Don't Write Your Will Yet

Inspired by Rowen_R's The Worst-Case Scenario Handbook: Harry Potter

What to do if the school is attacked, #5 (with just a bit of #8 thrown in for fun)

Don't Write Your Will Yet

"I always wanted to see the Pyramids," Remus remarked wistfully.

Severus gave him a disbelieving look, then ducked another curse. "At a time like this--" he began, then glared at someone across the hall. "Sectumsempra! --you're talking about the Pyramids?"

Lupin was slumped against the fallen bit of architecture that provided their cover, staring at his bloody trouser leg. "I wish now I'd gone ahead and changed my will."

"Oh, for--you are not going to die, you fool!" Severus snapped. He flicked his wand in a quick shielding. "If you would just call off Potter and his mutts--"

"It isn't Harry!" Lupin protested. "He wouldn't--"

"Yes, he would," Severus replied, his voice grim. "He's wanted to kill me since his third year, and now I've finally gone and given him an excuse."

"Since his third year! Good heavens, Severus, I'm sure you're mistaken."

Severus sniffed and sent a few more hexes at the Order. At least it had drawn Lupin's gaze up from his missing foot and up to Severus' face. "Forgive me if I disbelieve you," he said. "He hated me for getting you sacked."

"I resigned, as you well know!" Lupin exclaimed. Then he looked vaguely puzzled, as if unsure why he were arguing.

Yes, that mind was definitely Potter. Severus sent a tickling hex at him, because he could afford to be petty, and he couldn't afford to hurt Potter, much as he might want to. "Oh, sacked, resigned, whatever," he said airily.

"No, not whatever! You didn't force me to do anything!" Lupin exclaimed, and Severus exulted in the fact that apparently the werewolf was waking up from whatever strange stupor he'd been in. Blood loss, perhaps. He glanced critically at the man's trouser-leg, then up at his greyish face.

"Why don't you direct that energy in helping me finish off the Death Eaters instead of bleeding out?" Severus suggested in a languid drawl meant to disguise the fact that he was suddenly alarmed by Lupin's sickly pallor.

Remus glared at him, then his eyes widened as he looked past Severus. "Oh, bloody--Levicorpus! Stupefy! Protego!"

That was much better. Severus glanced down at Lupin's leg. Oh. The foot wasn't missing. It was just...chewed on. "Dear Merlin, Greyback is a tenacious bugger, isn't he?" he observed, and ran his wand over Lupin's leg.

"Ouch! Severus, that--"

"Be still, idiot," Severus said idly, his concentration on Lupin's leg now. "Keep us alive whilst I take care of this."

"It's a curse wound, it won't--"

"Shut up," Severus repeated, and Lupin, to his surprise, obeyed.

For a few minutes the Hogwarts Great Hall rang with shouted curses and shields and the Dark Lord's maniacal laughter. Severus frowned. Had the fool actually not realized Severus had defected? He wouldn't be laughing so hard if he knew that. He was seized with the familiar burning wish that he were able to kill Tom Riddle himself.

"I can't see what's going on." Lupin shifted, and Severus swatted at his hip. When had the werewolf started wearing Muggle blue jeans? They certainly fit him better than his old wool trousers ever had.

He pulled a vial out of an inner robe pocket and drizzled it over the mangled flesh of Lupin's leg, managing not to react when Lupin swore and sent off half a dozen more Stunners.

"You know," Remus said conversationally, "Harry wouldn't be firing at us if he knew I was here."

"Yes, well, the Death Eaters would," Severus snapped. "Anyway, you're a werewolf. Why should any of the Order trust you? They never trusted me when I was a spy."

"They didn't mistrust you because you were a spy, they mistrusted you because you're a snarky bastard," Lupin replied. "Stupefy! Reducto! Stupefy!"

Severus snorted. "Oh, is that why?" He gave a feral grin to the healing wound under his gaze. Lupin was sounding much more clear-headed now. "You're a fine one to talk, you flea-bitten mongrel."

Lupin gasped. "Harry's duelling with Voldemort," he whispered. "Fuck--Sectumsempra!"

"That's my spell," Severus objected, turning his attention to whatever had drawn foul language from Remus Lupin's mouth. His jaw clenched when he saw it was Bellatrix Lestrange writhing on the ground in a puddle of blood.

"You know, you shouldn't kill people if you're fighting for the Order," Severus pointed out. "They'll downgrade your Order of Merlin to Third Class."

"Shut up, Severus! She's killed plenty of people, and she'll kill more."

Severus raised an eyebrow at the fierce expression on Lupin's face. It was unlike the mild-mannered professor, but Severus had always known there was a dark side to the man. "Who was she going for this time? Potter, I presume."

Lupin's eyes were hard and didn't leave Bellatrix's bloody form. "No."

Severus frowned. "Remus, this isn't you. Stop this." When that got no acknowledgement, he seized Remus' wand arm. "Remus!"

The werewolf finally dragged his gaze from Bellatrix to meet Severus'. "She would have killed you."

Severus stared at him for a long moment, then glanced up at the dais when a flash of green caught his eye. Remus turned to look, too, and one part of Severus' brain registered that they were standing close enough that their shoulders touched (That part of Severus' brain, as well as certain portions of his body, were very pleased by that.)

Remus' hand clutched at Severus' when Potter shouted "Avada Kedavra!" Severus certainly did not clutch back. The Dark Lord's body crumpled, and a moment later Harry did, too. Severus expected Remus to rush to Potter's side, but the other man just stayed where he was, slowly crushing the bones of Severus' hands in his grip, as no less than four witches and three wizards converged on Harry. All of them were, at least, Order members. Severus dismissed them and turned his attention to the fact that Remus was still holding his hand.

"The Dark Lord..." he began, then stopped. "Voldemort is dead." He felt as if the world had finally been lifted off his shoulders. He looked up at Remus.

Remus was beaming at him. "You're free, Severus."

It was ridiculous that that inane smile did to him. Severus swallowed, feeling his stomach do a slow roll to the left. Perhaps it was just the fact that he was, for the first time in twenty years, without a master, on either side. Remus licked his lips. No, it was definitely the werewolf.

"I think no one would miss us," Remus suggested.

Severus swallowed. "You should see Pomfrey."

Remus shook his head. "You did a fine job. It doesn't even hurt. And they might still arrest you if they find you." He coughed, looking embarrassed. "Tonks, in particular."

Severus scowled.

Remus tugged him back behind the chunk of stone that had kept them alive. "She's always hated you," he murmured. "Because she knew I wanted you and not her." He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Severus'.

Severus' arms went around Remus automatically, and for several minutes they proceeded to prove how much they'd missed each other. Perhaps it was, after all, a good time to depart.