Chapter Forty-One
The Wolf Watching the Snake
November 15, 1996
Lucius stood, rubbing his thumb over his lips, staring at the field where the small arena that had been built for Remus's last change was finally being taken down. A group of Death Eaters had gathered to take it apart, the structure being far too big for a single person to handle on their own.
"Unlike the Dark Lord to leave a mess like this for so long."
Lucius jumped, dropping his hand and spinning around to face the unexpected speaker, heart pounding from the insolent tone of the words. His lips still burned when he dropped his hand, not from his own touch, but from the memory of how Remus had kissed him the day before.
Severus stood at Lucius's side, watching him with a suspicious eye. The black-haired wizard was dressed in his long, modest robes, face still pale despite the chilly air that should've brought some colour to his cheeks.
"Unlike you to say something so impertinent, Severus," Lucius replied, crossing his arms and turning back to the demolition project.
"Would you know how I'm likely to act these days, Lucius?" Severus asked, turning his attention to the former arena. "We haven't spoken much, recently."
"You haven't been at the Manor, recently," Lucius countered.
"You wouldn't know if I had been," Severus droned. "You spend far too much time with the half-breed."
Lucius stiffened and turned to stare at Severus again.
"Do you think I'd be there, if I had a choice?" he spoke in a quiet, urgent hiss. "If I wasn't commanded to do so?"
Severus assessed him for a moment and frowned.
"It's hard for me to know," he answered a few seconds late, looking away again. "You certainly had the chance to explain your breakthrough with the creature to the Dark Lord, and yet here we are…"
"He told you about that, did he?" Lucius sniffed, clenched his jaw as he stared back at the demolition site, too.
"Of course he did."
"Did he tell you that he asked me in front of some of his least intelligent and reliable followers?" Lucius prodded.
"He mentioned that you didn't want to share the information more broadly—and that you didn't want him to look into your mind."
Lucius flinched, lip curling for a split second.
"Has the Dark Lord given you an explanation for that, as well?" Lucius asked, words coming out more harsh than he'd meant them to.
"I have inferred, factoring in your concerns about getting close."
"I assure you that it's worse than you could possibly imagine," Lucius snapped, and he meant it, though in a different way than he knew Severus would interpret.
"I have a fairly adept imagination."
"Do you?" Lucius snorted under his breath. "Let's leave your imagination to it then, shall we?"
"I'm just pleased that you've found any kind of answer," Severus continued, ignoring Lucius's frustration. "You seemed quite distressed the last time we spoke of it."
"It remains distressing."
"You can tell me now, if you'd like," Severus spoke after a particularly loud bang from the site in front of them. "If you… if you need to tell someone."
Lucius froze, hairs standing up on the back of his neck.
"Why?" he asked, doing his best to keep his voice casual. "So you can tell the Dark Lord?"
"I would be obliged to… eventually. Not if you decided to tell him first."
"So then? To what? Comfort me?"
"Would that be so terrible?"
The words were too empathetic, not pragmatic enough. Lucius felt his head begin to spin.
"In all of our years of friendship," Lucius began, fighting to keep his voice even. "I can count on one hand the number of times you've spoken to me that way. I appreciate the sentiment, but I will speak to the Dark Lord myself, when the time comes."
"And the wolf?" Severus asked, sounding disappointed as he drew his arms under his cloak.
"As I told the Dark Lord—the beast has given up. He's already mine. We simply need to set the trap."
Already mine. The words seemed to catch Severus's attention too, because he straightened up, narrowed his eyes.
"How can you be sure?" Severus asked, tone charged.
Lucius gave him a heavy, serious stare.
"You wouldn't have any doubts if you'd been there when they left him, Severus," Lucius answered honestly. "Whatever absurd hope he was holding onto, it's gone."
Severus stared for a moment, pursed his lips, and then nodded. "Tell me if I can help you, Lucius. I'm on your side."
Lucius's skin prickled again.
"I will."
The dark wizards working on the arena started to levitate the great sheets of wood and send them floating away, toward the front road.
Remus felt his heart skip a beat when the door to the stable opened, anticipating Lucius's return after another long night.
The dark wizard looked stormy, but more composed than Remus had seen him in several days, having clearly cleaned himself up before returning.
"Did you sleep at all?" Lucius asked as he approached, a touch of urgency in his voice.
"Enough," Remus shrugged. "Better than the floor of the beach house."
