Dawn light was spilling through the dirty window when Remus came to with a start and realized that Severus was waking. He watched the man carefully, not willing to impose on his private moments or alienate him by fluttering about.

Snape sat up slowly, achingly, and turned to put his feet to the floor. Remus watched with hooded eyes and tensed muscles as Severus painfully limped into his bathroom. In a not-so long stretch of time, Snape emerged with something bundled in his hands. He paused in the entry of the bath and looked over at Remus.

"I presume these do not belong to you."

Stretching as he stood, Remus eyed what Snape held out to him, "What is it?"

Snape gave them over eagerly and fell back into his bed with a grunt.

"My God, are these Sirius' clothes?" A flush of unchecked jealousy ran through Remus as immediately his mind popped up images of Sirius naked in Snape's bathroom; Sirius mostly naked in Snape's room; Sirius naked in Snape's bed.

"They are not mine," Severus growled into his pillow. "And that damned mutt has taken my last towel."

Remus nodded tensely and stalked from Snape's room with Sirius' shirt clenched in one hand and jeans clenched in the other. He didn't even want to know if the man had worn any underwear since they were conspicuously absent.

He didn't bother with knocking and burst into Sirius room, throwing the filthy clothes in Sirius' face as the animagus sat up.

"Remus?" The man squinted up at him.

"What were your clothes in Severus' bathroom?"

It took a moment for Sirius to process what had been asked, he then pushed the filthy clothes onto the floor with a face. "Laying on the floor in a heap I imagine."

"That's not what I meant," Remus hissed.

"Calm down, Remy, I just took a shower."

"You were supposed to be watching him, not stripping!"

Sirius struggled to kick himself out from beneath his blankets. "Look Remus, stop busting my balls, alright! I took a quick shower, very quick and Snape is perfectly fine." Sirius stomped into his bathroom and splashed his face. He glared up at Remus' reflection and tried to read his friend's face.

"Severus needs a towel," Remus said stiffly after a moment. He stalked out of Sirius room and nearly tore the linen closet door off of its hinges.

Remus returned to Snape's room, silently fuming, with a fresh towel. He laid it in Severus' bathroom and sat down heavily in the chair. He glanced up and saw the potions master was watching him with a drowsy yet calculating gaze.

Sirius knocked soundly on the door frame and entered without once looking at Remus. "How are you feeling, Snape?"

Severus looked between the two Gryffindors with one eyebrow raised. "I'm hot and miserable."

"Good to hear," Sirius grinned. He entered further and paced around the bed. "Remus has gotten you a towel, do you want help getting a bath?"

Severus snorted while grudgingly accepting the help up. "I am capable of that myself."

"Here," Sirius steadied the darker wizard and deftly undid the buttons on Snape's pajama top. "We'll be here if you need help."

Severus stared hard at him, his face grim. "Whatever." He pushed past Sirius and into the bathroom.

Sirius and Remus gave each other hard stares until Snape kicked the bathroom door shut with a bang.

"That wasn't necessary," Remus said softly, voice edged in steel.

"I know you're trying to save Severus from himself, Remus, but you can't do everything." Sirius crossed his arms over his chest and frowned.

The lycan prickled and rose out of his chair. "You don't know what he's going through--"

"No, I don't!" Sirius shouted. "I'm not even pretending that I do. And I'm sorry no one was there for you Remus, but I am here trying to help Snape! If you can't handle the fact that someone might want to be around him even though he might be a werewolf, then I don't know how I could have failed that badly as a friend. I've never shied from you Remus, not once, and I'm not about to start." Sirius left the room, stalking to his own bedroom.

Remus stared after him, hearing the door slam with a crack. He slumped back into his seat and cradled his head in his hands. The door opened to the bathroom and Severus shuffled back out, his pj top still somewhere in the bathroom.

"Get out," the darker haired man snapped.

"Severus?"

"Stop moping in my room, Lupin," Severus rolled his eyes and turned around in a slow circle. Remus finally saw the smattering of scars Sirius had told him of weeks ago. "God forbid the Marauder's have a falling out because of a greasy Slytherin."

