A/N: Thank you reviewers for taking the time to leave comments on the last chapter, I always appreciate them! This chapter is pretty short, but don't let the length fool you. Please read the A/N at the end of the chapter, because some things will need explaining. Thanks!~

"Shhhh! I think he's waking up!"

At the sound of voices whispering furiously to each other beyond this realm of darkness, Remus attempted to open his eyes. Unsurprisingly, all he could see were fuzzy images and outlines of people surrounding him. With some effort, he blinked several times and once his vision had cleared, he could see Severus, James, and Sirius sitting down at the edge of his bed, looking bored.

What am I doing in the hospital wing again? Remus wondered silently.

As his gaze landed on Severus, he suddenly remembered: there had been a flash of red light, his body flew through the air like a useless puppet...then blackness. In short, he had been Stunned. He had not seen the attacker, though he knew that it couldn't have been Severus. Then who could it possibly be? James and Sirius were obviously down at the Quidditch tryouts, so it couldn't have been them either...

Wait...wasn't Severus there as well?

Remus had a strange feeling that the boy in their dormitory had been an imposter— he distinctly remembered telling the person they weren't the real Severus— but there was no way his friends would believe him. They'd probably assume he'd gone mad, and he didn't want Pomfrey keeping him here any longer than he needed to be.

"How are you feeling?" James asked, grinning. He was wearing a gold and maroon Quidditch uniform with a lion emblem on the chest; just another one of his arrogant attempts to remind everyone that he was definitely on the team this year. What a git.

"I don't remember," Remus lied. It was somewhat true: he didn't exactly know who or what had hit him, and he didn't feel like telling James anyway. Or Sirius, for that matter. Those two were incapable of taking anything seriously, and Remus really wasn't in the mood for making a fool of himself in front of them.

"Oi Poppy! He's awake now!" Sirius hollered to the woman, who was currently treating a fifth year Ravenclaw whom had been hit by a Stinging Jinx. Her head looked painfully swollen, like a naked watermelon, and even after she had swallowed some Calming Draught, she was still bawling.

"How many times must I tell you, Mr. Black, do not call me 'Poppy!'"

Sirius shrugged. "Dumbledore calls you that—"

"Professor Dumbledore may call me whatever he wants. A student, however, ought to show me proper respect," she huffed.

"I was just having some fun," Sirius muttered moodily as the woman jostled him aside to get to Remus.

"How do you feel, dear?" Pomfrey asked in a much kinder tone than the one in which she had spoken to Sirius. Not waiting for an answer, she felt his forehead and much to his embarrassment, fussed over him as though he were a small, vulnerable child.

"Now, you'll need to take some Kopf Elixir for your head—"

"My head's fine," Remus muttered as he tried swatting her away. "Honestly, Madam Pomfrey, I'm fine."

She did not look convinced, but knew the poor boy suffered enough humiliation as it was and decided she would wait until his friends left before administering his medications.

"Well, since you're miraculously healed now, why don't we go back to the common room and you tell us what really happened." James said with a smirk. He knew that something exciting had occurred yesterday, and he wanted in on the secret too.

"Absolutely not!" Pomfrey cut in. "Mr. Lupin is staying here until I release him. You three, however, are free to go."

"But we just got here!" James protested. It was bad enough they couldn't have ditched Charms and double Defense Against the Dark Arts earlier to visit him, but to be kicked out after a mere hour of visitation?

Pomfrey frowned. "Excuse me, Potter, but I received a visit from Professor Umbridge this morning and she kindly informed me that you and Mr. Black have a detention with her this evening. I think it would be wise to go."

"But—" James hesitated, trying to think of a reasonable excuse that Pomfrey would accept, "— our poor friend here is gravely injured. His very life may be at stake! Wouldn't it be better if we were here to support him during these desperate times?"

"Very well. Mr. Snape is permitted to stay."

"But we're Rem's friends too!" Sirius fumed. Both he and James knew from experience that Umbridge's detentions were micro-torture sessions, and it wasn't fair that only Severus was allowed to stay here. Staying in this foul-smelling hospice was still far better than scrubbing ancient cauldrons or writing lines for that wretched woman.

"Out," Pomfrey said sternly, pointing at the door.

Grudgingly, James and Sirius said their goodbyes and departed, loudly voicing their discontent as they went until Pomfrey irritably slammed the doors behind them. Although they were his friends, Remus found that he was immensely relieved to see them go. He was slightly hoping that Severus would go with them; however, his company would be enjoyable for the time being.

"So," Severus began as casually as he could, knowing that Remus would balk at any obvious attempts to squeeze the truth out of him. "You're alright then?"

Remus nodded glumly, knowing exactly what Severus was trying to do.

Perhaps he won't think I'm mad, he thought as Severus sat down on the bed, awkwardly fiddling with his wand in an effort to avoid Remus' gaze. Perhaps I ought to tell him…he could probably find an explanation for this!