Lucius acknowledged the comment with a thin and distracted sneer before unlocking the door and swinging it open. Remus could see a bag of food in the Death Eater's hand.
"Do you need to eat before we walk, or after?"
Remus blinked. "I can wait."
"Good," Lucius nodded. "We need some exercise."
"We?" Remus asked, grabbing the bag as Lucius held it out for him.
Lucius glared in annoyance, and Remus frowned, setting the bag down on his table before retrieving his jacket and slipping it on.
"Will I be warm enough?" he asked, nodding toward the exterior doors.
"Once we get moving," Lucius answered, clenching his jaw.
"Alright," Remus answered, trying not to show his hesitation as he let Lucius lead the way back out onto the great lawn, trying to ignore the way the air seemed to be vibrating between them.
Lucius didn't suggest that Remus put his collar on as they left the building, and Remus wasn't going to be the one to bring it up. Instead, he made a show of walking behind his captor with his head pointed down, not wanting to draw anyone's attention if they saw him walking freely.
"Did you notice them disassembling the arena?" Lucius asked as they rounded the front of the stable.
"I did," Remus replied, head down, still nervous. "Surprised it took so long."
Lucius didn't say anything to that, and for a second Remus wondered what was going on—until it settled into place for him.
"Are you trying to make small talk, Malfoy?"
Lucius stiffened, pausing his staccato walk for a moment before speaking.
"Are we not at that point?" Lucius asked, voice hardened.
"I think we're well past it," Remus answered, bemused, before picking up his speed so that he could walk closer to Lucius's side. "But if you want to talk about something unimportant so badly, you could tell me where we're going?"
"Somewhere you haven't been before," Lucius answered as he picked up his pace again. "You seem to do well with enrichment."
"Enrichment?" Remus snorted. "Like a zoo animal?"
"Close enough," Lucius retorted.
"Fine," Remus answered, zipping his jacket up higher to protect himself from the cold wind. The air stung, but Lucius had been right—Remus would warm up quickly enough.
They walked in silence as they headed East across the property, a first for Remus. The younger wizard only allowed himself the occasional glance up at Lucius while they walked. It was a rare opportunity to watch Lucius when he didn't know there were any eyes were on him: his gait, the way his shoulders and hips moved, how he navigated around mud puddles. Remus felt almost predatory stealing glances, the wolf watching the snake before it caught his scent.
Eventually, one of Remus's quick looks showed him that they were nearing several small buildings that arced out to their left, heading North along the property line, about a kilometre away from the main house.
"Servants' lodgings?" Remus asked, using their soft turn left as an excuse to catch up to his captor again.
Lucius offered a short nod in response.
"Are we going into one of them?"
"That was my plan, yes," Lucius muttered, annoyance mounting in his voice.
Remus was about to ask more when he looked up and noticed that one of the buildings looked different than the others. It was hard to tell, grimy and in as much disrepair as it was, but the image became clearer as he approached: a greenhouse.
"Don't say anything," Lucius hissed, seeming to sense that Remus had noticed where they were going. "I have no way of knowing if the other buildings are empty."
Remus obeyed as they approached, remaining quiet until Lucius eventually reached out to open the greenhouse's front door.
Stepping inside was like walking under a great blanket of clouds. The dirty glass of the roof cast everything in the space under a grey shadow, dimming the colours and making the air dense with humidity. Only the East and West sides of the greenhouse still had clear sunlight coming through—a view of the tree line behind them, and the Manor in front.
"Shut the door behind you," Lucius instructed as he pulled his wand out of his coat pocket.
Remus did as he was told, wincing when its rusty hinges squeaked.
Lucius was already casting spells over the building by the time that Remus turned around, door secured.
"This is my enrichment?" Remus wondered, pulling his jacket off now that they had entered into the humid warmth of the greenhouse.
"I would appreciate less of your attitude, mutt," Lucius sighed, casting another spell under his breath.
Remus took a moment to consider his surroundings while Lucius did his work. The greenhouse was still full of plants, though most of them looked like they had died a long time ago, leaving behind only shrivelled stems and brown leaves littering the floor. Some, however—the ones that flourished in darkness—were more than alive. They were dense, flourishing, and seeming to reach out toward Lucius as he walked toward the far end of the room.
"If we're past small talk," Lucius continued his comment on attitude, leaning against one of the tables once he'd turned around and faced Remus again, "then surely we're also past your acerbic wit."