"Will you be--"

"Fine!" Snape grumbled, glaring over his shoulder. "Get out."

"I'll be right back," Remus promised. He left Snape's room cautiously and walked uncomfortably toward Sirius' room. He wasn't sure how he could fix what he'd said. Sirius had been right, he was unfathomably jealous of the new relationship he had with Severus, not to mention how entirely unflinchingly he worked around Snape.

"Padfoot," Lupin whispered at the doorframe.

The knob turned slowly beneath his fingers and he was suddenly launching himself at a surprised Sirius. He hugged the animagus tight, biting his lips until his wave of remorse passed.

"You are a good friend, Siri!" He half blubbered into Sirius' neck. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

Sirius had overcome his shock and held onto Remus just as viciously as the wolf did. A flood of relief washed across him and he rocked them back and forth. He thought he had overstepped his bounds and hurt Remus badly.

"I'm sorry," he murmured into Lupin's ear, soothing the wolf as he ran his hands up and down his back. "There's nothing wrong with you, Moony. You're still sick too, remember? And it's been stressful, I know."

Remus leaned out a bit so that he could look at Sirius and still cling to him. "I'm jealous," he admitted with a deep blush. "I always wished that someone would have been there with me too."

"I'm here now," Sirius shrugged with a small smile. "I know it's not the same--"

Remus narrowed his eyes and took Sirius' face in his hands much like he had very early that morning. "It's the same," he felt on the verge of crying again. "Well, it's not the same, but it's the same." He was flustered and embarrassed.

Sirius smiled at him, "I get it. Let's put it on the back burner for now, yea? Snape is still sick down the hall."

"Right," Remus nodded, dropping his head back to Sirius' shoulder. "Go back to sleep, Padfoot." Remus reluctantly let go and returned to the hall.

"Remy," Sirius hooked him by the shoulder and swung him around. In a flash, Sirius' head dove in and a dry kiss grazed across Remus' cheek. The animagus back-stepped into his room and shut the door.

Dazed silence came from the wolf as he touched his cheek with his fingers. A shaky, stupid smile came to his face and Remus nearly glided down the hall to Severus' room.

Snape's bathroom door was still shut and Remus made himself useful by changing the sheets on the bed. The dirty sheets were thrown down the laundry chute and fresh linen was spread out easily across the mattress. Remus was humming to himself as he restuffed the pillows and tugged the blankets tight.

"Lupin," an annoyed voice called from within the bathroom. Remus pressed his ear to the door and answered. "Would you... I need..."

Remus grinned a bit. Snape was attempting to ask for help, he just knew it. "Just a second," he said loudly, giving Severus a moment to gather his bearings. He opened the door slowly and saw Severus sitting hunched in the tub, curls of steam rising from the water.

"Are you alright, Severus?"

The potions master turned his head a fraction of an inch and glanced at him. "I don't have the energy to get up."

Frowning, his moment of bliss forgotten, Remus rolled his sleeves up and came in further. He shook the towel open and threw it over his shoulder. "Alright, not a problem," Remus told him assuredly.

Snape's skin was glowing marble when wet. The pale, fish belly white scars stuck out like thin lines of silk. Remus knew it was a whole new level of depression and acceptance of his situation that kept Snape quiet and tense. The usually solitary and self-reliant man had to now rely on others and have constant company.

He lightly touched Severus' shoulder in silent warning before he squatted by the tub and laced his arms around Snape's chest, hoisting him up from the water. Severus wheezed as the air was squeezed from his chest but mostly stayed limp and unresponsive. Remus shuffled them a step to the wall and allowed Snape to lean against it with his eyes closed.

The towel was taken from his shoulder and Remus wiped Snape down in a business-like manner. Down each leg, then each arm. The only thing that Remus really took the time to look at was Severus' back as he dried the man's hair. The scars were far more numerous than he thought. They crossed each other, some running the length of his back, others only an inch or so. Most were straight lines, few curved and there on his lower back Remus saw the scarring that could only be the belt buckle Sirius had told him of.

