It had barely been three days since the beginning of the school year and Severus wanted it to be over already. He had been discreetly needling the headmaster over Potter's living situation for the whole summer, without any success. The flash of fear Severus had seen in the boy's eyes last year had thrown him. It was like something had clicked into place. Like it was the first time he had really looked at the boy, and when he did look, it wasn't what he expected to see. The threadbare muggle clothes that drowned his small frame, and Merlin he was small. and the double potions lesson on Friday had not helped his suspicions. Longbottom had caused a larger explosion than normal and when Severus was admonishing him he had used the words 'idiot boy'. With Potter in his eye line, he saw the aborted flinch and quickening of his breath.
So here Severus was standing in front of a door he really didn't want to be standing in front of and doing something he really didn't want to be doing. Raising a fist he knocked. The door was quickly opened to reveal a tired looking wizard with sandy brown hair and soft brown eyes. Lupin blinked a few times and just stared wide eyed, until Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was just about to leave, thinking this really was a bad idea when Lupin pulled the door fully open and stood aside for him to go in. "Sorry about that. I didn't expect you to be the one to come to me. It threw me off. I um… it's good to see you. I…" Severus held up a hand. He really hadn't wanted to do this. The werewolf closed his mouth with a snap and started to fiddle with his cardigan sleeve. a nervous habit he had had since the beginning of Hogwarts he had never quite managed to get rid of.
"I came here to ask you about Potter." his face fell slightly before becoming guarded. "I was just wondering who he was placed with after…" he trailed off and there was a long awkward silence before Lupin spoke.
"I don't know why you're interested, from what I heard you despise the boy." Lupin sent him a stern look and continued. "However I am not the one you should be asking." Severus flopped onto the sofa with a sigh.
"If you're talking about Albus I already did, he won't tell me, and I have… concerns." Remus raised an eyebrow taking a seat opposite Severus. "If I take an oath not to harm the boy will you just tell me? Please?" The werewolf held eye contact for a minute before scrubbing his face with his hands.
"I don't know where he stays. Albus never let me see him, told me there were anti-werewolf wards around the place just in case Grayback came looking." Severus was shocked. The wolf seemed a bit upset but a werewolf wouldn't allow someone to take their cub from them, especially not after losing the rest of their pack. A cub was more important than a mate to a wolf. Remus didn't appear to be displaying that, and that was more concerning to Severus.
"You're telling me you allowed someone to place your cub somewhere out of your reach, when the rest of your pack had been killed or taken from you that same day?" Severus was hoping he was getting the point across. Remus looked at him in question then understanding crossed his face which slowly morphed into horror.
"I left my cub." Remus looked a mixture of shocked, confused, and terrified, his eyes flickering between a bright amber and a soft honey brown, visibly representing his conflicting feelings. Severus was having a hard time staying in his seat and not trying to comfort the other man. "I left my mate." It was whispered so quietly but in the silence of the room he may as well have shouted. Severus felt his cheeks flush and he turned away. Clearing his throat he spoke.
"You understand as well as I do that the way you're handling this shouldn't be possible, right?" Remus nodded slowly. Severus didn't like the thought that Lupin was under compulsions of some kind, but it was the only explanation that made sense to him. "I can perform the standard magic scans if you would like?" the wolf just nodded. Soon enough the magic scan was complete, and Severus was scowling down at the parchment.
neglectus relationes and lupum ab homine separare. Severus knew both and was not happy. Both were curses, One would make him neglect those he was closest to. The other separated his wolf from him. It was the reason Lupin was so affected by his transformations. He was most unhappy about the fact that he couldn't remove them. It would take an extremely powerful cleansing ritual to remove curses of this strength, which was something Severus couldn't perform. Lupin would also be unable to go to St Mungo as their ritual circles are made of silver. He told Remus as much and they both sat in silent contemplation.
If the wolf didn't know where Potter stayed, who did, other than Dumbledore? The Ministry would have to know also, but the documents were probably sealed, and only the minister, and chief warlock… Severuses mind screeched to a halt. Lucius had access. Leaping from the sofa he strode back to his quarters to floo his best friend. the conversation didn't take long, and it ended with a promise from Lucius to let him know.
It was early Sunday morning, just after breakfast when Severus received a missive from Lucius. Not wasting any time Severus apparated close to the address Lusius had been able to get for him. He made his way along the street of scarily uniform, muggle looking houses and froze. Stood in the window of no4, the address assigned to one harry potter, was a face he had hoped to never see again. Steeling himself, he continued forward, making his way to the house and knocking firmly.
Several hours and an extensive use of Legilimency, and memory charms later, Severus left. He was horrified at what he had found and angry. Angry at the headmaster, angry at the Ministry, and more than anything, he was angry at himself, for the way he had treated Potter. The boy was nothing like his father and Severus should have seen that but he had been blinded by his hatred. When he saw a mini copy of his tormentor acting just as arrogant, it was all he could see. Severus knew now that it hadn't been arrogance but stubborn will, the same he himself possessed, grown from the hard childhoods they had both faced. A knock on his door brought him out of his thoughts. Using magic he opened the door and in strode one very disgruntled werewolf.
"I'll be honest. After yesterday I didn't think you would just avoid me." Lupin looked hurt and Severus blinked at him. Thinking back he realized he had left without a word to the wolf after their conversation. Then at breakfast he was distracted by the floo going off in his quarters and the missive from Lucius. After that he left the castle entirely and subsequently missed lunch.
"I wasn't avoiding you. I got distracted by something I was investigating." After a moment of silence he decided it would be best if he told the wolf and gestured to the sitting area. Taking the seat opposite he began. "Last year something happened with potter. he was lost in his own head, so to get his attention, I put a hand out. The reaction…" he pursed his lips. "It wasn't good. You know James and Lily were some of the tallest in our year and yet Harry is one of the shortest. He is unhealthily small and…"
"Hold on. you think, what? that whoever is looking after him is neglecting him? Dumbledore wouldn't let that happen." Severus winced. Knowing full well that he had let… no. was letting it happen. He looked at Lupin who was glaring at him.
"I don't just think he is being neglected. He is being abused. No it's not a suspicion I confirmed it. That's what I was doing today." Lupin's eyes flashed amber.
"Show me." Severus pulled out his pensieve and dropped the memories in. They emerged a little while later. Lupin was fuming.
"That wrinkly old bastard sent him to Petunia and didn't even check on him once. He told the whole wizarding world that Harry had grown up with a wizarding family, being taught what he needed to know. The hateful bitch didn't even tell him he was a wizard and Dumbledore must have known, why else would he lie to the entire wizarding world?" Severus had been thinking and with a second time seeing it he was a little more certain.
"Do you think that Albus could have been the one to put the curses on you." he spoke slowly and carefully, not wanting to further upset the already irate werewolf. Lupin paused for a minute digesting his words.
"I think we should talk to Harry. Now. The sooner the better."