"I'm not sure that's possib—watch yourself!"
The plants had not seemed to reach out to Lucius; the ones closest to where he had rested his hips against a table were quite literally shuddering tendrils out toward him.
"What?" Lucius asked, confused, still not moving.
Remus's hand reflexively went to his pocket, where his wand should've been—and then he felt himself deflate as he realised it was no use. It had been so long since he'd even bothered to reach for it.
"The plants!" Remus coughed out the words, pointing toward the tendrils that nearly had their grasp on Lucius.
The dark wizard pulled his hand back in a flash and straightened up, taking several steps away from the table.
"Bollocks!" Lucius hissed, a pained look on his face.
"Is that how you look when you're surprised?" Remus teased even as he flexed his hand, trying to distract himself from its emptiness.
"Shall we try you, next? See if it's quite so funny, then?" Lucius retorted, scowling at the plant as it slithered back into its original position.
"Is that why you brought me here?" Remus asked, leaning back against the glass door. "Change your mind and decide to let a plant finish me off so you don't have to?"
"That would certainly be simpler," Lucius frowned, looking back at Remus. "But no, that is not why we're here."
"Then why are we?" Remus asked, glancing over Lucius's shoulder to the looming Manor in the distance. "Seems rather exposed."
"Do you know what monkshood looks like?" Lucius asked, face becoming suddenly more serious.
"Yes," Remus frowned. "Why?"
"I thought—well, there might be some growing here."
Remus's eyebrows shot up.
"For what purpose, exactly?"
"The potion, obviously."
"The potion?" Remus recoiled. "What potion?
"Wolfsbane?" Lucius said, as though it was the most obvious answer in the world.
"Wolfs—Wolfsbane? What are you talking about?" Remus recoiled.
"Well, I thought—perhaps it could help with our plans—"
"I don't know anyone who could do it other than Severus, and that's not to mention—"
"But what if he did?" Lucius asked, voice going softer.
"Excuse me?" Remus faltered.
"What if he did brew it for us?"
"In what world would he do that?" Remus asked, chest starting to burn.
"Is it so farfetched?" Lucius countered. "Spending so much time with Dumbledore might've changed him."
The burning in Remus's chest shot straight up to his head, thoughts beginning to rush as he frantically tried to think his way out of Severus being exposed.
"Trust me," Remus said, hoping that Lucius would mistake the quiver in his voice as anger rather than fear, "we would not be on the brink of a second war if Severus were working for Albus."
"No?" Lucius asked, sniffing disdainfully.
"You're one to talk, anyway," Remus tried a different tact, hoping to redirect Lucius. "The man actively planning to escape with a half-breed because of how much time's been spent."
This did seem to catch Lucius's attention. His face clouded over for a moment.
"Do you see the plant?" Lucius asked.
"It wouldn't matter if I did, Lucius," Remus pressed, softening his tone. "It's too late."
"Too late?" Lucius frowned, blinking as if the world were coming back into focus.
"It would take too long to brew, even if we did have all of the ingredients and you could somehow find someone to do it," Remus sighed, pushing himself off of the door and approaching Lucius slowly. "I'd also have to drink it every night for a week, including the night of the full moon, and from a specific goblet, no less. I barely brought enough of the potion with me when I left the Order. It's not possible, Lucius."
Remus came to a halt in front of his captor, whose breath seemed to be caught in his throat.
"I think the plan we've chosen is the best—only—option we have," Remus said in a quiet voice, resting a hand on Lucius's shoulder. "But I appreciate the idea."
His anxiety slowly started to slip away as Lucius's body softened into his touch.
Lucius couldn't help but relax once Remus had touched him, all other thoughts dropping out of his mind for a split second.
"And what is that idea, exactly?" Lucius asked, taking a deep breath. "We still don't know how to contain you, or how to bring Narcissa along with us, and where we'll go—"
"I have to leave the containment to you," Remus admitted, offering a conciliatory half-smile. "But I can handle the rest."
"How?" Lucius asked, heart jumping.
"Well, like you said—I have been on the run for most of my adult life," Remus answered, smile turning a bit pathetic. "If there's one thing I know, it's how to find a place to hide. I know where we can start, anyway."
"I suppose that's true," Lucius frowned, "but Narcissa?"
Remus looked away, face growing darker.
"She hates me, doesn't she?"
"Well, yes, but—yes. How does that help?" Lucius asked, a sudden wave of dread overcoming him.
