The Heart of Night

Heart of the Night

~*~

Take Care of the Pack

~*~*~*~

1 Moon, 1 Fortnight, 1 Week, 1 Night

~*~*~

"Mr. Mortimer, would you please stay after the lesson?"

The tiny boy looked up from his notes, startled. Their studies in Hogwarts had started with a DADA lesson, during which he had tried hard to ignore the whispers and glances of his classmates. Instead, he'd concentrated on taking notes and listening to the teacher -- his alpha.

That thought was new to him, new and fascinating. All his life he'd been kept away from most humans, werewolves and other human beings alike. That was why he was so shy around everybody else. With his alpha, however, he somehow sensed he didn't have to be scared -- at least that was how he'd felt ever since clearing out the ranking order. And even the beta of the pack, though frightening, was no threat to him, he knew that. With these two men, if not anybody else, he would always be safe.

"Of course, Sir," he murmured in response, knowing that the adult werewolf's ears would catch his quiet words, even though even those of his classmates nearest to him had to strain their ears if they wanted to hear. Just as well nobody else had heard the man's words to him -- they'd been too quiet for human ears.

So, when everybody else then began collecting their books, quills, and parchments, he did so purposefully slowly. When the other students hurried out of the classroom, he was still putting his books into his bag. Therefore, when he then straightened his back, the only people left were he and the professor.

"So, Tiny Ginger Cub," said Professor Lupin, smiling slightly, "how have you got settled into Hogwarts? Nobody has been giving you any trouble, I hope?" There was a hint of steel in the man's voice when he said the last sentence. Alan's trust for him and feeling of safety around his pack both grew even more.

"No, Alpha," he replied respectfully, "at least not yet. I don't think they will, though. And I haven't been completely shunned out, either," he continued when the alpha's amber eyes still called for further telling. "Two of my dormmates talked with me last night, asked about where I grew up, if I have family, that kind of things. They didn't ask anything about me being a werewolf, though."

"Excellent." The older werewolf smiled warmly. "Now, Alan, I fear you'll have to drink this," he said, bringing forth a goblet full of foul-smelling liquid. "I know it smells bad, and it tastes even worse. Trust me, I truly know it -- I've had years' experience. Now that Severus has to drink it himself, he's doubled his efforts to make it taste better, but this far, he's been unsuccessful."

The tiny boy nodded, then took the goblet. He forced himself to swallow every drop of the foul potion -- like his alpha had said, it tasted even worse than it smelled, even though he'd doubted that was even possible. At last, however, he placed the goblet back to the teacher's desk.

"Very good." Professor Lupin smiled again. "Now, as you don't have Severus's lessons until tomorrow, he also asked me to give you this." He handed the boy a small bottle full of some purple liquid. "Take a small sip of this before every Potions lesson, so the smells won't make you unable to work properly. Tell him if you run out of it. Unfortunately, my own Potions Professor never understood my problem with the smells, which caused me to fail every practical exam, even if my grades in the theory parts were the best."

"Oh." After a moment of silence, Alan said quietly, "Do thank Professor Snape for me, Alpha."

"I will, Tiny Ginger Cub." And there it was again. Although he'd never heard that name anywhere else than in this man's mouth, Alan noted that it felt like his own. It wasn't a teasing or taunting nickname, it felt more like an endearment, familiar and warm. It must have been some werewolf thing. "Now, do run along, you'll be late from your Charms lesson. Tell Professor Flitwick that I wanted to talk with you for a bit, he'll surely understand." With this, the alpha dismissed him, and Alan hurried to his next lesson.

Even in his hurry, however, he took good care of the precious bottle of the potion in his pocket.

~*~*~*~

2 Moons

~*~*~

Even though during the transformation it was impossible for Severus to think that it was easier this time than the first one, afterwards he noticed it very well. During his first full moon night he'd been unable to do anything but lie on his place and suffer. Now, however, there was only ache all around his body instead of blinding pain. That was certainly an improvement from his former experience.

Again, the door to the room was pushed timidly open. And again, the small golden wolf slipped inside. This time the aura of power around him was even clearer, and Severus knew immediately that he could not rise against his alpha, not tonight. The alpha was above him, and even if he had challenged him, he'd had no hope to win the battle. His wolf realized this, and accepted the smaller wolf as his leader.

After the golden wolf, however, another form crept into the room, even smaller this time. It was a wolf cub, tiny and fragile-looking, and it had messy, ginger fur with a bit of white on its snout. Peeking carefully behind the alpha, the cub was obviously waiting for his permission to come nearer.

<Come here, Tiny Ginger Cub,> Severus told it. Even though he'd thought that those names were just ridiculous, at the moment it felt just natural to say that. "Alan" would have been just as well out of place as "Mr. Mortimer". This wasn't about humans, even though it wasn't about wolves, either; it was about humans within wolves and wolves within them, for tonight there would be no telling those two apart.

And truly, the little cub let out a happy yelp and practically skipped to him. Then, after giving him a long, careful look, licked his snout playfully. There wasn't the frightened watchfulness of young Alan in the cub's eyes, however; this little creature did not have to be afraid, not with his pack around him, protecting him.

At the moment, that felt absolutely natural to Severus. During the past week, he'd been doing his best to avoid the boy, not wanting to let yet another wolf instinct take over himself and make him protective about the cub of the pack. Now, however, that avoidance seemed ridiculous to him. How could it ever be wrong or unacceptable to care for this little cub and protect him? It was obviously his responsibility, his and alpha's. They were the adult ones of the pack, they had to look after the young.

