I received a great suggestion from a guest reviewer to write the interaction between Severus and Remus, thank you! Here's a short bonus chapter giving you just that.
I've not written Lupin before, so this was fun to do. Pouf x
Chapter 6
Remus Lupin sat at the long wooden table in the old-fashioned kitchen at Grimmauld Place, the room in darkness apart from a single candle in front of him, eating cold baked beans directly from the tin. There was no fresh food, but Kreacher had kept an extensive store cupboard of non-perishable items, so there was no danger he would starve to death. Not immediately, anyway.
He rubbed his tired eyes roughly with his hands, scrubbing down his face and feeling the few days of beard that had grown there. He was tired, so tired, and his heart was broken.
His beloved Tonks was gone, cut down in a Hogwarts corridor during a duel with the vile Dolohov. Remus had covered her body with his own to avoid further desecration as hexes rained down upon his back from Dolohov's Death Eater partner, he knew not who it had been, nor why they had not simply cast an Avada upon him.
Why on earth had she left her mother's house to come and join him in battle?
He knew why. She loved him, and would not have allowed him to die alone. He had never once deserved that witch's love, and now she had paid for that devotion with her life. His vibrant young wife lying dead on the floor of the Great Hall was the most horrifying sight he had ever seen, and he was not ashamed as fresh tears began to fall.
Harry had been killed too, along with every single one of the Weasleys, whom he considered family. James' son was such an exceptional young man, one whom he had watched grow since he'd taught him in third year, and his death was a senseless waste.
And now he himself was being hunted - his affiliation to the Order of the Phoenix and his lycanthropic status making him a duel target, despite being a pureblood wizard. Voldemort ruled the wizarding world and any perceived opponents to that would be eliminated.
Remus could not return to Andromeda's – that would put her and his son at risk. It was better for them if both he and Tonks were presumed dead. Andromeda would care for Teddy until such time as he could return for his child. He had not risked sending an owl, he could not be seen until the initial search had died down, and until he found any surviving allies.
Kingsley Shacklebolt had been standing next to him when they had been forced to Apparate away from Hogwarts. He did not know where the former Ministry worker had fled to, but it was not likely to be back to work, since he had exposed himself as a covert member of the Order during the battle. Fleur Weasley had also still been standing - he presumed the new widow must have returned to Shell Cottage, since it was protected by a Fidelius and as far as he knew, the charm on the Tinworth house had not been breached. It was only the London house, here at Grimmauld Place where he sat, that was now insecure.
Sirius had left the house to Harry in his will, but to whom did it belong now? He could hardly stroll into the Ministry archives department and enquire whether Harry James Potter had left a last Will and Testament.
All he did know was that there were currently no wards erected around the house. He'd added some of his own, although since he was emotionally and magically depleted they were unlikely to be very strong. They were enough to allow him a few hours of sleep though, and he had slept deeply on one of the large sofas in the library, not wanting to venture upstairs to one of the bedrooms.
He finished the last of the cold baked beans, he could have heated them on the stove but he just could not be bothered to make the effort to do so, and began to search the store cupboard for some tinned fruit or something similar, to serve as his pudding.
There was a crack of Apparition outside the front door, and he felt a discombobulating feeling as the visitor began to dismantle his shoddy protective wards. Drawing his wand from the tattered sleeve of his cardigan, he slunk into the shadows of the hallway, giving him a good view of the door.
The door lurched open and the tall, black-cloaked figure of Severus Snape appeared in it, illuminated from behind by the light of the moon in the clear night sky.
Severus! What in Merlin's name was he doing here?
The ghostly, shrouded jinx of Albus Dumbledore that Moody had set up, swept a cloud of dust down the hallway towards the intruder, calling "Severus Snape?" in a disembodied voice.
"It was not I who murdered you, Albus," came Snape's inimitable drawl. "You asked me to end your life at a moment of your choosing, to end your suffering when you could take no more pain. You insisted that I blacken my soul to do so, and like a fool, I obeyed you, as I always have done."
Poof.
The jinx dissipated with a grim finality.
"Is that true?"
Remus edged out of the shadows and into the small beam of light, his wand raised in an aggressive stance.
"It is, Lupin."
The two enemies faced each other, one with wand drawn, the other with theirs held loosely by their side, as if attempting to prove they were no threat.
"How can I trust you, Severus?"
"Because you have no other choice."
Snape closed the heavy front door, and began to walk down the long hallway towards the kitchen door outside where Lupin stood.
