An Experiment Gone Wrong

Running. Screams. A high pitched laughter. The blinding flash of green. Voices stilled. "You see how easy it is? You see how they beg for mercy? Fear is power never forget that..." the voice said with a sickly leer. "There is no good or evil, there is only power...and those too weak to seek it...those are the ones that shall suffer." Laughter again, high pitched insane laughter...

Knock knock knock.

"You're worthless. How I ever put my name to you I don't know. Stand up for yourself boy, you're a Slytherin! Now stop making excuses and practise what I told you to. I want that curse learned by tonight or you will go without food till you do!"....

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Stay..."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Severus woke with a groan. He had had those dreams again. The dreams of torture, dreams of hate. Dreams in which he cowered and wished he could hide away forever from. Yet...the last dream...the last word he had heard...

For a moment he was disoriented until he realized he was in his own bed. He hadn't slept in his bed in so long he almost had forgotten what it felt like. But that wasn't all. He felt a bit lightheaded and fuzzy, warmed even, yet there was no fire lit in the fireplace. So where was the warmth coming from?

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! "Severus? Remus? Are you awake?" a voice called out causing Severus to sit up with a growl.

Turning his head round he realized with a start why he had felt such warmth when he'd woken up. He wasn't alone. Someone else was there in his bed. And glancing over at the sleeping form beside him he remembered. And a small smile came across his face. Remus. It was Remus he was next to. And it had been Remus's voice he had heard right before...

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! "Severus, Remus do come on and wake up! Such wonderful news, glorious news! You must come right off!"

*McGonagall. It never ceases to amaze me how this woman finds the most inopportune times to disturb me. What the bloody hell could be more important then being next to Remus in my bed?* Severus thought grumbling. However, he knew if he didn't respond soon she was probably going to take down his locking charms, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Slipping out of bed so as not to disturb the still sleeping Remus, he put his dressing gown on and went to the door. Muttering the unlocking charms he poked his head out and said, "Keep it down, Lupin is still asleep. What do you want at this godforsaken hour of the morning?" he said with a growl.

Minerva was not to be put off this day though, no not today. "Even your dour moods can't sour me today Severus," she said with a laugh, which for Minerva McGonagall was highly unusual. "And for your information it's practically tea time, so wake Remus and you're both to report to the Great Hall at once. Albus's orders," she said with a silly looking grin and headed off before Severus could even respond.

*Tea time?! Bloody hell we've slept practically the whole day away! What could be so important though that Dumbledore wants us in the hall?* Well he wasn't going to get any answers standing at the doorway that's for sure. He muttered an oath at the timing of the summons and headed back into the room.

"Was that Minerva? What did she want?" Remus said with a yawn and sat up in the bed to Severus's surprise.

"When did you wake up?" Severus said walking back over to the bed.

"Oh...I don't know...just did I guess. What was it?" Remus said questioningly. Not that he was going to admit it, but he had woken up as soon as he felt Severus leave the bed, though he honestly didn't remember why Severus had been in the bed in the first place. Though he certainly wasn't going to complain.

"She said we're both to report to the Great Hall. Dumbledore has something he wants to tell us." Severus said grumbling again and went to the wardrobe gathering up what he was going to wear for the day.

"Must be important if Albus wants us there. Great Hall though and not his office? Seems a bit strange." Remus said and began to look round for his clothes, and realized suddenly what he was wearing. "Err...um Severus?" he said hesitantly.

Severus had been halfway to the bathroom to change before he realized Remus had called him. Turning back round he said, "Yes Lupin?"

"You um...you haven't seen my clothes have you? And...er...that is...are these your pyjamas?" he said blushing a bit. Wearing something as personal as Severus's pyjama's made him wonder exactly how he had gotten into them in the first place.

Severus tried to hide the pained look that momentarily past across his face as he heard Remus ask that last question. Collecting himself quickly though he said, "I saw you're clothes had some rips in them so I sent them off with a house-elf to be repaired. You can call for one to bring you're clothes back anytime you want." He hoped his voice wasn't wavering as he said that, and even more so hoped Remus would forget the pyjamas.

"Oh...well that's alright then. Thank you. But...the pyjama's?" Remus said not letting go of the issue however. He had seen that look on Severus's face, and he needed to know what it could have meant.

Severus turned back round so that Remus couldn't see the fact that he was the one suddenly blushing now. Which for him was quite odd since he hadn't remembered anytime in his life he had blushed, not even back in Paris when he'd seen Stephan naked for the first time. "Yes, they're mine. Put them in the laundry bin for me would you?" was all he allowed himself to say and practically sprinted off to the bathroom so that he couldn't be questioned further.

Remus watched him dash off with a slight smile on his lips. Truth was he had already known they were Severus's, he had been sharing his rooms for 2 months now, not to mention that Severus obviously had forgotten he had worn these very same pyjama's himself at times. A part of Remus had needed to hear him say it though, to confirm that the only way he could be wearing these pyjama's was the Severus himself had put them on him. And he swore that just before Severus had turned round, he had seen a blush on his face.