"Did you see anything?" Severus asked tentatively, referring to the incident from yesterday. He knew he was pushing his luck with this one, but seeing that Remus was clearly disturbed by what had happened, he wanted to find out so he could help his friend.

"I..." Remus didn't know what to say. Sure, he liked Severus and found him to be a trustworthy friend for the most part, but there were still things he didn't wish to reveal to anyone. Would Severus think he was going insane if he told him the truth? Perhaps he'd try a different tactic first: "Did you...come back early from the Quidditch tryouts yesterday?"

Severus frowned. "Well, the three of us came back as soon as the Chaser results were announced. But that was when we found you."

"You didn't talk to me at all before then?" Remus croaked, beginning to feel as though he was actually was going mad. The bewildered expression on his friend's face confirmed it.

"No. Why?"

Remus hesitated. "I...I saw you. Well...I'm not sure if it was really you."

"You mean...an imposter?"

Remus nodded miserably. He could only imagine what his friend thought of his sanity now. "I didn't think it was you...they were acting quite strangely, and— I swear I'm not mad!" he added jerkily, noticing the skeptical expression on Severus' face.

Severus shook his head. "I'm sure you're fine. Look, let's just drop the issue for a while, you need some rest."

Both he and Remus looked out the magnificent window to their left. The sun was close to setting, and apparently it was going to be a very windy night, judging by the way the Whomping Willow was thrashing about in the breeze.

"You know Boyle? That Hufflepuff boy? I heard he had a nasty run-in with that tree last week," Severus commented, trying to pass time without allowing the awkward silence to engulf them.

"Poor git," said Remus weakly, looking slightly paler at the mentioning of the Whomping Willow.

"Here's your final dose, dear," Madam Pomfrey said as she scurried over to Remus and handed him a royal-blue potion in a small glass. She smiled softly up at Severus and quietly told him, "You may go now, Mr. Snape."

Severus didn't know why he was being kicked out now, but nodded obediently and walked over to Remus to say goodbye for the night. Before he said anything to his friend, he noticed something startling.

"Don't drink that!"

Remus nearly choked. He slammed the glass down on the bedside table in alarm, and looked around wildly. "What's wrong?"

"What is that?" Severus asked sharply, referring to the potion in which his friend had just gagged on.

Remus looked down at the potion, then back up to his friend. "It's just to relieve some aches and pains. You made me think it was poison for a moment there!"

He bit his lip nervously as Severus took the glass and examined its contents in a manner that resembled Professor Slughorn.

"Give it back, Severus, there's nothing wrong with it," he pleaded helplessly, knowing that his friend was just seconds from discovering something he wanted to remain hidden forever. How was it possible to be this good at Potions? If he correctly identified it...well, Remus didn't want to think about that…

His worst fear was suddenly unfolding before his very eyes: "This is Wolfsbore," Severus muttered under his breath. He had immediately recognized the concoction by its characteristic red specks and unique plasma-like appearance. He looked down at Remus— who was currently looking horrified beyond words— and back at the potion.

Much to Remus' surprise, it didn't seem to register in Severus' mind why Pomfrey had given him that particular potion. In fact, he marched off to her office to inform her that she had given Remus the wrong treatment.

"If I might, Madam Pomfrey, I believe you made a mistake," he told her, putting the barely-emptied potion onto her cluttered desk.

Madam Pomfrey stared at it. "No dear, it's the right one."

"But this is Wolfsbore!" Severus said angrily, unable to comprehend that such a gifted medi-witch could make such a grave error. "Remus can't drink this! It'll be useless!"

"Mr. Snape, would you please settle down?" Madam Pomfrey admonished him. She tried getting him to sit down, but he fought her away, unwilling to slow down and consider the other possibility for this madness that was gradually floating to the surface of his mind. There was no way...

"But you gave him the wrong—"

"It's not the wrong potion," a weary voice interrupted from the doorway.

Severus whirled around to see his friend standing there, looking shabbier and more exhausted than ever. Could there be a reason behind this ragged appearance aside from poor personal hygiene? There was also a flicker of desperation behind his eyes, but Severus did not understand. Not only that, but he didn't want to understand. It couldn't possibly mean that he...

"But...this is for..."

"Werewolves," Remus finished for him in a barely-audible whisper. Pomfrey did her best to muffle a tiny gasp, knowing that this was the first student Remus had ever revealed his secret to here at Hogwarts.

Severus was speechless. It hadn't even occurred to him that Remus was...a werewolf. The idea itself seemed absolutely impossible; it made much more sense for Madam Pomfrey to have made a misdiagnosis. He couldn't even sort out how he felt to be hammered by such shocking news: it was a mixture of revulsion, horror and pity. Staggering slightly, Severus made his way over to a chair and collapsed onto it. Madam Pomfrey scurried out of the room at once, knowing this was an important time for the two friends to be alone.

