Chapter 2

Normally, and contrary to most of the other Hogwarts staff, Severus found the summer holidays something of a chore. Being publicly on the side of the Light, even with the Dark Lord gone, meant he was now constantly in demand as a potions expert. He had to attend a string of meetings at the Ministry, he had to write papers on topics that held little or no interest, and Dumbledore was irritatingly determined to make sure he could not sit alone in his tiny London flat and read away his time off. By early August this year, he'd already dined with the Headmaster twice in the Leaky Cauldron, and turned down another four invitations.

This time, however, being in London for the summer had yielded something of a reward, when he had encountered Lucius Malfoy in Goblin's Passage, a narrow walkway that connected Knockturn Alley to the backstreets where his flat was located. He did not bother to react. Lucius had ignored him for more than ten years – as former allies and Death Eaters, it was not safe for them to be seen conversing in public – but this time, perhaps because there was barely room for the two of them to pass without colliding, Lucius had slowed and addressed him.

He had looked no different: still immaculate, still grey-eyed, and still dangerously unreadable. Out of curiosity, Severus had gone with him for a drink, and only after an hour of polite conversation had Lucius dropped even a hint of what he was after. Severus had been single for six years and completely celibate for two; he took very little persuading. He had gone willingly back to the apartment Lucius kept in London, and had been summoned every few days after that to repeat the pleasure.

It was a straightforwardly sexual relationship, of course – no emotions, no expectations. That Lucius was choosing to spend this birthday with Severus was unremarkable: the glittering parties the Malfoys had given three times a year (once for Lucius, once for Narcissa, and once at Christmas) had ceased completely after the Dark Lord had fallen. A quiet drink and good company were things, at least, that Lucius could still enjoy, and Severus enjoyed enjoying them with him.

This year, then, to have to leave London at the end of the summer was a bit of a wrench. He would be able to Apparate down at weekends sometimes, if the students weren't due to go to Hogsmeade, but he and Lucius would not be able to enjoy the same casual system of owls and visits that they had established when they were only a few streets apart. Severus anticipated a term of long evenings, trying to resist the urge to unbutton his trousers and drift off to thoughts of Lucius, forcing his mind back to his marking. Nor had he yet found a research project to occupy his free time; he needed to hurry, otherwise Dumbledore would surely think of something for him and remove the element of choice.


When Severus arrived at the gates, his trunk floating reluctantly behind him, he could see the Dementors were already at Hogwarts. A black shape was circling the Astronomy Tower slowly, and several others drifted in and out of the Forbidden Forest. When they turned sharply and began to fly towards him, Severus felt his body begin to drain of heat, and swore, taking out his wand. 'Expecto patronum.' His Patronus, a lean panther, leapt from the end of his wand and raced forwards, before stopping with its hackles raised, challenging the Dementors to approach any further.

'Full marks,' a voice said behind him. Severus spun, and blanched to see the bearer of that fourth name, the name he had thought to hear least of all: Remus Lupin.

'You!' he gasped, gripping his wand in his pocket.

'Me,' Lupin returned calmly. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you.' He looked over Severus's shoulder at the Dementors retreating into the Forest. 'Unpleasant, aren't they?'

'Indeed,' Severus said. 'Let us hope they at least do the job they're employed to do.'

'Keeping out Sirius Black, you mean?' Lupin said. He spoke the name without any visible sign of emotion. Indeed, the shy Lupin whom Severus remembered from his schooldays seemed to have entirely disappeared. The man who stood before him was tall, straight, and utterly self-possessed. Only his pallor and shadowed eyes gave any clue of the sickness that lay within.

'Exactly,' Severus said. 'I wish I'd been able to employ a Dementor for that purpose twenty years ago.' He turned and began to walk away, then changed his mind and addressed Lupin again. 'Why the hell are you here?'

'Oh, you know,' Lupin said, smiling slightly. 'Nostalgia.' He looked away and gazed out over the lake, as if lost in happy memories.

Severus didn't believe him, but nor did he want to give any more evidence of his own curiosity. He swore under his breath and strode away towards the castle, leaving the werewolf to his own thoughts.


'What?' he shouted barely ten minutes later in Dumbledore's office. 'You can't be serious!'

Dumbledore smiled. 'Actually, I'm rather congratulating myself on this one. Remus's knowledge of his subject is first-class. A vast improvement on Gilderoy Lockhart. And the safety issues, I'm convinced, can be resolved with a little cooperation from you.' He tapped the cover of Warts, Weather and Worries, which was now lying shinily on his desk, a red cloth bookmark inserted between its pages. Suddenly Severus knew what arrangements Dumbledore was going to request.

'Revised edition,' he said wearily.

'Indeed,' Dumbledore said. 'Long overdue, of course, but it does mean Grammaticus Gilchrost has been able to include perhaps his most important formula by far: the Wolfsbane Potion.' He opened the book at the red marker and removed it, before passing the book to Severus. 'Do you know it?'

Severus nodded slightly, his eyes moving over the page. 'I had a quick look at it when the discovery was first made.' He frowned down at the list of ingredients. 'He's tried to improve the longevity by adding woody nightshade. It already has poppyseed in it, it'll congeal in the stomach. Amateur.'

'You think you can do better, then?' Dumbledore said.

Severus looked at him. 'I have the feeling,' he said, 'you're about to give me the opportunity to try.' He looked back at the formula. 'You realise this potion takes a fortnight to make, and that's without any experimentation at all. If you want me to improve it, I will barely have any free time left.' He closed the book, and tried to pass it back over the desk.

'Indeed,' Dumbledore said, gesturing for Severus to keep the new book. 'I understand this is a big demand to place on you, Severus. But I have struggled to find a better-qualified teacher for the post, as you know, and considering recent events … I think it best to enable Remus to enjoy the protection Hogwarts can offer. Sirius killed Peter Pettigrew, and James too, though indirectly – and now he is at large again. Remus may be feeling rather vulnerable just at this moment. You must not let your personal feelings get the better of you. You must help, and you must keep it very secret, or students' lives will be in danger every month.'

Severus sighed. His free time – the weekends he had hoped to spend in London … he would surely not be allowed to invite Lucius to dine at Hogwarts with all the suspicion still hanging over him. If he had to make this potion every month, and spend painstaking hours trying out variations on its formula, he would not be able to leave his cauldron unattended even overnight, let alone for a whole weekend.

But he knew he did not have any choice, even if it weren't Dumbledore asking. If Lupin himself had asked him, he would probably still have agreed to make the potion: he had read extensively about life as a werewolf over the years, and had concluded that it sounded about as bad as some of the Dark Lord's favourite tortures. He knew a moral obligation when he saw one.

'All right,' he said finally. 'Tell Lupin I'll make his damn potion, though I can assure you I won't waste my efforts trying to make it taste any better.'

Dumbledore spread his hands. 'A perfect Slytherin response, Severus. Full marks.'

Severus swore again.


A/N: Having had a squint at the PoA timeline on a helpful Harry Potter wiki, I've realised some of the events are likely to be somewhat AU here, especially the timings of full moons. Please be lenient … Reviews appreciated, even if it's just a note to say you're reading. –SS–