Just Wanting to Keep You Safe

Just Want to Keep You Safe

*

"Severus," Voldemort hissed, his red eyes flashing threateningly. "I have a task for you."

"What it is, my Lord?" Severus asked, struggling to keep his voice calm. The pressure was growing all around him. Soon, he'd be asked to poison someone - or worse.

Apparently it was going to be the worse.

"As you know, everything is almost ready for the final strike," the Dark Lord hissed.

"I know, my Lord," he muttered in reply, his gaze locked on the ground.

"Good. To ease our victory, I've planned to eliminate or disable as many of our pitiful enemies as possible." After a slight pause he continued, "I've timed the final attack to be at the night of the next full moon."

Severus swallowed. He guessed too well where this was leading to. "My Lord, I can't leave Wolfsbane Potion undone," he hastied to say. "Nor I can give the beast any other potion, he recognizes the smell and taste too well -"

"And I'm not asking you to do that," Voldemort interrupted him coolly. "I only want you to variate or corrupt the potion so his control will break in the middle of the fight."

"I think I can do that, my Lord," he said. Inwardly, he was swallowing back fury. How the bastard dared to even suggest that! "But how are you keeping the beast away from our side, my Lord?" he asked then, hoping to coax more information from the Dark wizard.

"That's easy," Voldemort snarled. "I'll have Peter near me. The wolf won't dare to come near him and his silver hand. And the others - well, if they can't deal with a werewolf, that's their problem. You, of course, can now prepare in time and have some silver with you. Those 'goods' most probably don't have anything that might harm the wolf in fear of hurting their little pet."

"I see," Severus replied, hardly fighting back his anger. "May I leave now, Master?"

"You may," his "master" hissed. "I'm pleased with you, Severus."

Severus kissed again the hem of the dirty robes and Disapparated.

With a crack, he Apparated just outside the Hogwarts grounds. He practically ran all the way to the school. Once arriving there, he threw the main door open, not even noticing the weight of the great doors. He stormed through the corridors towards the Headmaster's office.

"Come in, Severus," Dumbledore called.

He rushed in without waiting for another command. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at his furious expression. Remus, who was pacing the room nervously, stopped on his trace and looked frightened.

"I will kill that sick bastard," Severus vowed through clenched teeth. "I don't care what happens to me, but I will kill him!" He sat on a couch and covered his face with his hands.

"What happened?" Remus asked quietly, sitting next to him. The werewolf placed a calming hand on his shoulder.

"The final attack will be on the next full moon night," the Slytherin replied grimly. "And Voldemort wants me to corrupt your Wolfsbane Potion so you'll lose your control during the battle."

Remus paled instantly, his free hand flying to his mouth. "Oh, Merlin," he whispered, his eyes wide with shock and fear.

"Exactly," Severus mumbled bitterly. "Merlin spare us all from that wicked bastard."

"And are you going to do what he asks?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes never ceasing their twinkling.

"Of course not!" the Potions Master exclaimed. "Are you nuts? Not only would everybody other be in danger, but Remus would end up dead or mad with guilt!"

"And do you care?" the Headmaster continued questioning.

Severus sighed deeply and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "You know very well that I do," he said, wrapping his arms protectively around Remus's thin frame. The small brunette snuggled up to him, clinging firmly on his black robes. Severus let him.

It had started some time after Black's death. Neither of them knew how, or who, or even when, but somehow, they'd ended up forgetting their grudges. Everybody in the Order had watched in disbelief and awe as their hatred had turned into a truce. The truce had become companionship, and that had turned to friendship.

Then had come the day when the Tonks girl had, for her great shock, surprise, and amusement, walked in on them enjoying themselves. In other words, having sex. Great sex, on that note.

After that, it had been impossible to hide from the rest of the Order. After getting over the first shock, they had stopped the fuss and calmed down to occasional jokes and innuendos. Also their behaviour towards Severus had changed, and that annoyed the Potions Master to no end. He didn't think that anything could be worse than the twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes, but Molly Weasley's motherly smiles at him as she tried to fill the two thin men with her cookings made a really tough competition.

Now he rubbed gently the werewolf's back, thinking franticly. He couldn't corrupt Remus's potion, but if Voldemort saw that the werewolf stayed in control of himself, he'd use the killing curse without another thought. A traitorous servant was a dead servant. One didn't mess with the Dark Lord without punishment.

They stayed like that for quite some time.

Then, suddenly, Dumbledore broke the silence. "Remus," he said, "do you think you could fake the loss of control?"

"Albus!" Severus cried out, not able to prevent himself. "Think about what you're asking!" He hugged Remus tightly against his chest. His lover's eyes were extremely wide and his expression frightened.

"I'm not asking him to spread his curse," Dumbledore said soothingly. "Just using his claws, only a bit more violently than planned." They had ages ago made plans for the occasion that Death Eaters might attack at the full moon. Remus always had at least one spare dose of the Wolfsbane Potion with him in case that Severus was suddenly summoned. They had also agreed that Remus would participate in the fight with his claws, which could easily be just as dangerous as his fangs. This would be almost dangerless to him, since werewolves were even in their human form immune to most curses and hexes. As a wolf, nothing short of silver or the killing curse could harm him, and those he could easily avoid with his instincts.

But now, Severus was suspicious. "Exactly what are you planning, Albus?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Nothing much," the old wizard said, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Only one thing. One little thing." He fixed his eyes on Remus, who was still slightly trembling - it was only two days from the full moon, and Remus was still exhausted and hypersensitive. Not to mention that he'd been worrying and waiting all the time Severus had spent in the Death Eater meeting.

Now Remus raised his tired amber eyes at the Headmaster. "What it is?"

"Remus, I know that this might shock you," Dumbledore started, "but would you find turning the Dark Lord too appalling?"

Severus was stunned. Before he could say anything, though, he heard Remus's calm voice, "I believe I could manage that."

"No!" Severus shouted. Both other men turned towards him. "You can't do that, Remus! He's going to keep Pettigrew nearby just in the case you managed to get to him through the Death Eaters. And even if you got away from him, the Dark Lord himself will kill you with his curses!"

Remus turned to face him, cupping his face in his hands. "This is a war, Severus," he gently reminded his lover. "And in a war, one cannot think about personal risks. Everyone must risk something, and everyone must sacrifice something."

"But why must you risk everything?" Severus asked bitterly.

"I'm not risking any more than anyone else," the brunette said with a gentle smile. "And I'm doing it, because otherwise we'll never be able to be openly together.

"I much prefer being secretly with you to laying flowers on your grave," Severus replied gloomily.

"So you're trying to tell me that you'd actually wait until my funeral before you'd commit suicide?" Remus asked, raising an eyebrow. "You're not kidding anyone, Severus."

The addressed man smirked dryly. "Maybe you have a point."

"I do." Remus placed a soft kiss on his lips. "Let's discuss it later, love. Right now, we have other things to do." He stood, pulling Severus up after himself.

"May I ask what those things are?" Dumbledore asked, the twinkle in his eyes all but disappearing.

"You may, but don't expect an answer," Remus smiled. "Let's just say that if this indeed is our last month live, we'd better enjoy it as much as we can."

"I agree completely," Severus said, before following his lover out of the office.