Werewolves at Hogwarts

Chapter 14

Staring in at the window display, Severus blew on his gloved fingers and stepped from foot to foot while he tried to decide if there was anything in the shop that interested him. He was looking for a Christmas present that was not duty or courtesy, but one that would be appreciated by the receiver, and that was bloody hard. He wanted it to be approved of, but not to embarrass the recipient, so it couldn't be too personal or too expensive or say too much that might be misinterpreted. He and Remus had developed a cautious but comfortable friendship over the last few weeks. Indeed, Severus was amazed at how easy it was to feel relaxed in the werewolf's presence, to enjoy his society and share humorous incidents with him. They both appreciated good firewhiskey and Remus had come down to the dungeon to shared a few drinks on a number of occasions, which had proved to be very convivial. Severus did not have many friends and no close ones at all. If he was honest with himself, had no idea of how to conduct a friendship that had no political or social advantages to be rung from it. Remus demanded nothing from him, but a little conversation and company in the evenings.

"What do you buy the man who has nothing and will accept nothing?" he muttered to himself.

"Talking to yourself is a very bad sign, my boy," Albus' cheery tones made him spin on the spot and glare. "A nice display of quills, always a welcome gift, especially the dicta-quills, so handy for when you are making notes on practical demonstrations." The odd falling snowflake seemed to add a diamond sparkle to the Headmaster's long white beard.

"True," Severus agreed blandly. "Mine has just about worn out. I am looking to replace it soon and was wondering if the charms have been developed any further."

"Oh yes, the modern ones can even distinguish between genuine notes and gratuitous ramblings, once you tune the spells properly. Marvellous developments indeed, and no more 'Quick Quotes' quills, so what you say is what is written."

"Something to ponder," Severus muttered, turning back to the display, and not seeing the headmaster grin as he strolled off.

Remus was laughing at something Rolanda said when he ploughed into an immovable object. His feet slipped on the ice and he nearly landed on his backside in the middle of Hogsmeade. A vice like grip caught his upper arms and steadied him until he had his balance again. Looking up, he became enmeshed in the deep black gaze boring into his skull and smiled happily. "Severus," he exclaimed. "Sorry about that. Are you alright?"

"I'm probably better than you. Do you ever look where you are going?" Severus asked grumpily as he stepped back a little, releasing the werewolf's arms most reluctantly.

"Usually I do, but I was preoccupied just then. Have you finished your shopping?" Remus asked, nodding to the parcels under Severus' arm. "If you have, we're off to the Three Broomsticks for a pint before heading back home. Do you want to join us?"

"If by 'us' you mean that pair of daft bints who left a few minutes ago, I'd say you have been deserted." Severus almost smiled when both Remus' eyebrows rose and he glanced around in surprise. "They seem to have taken the better part of valour and done a runner."

"Chickens! Oh well, just us two then. Which do you prefer, the Three Broomsticks or the Hogshead?"

Intrigued, Severus stared down at the open, happy face looking up at him, guileless and--was that hopeful--eyes inviting, nose red with cold. "Perhaps the Olde Tea Shop might be more appropriate in this weather. I think they serve mulled wine and hot toddies, and you look rather cold. Why didn't you wear a thicker cloak and snow boots, you will freeze if you don't wrap up, you know?"

"I don't normally venture out into the snow, actually," Remus confessed, clinging to the offered arm as his feet slipped on the icy patches under the snow. "I don't care for the cold, it makes my bones ache."

"It's good for you, if you dress for it," Severus told him as he tucked the icy, glove-free hands into a fold of his cloak. "Come on you idiotic werewolf, you'll do no good if you get frostbite."

The Olde Tea Shop was not a popular haunt for students and was rather quiet when the pair entered, the bell tinkling cheerily. A mob-capped and aproned waitress took their outer cloaks and Severus' scarf and gloves, hanging them up before showing them to a small round table. Tucking Remus into a comfortable chair in the inglenook near the fire, Severus took the chair opposite and ordered mulled wine for two, as well as hot chocolate and a cake plate. Remus smiled as he felt the warmth seep into his bones. He had forgotten how cold Hogsmeade could be in winter, especially when one didn't have warm clothes. It was an oversight he would have to remedy soon. Still, it seemed to have brought out something protective in Severus, which was not a bad thing.

"Are you staying for Christmas?" Severus asked as their wine was delivered, the spicy smell curling around them intimately.

"Humm, yes, yes I am. Not to put too fine a point on it, I sold my house so there's nowhere else to go." Remus smiled around his tankard as one of Severus' eyebrows rose in query. "Are you staying too?"

"Naturally, where else would I go? Snape Manor? No, only if I'm feeling suicidal."

"Sorry?"