His heart went out to Snape, and he was angry at all those people that had dared hurt him that badly. Wrapping the towel around Severus' waist, he tucked the end neatly and finally noticed the trembling of the man's limbs.

"Come on, Severus," he spoke gently, wrapping the potion master's arm over his shoulders and holding him tightly by the waist. They walked slowly into the bedroom and Remus lowered him to the freshly made bed.

A clean set of pajamas were taken from the dresser. Remus lay them gently beside Snape and looked up at him expectantly. "Do you prefer underwear?" He was surprised he had actually managed to ask without turning crimson. Snape just shook his head, eyes still averted. "Right," Remus mumbled, shaking out the pajama bottoms. He pulled them as far as Severus' knees and had the man stand.

Snape grunted and swatted him away, swaying until Remus settled him with a hand on his shoulder. Severus bent uneasily and drew the bottoms up with shaking hands. He pulled the towel away and let it fall to the floor. When he finally looked up to Lupin, his eyes were fogged and far away.

Remus' heart went out to him. He pulled the pajama top over Snape's head and helped hold the material down as Severus pushed his arms through the sleeves.

"How did you manage?" Snape asked him with a hoarse voice.

"Manage what?" Remus helped him shuffle backward until he was pressed against the headboard.

"This," Severus waved an irritable hand at himself, "as a child."

Remus felt his body tense but tried his best to forget the fact and try to answer Severus' question. "It was not easy," he admitted carefully. "When I reached this stage my mother believed I was sick. She took care of me then."

Snape's eyes had regained their sharpness. "And after?"

This time, Remus did stop altogether. "Maybe we should talk about it later," he smiled shakily.

Severus grabbed hold of his wrist and prevented him from fleeing the room. "Answer me, Lupin," he said gently, at least as gently as Severus Snape ever got.

Memories resurfaced painfully and Remus sat down on the edge of the bed, curling a bit in on himself. "She... she was not there for the next stage."

"And your father?"

Remus felt his eyes well and turned his face away to stare at the doorway. "He... was not helpful."

"Did he force your mother out?"

"Yes," Remus whispered, then shook his head. "No, I did."

"Which is it, yes or no?" Severus prodded.

"Both." Lupin sighed heavily and rubbed his face with his hands. "He told her what I was, but she didn't believe him until it was too late."

Severus was quiet for a moment and Remus dared to look back at him. "You attacked her."

Horror filled Remus and his mouth opened into a gape. His lungs burned and after a moment he nodded dumbly and felt a single hot tear trail down his face. He had never admitted to anyone before that he had indeed attacked his mother.

Snape's shaking hand fell to his shoulder and squeezed briefly. Remus turned toward him and fell across the bed, burying his face into Severus' chest and hugging the other tightly.

Snape was surprised and stared down at the grey streaked head that lay beneath his chin. His hands hovered in the air over Remus' body, fluttering from fatigue. He had expected Remus to respond as he had to his questions, but not for Lupin to find comfort from him. In his head he tried to remember all that was said to write in his journal later. He had lost a couple of days of Remus' treatment, and though he was sick, he could still try his best to give Lupin what he needed.

Gingerly he touched Remus' hair. He let it rest there on the back of Lupin's head and threaded his fingers through the soft locks. Remus was not quite crying, biting his lip and clenching his eyes shut. Snape lightly pet the wolf's hair, still surprised and wishing that his journal and ink were within reach. He would have to ask for someone to retrieve it later.

Sirius took that moment to push open the door. He had a tray in his hands and the smile that was on his face fell away into confusion and then suspicion. "I thought you might be hungry," he mumbled as he set the tray on a dresser without looking at what he was doing.

Remus picked his face up out of Snape's chest and blinked tearily at the animagus. He sat up, wiping his face quickly and helped Sirius with the tray.

"What's going on?" He whispered harshly toward Lupin.

Remus' shoulders sagged, "Breakdown," he gave him a watery smile. Sirius gave him a curious look but let the subject drop for the time being.

