Remus glanced down at the smoking goblet, before looking up at Severus. He bit his lower lip. "Are you sure it's safe?" he asked. It didn't look appetizing at all, that was for sure. It looked downright sickening, bubbling, and stinking like a pair of old socks.
"Don't worry, I drank some. It's safe," Severus said. He shrugged at the horrified look Remus was giving him.
"What? I figured I better test it first! Since I'm not a werewolf it won't do anything to me. I had to make sure there would be no bad side effects."
"Are you mad?" Remus cried. "What if...What if it killed you?"
"Then it wouldn't have been able to kill you," was Severus's simple reply. "Trust me, Rem, it's safe. I don't know if it will work, but it's safe to drink."
"I do trust you. How can I not after sharing your mind for so long? I feel like you're a part of me," Remus mumbled. He reached out and took the smoking goblet from Severus.
Wrinkling his nose, the werewolf started to sip at the thick substance. He gagged, though with Severus's urging, he quickly downed it as if were a shot of alcohol.
"There there," Severus whispered, patting Remus's back as the teenager started to whimper. "The bad taste goes away quickly, I promise."
Remus could feel his change approaching. He was supposed to be at the hospital wing by now. Madam Pomfry was going to yell at him for being late and putting Hogwarts at risk.
"I-I got to go," Remus stuttered. The goop was thick on his tongue, making it hard to talk properly. Severus didn't seem to mind as he leaned up and brushed his lips against Remus's, barely touching.
"Good luck. When you change, if it works, call me."
"Young man," Madam Pomfry screeched, "you're a whole hour late!" The healer clicked her tongue at Remus in disappointment.
"We only have a half-hour window. Hurry it up now," she said, grabbing the werewolf by his ear and pulling him through the hallways.
Even in his weakened state, Remus would have been able to push her away, but he let her do what she thought was right.
Sitting all alone in the Shrieking Shack, Remus sighed. He walked over to the recently restored couch and sat down. After every full moon, the furniture was fixed so human Remus would have a place to sit while he wanted for the inevitable. This time Remus didn't know what to expect, making him exceedingly nervous. It wasn't the pain he was scared of - he was used to it. He just hoped the potion worked. He'd never have to be locked up again.
'Remus?' Severus whispered.
'Yeah,' the werewolf answered.
'Even if it doesn't work this time, I won't stop until I find out how to make it work.'
'Thank you,' Remus thought. He laid back on the couch, gazing up at the nearly rotting ceiling. The Shrieking Shack was only being held up by magic for his use.
'Where are you?' Remus asked. He hoped Severus was close. He missed his friends company, but this was different. The desire to be alone with Severus was a different type of pull. He wondered if he'd be able to survive without it.
'I'm at the Whomping Willow,' Severus answered, 'and I'm not alone.'
Severus gave the three animals wary looks. He knew who they were, though he knew they had no idea he knew that. Having an amusing idea, Severus walked to the big black dog in the middle of the three and started to ruffle his head. He was laughing on the inside at the horror he could imagine Black was experiencing.
"Hey, doggie. What a weird sight, a doggie, a rat, and a... what?" He looked at the third animal.
'They didn't listen!' Remus sounded upset and thankful at the same time. Severus could feel how much he missed his friends and knew he felt guilty for sneaking around behind their backs.
"Oh, a stag huh? Bit unusual to see a stag around these parts," Severus said when he figured out what the large deer-looking thing was.
'Do they ever listen to you, Rem?' he directed toward the werewolf.
'Yes, no... yes. It depends on the situation,' Remus grumbled. 'Tell them to leave right now... oh wait, you can't unless we come clean.'
The black dog was looking up at Severus, giving him a weird look that was not normal for a dog. Severus looked back down at the creature and grinned.
"I never much cared for dogs myself, but you're pretty cute, Blackie." He rubbed the dog's head again.
'Isn't that an original name for a black dog?' Severus snorted.
'Calm down, I don't think they're going to do anything with me standing here.'
'Hmpfh, what about wolves?' Remus huffed, his voice was becoming deeper, almost sounding muffled, confusing Severus.
'I've always liked wolves better than dogs. What do you think the little one will do if I pick him up?' Severus was in a strangely good mood. Having a chance to get to play with Remus's friends like this was just too amusing.
'Peter ? He'd probably squeak for his life, but scratch him behind his ear and he'll probably love you forever more, even if you are a Slytherin,' Remus answered, his voice still sounding odd.
Severus smirked and quickly bent down so he was on the rat's level, more or less. "You don't look like a normal rat. You look like you are running this strange pack of animals. I can see it in your eyes. Yes, you are the alpha of this pack."
'Sorry, I can't help messing with your friends.' Besides, he figured even if the little one was a Gryffindor, he never really did anything bad to anyone, it would be nice for him to get a shining moment, even in such an abnormal way.
'Gee, Severus, you've become a softy. Those are my friends that you hate, remember?'
'Correction, I hate Potter and Black, I never really cared one way or another about Peter,' Severus nearly defended. 'I have not gone soft .'