"Quite a lot, actually," Remus made eye contact again, eyes narrowing slightly. There was something in his face that suggested he was taken aback by the words that he was about to speak. "All you have to do is convince the Dark Lord that she's worth bringing along to kill me."
Lucius felt his jaw slacken and eyes widen, felt himself freeze to the spot as time slowed around him.
"Kill you?" he whispered, voice tight.
"She already promised she would," Remus said with a mirthless laugh. "Someone will have to take me out when I'm done rampaging, and surely the Dark Lord will think it beneath the rest of you, anyway? Tell him it's a punishment to her—and tell her it's a gift for being such a patient wife."
The idea was logical, but Lucius still felt himself becoming nauseous. He glanced over his shoulder to the nearest table, scanning to make sure that there were no threatening plants growing on it but finding only dried husks. That was all the evidence he needed to lean against it, trying to find some support as his head spun.
"You see the logic, don't you?" Remus asked.
"Of course I do," Lucius half-whispered, nausea worsening. "That's why it's so wretched."
"You won't let her, I hope," Remus teased with very little enthusiasm. "But it will get her there."
"And Draco?" Lucius breathed.
"Draco will be at Hogwarts. We can get him out. Dora—" Remus's breath caught on the name, and for a moment there was a look on his face so tragic it nearly stole Lucius's breath away. "Tonks won't leave me to die, regardless of what the others think; and she would help smuggle Draco out, if it was that or his death."
This caught Lucius even more off-guard.
"Are you sure?" He asked, stomach churning. "She'd risk that much for him?"
"Try not to speak so highly of him, Lucius, it'll sound like nepotism," Remus said with a sarcastic laugh.
"I'm being serious. I have no idea how far the Dark Lord would go to get any of us back, and he's already threatened to hurt us through Draco before."
"The Dark Lord wouldn't risk starting an all-out battle over your son, no matter how self-important you are."
The words raised Lucius's hackles, even though he knew they were true.
"And Tonks? Would she be running away with us too, if she rescues him?" The Death Eater asked, raising one haughty eyebrow.
Remus went quiet again, clenching his jaw as his eyes went unfocused for a moment, like he was looking into another world.
"I'm just focused on staying alive for now," he finally answered, voice heartbreakingly soft. "Although I hope she wouldn't throw her entire life away for me."
Lucius watched Remus for a moment, waiting for some more slightly reasonable declaration of their love to come. It didn't. Lucius reached a hand up to massage his face in annoyance, frustration reaching its peak within seconds.
"If I am self-important, Remus Lupin, you have to be the most self-defeating creature I've ever met," Lucius growled, leaning away from the table again and doing his best to pull himself up to his full height. Remus was slouching enough that they were almost at the same level. "It's like you're incapable of seeing your own value for more than two minutes at a time."
Remus recoiled, eyes bugging at Lucius's words.
"My own value?" Remus scoffed. "Aren't you the one who was berating me for my arrogance the first time you locked me up in your basement?"
"Cellar," Lucius corrected, unable to help himself. "I have no use for a basement."
"Do you hear yourself?" Remus asked, staring at Lucius with increasing frustration. "Actually hear yourself? We're meant to be sorting out how to rescue your wife and child and you're correcting me on your house's layout."
"It's habitual, wolf—" Lucius sighed angrily, doing his best to keep his temper in check. "We don't need to fight about something so pedantic."
"Don't we?" Remus asked just before something flashed in his eyes and his body stiffened. "You don't miss fighting with me?"
Remus felt a thrill of self-satisfaction rush through him at the sight of Lucius gulping. He needed to get off of the topic of Tonks, badly, and he now knew exactly how to do it.
"I've never minded it," Lucius answered, breath shaky.
"No?" Remus jabbed, leaning forward, letting his energy shift entirely. "You think you can show me my value?"
"This is—are you alright, Remus?" Lucius asked, confusion painted on his face.
"Of course I am," Remus laughed, and then he took a step forward, reaching out to delicately touch Lucius's jaw. Lucius's eyes widened in response. "This is what we're doing this for, isn't it? To take our minds off of it all?"
Lucius looked almost wounded for a moment, and Remus nearly pulled away, but the dark wizard recovered quickly.
"It does do that," Lucius replied.
Remus brushed his thumb along Lucius's jaw, building anticipation for a moment before he spoke again.
"Then show me what I'm good for," he hummed, licking his lips.