"Snape Manor sounds grand but in truth it is nearly falling down and bits drop off at the most unexpected times. If you are underneath them, some of the pieces are big enough to be fatal. Besides, the house hates me as much as I hate it. I think, one day, I will send the curse breakers and wreakers in to destroy it totally. There's too much Dark magic imbued in the very stones to do anything with." Severus contemplated the depths of his mug and did not see Remus' sympathetic gaze. Remus remembered the horrendous nightmares Severus suffered based on very real memories of a horrific childhood at Snape Manor.

"Wonder what the house-elves are going to prepare for Christmas Dinner," Remus speculated.

"As long as they don't try roast pork with crackling again," Severus said unequivocally, turning a slight tinge of green at very thought. "Even Minerva looked decidedly sick that year." He chuckled, driving the thought away.

Remus smiled too, sipping his wine as a comfortable silence fell, broken only by the crackle of the fire. "My parents always had roast goose stuffed with tiny pork sausages and sage and onion stuffing. Then there would be plum pudding and brandy sauce for sweets."

Severus smiled, imagining the picture for a moment, forgetting to be unimpressed, and then he sighed. "You're lucky to have fond memories to look back on. The best Christmas I remember was at Malfoy Manor when Draco was barely two. He was so excited, almost bouncing off the walls, and he tried to climb up the Christmas tree. I caught him, and managed to get him down before Lucius found him and punished him. Oh, he'd been told a hundred times not to touch the tree, it was one of those designer things, done by Sevinche of Paris to Narcissa's order. It was definitely a 'touch me not' tree, and not at all suitable for a little boy, but there was to be a huge reception at the manor, for all the best people so only the best would do."

"So what did you do then?" Remus asked curiously.

He laughed reminiscently. "I repaired the damage and took Draco off upstairs to his nursery. I transfigured him his own little Christmas tree from some kindling then we decorated it with coloured balls and sugar mice, the stuff kids usually find on their Christmas trees. I think I missed the Reception too."

"Sounds like you both had fun. So, what is Father Christmas bringing you this year?"

"Oh, I don't know, perhaps a new set of stirring rods or most probably one of Albus' famous bags of sherbet lemons!" Severus even forgot himself enough to wrinkle his nose while Remus laughed. "And you? What is he bringing for you, besides some gloves and a scarf?"

Shaking his head, Remus chuckled. "Maybe a new chew toy, do you think?"

Severus spluttered with laughter, almost spraying his companion with a mouthful of wine. "Damn it Lupin, not when I'm drinking," he sniggered, mopping his mouth. "Are you all warmed up now? Warm enough to make it back to school without succumbing to frostbite on the way? Come on then, I'll walk you home."

Pleased, Remus followed the taller man, eventually clinging to his arm as the slippery paths became even more so as the early evening fell. Still laughing they made it back to school in one piece, and Severus stopped at the door to Remus' rooms, more relaxed than he had been for a long time.

"Do you want to come in for a moment? I have some rather good whiskey," Remus invited shyly.

"Yes, I think it's time to talk about the past, don't you?" Severus agreed, holding the door Remus opened and glancing around the room curiously. It was bright and cheerful, full of warm brown tones and golden yellows, like an autumn forest on a sunny day. He prowled the edges of the room, stopping at the bookshelf to read the spines with a nod of approval. "You have some interesting books," he commented as Remus hung up his cloak and went to pour them some whiskey.

"Yes, my father was a keen bibliophile and I inherited both his interest and his collection. I've picked up some interesting things over the years. Here, you might appreciate this one." Remus offered him a battered and foxed tome with a suspicious stain over one corner.

"Phew! It's a first edition 'Potions of the Mediaeval Era' by Morenetus Porivas! Good Godric! Do you know how much this is worth, even in this battered condition?" Severus exclaimed, staring at the slightly shabby man who smiled back serenely.

"Oh yes, it's worth more than you would ever know. My father gave me that when I was accepted to Hogwarts. We spent four weeks at various auction houses and deceased estate sales before we found it. Mum said she thought we had been lost forever on the auction circuit when we finally came home, and she was just as happy to see us happy, even though books weren't her thing. When they were killed, I only managed to salvage a few things from the house; but the books were in a crate that was left in the one undamaged shed. I've always been happy about that oversight."

"Your parents were killed by Death Eaters, weren't they?" Severus said gently, as he sat in the seat opposite and watched Remus strangle a cushion.

"No, they weren't actually. They were killed by 'a roving gang of thugs', according to the police report. There was no Dark Mark on the scene; no traces of dark magic what so ever. They were killed because they wouldn't tell the Aurors where I was. The fact that they didn't know had nothing to do with the case. Oh, there were the usual outraged comments from the Ministry but that was all. Blame it on the Muggles, it's easier."

"And you fought on the side of Light despite that?" Severus was moved to ask uncomfortably.

"If the so called Light could do that, then what would the Dark do if it won? It is all a matter of perspective after all, you have to balance the good against the bad, and one bad incident, no matter how personal the impact, is far outweighed by the continuous and vicious strings of murders the Dark managed to perpetrate on the wizarding world." Remus blinked and brushed his cheek before laughing self-consciously. "Those were the days, weren't they?"