'But you're even calling him Peter, instead of "the chubby one."' Remus's voice sounded amused, even though Severus was playing head games with his friends.
'You know,' Remus started, 'you and my friends are going to have to find some common ground, or at least learn how to deal with each other without fighting, because I won't choose between you guys, you know? I care for you all in different ways and…' Remus's thought cut off.
Startled, Severus stood up. "Remus?" He questioned, his voice obviously worried. What had happened?
The dog he had been petting jerked its head up, giving Severus a calculating look; at least Severus thought it looked like a calculating look. It was hard to tell with an animal. Severus looked down at Black, knowing he had slipped big time, though Black still didn't know he knew who they were.
Taking Remus's words to heart, Severus opened his mouth to speak. "There's this guy named Remus out there in the Shrieking Shack. A couple of moons ago, Dumbledore and I tried to make a potion that would help him… See, this guy is a werewolf. I know this because his friends played a trick on me."
Severus saw that he had their attention, so he continued. He didn't think they could accuse him of lying. Why would he lie to an animal?
"But the potion backfired all over me." Severus tapped his forehead. "My mind and Remus's mind somehow linked together." Severus started to get carried away, almost forgetting who he was talking to.
"Nobody knew we could talk to each other at every moment, nor that we could see and feel everything the other went through."
Black stiffened, a small questioning whimper leaving his mouth. Severus pretended he hadn't noticed anything unusual.
"It might seem out of character for a Slytherin, but I grew very fond of Remus and a strange friendship was formed. I'm only telling you this because…"
"Oh God, I've gone crazy." Severus dropped to his knees.
His heart was pounding. "What have I done?" There was still no sound from Remus.
He looked at the animals and groaned. "Hell, I can't do this anymore. I know who you are, Black, Potter, Peter. For the last two moons I have been trying to perfect a potion to help with the transformations and tonight Remus and I tested it, and now I'm not hearing his thoughts at all, not even screaming, like I heard when he was in his wolf form."
"You can hate me, yell at me, whatever, I don't care. I'm worried about Remus, get me in there."
They regarded Severus for a second, before the rat seemed to break away from the pack, deciding to listen to the distraught teenager. Severus knew they couldn't talk with a human voice, though he wondered if they could speak to each other. He watched Peter tap the tree with his tiny paw, and then he made a little beckoning motion with his tiny fingers.
Severus rushed to follow Peter, but Black sprang in front of him and barked.
"I'm being completely serious," Severus said, not even smirking at his choice of words.
"Don't make me beg."
Black barked again, though he didn't sound threatening, just distressed for his mate and confused by the turn of events. Severus figured he was probably angry for the way he had played with their minds earlier, too.
"Can you blame me for doing that?" Severus asked, somehow knowing that was what Black was thinking, other than Remus.
"The longer you hold me back, the longer Remus is in danger, the longer I am not able to help him."
Black cocked his head to the side, looking Severus up and down. "I don't care that I don't have any protection!" Going in there like he was, a human with fresh warm blood, Severus would be targeted right away if the werewolf was in control. But Severus couldn't hear Remus, so he was terrified at what they would find.
"Please."
Never did he think he would be saying such words to Black and Potter. Severus looked back at Peter. "Tell them, please, Peter."
The rat squeaked. It sounded like it was telling Black and Potter off.
Finally with a low whine in the back of his throat, Black seemed to signal to James, the large Stag walked up to Severus, giving him a strange look. At least to Severus, it looked strange. He wondered what Remus's friends were thinking. It was all a lot to take in all at once.
"Can we go now?" Severus asked, sounding highly impatient.
Peter seemed eager to go, quickly scrambling to Severus's side and just as quickly crawling up his long black robe. Severus looked down at the rat, surprised by the gesture.
'Well, one of his friends is accepting me. Why?' He shrugged the thought away, quickly returning his attention to Potter and Black.
Black was still guarding the entrance and Potter was standing beside him, still giving him a look that Severus couldn't read. Black barked twice, coming up toward Severus, looking at Peter who was sitting on Severus's shoulder.
The rat raised a small fist and squeaked back at the dog. The Slytherin wondered if he was going crazy. He could tell the rat was saying something in his defense. What and why?
"What are you guys waiting for? The full moon to be over or something." Severus sighed, so overcome with fear and fatigue.
"I can handle myself, I doubt any of you care if Remus mauls me to death, now let's go." He tried with all his being to contact Remus again and still got nothing from the werewolf.
Finally, Potter made a weird grunting sound directed toward Black. It took Severus a moment to realize where the sound was coming from. It was driving him crazy that he didn't know what they were saying and that they weren't taking things seriously.
Hadn't he told them he gave Remus a potion? What if it hurt him?
'But it didn't do anything to me,' Severus reminded himself.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Severus snapped. "Your friend could be hurt, or even dead and you're all holding onto a stupid school rivalry. Let me in and risk my own bloody damn life! I'm not against cursing the lot of you..."
He paused and glanced at the rat on his shoulder. "Except the little one."
Severus knew he was crazy because he swore the rat blushed.