Evidently, that was the last piece of encouragement that Lucius needed. The dark wizard lunged forward, pulling Remus close and forcing him into a deep kiss. Remus let out a small grunt of surprised pleasure, and Lucius growled in satisfied response, lowering his right hand to Remus's ass and clutching it tightly. Remus dug his fingers into Lucius's back in response.
"Go to the table," Lucius growled when he finally pulled away from their kiss, dragging his mouth down Remus's neck as he spoke. "Face the house."
"Aren't we too visible?" Remus asked, breathless as Lucius clutched his ass more tightly.
"You're my prisoner, aren't you?" Lucius countered, pulling tightly on Remus's hair. The wolf's knees buckled for a second, eyes rolling back at the sensation. "I can do whatever I want with you."
"And what do you want?" Remus asked, aware that his words were slurring but not caring at all.
"To use you," Lucius snarled, raising his lips up to Remus's ear. "To make you do what you're best at."
"Which is?"
"Getting fucked," Lucius answered.
Remus grinned and let out a shaking, grateful sound.
"Show me," he whispered, pushing into Lucius.
"Listen to my instructions and go to the table," Lucius repeated himself, and Remus stopped fighting back, pulling away as soon as Lucius loosened his grip.
The dark wizard watched with hooded eyes as the werewolf made his way to the table facing the Manor—as far away as he could be from the plant that had reached out for Lucius. For a brief moment, the reality of Lucius's statement about Remus being a prisoner stuck in the dark wizard's mind. It wasn't just that Lucius could do whatever he wanted with Remus; it was that he had been commanded to do so. Shame rippled at the edges of his mind, threatening to overtake him... but the sight of Remus leaning forward, placing his hands on the table as if to brace himself, was enough to force Lucius out of his thoughts.
He removed his heavy coat, laying it on the table behind him, as Remus had done with his jacket at some point. The dark wizard rolled up his sleeves as he approached his captive, and then he undid the buttons on his trousers and slid his underwear down just enough that his dick and balls could fall out.
He leant up against Remus, rubbing his dick gently along the wizard's trousers, and Remus reacted strongly, pressing back and wiggling slightly.
"Tell me you how you want to be fucked," Lucius growled, slipping his hands under Remus's shirt and starting to drag his nails along the werewolf's back.
"Rough," Remus struggled to speak through his desire. "Now."
"Now? Are you attempting to give commands, dog?" Lucius scoffed, left hand moving to undo the button on Remus's trousers.
"You asked me what I wanted," Remus protested, rocking his hips back so that his trousers were more accessible. "I told you."
"You demanded," Lucius corrected, running his hand along the bulge forming in Remus's trousers, sending the werewolf's hips lurching again. "Cockwarmers don't get to make demands."
The title seemed to force a deep, depraved moan from Remus, shoulders hunching as he gripped the table more tightly.
"You like that?" Lucius asked, heart starting to pound. It felt strange to speak so explicitly to the werewolf, and yet completely natural. "To hear what I think of you?"
Remus nodded, making another sound instead of speaking.
"If you want me to fuck you," Lucius asked, yanking Remus's trousers and pants down in one motion, forcing another whimper from his captive's lips, "you'll have to show a little respect and answer when I ask you a question."
"Yes, sir," Remus breathed. The sir was an obvious antagonist, something that Remus knew Lucius didn't want to be called anymore, and the bratty mindset that its used implied caused a flash of desire to rocket its way through Lucius and straight into his cock.
"Good puppy," Lucius growled, and Remus let out a low laugh and lowered himself onto his elbows, as if he was finding it hard to keep himself upright at all.
Lucius reached for his wand, summoning the necessary lubricant and letting it pour over his fingers, first. No matter how rough Remus wanted it, he wasn't about to hurt the werewolf.
"I'm afraid you'll have to speak a little more before I'm done with you," Lucius growled, an idea popping into his head.
"Whatever you want from me, Lucius, I'll do it."
Lucius nearly lost his composure at the desperate words, staring down at the werewolf's ready, waiting ass, Remus's head still hanging low between his shoulders. He reached around Remus's body in response, gently gripping at Remus's balls, and the touch caused the younger wizard to jump, taking in a sharp breath and lifting his head.
"You're going to tell me how to get to your prostate," Lucius commanded, "so that I can milk you until you need me to fuck you."
A small, delightful shiver ran through Remus.
