A/N: SOOOOORRRRRY guys. I know it's been awhile but I had serious writer's block here (I wanted a Snape and Lupin standoff, but I didn't want to super noticeably change the story line by getting Lupin in trouble or anything) and classes have been crazy. I was reminded that I should update this when I was in Lit of Western World and we were reading "Bisclavret" from the Lais of Marie de France, which is a short story about a werewolf and I was like…"Crap, I haven't updated in a while!" lol Anyway, to clear up any confusion this chapter may cause…this is a flashback (italics)…within a flashback. Enjoy!
The Fat Lady's portrait slammed behind her as Sara strode into the common room, fuming. Callie, who had been pacing anxiously back and forth for the last hour, squealed and launched herself at Sara, who had to brace herself against the impact, still stumbling backward into the wall as Callie fiercely hugged her.
"Cal, what the hell?" Sara exclaimed, as her friend pulled away to look at her.
"Ohh my God, I thought Black had got you! Ohh thank Merlin you're alright!" Callie cried. Sara dislodged herself from her friend's grip and headed up the stair to the dormitory she, Callie and two other girls shared. Luckily, it was empty.
"You have no idea what you almost did." Sara told her, shrugging off the extra large cloak Lupin had lent her.
"What I did?" Callie asked. "I was worried about you! Why are you so pissed….and what in Merlin's name are you wearing?!" her eyes had landed on Lupin's shirt that Sara still wore.
"You could have gotten him fired," Sara replied bitterly.
"Who fired? Sara, what are you talking about?" Callie asked, confused.
"Lupin, that's who." She informed her friend as she collapsed onto her bed and covered her face in her hands. Suddenly, she didn't feel mad at Callie anymore; she was emotionally exhausted from the events of last night and this morning.
"How did I almost get Lupin fired?!" Callie responded, bewildered. Sara sighed and told her the events of last night, leaving out the more intimate details.
"I was stupid and tried to go ice skating yesterday. I fell through the ice and Lupin saved me. I wouldn't let him take me to the hospital wing because the last thing I need is for Madam Pomfrey to think is that I make bad decisions, so he took me up to his quarters to make sure I was ok. I fell asleep in there and he let me stay. Then Snape comes by this morning to see if Lupin had seen me, because someone told the headmaster that they thought Black had kidnapped me. He took one look at me in this and thought…."
"Thought what?" Callie questioned, not understanding.
"Thought that….Lupin and I were having some sort of…" Sara gestured randomly, flinging her hands up in the air. "of…of affair." Callie gasped and then exploded into giggles.
"You and Lupin?" she laughed, "You can't even find yourself a boyfriend and Lupin…well, he's old."
"It's not funny, Cal." Sara said, pushing a hand through her hair. She closed her eyes and rubbed her fingertips over them. The confrontation with Snape had not gone well.
"Severus, this isn't what it looks like." Lupin said, a warning in his voice. Part of him wanted to punch Snape in the jaw at the way his lip curled slightly as his eyes trailed over Sara's body once more.
"What it looks like Professor Lupin, is that you had a…what do they call it now a days? Ahh yes, a 'booty call', with a student. Ohh how Professor Dumbledore will be disappointed to hear about this." Snape hissed. "I told him he couldn't trust you about the 'other thing' and here I should have been warning him about your…let's say, 'animalistic side'." Snape's eyes glinted. "Having an affair with a student, Lupin." he tutted softly.
"Severus," Lupin's voice was low, almost dangerous sounding, but Sara cut him off before he could say more.
"Professor Snape, it really isn't what it looks like. Professor Lupin saved me when I fell in to the lake. He was only making sure I was ok. I fell asleep up here and he was kind enough not to wake me. I was exhausted." Snape's gaze fell to her outfit once more and she hastily explained, "My clothes were soaked and by now, probably have green lake stuff growing on them. This was all he had that would fit me," Snape ignored her.
"There is this handy, little area that students go to when they're sick or injured, Lupin. Perhaps you've heard of it? The Hospital Wing?" Snape pondered.
"She didn't want to go," Lupin told him, and then realized how very lame it sounded.
"Ahh, so we're leaving the welfare of sick and injured students up to the students themselves now, hmmm?" Snape asked. "I will remember that next time a student has a concussion or is bleeding to death and doesn't want to go to the hospital wing."
