Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or anything therein. No profit was made, etc. etc. etc.
Chapter Four
The air was chilly when Remus awoke. Before he could even open his eyes, the lycanthrope recognized the feeling of a loose robe and a thick blanket not belonging to him draped over his body. Pushing his heavy eyelids open, Remus was greeted with semi-darkness, punctuated only by moonlight and the soft flickering of candles. He could make out the familiar pattern of Hogwarts' stone walls and felt a wave of relief wash over him. For now, he was safe.
"Awake, are we?" said Severus over his shoulder. He was standing across the room; the doors to a large cabinet which housed some of the Potions master's private stores were open. "It's about time."
Struggling to sit up, Remus groaned. His muscles cried out in pain. However, he was unsure as to whether his pain was from the fight he had been through or from the fact that he had not used his body during the time he had been sleeping. Remus noticed he was in bed, presumably Severus'. As he looked around he realized that while the room looked strikingly like the dungeons which housed the Potions classroom, this was a chamber he had never seen before. No doubt he was in Severus' personal chambers.
The room was entirely void of decoration, unless necessities such as curtains, candlesticks, and books could be called décor. Remus noticed Severus lived as minimally as possible. However, his minimalism had been a choice while Remus' had been a requirement. The Potions master's stores were opposite him, finding the other wall to be housing a large bookshelf filled with a variety of books next to a currently unused fireplace. A cauldron sat upon the cold firewood within the grate causing Remus to wager that it was, at that moment, empty. A modest looking chair was perched to the side of the fireplace, a small end table resting near it. The chamber was modest and Remus felt slightly comfortable in it, as it seemed to remind him of his own living conditions. However, Remus remembered that his own place was far less damp and chilly than the dungeons were. He would have to get used to Hogwart's drafts again.
"How long was I asleep for?" Remus asked groggily, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Two days." Replied Severus matter-of-factly. "You're left only with this night until the moon tomorrow."
Remus' eyes were wide, his mind spinning wildly past important thoughts and ideas. Had the neighbors noticed his absence yet? Or would they after a few more days had passed without seeing him coming or going? Would that cause them to grow suspicious of him? Did anyone see them leave, or did they Apparate? Had the lights been shut off? Would he be able to return? Most importantly, had he taken his potion during the time he had been unconscious?
"My Wolfsbane... I took it, didn't I...?" The lycanthrope asked, with a tinge of worry in his voice. He saw Severus scowl darkly from where he stood rummaging through his potion cabinet.
"I'm not that incompetent that I didn't make sure you took it as you were supposed to." Severus returned without taking his eyes off of the potion labels. He sounded almost as if he were offended Remus had accused him of being neglectful.
"I'm sorry..." Remus returned, looking regretful.
After shuffling through his cabinet for a long silent moment, Severus took out a few vials of something too dark for Remus to see. Closing the doors to his private stores, the Potions master pulled the cork out of one of the vials he held in his long slender fingers. "You've regained consciousness just in time for your last dose." Severus announced.
Remus grimaced. "Have I now? Lucky me..." He muttered, trying his best to smile cordially. No matter how many times he had taken the potion, Remus detested swallowing Wolfsbane. He wagered he would never really get used to its texture, or the feel of it weighing down on his tongue, or how it slid down his throat and into his stomach. It burnt like a fire he could not extinguish, something which not only discomforted him but also annoyed the wolf inside of him. The burn always existed within him for some time after he swallowed, taunting the wolf like an itch it could not scratch.
Severus approached Remus' bedside, stretching his arm out and offering him the vial of potion. "Every drop..." He reminded.
Taking the glass vial in his hands, Remus paused, looking at the Potions master questioningly. "Severus, where am I going to transform?"
"Is there a problem with transforming here?" Severus returned, raising an eyebrow.
"It's just that..." the lycanthrope trailed, loosing his trail of thought.
The corners of Severus' lips puckered. "You've taken your potion. Therefore you'll have your mind and will pose no danger to me or anyone else on these grounds. Correct?" He asked. Remus answered with a feeble nod. "Then what is it you're concerned about?"
"You wouldn't rather have me go transform in the Shrieking Shack?" Remus asked softly.
Severus let out a long sigh. "Lupin, it's my duty to be responsible for your welfare." He explained. "As it stands right now, you're still weakened from the ordeal you endured a few days ago. Though I've healed you as much as I can, you still aren't well. It's more conducive if you stay here in order for me to be able to keep a close watch on you."
The words "duty" and "responsibility" remained in Remus' head long after Severus had stopped talking. It was Severus' duty to be responsible for him. Duty conveyed no emotion, no compassion, just something that needed to be carried out. This thought left a very cold feeling in Remus' chest. Though he was grateful to have Severus taking care of him and providing him with Wolfsbane, somewhere in his heart he would have liked there to have been some sort of emotion which led Severus to care for him rather than it being merely a duty he was performing. Remus could mentally name so many things he would have preferred to have been Severus' alibi for tending to him: compassion, kindness, love, even pity. But none of them were duty. Duty, he felt, was worse than pity. Pity involved emotion, duty involved assignment. To get his mind off of this, Remus tipped the glass vial up to his lips and swallowed the Wolfsbane potion as hard as he could. Afterward he silently handed the empty glass to the Potions master.