"But...how?" Severus spluttered, unable to make any sense of his words. His mind was racing, trying to sort through what he had just discovered, but nothing appeared logical or even possible when he thought about it. How could someone as quiet and calm as Remus Lupin be a full-fledged werewolf as well? He couldn't believe that one of his closest friends was hiding such a terrible secret.

"I was going to tell you," Remus said quietly. "But...I don't want them to know."

"Them?" Severus repeated, looking up at Remus, who looked utterly defeated now that his secret was out. "James and Sirius?"

Remus nodded numbly and sat on the ground in an effort to avoid eye contact with his friend. "I wouldn't blame you if you don't want to be friends anymore," he sighed. "Everyone always leaves, and for good reason."

Severus stared at him, trying to imagine him during a full moon. It was frightening.

Tonight is the full moon! He remembered with a jolt. He suddenly felt a pang of fear: was Remus going to transform in this office? What if he attacked him? As sorry as he felt for his friend, Severus was not exactly inclined to join the ranks of werewolves along with him if he could avoid it. He looked out the window: the sun had set, and the moon was going to rise within the next hour or so.

We've got time, Severus told himself firmly, knowing that he couldn't wash away this unwanted piece of information any more than Remus could return to normal.

"Why would I leave?"

Remus looked up. Severus did not look terribly frightened, unlike all his other friends and their parents in the past. Could this possibly mean that he'd still have a friend...?

"Everyone else does," Remus mumbled, remembering the reactions of others from his younger days when he didn't think it was necessary to hide this unpleasant little detail. As he grew older, he had learned to keep his mouth shut if he wished to keep his friends; damn Severus and his prodigious potioneering abilities! He was the first person to find out here at Hogwarts, excluding Madam Pomfrey and Dumbledore. Would he be as accepting as they were?

"You didn't ditch me when I first told you I wanted to be in Slytherin," Severus replied seriously. "If you can handle that sort of madness...then I suppose I can handle this."

xXxXxXxXx

An hour later, Severus was walking back up to Gryffindor Tower. He was still feeling overwhelmed by the fact that one of his closest friends was a werewolf, but he knew better than to desert someone because of their flaws. He prided himself in being a loyal friend, and he was determined not to give up on them. There were far worse people out there, for example, Lily's Slytherin friends: they were far more dangerous than Remus, in Severus' opinion. At least Remus was compliant with visiting the hospital wing every time there was a full moon, thus making it absolutely safe to be around him all the time that he was free.

It would be a tremendously difficult job in protecting that secret, but Severus would not let him down. The only people he'd have to lie to were James and Sirius, and they were gullible enough to believe anything.

"Where's Remus?" they demanded once Severus returned to their dormitory, an hour after curfew. He had gone along with Madam Pomfrey and Remus down to the Whomping Willow that evening, where there was supposedly a tunnel that led to what the Hogsmeade villagers referred to as the 'Shrieking Shack.' That was the place where Remus spent his time as a transformed werewolf: no friends, no people around to keep him company. Severus was no stranger to loneliness, but he could only imagine what Remus was suffering through down there.

"He was feeling...ill," Severus told his two friends.

"But he was perfectly fine earlier!" Sirius shot back, looking suspicious.

If only you knew Sirius. If only you knew, Severus thought to himself as he lay there in bed that night, unable to sleep. He found himself wishing there was something, anything, he could do for Remus to make his time in that solitary confinement less painful. Wolfsbore could only do so much; there was no doubt in his mind that Remus suffered tremendously during every transformation. No wonder he wanted to hide it: not only did he undergo the physical agony of it all, but society itself was solidly anti-werewolf. Everything seemed to be against him.

Around two o'clock, Severus found himself finally lulling off to sleep; with the frantic cries of the wolf in the distance haunting his dreams until morning.

A/N: Okay, first of all, I know the real name of the werewolf potion is Wolfsbane, but since Remus said in PoA that Wolfsbane was a very recent discovery, there was no way it could have possibly been around back when he was in school. Wolfsbore is a very mild, primitive form of Wolfsbane. It does not calm the mind enough during a transformation to the point where the werewolf is harmless, but it is used to basically numb the pain (biting/scratching/etc.)

Next, Severus could not 'connect the dots' because he was simply unable to accept the possibility that his friend might be a werewolf (until he admitted to it). I know this is a vague comparison, but when someone dies, the immediate reaction is denial. Learning that one of your best friends is a werewolf may not be as bad as hearing that they died, but it's still huge news nonetheless, and Severus just experienced quite a shock. If he were to reflect back upon it, he'd probably recognize the signs (as Hermione did), but at the moment, he's just feeling a little overwhelmed. As for him shrugging off the Remus' speculations about the imposter: he'll investigate that eventually...

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed this (it took me two full revisions to get this right), and I always appreciate your comments :)