"Do you understand?" Lucius whispered, tightening his grip on Remus ever-so-slightly.
"Yes, sir," Remus whispered.
"Good," Lucius growled, and then he straightened up, bringing his left index finger and running it down the crevice between Remus's cheeks until it reached his asshole and Lucius could begin teasing the taut skin.
"One finger," Remus breathed, clearly fighting to hold himself still. "An inch or two in— hook your finger— find the sp— yes—"
Lucius followed instructions as Remus spoke, slow and determined, starting to actively salivate as soon as he was inside. Lucius remembered how good Remus had felt in an instant, the warm, wriggling walls that had wrapped around his cock. The dark wizard didn't bother to mute the sound that the memory elicited, free hand gripping tightly at Remus's hip.
"Fuck," Remus nearly sobbed, arching back even farther into Lucius, rocking his hips slightly to stimulate some further sensation. "Yes— fuck, Lucius—"
"So desperate you don't even need a cock inside you, do you?" Lucius purred, placing a little more pressure, a heady sort of satisfied desire overtaking him.
It took Remus several seconds to be able to speak again, and it occurred to Lucius that he could look at the werewolf's reflection in the greenhouse glass. It wasn't clear, behind the grime, but it was there: Remus's eyes rolled back, biting his lip, eyebrows scrunched together.
"No," Remus admitted, "you could make me cum without anything else."
"And maybe I will," Lucius breathed, practically vibrating with desire as he watched Remus's face. "Make you cum without touching your cock again."
"I— fuck— treat me however you want, sir, this is all I'm good for—"
Lucius smirked, changing the rhythm he was using on Remus's prostate, and it felt so good that Remus actually stomped one of his legs and smacked the table, as if trying to displace some frenzied need.
"What a perfect little whore you are, puppy," Lucius smiled cruelly, digging his nails into Remus's hip. "Letting me torture you as much as I want to."
"It feels so good," Remus admitted. "I want you to keep going even if I beg you to stop."
Lucius felt his chest flare with uncontrollable lust, and he clenched his jaw and began to press harder, exactly where Remus let out tiny yelps every time Lucius thrust in and up.
He worked at the spot until Remus's legs were shaking and the werewolf let out a broken, gravelly cry, as if he might be about to lose his mind.
"I can't take anymore," the werewolf moaned, clearly wanting to test if Lucius would listen to the plea not to stop no matter what Remus said. "Please, sir, I can't do this—"
"Oh, no," Lucius hissed, unrelenting, focused on the mindless, ecstatic look on Remus's face reflected in the glass. "You're going to cum like this, and then I'm going to fuck you no matter how weak you are. You're not done until I say you are."
Some part of what Lucius said sent Remus over the edge. Lucius felt the werewolf's body contract and release several times as Remus tried to stifle a powerful groan. Then the wolf's whole body shook, and he seemed to curl in on himself, bending inward so that his head dropped between his now outstretched arms as he let the groan out, loud and wondrous. Lucius kept his finger moving, letting out a satisfied, long groan as Remus trembled.
When it was over, and Remus's body had stopped quivering, Lucius removed his finger and summoned more lube, covering his cock. It almost hurt to touch, sensitive and desperate as it was to get inside of the werewolf.
"You're not done yet," Lucius snarled. "You still have to do your job."
"Please, I don't— I can't—" Remus mewled, voice so quiet Lucius could barely make it out.
"You can," the dark wizard interrupted, "and you will. Lift your ass up for me."
Remus did as he was told, though it was clear that he had almost no muscle tone left, and Lucius wasted no time slipping inside. He went slow at first, but Remus's body was so relaxed and spent that there was almost no resistance. Just perfect, blissful, twitching warmth.
"Ohhh yes, fuck—"
Lucius growled at Remus's word and reached out to grab the wolf's hair and tug him back. Remus didn't resist, only let out a few airy pants of air, as if he had been waiting for the movement.
"That's right, puppy," Lucius growled, thrusting deeper, eager to drag another desperate sound out of the other man. "Take my cock."
"I need it," Remus sobbed, "I need to feel your cum inside me."
"That's what you're here for, isn't it?" Lucius asked, echoing the wolf's earlier words. "So that I can fuck you until your little brain is empty."
"Yes," Remus agreed, voice strained from the way his neck was being pulled back. "Fuck me until I can't speak, Lucius—"
"Look at the Manor while I fuck you," Lucius suddenly cut Remus off. "I want you to be staring straight at them. Put on a show, pretty boy. Show them you're mine."