"Shall we?"
He indicated the kitchen where he could see the solitary candle illuminating the remains of Lupin's meagre supper, stepped inside, and seated himself at the wooden table. Lupin followed him, still with wand drawn, and sat down opposite.
"Why are you here?"
"I come on behalf of Miss Granger."
"Hermione! She is at Hogwarts, and well?"
"Yes, on both counts. Voldemort spared her life, and has allowed her to remain as a student, alongside one other Muggle-born, as part of an experiment to see whether they can be trained and turned to his side."
"What?"
"I am hoping that we will have found a way to remove the Dark Lord from power before that happens. It is preferable to having the two girls hauled before the Muggle Registration Committee and sentenced to Azkaban."
"We?"
"Such verbosity, Lupin. Surely you do not think I can do this alone? We have little choice but to work together. Why don't you ask me the question you are dying to know the answer to, it will save us both time?"
"Severus, have you always remained loyal to the tasks set for you by Albus?"
"I have. At great personal cost, I might add."
Remus stared into the black eyes that he knew so well, desperately searching for confirmation, but he found nothing. Snape's gaze was as dark and unrevealing as ever.
"You said you were here for Hermione?"
"I am. Miss Granger has received notice that Potter left her this house in his Will. I am here to secure it on her behalf, as I believe the Ministry, under the Dark Lord's control, will attempt to take it from her."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because, as strange as it no doubt seems, Granger and I are now allies. We stand together. It is your decision whether you wish to stand with us, Lupin, but I will tell you that we are all that is left. Unless you wish to roll over like a tame wolf cub and subordinate yourself to the Dark Lord."
Remus stared at the dark wizard whom ten minutes ago he had been prepared to kill. If they had any hope of surviving, any hope of finishing Harry's mission, they had no choice but to work together. He stood up, scraping the chair against the stone floor and holding out his wand hand.
"I stand with you. You have my word."
Snape copied his actions, standing and offering his wand hand in return.
"I stand with you. You also have my word."
A flash of quick, light magic coiled around their clasped hands. It wasn't so much a vow, as an intention, a promise to do their best, and their magical signatures recognised that.
"What do we do now?" he asked Snape, helplessly.
"We secure this building. It will be a valuable stronghold against Death Eaters, and a safe house for anyone we can persuade to join us."
Remus sat at the kitchen table as Severus began to incant in Latin, making unfathomable bisections with his wand, and he felt the enveloping protection as Snape set the house under a new Fidelius charm. As much as he wanted to hate this wizard, he found that at this moment he could only be impressed at his sheer magical skill.
At length, Snape sat down again.
"Your next task is to reply to Miss Granger, advising her that you are safe and well."
Remus vaguely waved his own wand to summon quill and parchment from the study.
Hermione
I was so happy to receive your owl!
I am safe, and am residing here in your home, if that is acceptable to you? Teddy is with his grandmother, who will care for him outside of all this chaos. In the future, I shall return for him.
I don't know where we go from here, but whatever happens we will stand together.
In the meantime, work hard at school, pass your NEWTs, for these will be of great use to you in the future, once peace is restored in this world of ours. I know that you are protected at Hogwarts, our mutual friend has told me so, and this reassures me.
Take good care,
Remus
He rolled up the scroll and pilfered the Black family crest to seal it with hot wax.
"Open your Floo connection, Lupin. I shall use it to return to Hogwarts, and send food back through for you. You cannot live on Muggle tinned food – your supper looks quite revolting."
Remus eyed the empty tin of baked beans, rather sheepishly, and cast his wand towards the fireplace, lighting the coals with an Incendio and opening the Floo connection. The orange glow instantly began to warm the kitchen and penetrate his chilled bones. He really should have done that sooner, rather than sinking into a depressive fug that the cold air had only made worse.
"If you neglect your own health, you are of no use to the Order," he snapped. "If you do not feed yourself properly, you let down Miss Granger, and belittle her trust in you. I will send food, and I expect you to eat it. You will keep yourself and this house warm and clean, and ensure you get sufficient rest."
Lupin nodded, but did not answer, suspecting that this was what passed for kindness and concern from the mouth of Severus Snape.
His former enemy bobbed his head curtly in return, before turning swiftly on his heel, grabbing a handful of grey Floo powder from the pot on the mantel and tossing it crossly into the flames.
"Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office!"
With an impressive burst of green flame, he was gone.