"'To the bad old days,'" Severus raised his glass in a toast, moved by the other man's silent tears.

"May they never darken our lives again!" Remus agreed fervently, touching glasses to make a sweet crystal ring.

Severus stared down into his glass for a long few moments, before staring at the werewolf piercingly. He was almost tempted to cast Legilimens on Remus, but decided not to at the last moment. Clearing his throat, he blinked and sighed. "You said at Halloween that we had a history, and we loved each other, that you would not rebuff my advances under different circumstances. Was that true?" After a few nasty rebuffs in the past, Severus was always cautious when approaching anyone.

"Yes, that was true. I love you; have loved you for a very long time, since before the end of the war," Remus said matter-of-factly.

"How can you say something like that?" Severus demanded incredulously. "You say I left you high and dry, refused to even think about you and ignored you for nearly six years, and yet you say you still love me. What sort of idiot are you?" He was perplexed, intrigued and amazed, but did not realise how simply angry and scornful he sounded to Remus' sensitive ears.

Although a little daunted by his tone, Remus continued honestly. "I'm a wolf; I don't get to change my mind just because my lover changes his. Look, I'm not holding it to your head like some sort of annihilation spell; it's just how it is from my point of view. I don't ask you to subscribe to it, or do anything about it, or even acknowledge it, if you don't feel comfortable with it."

"You are a bloody Gryffindor idiot, you know that? You're a gold-plated, through and through madman. You should be angry, you should be screaming 'unfair' at the top of your lungs, but instead you do the self-bloody-sacrificing nobility bit without a whimper! Remus, you are a fool!" Severus snapped, uncomfortable with Remus' declaration.

Remus gritted his teeth and glared at his mate, his usually serene temper flaring out of his control. "Am I now? And what does that make you? A complete bastard, or would you care to be cast as a hero perhaps, leaving your lover weeping as you go forth bravely to do battle with the monsters. But no, how about you go with your love wrapped up protectively, your sword and your shield in your hands. Oh look, the hero is wounded and forgets his love. The protective shielding becomes a prison of steel. How tragic! Bring out the handkerchiefs and ring down the curtains, end of scene one!"

Severus stiffened at the venomously delivered speech, all accord shattered by the werewolf's attack. He clapped slowly, sarcastically, as Remus stopped yelling, breathing hard. "Very melodramatic, you should write for the stage in your off hours."

"Why you insufferable prig! Take a look inside your own head, Severus Snape, and see just what you have done to me and my care of you, if you have the bottle! Then you come and apologise, on your knees!" Remus snarled, grabbing the taller man by the collar and dragging him to the door despite his flailing resistance.

Severus tried to resist, but was physically incapable of matching strength for strength with the werewolf who threw him out the door so hard, he spun around and smashed into the far wall of the corridor. He stood there stunned as the door slammed shut on him, locking charms echoing in the sudden silence. Before he was tempted to hammer on the door, Snape drew the last of his dignity around him with his robes and stalked away down the corridor toward the dungeons.

~~*~~

"Lupin was so close I nearly grabbed him but then that bloody Death Eater Snape came along and hung over him like a bad smell. That was the end of that chance," Mr Black complained as he sat huddled in the back room of the Three Broomsticks, a firewhiskey clutched in his hands to ward off the icy chill.

"If we ever want to establish Mr Blue as the Alpha Prime of the werewolves we have to take out Remus Lupin as he is the Beta Prime."

"I thought he stepped down years ago," Mr Black frowned, taking another sip of his drink.

"Stay with the plot, man! He did step down for about four or five years then he stepped up again when that Logan character was killed by a Muggle truck one night. If we can take Lupin out that will reduce the number of their Lore Givers, as he is one of the main ones. If we erode their laws and reduce their legal people, as well as destroy their strongest members, then we can take over with impunity. After all, they are cooperating so splendidly by sending their wildest fighters off to the Peace Corps and places like that."

"Why can't we just kill them all?"

The frustrated and disgusted noise Mr White made caused Mr Black to cringe a little. "Because idiotic bleeding hearts like Dumbledore and Franklin have an obsessive need to meddle in things that do not concern them. The Civil Liberties lot went up to the Isle of Cardoul and raised such a bloody stink about living conditions that we can't just send people up there to die anymore. We have to discredit werewolves, expose them for the dangerous animals they are, and then we can confine them all to a safe area, like the Isle. Once they are out of our society then they will slowly die off, and we won't have to worry about them again." The last part of this speech had a strange overtone to Mr Black's ears, almost as if his co-conspirator was parroting something he had said so many times that it had become a mantra to live by.

"Alright, I'll try again next moon to get Lupin, either capture or kill, how's that?"

"See that you do! We have wasted so much time on this project that I worry some of the others might be running out of enthusiasm for this sideline."

"Oh, not me, I enjoy this sort of thing," Mr Black assured Mr White with a grin that was as feral as any werewolf's.