The words set Remus on edge for a moment, despite his delirium. His body was still twitching and pulsating, cock and asshole aching from the way Lucius had worked them, and he could barely form coherent thoughts—but that command was enough to bring some part of his mind back.
The Manor. It loomed ahead of them, tall and threatening against the gloomy sky. Remus had been held captive in that house for weeks, had eaten a meal with Voldemort in there, had been within arm's reach of Peter and of Sirius's killer. All the people who had ruined what smattering of a life he'd been left with after Greyback's attack. The life he had been so hopeful for, for the first time, when he'd graduated from Hogwarts.
He'd dined with Narcissa, too. The woman who he'd just suggested should be baited into escape by the promise of killing him. Remus knew she had more than enough reason to.
And now here he was, being commanded to put on a show for all of them. For anyone who might be watching. The idea made him nauseous, and he was already so spent he could barely keep himself upright. He could've stopped, could've said no and meant it, but he wanted was to be fucked senseless, to find some relief from everything again, and he had a taste of it every time Lucius pumped deeper inside of him—
Lucius tilted his hips and his cock hit a new spot inside of Remus, wiping his mind empty again. He felt his knees buckle and his hips rock back on Lucius's cock of their own accord.
"I'm yours," Remus whispered in agreement, an agreement he felt deep in his chest. There wasn't anyone else left for him to belong to, no matter how optimistic Lucius wanted to be about Dora's potential return. "I'm yours. I'm only here to be fucked."
He lifted his head to get a proper view of the Manor, doing his best to hold his head in place even though his body jolted every time Lucius thrust inside of him.
"That's right," Lucius grunted, "here to keep my dick warm until I'm done with you."
"Yes," Remus yelped, the words causing a rush of heady desire to move through him. "Use me as long as you want me, Lucius— fill me up, I need to feel it—"
Remus let out a surprised hiss as Lucas snarled and bent down over him, wrapping his arms around Remus's chest and holding him tight as his hips began to work in a frenzy. He seemed to be thrusting as hard and fast as he could, balls slapping against Remus's own, and some part of Remus recognized the sounds coming out of his throat, the way he was practically growling from how good it felt. He lost any sense of the passage of time, or the fears he'd been smothered by. The Manor wasn't there anymore. There was nothing beyond their sweat mixing together, their bodies blurring into one.
Remus could barely breathe, but he could feel Lucius's orgasm beginning to break through their frantic sex, his cock starting to tighten and tingle inside of Remus's body. It was an intoxicating sensation, and Remus found himself letting out a dry sob because fuck did he want to cum again, to finish while Lucius did—
But then it was happening, and finally, finally, Lucius was unleashing his load into Remus. They softened and fell forward together onto the table, Lucius remaining buried deep as he spasmed with each second of release.
When it was over, they gasped for air, Lucius's face buried into the back of Remus's shirt. Remus could feel how wet the shirt had become, caught between their sweat.
And then he could feel his legs begin to crumple, and he realised that whatever preternatural force had been keeping him upright after his orgasm was not going to hold out any longer.
"I can't hold myself up anymore," Remus whispered in a shaking voice, pitch higher than usual.
"Ah, sorry, I'll just—" Lucius hissed as he slowly pulled his now-softening cock outside of Remus's ass.
Remus couldn't help but let out another whimper at the sensation, and the way he could feel the hot, sticky substance starting to seep out of him as Lucius went.
"You're a mess," Lucius muttered.
Remus's mind seemed to settle back into place as he became slowly aware of his surroundings again. The greenhouse. Lucius's half-baked plan to brew Wolfsbane. His suspicions about Severus. Remus's own desperate need to be free of the conversation once Lucius started to suggest hypotheticals where Remus wasn't dead or looking for a way to kill himself.
Remus took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before bending down to grab at his underwear and trousers. The actions were slow and fumbling, but he made his way eventually, tugging the clothes up as he went.
He knew he'd be a mess, knew he'd leak Lucius's cum and feel filthy inside of his clothes by the morning; but some part of him had a feeling that Lucius would like that.
"Good," Remus answered, grunting as he adjusted his underwear and turned to face Lucius. "I should be."
Lucius looked exhausted and enraptured, skin bright and shining from the sweat—and there was something comedic about him, in the ridiculousness of his half-dressed state. Still, Remus could see the incoherent longing on the other man's face, and an anguished twist when Remus finished doing up his trousers.