"Here we are, Severus." Remus gave him a plate with fruit and toast. The potions master picked at it, eating very little as Lupin and Sirius avoided looking at each other and Sirius glared at him from across the room.

"Eat this, Lupin," he shoved the plate back toward the wolf a short time later. Remus took it and went to return it to the tray but Severus cleared his throat. "Eat it, right here where I can see." Snape was glaring and Lupin sat down with the plate, eating as gingerly as Severus had been.

After ten minutes of picking, Remus returned the plate to the tray and announced that he was going to take a shower himself. He disappeared into the corridor before either Sirius or Snape could make any comment.

Sirius continued to glare at Snape for five minutes until he finally exploded. "What did you do?"

"I do not know what you are talking about," Severus feigned disinterest and relaxed into his pillows.

"Liar," Sirius snarled. He stalked toward the bed and stared down at Snape. "You made him cry," he accused, hands curling into fists.

"I did," Snape admitted.

"On purpose?"

Severus seemed to consider this, "I knew it was a possibility."

"You evil bastard," Sirius growled, on the balls of his feet and ready to launch himself at the bed ridden wizard. "Did you get some sick pleasure from it? He's trying to help you and you knock him down?"

"Not quite," Severus snapped. "You know he is still sick. Or did you already forget? I'm doing what I must."

"And that means making him upset?"

"If it happens to be so, yes." Severus pointed toward his journal, snatching it from Sirius' hands when the animagus reluctantly retrieved it. "I asked him about his own turning. It was a delicate subject."

The quill in his hand scratched in the silence for a while. Severus had filled three complete pages before he pressed the quill in his spot and shut the journal. When he glanced at Sirius he saw the animagus' face was no longer set and angry.

"He told you what happened?" Sirius sounded vaguely hurt.

"Not entirely. Mostly a brief and vague illustration. I hope he will be comfortable enough to tell the entirety of the tale in a couple of weeks." Severus set his journal on the bedside stand. "Hand me that text there, no the other one."

Sirius passed the heavy tome to Snape and winced as it fell from the darker wizard's hands and heavily onto his lap. Severus huffed and turned the pages rapidly until he came to the spot he wanted. "Sit down a moment, Black."

Sirius drew the chair to the bed and sat down near the edge of the bed as close as the chair and his knees would allow.

"There are still a couple of stages Lupin has yet to go through. Both of them can be lengthy depending upon Lupin's state of mind and ability to handle what he must face." Severus ran his fingers down the text and paused. "The first, he must willingly tell of himself as a wolf. His change, his first transformation, and whatever other stories he has as a wolf that he is reluctant to remember. Knowing what little I do of Lupin, I would say any story about his being a lycan will be hard for him to discuss."

Sirius nodded solemnly in agreement. "What's the second?"

"Voluntary transformation within the lunar cycle."

"What?" Sirius deadpanned.

"He has to change--pieces of himself, his whole self, whichever; though preferably both---sometime other than the full moon when he is forced to do so."

"Oh," Sirius' eyes were wide. "That's going to be hard for him."

"I know," Severus nodded, turning a few pages idly before shutting the book. "I hope that I will recover from this quickly. Missing days at a time of treatment will only make it harder."

"Look, Snape, you can't expect to do it when you're sick. This is a big deal."

"You don't think I know that?" Severus fumed, "I am the one that was bitten!"

"I get it!" Sirius shouted back. "I'm just telling you to take it easy."

"Forgive me for doubting your sincerity," Severus drawled in sarcasm.

"I meant it," Sirius snapped. "If I know what to do, I could help too."

Snape looked unimpressed and stared flatly at Sirius for a moment. He sighed softly and nodded. "It is true. Especially for the next few days."

"Good," Sirius looked eager and sat forward on his chair. "What should I do?"

"Make him talk about it," Severus said bluntly. "Any hard stories should be wheedled out of him. The harder it is for him to speak of it, the more you should push."

"That sounds awful," Sirius frowned deeply.

"It is," Snape told him. "Telling others your hardest kept secrets is not easy and can open more wounds than it will heal."

"Then why?"