Sitting down in the chair opposite him, Severus placed the other potion vials on the tabletop. With a long sigh, he settled down into the chair and closed his eyes.
"What are you doing?" Remus asked.
"Sleeping, Lupin, something that you've done far more than I have within the past few days." Severus returned.
"Why don't I sit up in the chair while you rest?" Remus suggested.
Severus shook his head. "No, Lupin. You only have a day longer to rest. I'm fine." He returned. After a long moment he added a soft, "thank you." The lycanthrope knew better than to push things.
Remus watched as Severus drifted off to sleep, breathing silently with his head slumped forward. He spent all night watching the fluttering of the Potions master's eyes and the way he would adjust his body, still sleeping. Faint words were whispered between his lips every so often. Over the course of the night he had heard Severus call out to his mother, ask a question, correct a student, and apologize to someone. Remus wondered exactly what his companion was dreaming about.
"I'm sorry..." Severus whispered breathily. "...didn't know how to tell you..." The sun was rising, spilling through the windows as he spoke. It began as a pool of light at Severus' feet and traveled up slowly through the parted curtains, inching slowly towards his face. "Forgive me..." the Potions master continued. "...I always have...and I wanted to tell you I..."
As light shone in his face, Severus awoke with a start. He blinked before scowling and reaching back to massage his stiff neck. "Morning, Lupin." greeted the Potions master, something which caught Remus even further off guard.
"Good morning, Severus." He returned softly. Silently, Remus wished he could ask Severus what he was dreaming about, but knew that it might not be the wisest idea. Since he had been most likely sleep deprived for two, even three days, there was no telling how deeply asleep he had been nor how much he would remember. He might even be embarrassed over the discovery that he was talking in his sleep.
"I must ready myself for classes. If you'll excuse me, I shall return later this afternoon." Severus said, rising slowly out of the chair and stretching a little. "Your wand is by the bedside and you're welcome to read any of the texts on my shelves." He added. "I shall send a House Elf down with a tray now and again at lunchtime for you."
"Thank you." Remus returned, his stomach feeling painfully empty.
"Take care to rest." Severus insisted before exiting the bedchambers.
Remus did rest the entire day. He spent the majority of the time floating books over to where he sat up in Severus' bed, leafing through the contents. Most of the books he kept on his shelves were potions related. Twice Remus had fallen asleep reading about the properties of Asphodel. When at last the midday sun was bleeding into a pre-dusk glow, Remus found a copy of the very same book Severus has discovered in his living room. He smiled as he took it in his hands and began reading it gratefully.
The Potions master returned shortly after the lycanthrope had begun reading the second chapter. He was balancing two covered trays of food in his arms. Once he had slipped one into the empty shelf of his potion stores, he handed the other to Remus. "If you need it while you're transformed, I expect you can sit in front of the cabinet to tell me you're hungry." Severus informed him.
"That's a good idea." Remus returned, starting to eat what food Severus had brought him. "Will you be here the entire time?" He wondered in between bites. The sun was rapidly setting.
"I'll be here for the majority of the time. I explained the situation to Professor Dumbledore." Severus said. "He's agreed to send a substitute for all of my classes. The only time I'll be leaving is if you should have need of something I don't have. You need to be closely monitored, just in case." He paused, taking a moment to think. "Is there anything else you require?"
Remus' cheeks colored red. "Aside from a spot in the corner in case I need to..." He trailed off, coughing in embarrassment.
Severus raised an eyebrow. "Of course..." He replied in full understanding. The Potions master silently set out a few old copies of The Daily Prophet, lining the floor of one corner with them while Remus finished his meal and placed the empty tray on the nightstand beside him. As a precaution, Severus cast a silencing spell on the room, knowing the time was almost at hand.
Climbing out of the bed, Remus sighed, walking into the middle of the room clothed in nothing but a loose robe. He scratched his neck and arms as he stood, waiting for the moment when he would begin his transformation. As the sun set, Remus gave Severus a soft smile. "Thank you for doing this."
Before Severus could respond, Remus cried out in pain. His bones felt as if they were all breaking within his flesh and fusing back together while his skin twisted painfully around him. He cried out as he quickly became covered with fur and he hunched over. After his cries finished echoing around the room, he crouched in front of Severus.
Severus took a step forward, his long hand gently reaching over to scratch just behind Remus' ears. The werewolf panted in appreciation. Kneeling before him, Severus gave a faint smile. "You're welcome, Remus..." He returned.
Remus was stunned. This was the first time Severus had called him by his first name, after so many years of knowing each other. The werewolf cursed his luck that the moment he had long been waiting for had chosen to come while he was transformed. However, Remus was glad that it had in fact come nonetheless and gave Severus' hand an appreciative lick. Perhaps there was more to the Potion master's alibi than duty.