"Come here," Lucius whispered, and he wrapped his arms around Remus before Remus could resist, pulling him into a tight embrace.
Remus froze at the touch, very, very aware of how weak his legs had become—and how unnatural it felt to be embraced by the other wizard. No kissing, no desperate grinding, no violence. Just touch.
Remus started to pull away, needing to sit or lean somewhere, but Lucius seemed to know what was coming. The dark wizard interceded, slipping his arms lower and then lifting Remus up and onto the edge of the table. It seemed easier than it should have; a reminder of how much weight Remus had undoubtedly lost since his arrival at Malfoy Manor.
Lucius did not let go. Instead, he buried his face into Remus's neck and took a deep, shaking breath. Something in the dark wizard softened, and it softened something in Remus, too, despite himself. He couldn't help but lean into Lucius, head resting against shoulder, arms wrapping around waist.
"Is that what you wanted?" Lucius asked, reaching a hand up to bury his fingers in Remus's hair, gently massaging his scalp.
The absurdity of the question caused Remus to laugh, cautious and quiet.
"Yes," Remus admitted, almost tempted to laugh. "Exactly."
"Then we're done fighting?" Lucius teased. Remus could hear the smirk in his voice.
"For now," Remus teased back, shivering as Lucius lifted his head to look out the window.
"Mm," Lucius purred, resting his cheek against Remus's head as he stared out at the Manor.
Remus could feel the older wizard's shoulders tighten and then go limp, could hear the slight hitch in his breath. Whatever Lucius felt when looking at the great old house, it wasn't affection or joy.
But then Lucius turned his head back to Remus, buried his lips into Remus's hair, and the younger wizard felt as though Lucius was willing his captive to feel how much he cared, how hard he was trying.
Remus felt it.
It was more care than he knew what to do with.
More care than he was comfortable with.
"I need water," Remus admitted, starting to tug himself out of Lucius's embrace.
Lucius startled, pulling back. "Of course you do," he responded with an embarrassed laugh. "I'm sorry."
"No need to apologise," Remus answered with a tired smile. "I er… appreciate the aftercare."
Lucius blinked several times, as if he were considering what Remus could possibly be saying, and then some flash of recognition lit up his eyes.
"Right," Lucius nodded, cheeks going a bit more red as he bent down and began to pull his own clothes back on. "Aftercare."
Remus smirked, bemused by how utterly clueless Lucius was, and then he shook out his legs and let himself slip back down onto the floor of the greenhouse.
"I can't remember the last time I felt this spent," he admitted, coughing into the back of his hand as he watched Lucius groom himself back into something slightly more socially acceptable.
"Good," Lucius replied as he adjusted his hair tail. "You should be."
The echoed words made Remus smirk, and he looked around, retrieving both his jacket and Lucius's.
"Shall we?" he asked, passing his captor's coat back to him.
Lucius swallowed, stared at Remus's face for a moment. He was wearing one of his embarrassingly easy-to-read expressions again, the looks that said more than he seemed to be capable of saying with his actual words. This face showed desperation, but not only to fuck Remus—that had been accomplished, after all. There was more to it. There was something in it that suggested that Remus was no longer an enemy, and that instead, he had become an avatar for all the good Lucius had lost in his life. Something to latch onto in the darkness.
"Let's," Lucius answered after a brief silence, expression settling into something more normal as he rummaged around for his wand.
Remus walked behind Lucius when the dark wizard led the way out of the greenhouse, more than happy to keep his head down and mouth shut as he made his way across the yard. His lower half still felt sensitive and tender, but there was a certain kind of sexual satisfaction to that, too.
When they got back to his cell, Remus managed to work up the nerve to ask for Lucius's help in cleaning him up—because the idea of spending the next twenty-four hours in such a mess was less and less entertaining as time passed—and Lucius obliged.
When the incantations were done and Lucius was back by the door, cheeks still reddened with surprisingly chaste embarrassment, Lucius was the first to speak.
"We'll talk more soon. I'll do some more research about your containment tomorrow."
"Right," Remus nodded, offering a tired smile. "We'll talk more tomorrow."
Lucius stared for a moment too long, about to speak when Remus interjected, realising exactly what the dark wizard was going to say.
"I promise I'll get some rest."
Lucius smirked and rolled his eyes as he backed out of the cell.