"Severus, she wasn't bleeding to death! She was cold and wet. She just needed to dry off and warm up," Lupin argued.
"She could have developed hypothermia, Lupin." Snape murmured and for a brief moment he actually sounded concerned. It didn't last long however. "How very little you seem to know about teaching and responsibility. I did warn Professor Dumbledore about you… well this may be the evidence I need."
"Professor," Sara insisted, taking a step forward and locking eyes with the potions master, forcing Snape to pay attention to her. "It wasn't Lupin's fault. I will go and tell that to Professor Dumbledore personally, if you'd like. I'm sure he would understand, even if you can't. Now, the way I understood it, Dumbledore sent you to ask Professor Lupin if he knew where I was…he does and Sirius Black is not holding me hostage. Perhaps you should alert the headmaster of this fact, before the entire student body begins to believe that Black was in the castle again." Sara had no idea where her bravery against Snape had come from, but she tilted her chin up stubbornly and stared him down. She expected him to take points from Gryffindor, but instead a flicker of an amused smirk passed his lips. If she had blinked she would have missed it.
"I will let this slide…this time, Lupin, but if I ever get the impression again that you are having…. inappropriate relations with a student, I will be forced to alert the headmaster." Snape hissed.
"Understood and duly noted, Severus." Lupin answered, and the two professors held one another's gaze for what seemed like a full minute.
"I will inform the headmaster that you are safe, Miss Roberts." He let his eyes travel down her figure once more, before turning and leaving, his robes billowing behind him. There was a long silence that filled Lupin's quarters as he shut the door and turned to face her. Sara bit her lip nervously.
"I'm sorry, Professor. I never meant to get you in any trouble." She said guiltily. Lupin gave her a small smile.
"It's not your fault. Severus and I never…got along well back in school. He's always held a grudge. Don't let it trouble you." He informed her, crossing the room. "You should, however, get back before Miss Montgomery gives herself a heart attack." Going to the door that led to his bedchambers, he disappeared only to return a moment later, a rather tattered looking cloak folded over his arm. "We can't have you running about the halls dressed in one of my shirts, can we?" he joked when she raised an eyebrow questioningly.
"But running through the halls in one of your cloaks is better?" she teased back. He chuckled, handing her the threadbare garment.
"I'll have a house elf come for your laundry and return it to you, nice and clean and with no green, lake stuff growing on it." He told her, with a small smirk on his lips. Sara rolled her eyes and slipped into his cloak. She was suddenly, once again overwhelmed by the smell of him.
"Thank you. For…"she gestured her hands in the air, "You know…for everything."
"I would say anytime, but I'd rather you didn't try your hand at ice skating in the near future…at least until the ice fully freezes." He laughed.
"Promise." She assured him. "See you on Monday, Professor. Thanks again." Sara smiled at him and left, hurrying along the hallways.
After she was a ways away from Lupin's quarters, she stopped and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes. She didn't know quite how to feel about this new occurrence. Her slight confusion turned to concern at the prospect that she almost cost Lupin his job. However, the concern quickly transformed to anger. If Callie hadn't been so stupid as to go to Dumbledore, the issue with Snape wouldn't have happened at all. She was of age. She was in her seventh year. She was plenty old enough to stay out all night without being 'looked after', for Merlin's sake. Callie had done so hundreds of times, and she had never gone to Dumbledore to report her disappearance. Angry, she hurried off in the direction of the dormitories.
"It is pretty funny." Callie countered, laughing and sitting down beside her. "You having an affair with Lupin is probably the funniest thing I've heard all day, in fact." Her friend stated and Sara pulled her head out of her hands.
"Just shut it, please." She snapped at her friend.
"What are you so pissed at now?" Callie asked, baffled
"Seeing Snape first thing in the morning isn't my idea of fun…and I'm tired" Sara told her, trying to get Callie to drop the subject of an affair with Lupin. It worked.
"Ewww…fair enough." Callie crinkled her nose and the shrugged. "Ohhh!!! You will never believe who is going out….!!!" Sara placed her head back in her hands, with a sigh, and let Callie ramble on.
Writer block, please go away! :(
Any suggestions? I got the basics plotted out, but any suggestions on the little things? Anybody, anybody?
Comments make me happy and with all the college craziness goin' on….I could use some happy. Finals soon….what joy. Anyhow, I will post another chapter when I can! :D