So, please let me know. Thank you for reading.

Chapter One

He was always there at Order meetings, the only time Remus ever saw Hogwarts' Potions master anymore. Sitting in the same seat he always occupied, the one at the end of the table, tucked away in the corner near the door and the grate which held a kindling fire, Severus Snape looked like the epitome of darkness. Clothed only in black, the man seemed to blend into the shadows. He would have succeeded, had it not been for his pale, sallow skin, which was a stark contrast to the blackness all around him. Remus sat almost exactly opposite him on the other side of the table, watching him out of the corners of his eyes. Every so often he had been brave enough to sit closer, but Severus' eyes upon him burned, and he found himself paying more attention to conjectures of what was going through the Potions master's head rather than the topic of the meeting.

It was always the same after the meeting dispersed. Each man would rise slowly and solemnly, smoothing the wrinkles from their trousers and robes. There was always that brief moment just before they parted ways where their eyes caught, suspending time. Blue and black orbs locked, and for a silent second, it felt as if they were within the grip of a strong magnet, pulling them towards that very spot, that very look...

As soon as it had begun, it was over. Both Remus and Severus cleared their throats, walking out of the room on opposite sides, not once looking back at the other. This was simply another matter of business between them, a routine, a habit they had fallen into. To deviate from that would disrupt whatever calm, ignorant silence they existed in. Severus was a quiet, introverted man, and to intrude upon him would be rude of him. No, he could not interrupt his silent thoughts. Severus' solitude was his business and his alone. He had his own solitude to be concerned with.

After leaving Hogwarts two years prior, Remus had fallen on hard times. The only stable job he had managed to secure was being a continued asset to the Order of the Phoenix. Anything else was painfully short-lived. The longest tenure he had served where employment was concerned was a eight month job in a bookshop. He had been turned away, as he always was, because his employer had discovered that he had employed a Lycanthrope rather than a human being. The place where he was residing was meager, at best, and what little money Remus had went into paying the rent with not much to spare for food. Nights were cold and days were long, but Remus was not one for accepting charity. He had made it on his own before being called to Hogwarts by Albus Dumbledore to fill the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Remus was determined to do so again, quietly, without burdening anyone. It was his way.

This particular Order meeting had been a difficult one. Remus had arrived, looking more ragged and exhausted than usual. Several members whispered their concern at him, most especially Molly Weasley, who insisted he visit the Burrow immediately so that she could feed him the entire contents of her cupboards. As everyone settled down into their seats, Remus noticed Severus glancing his way. Undoubtedly the commotion of people fussing over him, even if they were expressing themselves in hushed voices, had caught the Potions master's attention. Severus regarded him with a raised eyebrow before looking away as the meeting started.

For three hours the members sat, listened, and debated new protection strategies and potential dangers. Remus could hardly focus, feeling the burn of embarrassment on his face. It was flattering that so many people were concerned for his welfare, but he was quite capable of taking care of himself. Silently Remus wondered if he really did look as if he were in dire need of food and some warm clothes. With a strong frown, he pulled the tattered scarf around his neck. The meeting went on, Remus never really hearing what anyone was saying. He was more concerned with his own thoughts.

Remus jumped at the sound of wooden chair legs scraping the floor. He rose, struggling to blink himself back into reality. As he was about to leave, his eyes locked with Severus Snape's. Feeling the red hot flush of embarrassment wash over him once more, Remus turned, wanting nothing more than to return to his small apartment, away from all the eyes and worries.

"Lupin?"

Taking a deep breath at the sound of his name, Remus turned. "Severus?" He asked softly, surprised. It had been quite a long time since they had spoken with one another. The feeling of doing so again was familiar, yet awkward. It was as if he were casting a spell he had mastered once, yet had not cast in a while. Remus remembered that they had not spoken in almost two years. Of course there had been the business-like statements made from time to time about his Wolfsbane potion. However, they had not had a conversational exchange since the incident that led to Remus' resignation from Hogwarts.

"Are you," Severus began, trailing off to give the man a subtle yet critical look over, "well?" He asked.

"Well enough." Remus replied softly. "Are you?"

Severus pursed his thin lips together. "Is the potion not potent enough?"

Remus blinked. "What?" He said aloud, confused. Severus had always had a way of being blunt and now Remus wondered just why he had not dropped the first pleasantry altogether and simply asked him if his haggard appearance was due to some inadequacy in his potions making. "Whatever embarrassingly poor state I'm in right now has nothing to do with your potion, Severus." Returned the man with a little bit more of an edge to it than he had intended. The moon was coming soon, and he was rapidly becoming snappish.

"I shall stop by tonight to bring you your potion, as you need it." Severus announced, though Remus was not sure he was saying that as a fact or as a byproduct of being snapped at by him. "I regret that I could not bring it now, but this batch has a few more hours to brew."

The greying man sighed. "I won't be here tonight. Stop by here tomorrow."

"You know this cannot wait." Severus replied softly, sounding as if he were lightly scolding Remus.

Remus swallowed. In all his years, Severus had never once seen the environment in which he lived. This embarrassed him further. Surely he would not want to be subjected to the poor, dirty, meager apartment that he resided in. Remus wished he lived somewhere more fitting, but could not for the life of him understand why that need was so strong. Severus was merely a member of the Order. Right?

"Lupin, you must have your first dose tonight." Severus insisted.

"Alright." Remus agreed, begrudgingly. "I live by Hyde Park. It's the... smallest building on the block..." He added, embarrassed.

Severus remained looking stony. "You need not be embarrassed." He said almost comfortingly, which surprised Remus so much that the Lycanthrope's eyes widened a little. "You must remember that I live in a dungeon."