A/N: Remus' Point-of-View

Remus was outside of the house, trying to calm himself down from the Order meeting.

I still need to speak to Dora and find out why she didn't tell me about Christmas.

Rubbing his hand down his face and chin, he looked back towards the door as it slammed open with Harry, Hermione, and Ron bolting out to see him.

In the distance, he saw Dora presenting Snape a drink subserviantly. She's not your House Elf, Snivellus! He thought as his hackles raised.

"Professor Lupin, I was wondering if you could tell me what happened in the meeting." Harry asked, smiling brightly. Lupin could see his friend James in his face if he let himself. But he recalled that Sirius had done the same thing.

"Harry, I really can't tell you." He replied.

"Well, what about just a hint? Like some sort of vague idea?" Ron pressed.

"Like Sirius did about the Department of Mysteries? He tried to not tell you about the prophecy, and you three believed it to be a weapon and we couldn't dissuade you from running into a trap. I'm sorry." Lupin apologized, his senses picking up a faint trace of something. He looked over at Hermione and felt a little embarassed that he could tell she was on her menses.

"We're sorry, Professor Lupin." Hermione apologized. "How was your holiday?"

"I was among my kind, trying to sway their opinions while Fenrir was..." He realized the trap too late. "while he was away."

Harry looked at Lupin. "Guessing that didn't work, seeing the state you're in."

Lupin chuckled. "Harry, you should have seen the other guy."

"No offence, Lupin, but you do look like 'the other guy'. We're just glad that you were able to get back from there in one piece. Do you have to go back?" Ron asked, looking over his bruises and healed cuts.

"Albus expects me to peel off as many werewolves as I can so that we won't have to fight against them in the future. I would be more worried if the vampires joined Voldemort's side." Remus said resignedly.

"I saw one at Professor Slughorn's party." Hermione jumped in, ignoring Ron's mutterings of 'slug club', "I believe that his name was Sanguini and left the party pretty early. I think he looked thirsty."

"He was nervous. Rembember when Katie Bell got cursed on her way back from Hogsmeade?" Lupin asked.

"We were there for that, Professor Lupin." Harry interjected, Hermione and Ron nodding.

"You three were there when it happened? Of course you were; when in the past have you all avoided trouble? Wizard-Vampire relations right now are a bit tenuous. A rogue vampire had been in the Shrieking Shack and attacked a student. Tonks attempted to save her and would have been killed. Vampires are predators; they are fast, don't care about pain, and when they are in a feeding frenzy, don't care about how many people they have to kill in order to get the blood they are craving."

The three of them gasped in horror. "How did she survive?" Hermione asked, her hands clasped over her mouth.

"Usually it takes 3 or 4 Aurors to take down one vampire because of the speed. It's a good thing that they are such solitary creatures. But it only took one person to take this one out. Snape." Remus spat out the last word.

"How did he do that by himself?" Harry asked curiously.

"He used a potion that is banned by the Ministry. I could tell when he came to check up on her in the Hospital Wing and his eyes were red like Voldemort's." Remus tried to keep his voice from conveying his revulsion and anger, but knew he was failing.

"But he saved Tonks and that other student!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You would take her side." Remus muttered. "I spoke to the other Auror that showed up there; he was scared to see Severus moving the way he did and hearing the fear in the vampire's voice as Snape threw it into a window and let the daylight kill it. He enjoyed the opportunity to abuse a Dark Potion and to kill something with his bare hands."

"It's not a matter of taking sides, Professor Lupin." Hermione retorted. "Besides, I know what goes into the Wolfsbane potion and a lot of that is highly illegal as well. You didn't complain when Professor Snape made it for you."

"Here she goes again." Ron rolled his eyes as he said it.

"Hermione's always been one to defend Snape like she thinks he'll grow a heart and award Gryffindor house points." Harry explained.

"It's Professor Snape, Harry. Professor Lupin, I researched the pack mentality and customs of werewolves... most packs won't respect you unless you can prove yourself by killing something on your own. You won't be able to talk reason to them if they simply follow the strongest alpha male." Hermione could have been reciting a textbook there.

"I will never stoop to being like Snivellus." Remus spat, pushing his way past the children. Hermione put her hand on his arm to stop him. He seized her wrist in a bout of fury.

"Professor, I'm just saying that you should try harder... you're hurting me." Hermione pulled her wrist out of his grip.

Lupin knew that he needed to keep his temper under control, and was already feeling horrible for hurting Hermione.

He didn't like feeling this way; he had a rage that he wanted to unleash but hated the idea of having to face what he had done afterwards. Being a werewolf had always seemed like some cruel twist of fate to him; a curse handed to him since his father angered Fenrir.

"Sorry Hermione. I'll go back inside for a bit." But he knew that Dora was in there, and something about her body language when she served Snivellus was off.

He hesitated at the doorway, remembering the things that she had told him.

You know where I stand Remus, but I don't know where you do and obviously neither do you. When you finally figure that out let me know.

He had been pushing her away, but when he saw her around him, the picture of them at Slughorn's party, he told her that he wanted her away from Snape. And she wouldn't listen.

Second, you don't get to barge in whenever you feel like it and tell me what to do and then ignore and dismiss me the rest of the time.
That isn't the actions of someone who cares. It's selfish. You are either in or you're out, you want me or you don't.

But he did want her, he just couldn't... he couldn't. He even remembered how she stood between him and that sinister-looking plant. As if she were defending the greasy git by proxy.

Remus had thought it was obvious that the Death Eater had some sort of malicious plan involving Dora, but he couldn't figure it out. He also couldn't understand why she was falling for it.

He finally entered the home and sat by the fireplace, trying his best not to stare at Dora and Snape talking to each other. There was definitely a smile on her face as she chatted with him. Was she actually flirting with him?

Severus seemed his usual emotionless void, incapable of ever truly feeling love as Remus had always thought. But a thread of doubt went through him as Severus arched one eyebrow, ever so slightly, at something Dora must have said.