Chapter 25: The Date

Severus Snape is nothing if not observant. He sees how despondent his partner has become, and does something about it.

Nothing.

That's what they'd found, for all their seven days of searching the grounds around the Longbottom estate. No sign of Harry Potter. Not a scrap of cloth nor lock of black hair. Granted, it had been two years, but despite the odds both Sirius and Remus had allowed their hopes to shoot into the sky.

It only made reality more difficult to come to terms with.

"Come on, Padfoot," Remus said softly, shoulders drooping low. "Let's go. We've turned this area inside out. There's nothing here."

"Just one more time," Sirius hissed, wand at the ready.

Remus watched his best friend cast spell after spell in sad silence. They'd already tried every magic tracking spell they both knew. They'd turned the forest upside down and inside out and searched all over. There was nothing here for them but more disappointment. He'd tried to be positive but after the fifth day with absolutely no results, he'd had to accept reality.

Now to convince Sirius Black.

The dark-haired man was casting with a shaking hand, fervently racking his mind for more spells, some magic that might bring Harry to them. He looked haggard as he ever did, with deep dark circles under his wild eyes, hair a mangled mess, matted and tangled. His hands shook. Remus guessed he hadn't eaten when they'd stopped for lunch the last two days and gone on searching. It was time to stop.

He Disarmed Sirius with a well-aimed Expelliarmus. Sirius was so tired that the wand flew out of his hand without a fight.

"Sirius. That's enough."

"You go on, Moony. I think, I think I saw something, over there, under that bush. I just need to see…"

Remus shook his head and put a firm hand down on his friend's shoulder.

"Come along. We're done here."

Sirius made a noise to disagree and Remus silenced him with a look. They were both exhausted, both drained of energy and sapped of hope. Forlorn, they made their way together back toward the Apparition point. Remus took them Side-Along back to Hogsmade, where they took refuge in the Hog's Head.

A thick Sheppard's pie and a pint of Butterbeer did nothing to lift their spirits. The beautiful mince meat pie tasted like ash.

After three bites, Sirius put down his fork.

"Eat up," Remus said tiredly. "We've not had a proper meal in days, Padfoot. C'mon. A few more bites."

"We were so close," Sirius said instead of eating, elbows propped on the table. "I think I really did see something, under that fern. If you'd only let me check…."

"Sirius, enough. I know you miss Harry. I do, too!"

"He's not your godson," Sirius grumbled, terribly moody.

Remus breathed in deeply, trying to ignore how much that stung.

"Please. Let's just… eat. Then we can go back to Dumbledore. Perhaps there's a way to make that Quill write Harry's name early…"

Padfoot said nothing, pushing his serving of pie around the plate, not eating.

It was difficult to look at. And the false hope had left a terrible taste in Remus' throat also. Neither felt like doing anything, yet they couldn't just dwell on the past, or on dead ends. One of them had to look forward, to the future, to find some solution instead of drowning in regret.

"We'll find another way," he said softly as he put down his own fork.

Sirius croaked a laugh.

They reported to Albus with heavy hearts. The Headmaster greeted their news with great disappointment, which wasn't fair at all. The clues had been slim and it had been over two years and yet the old man expected results? Sirius wasn't so bogged down by their failure that he couldn't get mad at Albus all over again. Remus excused them before he made a scene. They ended up back in their shared flat with Sirius roaring, spitting mad, and flying into a terrible mood.

Remus mumbled an excuse and locked his door, trying not to think of how his best friend was lost to grief and wrecking their flat.

Well, his flat. Technically his was the name on the deed.

He thought back to his boyfriend's suggestion, to come and live with him at Spinner's End, the private Snape properties…

But how could he?

His friend needed him.

The sound of shattering glass made Remus wince. Sirius was throwing things (again). It was more and more difficult to find excuses for the other man. Remus had tried to blame it on his grief, on their shared disappointment that young Harry Potter had been lost. Things had changed over the past eight or nine years. Sirius had gotten angrier, sadder, and a little bit mad at the loss of his godson. He'd always been one card short of a full deck but these days it seemed so easy to flip the switch. He could be cheeky and pleasant one minute, only to be howling with grief and rage the next.

Some days it was like he was a totally different person.

The loss of Harry Potter was slowly killing his friend.

As much as he hated it, Remus felt helpless. It seemed that only finding Harry would heal Sirius' heart. And yet at every turn they were thwarted. Harry seemed to have disappeared off the face of the earth, to any tracking method they'd employed.

A dull thud indicated that Sirius had knocked over the chairs.

Remus judged his friend was half-way done with his angry tirade.

The shouting continued, hoarsely, as it often did when Sirius was in such a foul mood.

Remus told himself that he could go—that Snape would be glad to have him, and that Sirius might do better alone, on his own, without needing to lean on Remus to help him after…

Right on time, the sobbing started.

"Moony," came the familiar pleading. "Moony, what do we do? Moony, he's gone… he's gone and it's all mu-mu-my fault…"

Maybe this time he shouldn't answer. Maybe he should just go, and meet up with Snape.