"It's part of the process." Severus offered the book to Sirius who returned it gingerly. The animagus returned his chair to its place and refilled Snape's water glass. "He's doing very well despite it all."

Sirius felt a bit better at that. "Really?"

"He has an innate need to share his horrors," Severus sighed softly and rubbed his eyes. He was getting very tired from the mornings activities. "It is a shame he was bitten as a child, or bitten at all for that matter. He is very responsive to affection and trust. He could have been well loved and more wealthy than even Lucius Malfoy if he hadn't."

Sirius stood rooted, he stared unbelievingly at Snape unsure if he had heard correctly. Considering the past between Remus and Snape, it was saying something for the lycan's loving ability to even impress Snape in such a way. Sirius was inclined to agree with him. "I know," he said softly. "I hate that he mistrusts himself so badly he has never loved anyone. Or let anyone love him."

Severus shifted down into his bed so his head lay on the pillows and pulled the blankets to his chin. "You lie," he told Sirius with a smirk.

"Huh?"

"You love him, and he allows it. He is only afraid to reciprocate and not because of what you'll do." Severus was amused at the embarrassed blush that crept up Sirius neck and into his face. "He is afraid of what he will do."

Sirius nodded dumbly, fiddling with whatever his hands came into contact with. "I think he's sheltered himself so long it's too new."

Snape grunted, not quite agreeing. Though the sun was rising and his room was growing brighter, he was still very tired. The heat of his body was growing again since he was dried completely from his bath. His body was tired, his brain was tired and he knew that the hell he was only just beginning to suffer was going to grow. If Remus' admission was anything, he had snapping, biting and clawing at others to look forward to yet.

He fell asleep under Sirius' watchful gaze and blessedly dreamt of nothing.

...oOo...

By afternoon, the awkwardness of the early morning was forgotten by Remus and Sirius in the form of a groaning Severus Snape.

Sirius and Remus both sat at the kitchen table with Tonks, Arthur and Albus. Molly was currently upstairs with the potions master, giving the two ex-Gryffindors a chance to take a breather.

"The fever has increased exponentially," Remus rubbed at his eyes and leaned impolitely on his elbows against the table. "Nothing eases it. Not cool water, not cooling charms, nothing."

"He won't stop moaning," Sirius blurted, face waxen and heavily lined.

"Siri," Remus admonished with a frown.

"It's disconcerting," Sirius defended himself.

"There is nothing he can take?" Arthur asked them with wide eyes. He and Molly had been told of Severus' ailment only that morning. Molly had demanded to go immediately and help as she could, but Albus had made them wait and asked Remus and Sirius if it would be a good idea for Severus to know that other's were now aware of his ailments.

"No, it won't help. The warring in his system would just eat it up. It would be more of a hassle getting him to drink it than any good that could come of it." Remus sat back as Molly entered the kitchen.

The Weasley matriarch took a seat next to her husband and took his hand in hers. "He looks dreadful," she told them all needlessly.

"What, if anything, would be good for the man?" Albus sighed heavily.

"Now? Not much of anything," Remus told them, smiling gently at the consolation Arthur and Molly gave each other easily. "Tomorrow or the day after when the fever plateaus, he'll probably babble and be able to get something decent into his system to help."

"Meat," Sirius said loudly. "Bloody meat."

"Excuse me?" Albus blinked his wide blue eyes.

Remus gave Sirius a confused look and the animagus shrugged. "I've been looking through the books he's got in his room. At least two of them mention bits of bloody meat. It helps appease the craving, even if he doesn't become a werewolf when all is said and done."

"Well, that's a start anyway." Albus nodded his head. "If you don't mind, I think I'll go up."

"Can I do anything for you guys?" Nymphadora finally spoke up. Remus and Sirius looked exhausted. No doubt they were running themselves ragged trying to get Snape's needs tended to.

Remus shook his head, "I think it's just a time trial, Tonks. But thank you."

The metamorphagus nodded glumly and sipped her cold tea.

Albus returned down the stairs and paused in the kitchen entry with a queer look on his face. "Sirius," he breathed. "Severus is asking for you."