<Do you want to come out with us?> asked Remus -- or, rather, Moony, or even preferably Little Golden Moon. His tone, as far as there was one, was a teasing one as he watched the cub hopping around Severus's large, dark form, happy little yelps escaping the tiny fanged mouth. <Dumbledore promised to leave the doors open in case we want to run around a bit. It might be fun, you know.>

<I doubt that,> replied Severus briefly. However, when the cub rather daringly jumped to his back and bit his ear-- it couldn't do much damage, with its teeth being small and its bites just playful snips -- he merely shrugged it off. <I think this little one needs to let out some of his energy,> he stated rather calmly, watching the cub rolling around on the floor. <Let's go outside, then.>

Though he could have never believed it, the experience wasn't as appalling and beastly as he'd feared. Instead, he felt freer than ever in his life as he ran over the grounds with the two other wolves, feeling like his paws didn't even touch the ground. The wind whirled in his fur, and he felt ridiculously happy about the fact that he could just run and run without anything or anybody stopping him. He took delight in the fact that even though he lacked the experience needed to successfully challenge his alpha, he was indeed physically a lot bigger and stronger than Little Golden Moon. After a few races and play fights, however, they had to stop their fun, as Tiny Ginger Cub had got too exhausted in his play.

<This little one has seemingly got enough of spending his energy,> the alpha observed dryly. <Let's get him inside, right? Otherwise, he'll soon faint.> His dry tone, however, did not hide the slight hint of worry that existed in the core of his words. The cub was not as strong as they were; instead, it was sickly and weak, and it needed them to look after itself so that it wouldn't damage itself with too harsh or exhausting games under the full moon's light. With this well in his mind, Severus immediately ran to the tiny cub's side, and, uncaring about its whiny protests, started to lead it towards the castle. The alpha walked ahead of them, keeping the pace slow enough not to exhaust the cub even more during their journey.

And, even though Severus's human side grumbled about this order deep in some hidden corner of his mind, his wolf side accepted it without any questions or doubts. This was natural, this was the order of the pack.

And when Lady Luna was shining and the grounds were washed with pale light, nothing else mattered.

~*~*~*~

2 Moons, 1 Night

~*~*~

"How is he?" asked a quiet voice from Severus's side. The Potions Master didn't bother to look up as he knew very well who it was standing there next to him.

"Steady," he replied briefly as Remus sat down on the second of the two chairs beside Alan's bed. "Poppy says that even though he did get exhausted, he'll be up and about soon. And, of course, she also said that I can't leave the Infirmary until this evening, even though I'm perfectly healthy," he added bitterly.

"Maybe that's because you aren't 'perfectly healthy,' like you claim," his alpha chuckled, a sparkle of amusement in his tired amber eyes similar to Severus's own. The freckles of a full moon were still numerous in the amber orbs, like they were in Severus's, adding their own glow to that of Remus's eyes. Then, with a more serious tone, he said, "You reek of pain, Severus. What is it that's still paining you?"

"My arm," the Slytherin replied quietly. "The scar of the bite is aching again."

A flash of guilt could be seen in Remus's eyes, but it soon disappeared again. "Let me have a look at it." Not seeing a reason to do otherwise, Severus indeed did so, raising his arm and reaching it towards his alpha. He was startled and shocked, however, when the other werewolf immediately grasped his arm and sank his teeth on the pale flesh right where the marks of the wolf's teeth still resided.

At first, Severus only felt the slight pain of sharp teeth penetrating his skin once more. Then, however, a blinding wave of pain washed through his whole body, starting from his left arm and returning there. After it had faded away, Remus made to pull away. However, Severus would not have that.

The darkhaired werewolf grasped the other one's wrists. Being physically stronger now that they both had the same advantages of Lycanthropy but Severus also that of his taller and more muscular body, he held tightly on the delicate wrists. "Remus," he growled, knowing that his eyes were flashing golden now, but not really caring. It didn't matter now. "What the hell do you think you are doing?"

"Severus," the other werewolf said weakly, not even trying to give any kind of a satisfying explanation. "Severus, look at your arm." No less furious about the sudden physical attack but now possessing a bit more control over himself than at the first flash of rage, Severus indeed looked at his left arm. And stared.

The teethmarks were still there, true, like they would be forever. However, the other mark he'd also born there was now gone. There was no trace of the Dark Mark anymore on his skin.

"But -- how --" was all he could force out of his mouth. He raised his eyes at his alpha, now confused.

"The wolf will not serve two masters," Remus replied, giving him a weak, shaky smile. "When I strengthened the bond that was created between us when I Turned you, it forced your bond with the Dark Lord out of you, as it was far weaker of the two. This was the preferable one of two possible outcomes."

"And what would have been the other?" asked Severus quietly. He did not know how to react to this.

"Voldemort could have reached through you and killed me," replied Remus calmly. "Fortunately he had seemingly other things to think about, though." Seeing his startled expression, the other werewolf hastened to add, "You couldn't have been harmed, no. You'd have been only a link between those two bonds."

Severus shook his head slowly. Remus had read his reaction wrong. He hadn't been startled by the possibility that he might have died. No, what startled him was that Remus had known what could happen -- and he had still attempted it, only to free Severus of the heavy burden of the Dark Mark.

It had taken more than just daring, he realized moments later, when the other werewolf suddenly collapsed, almost falling from his chair but stopped by Severus's firm grip. As he'd been just as brisk and healthy as usually only moments before, it was rather obvious that this bond-strengthening had taken a lot of him. And, when he laid his unconscious alpha on the hospital bed next to the cub's, only one thought was flying around his mind. It was one thought, one question, and yet it and all its possible answers also raised new questions he'd rather not think about because of the answers that could in turn be offered to those questions.

'Just how desperately does this man want my forgiveness?'

*