Remus glanced at his wand, resting on the table. Apparating would be simple. Just pick up the wand and go.

Like always, Sirius slumped down next to his door, and sobbed.

Like always, Remus sighed, and told himself 'this is the last time,' as he went to comfort the other man.

They went through the motions. Remus gave comfort. Sirius took it and when he was more himself he quickly found a reason to go, leaving Remus alone in a flat with broken furniture and a lonely ache. Sighing, Remus stood and retrieved his wand. He was busy repairing broken chairs and busted china that he hardly heard the fireplace roar to life.

Snape frowned deeply as he stepped out of the green flames.

"Again?"

Remus flinched at the disappointed tone.

"…he's upset, Severus."

"He's always upset," Snape observed dryly.

The other man said nothing, casting repair charms and setting straight a picture frame. Snape watched his partner wordlessly disappear the traces of Sirius Black's latest temper tantrum. He had fought this fight with Remus before. He wouldn't needlessly repeat himself when the other man was so clearly distraught by the same results. He felt his teeth grit and his fist clench, but forced himself to relax. Sirius Black was part of Remus Lupin's life, a part that Snape had long since resigned himself to living around, because he wasn't going to back down on how he felt, and apparently Lupin wasn't going to get rid of the mutt any time soon, despite his obvious negative qualities.

When the last light fixture was whole again Snape let himself approach.

Remus half-turned to meet him, sinking into the warmth of his embrace. His head rested on Snape's shoulder, tucked under the pale man's sharp chin, and it was all Remus could do not to fall into hysterics himself.

"I can't keep doing this," he said as soon as he was sure it wouldn't turn into tears. "He's destroying himself…"

"He's destroying you, too," Snape growled. "It's gone on too long. You've let him lean into you for the last time, Lupin. Tell the mutt he's not welcome here any more."

Remus shook his head.

Snape snarled.

"He needs me," Remus tried to say, only Snape steered him toward the door with a foul expression.

"He treats you worse than some families treat their House Elves. You're not his minder. It's time this stopped."

Snape pushed open the door and led Remus outside. The other man tried to make his partner see reason as he was dragged along out of his apartment.

"He's really torn up about Harry…"

Snape waved a hand in the street, and Remus paused in cautious confusion. A horse-drawn carriage came 'round the corner and came to a stop right in front of them. Snape withdrew a silver Sickle from his robes and Wandlessly levitated it in the driver's direction.

"Severus?"

The other man paused for an instant, then pulled the coach door open the rest of the way.

"Get in, Remus."

Remus went, completely blindsided by the turn of events. He and Snape were getting in a horse drawn carriage. Inside the carriage was a paper brochure and flowers, and tickets to a show, and a receipt for a night at a very fancy hotel...

"Severus," Remus said slowly, cheeks heating, "What is this?"

"Flowers," Snape pointed out drolly.

"I can see that! I meant… everything! The buggy, the brochure, the tickets… Severus Snape! Are you taking me out on a date?"

Snape sneered, but there was no hiding the matching redness rising up to his own face.

"If you can't tell, then perhaps you don't deserve to know," he muttered.

Remus felt a laugh startled out of him.

The sound was delightful after so long not hearing it, and Snape smirked to himself, quite proud that he'd managed to make a smile out of Remus' previous expression.

"Here," he said, handing over a scrap of parchment and a quill. "Write the mutt a note. We'll be out all weekend and I expect he'll be expecting you. I don't want him telling Dumbledore I've abducted you."

"But you are," Remus said slyly as he took the parchment, "Abducting me."

Snape glared but the effect was lost to his partner, who gave him a smitten smile, and penned a quick note to Sirius.

What followed was perhaps the most romantic whirlwind weekend Remus had ever experienced.

They rode in the buggy to Remus' favorite cafe where they took coffee and biscuits. After that, they visited the International Floo and hopped over to Italy. Snape had shown him the street the brochure was about. Remus delighted in the architecture, the stone and the beautiful wood, the unfamiliar smells and interesting street performers. Snape kept one arm linked with his the whole time.

Eventually they ended up wandering down to the Opera, where a magical showing of Only You was playing, a drama about a young woman caught between three lovers, only to discover they were all unfit and the only person she really needed was herself all along. Remus enjoyed it greatly. Snape enjoyed the sight of Remus so animated. He hardly paid any attention to the play, barely listening to the music, far more interested in the way it made his partner forget about being so morose.

"You look lovely," he said, voice pitched low, and Remus blushed fiercely as Snape pulled him close for a kiss.

They took their leave of the Opera and took the hotel receipt to The Royale. Remus's eyes nearly popped out of his head at the extravagance of the building. Everything looked to be fashioned by the dwarves, made of gold or diamond, tall pillars carved from jade or other precious stones, and he strongly protested staying until Severus pointed out that the rooms had already been paid for.

"It's just…" Remus mumbled, trying not to stare at the other witches and wizards, all dressed to the nines, "…quite fancy."

Snape shrugged.

"That means I get to take you shopping. There's a well-renowned tailor two blocks down. Come with me. We'll both get fitted."