The animagus nodded and went quickly upstairs without a qualm or question. Everyone in the kitchen except for Remus looked surprised at the potions master's request.

"I take it Severus and Sirius are making amends with each other," Albus sat down in his seat.

Remus shrugged, "I don't know. They talk when I'm not in the room, that much is certain, but they are only ever cordial in my presence." A cloud passed over Lupin's face.

"It's because of you," Albus smiled gently. "They've come together in similarity, and you are that similarity. Sirius because of his love for you, and Severus in his duty, at least at first."

Remus tinted pink but did not accept or deny Dumbledore's statement. It was a good possibility, but he wasn't about to allow himself the luxury of thinking that two strong willed and decent men were putting aside their differences for him alone.

Upstairs, Severus was twisted in his sheets and soaked to the bones in sweat. The air of the room was stale and tainted with the smell. The man's pillows were knocked to the floor and one onyx eye was squinted nearly shut.

"Black?"

"Yea, what do you need?" Sirius shut the door behind him and walked to the foot of the bed.

Severus struggled to sit up. Sirius held him to the bed with one hand and shushed him soundly. "You can't get up, Snape, you're really sick. What do you want? I'll get it."

"Notebook," Severus croaked, pointing to the bedside table.

Sirius nodded, recognizing it as the one Snape had used earlier that morning. "I've got it." He tried to press it into Snape's hand but the potions master wouldn't take. Severus shook his head violently from side to side.

"You use it," Snape hissed, tapping on the cover with one finger. "When you speak to Lupin, you use it. Write down what he tells you in as much detail as you can. His words, his emotions, when he chose to close down and avoid a question. All of it. Can you do that?"

"Yea, Snape. I can do that," Sirius held the journal loosely, feeling oddly alarmed that Snape was asking him to do the work. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"No," Severus laughed hard, painfully and loud. "I feel like I'm dying."

"Stop it," Sirius demanded, shaking the darker wizard by the shoulders. Immediately Snape stopped laughing and began to groan again. "I'll do it, but I can't help Remy, you have to. I'm just an idiotic Gryffindor remember?"

A wavering smirk plastered to Snape's face. "I will never forget." Seriousness permeated Severus' entire being and he locked his eyes with Sirius. "You write all you can. Make him talk. When I come out on the other side of this I want to start in with transformation, do you understand me? Make him talk about everything."

"I'll do my best."

"No!" Severus roared, arching off of the bed and grabbing Sirius by the shoulders with a strength that belied his sick countenance. "You will do it. There is no trying."

"Fine," Sirius snapped. "I'll do it."

Snape went boneless and fell onto the mattress, breathing roughly and wracked in shivers. "Good. Now go away."

Sirius stood from the edge of the bed and scowled, but backed away to the door as Snape wanted. The potions master was curled in the fetal position on the middle of the mattress and rocking slightly back and forth.

The agony of Severus' body made Sirius' stomach clench and bile rise in his throat. Snape felt horrible enough to believe he was dying. The animagus set the journal down on the dresser by the door and shuffled back into the room.

Snape cracked open an eye as the bed dipped behind him. He tried to turn over but didn't have the strength. A strong arm wound around his stomach and pulled him up tightly to a solid chest.

"What the hell--?!"

"Shut up," Sirius grunted, winding his other arm beneath Snape's head and folding it back. He brushed the hair off of Severus' forehead and relaxed in the bed.

"Black--"

"Shut up, Snape!" Sirius huffed, tightening his hold around the potions master. "I'm not going to rape you and you're ruining the moment."

Severus snorted but ceased to struggle and actually melded back into the warmth and comfort Sirius provided after a few minutes. Sirius was thankful the man had simply accepted it. He was surprised at his own behavior for Merlin's sake. He knew he had to get up before someone came up to check on them, but Snape was just starting to drift to sleep and the shakes that wracked the wizard's body were starting to die down.

The animagus relaxed as well and focused on how his arm rose and fell gently with Snape's easy breaths. Before he could rouse himself, he had fallen asleep as well.