"I don't need new dress robes! Severus!"

"The ones you have are at least a decade old."

"And they still fit just fine…"

Remus paused as Severus spun on the spot, a nervous look to his usually aloof expression.

"Please," Snape said softly. "Let me do this for you."

Charmed, Remus stopped complaining, and let Snape pamper him with new robes, and the fancy hotel stay, and then later that night, a delightful hot tub and an evening full of pleasure.

The next day Remus thought it might have been a dream. But the fancy hotel sheets that smelt of sweet mint covered him still, and Severus stretched languidly beside him, relaxing in the early morning.

They rose and dressed and took tea together with croissants for breakfast. After that they visited a particular Apothecary where Snape browsed the isles with undisguised interest. Remus tagged along, always happy to see the more indulgent side of his withdrawn partner, and then it was time for lunch.

A Portkey took them to the edge of France. Just outside the city limits Severus took Remus to a cafe. There was a luxurious duck, and hearty bread to dip in soup, a meal so good Remus hated to move after. Eventually he was plyed with the promise of a walk to help digestion along, and the two men strode side-by-side along the country road.

"It's been absolutely fabulous," Remus said as they headed back to the Portkey return point. "Everything has been so wonderful. Thank you, Severus. I really enjoyed myself this weekend."

Snape preened, quite obviously proud of himself, smug enough nearly to gloat, which he did well enough with his face, without words.

Remus snickered at the look of him.

"Yes, yes. You were very good to me. I really appreciate you, Severus."

"And I, you, Remus," Snape murmured in reply. "More than I can say, sometimes."

Remus felt a blush dust his cheeks and quickly found another avenue of conversation.

"Dumbledore pulled young Farley Longbottom aside. Did you know he'd seen Harry Potter? Two years ago, but still… To think that we found someone, who knew where he was, who was so close! That's why Sirius was in such a foul mood. I was, too. We'd had hope, Severus, for the first time in years! But it was a fool's hope. Nothing was there."

"It had been two years," Snape said reasonably.

Remus sighed.

"I know. It was irresponsible of me to let myself get so excited for something that happened so long ago…"

"We will find the boy," Snape murmured. "It is only a matter of time. Until we have pursued every avenue, until we have exhausted all means, never let it be said that we do not search. He is out there. We will find him."

"But after so long," Remus said gently. "We've been hoping for years. We've been looking. Maybe it's time to stop. Maybe…"

"You don't mean that."

"You're right. I'm just tired. And tired of dragging Sirius back up any time he gets like this. A child sighting there. A Harry Potter spotting here! He goes, rushes off across the country sometimes, only to come back empty handed, too mope."

"You deserve better."

Remus shrugged.

"He's my friend. Friends help each other out when they're feeling low."

"You deserve better, Remus Lupin," Snape said a bit more firmly, catching Remus' chin in one hand and tipping his head up so their eyes could meet. "And you know it. Hush! Don't make another excuse. You've let him lean on you long enough. If Black can't get up on his own two feet then he needs more than your help alone. He needs professional help."

Remus said nothing but rather looked as though he wanted to.

Snape held his partner in silence for a few moments.

"I understand your Gryffendor loyalty. How deeply you care for your friend, and how close you've become, in the absence of your other friends," Snape said, very carefully. "And yet sometimes, I wonder."

"You wonder what?"

"You're very defensive of him."

"Oh. Oh, no. No, Severus, of course not. We're not… we're just friends."

"You've chosen him over me more than once."

"It's… I understand, how you might think that, but please believe me. We are good friends. Nothing more."

Snape regarded him in silence a little longer.

Only the sounds of the French countryside surrounded them. Eventually Snape rose his wand to cast Tempus, to check the time.

"We should get going. We'll be expected back, to return the Portkey."

Remus nodded, disappointed at the turn of events. The conversation had soured. He wished he'd never brought up Harry Potter, and was still happily engaged in the way Snape had made him feel all that weekend: wanted, loved, cared for.

That feeling came around too seldom.

Something had to change.

Remus thought about the way he felt when Sirius moped. He thought about the weekend with Snape, and he made up his mind.

"I think it's time."

"Time," Snape repeated dryly. "Time for…"

"Time to move out. Or, to move in, rather."

He had the rare privilege, then, of seeing Severus Snape stare at him in utter and complete disbelief.

Remus treasured the moment, for the next Snape swept his face of emotions, composure returned, though his speech was rushed, and eager.

"You've made up your mind, then? About my offer?"

It was delightful to make the dour Potions Master so animated. Remus felt like he was making the right choice.

"Yes. I think I'd like more of this, more often."

"I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever ask."

"How was I to know you're predisposed to romantic weekend getaways? You never offered, either."

"It can't be every weekend," Snape cautioned, "I'm still on a teacher's salary."

"But more often than never is very good indeed," Remus said airily. "Would you?"

"Is that what you're after, Lupin? More romance?"

Remus smiled after his partner's inquiry, a sly look.

"It might be, Mr. Snape."

The other man's black eyes gleamed like obsidian.

End Chapter