Calling for a house-elf he retrieved his clothes and finished getting dressed just as Severus returned from the bathroom. He really wanted a shower, but he could always take one later. Severus obviously had taken one though, as his hair was still a bit damp, and Remus's still heightened senses picked up the now all to familiar smell of patchouli oil, vanilla and musk that Severus subtly wore.

Remus glanced at Severus as he went over to his wardrobe and started to rummage round looking for a robe to wear for the day. Something odd came to his mind then, and question in which he very much needed an answer to burned in his mind. Silently he walked up behind Severus and put out his hand, gently trailed his fingers through the back of Severus's hair.

Severus whirled round startled but Remus didn't back away, his hand in the air as if he was still touching Severus's hair. "Wh-what are you doing?" Severus said in a half shocked voice.

Remus looked at his hand, then back at Severus's hair, then right into Severus's eyes. "It's...soft..." Remus said in an oddly surprised yet hushed voice.

Severus realized what Remus meant now, and probably why he had done what he had. A small half a grin came to his lips and he gave a low chuckle. "I should hope it is."

"Why? How...?" Remus said questioningly.

Now Severus did smile. "It's always been that way and I've grown rather attached to it is why. As to how...you sure you want to know?" he said, his smile faltering a little.

Remus nodded slowly, keeping his eyes trained on Severus's still.

"Don't say I didn't warn you then...." Severus said and took in a deep breath. "It's a Dark Arts charm...are you sure you really want to know this?" he said all traces of his smile gone now.

Remus nodded again. "Yes Severus, I do want to know..." he said in a serious tone. Since he had gotten his book any and everything relating to the dark arts he wanted to know...had to know even.

"I"ll tell you Lupin, but I ask you to keep it just between us," he said waiting as Remus nodded in silent agreement. "It's the Bervani Charm."

Remus tried to think if he had heard of this charm but he hadn't. "I've never heard of it, what is it?"

"It's a 'resistance' charm. Dark wizards long ago were persecuted even more then they are now. Misled villagers or light wizards and witches would expose the dark ones, and would come after them with just about anything they could. Hot oil, burning torches, acidic potions...anything that could cause bodily harm or even death."

"I remember reading that somewhere...like the Essex trials?" Remus said thoughtfully.

Severus nodded. "That was one of the more well known times yes, but this goes back even further. The dark arts wasn't always bad, though few know it now. Some of the accused dark ones were merely just experimenting in things that known light witches and wizards were simply afraid of. Not for evil purposes even, just that they wanted to test their skills. They suffered for that at a costly price." Severus said with a sigh.

"What does the charm do though?" Remus said quietly.

"No one knows exactly who created it, but it was the answer to the dark ones prayers. It was a sealant charm, able to resist practically every type of burn, acid, oil or whatever they would use. It saved more then a few dark wizards and witches life I can assure you."

"A protectant...of course...." Remus said under more under his breath. Just as the witch in the shop had told him, that dark arts wasn't always a bad thing.

"More then a protectant Lupin. A way of saving lives. Even if they were dark wizards and witches, they didn't all deserve to die. Some of them truly weren't evil by any means. The had to use the charm, they feared that the villagers would try and burn their houses down whilst they slept. Fear that became reality soon enough." Severus said sadly.

"But why didn't they stand up for themselves? Or leave?" Remus said questioningly.

Severus shrugged. "I don't know. There's know way to know why they stayed and risked their lives, but they did. The charm was the only thing that could keep them safe though. It was a perfect charm at first, undetectable by muggle nor wizard, unfortunately something happened to change that."

"How so?"

"The dark mages began to notice a flaw in the charm. The more you used it, the more detectable it did became. It would turn a person's body into becoming dour, sallow and greasy if used too long. You could physically age years in just a few short days. So they had to abandon using the charm because it became too much of a giveaway."

"What happened then?" Remus said fascinated now.

"Since they no longer had the protections, they fled. The charm became extinct, and no one bothered to waste time thinking on it again."

"But...you did?" Remus asked hesitantly.

Severus nodded slowly. "I did. I found the charm in an old book of my fathers when I was a child. I was always much more advanced then I let on to him, for reasons I don't want to go into. After months of research on it I realized where the fault was. With a bit of alteration I created a new version of it, the one you see now."

"Amazing..." Remus said awed now and reached his hand up, brushing a lock of Severus's hair out of his eyes with his fingertips. "How did you alter it?" he said in a low whisper now.

Severus closed his eyes for a moment as Remus touched his hair again, feeling the tingling sensations of Remus's fingertips brushed against his forehead. He shivered slightly at the electricity of those fingertips. *Oh Merlin don't Remus...don't do that...you have no idea what you're doing...* was all his mind could think.

Remus felt that shiver beneath his fingertips however, and though he felt himself responding, he wanted his answer first. "How Severus...?" he said in a low voice, surprised himself at how husky his voice was becoming.

Severus shivered again at that, but he knew Remus wasn't going to let him go until he responded. "I...I altered it so that it would only effect the 'appearance'...not the skin itself. Since it never actually touches the...skin, it does no harm to me..." he said in a half whispered voice.

"And...it still acts the same in protection?" Remus said softly, brushing another lock of hair out of Severus's eyes.

"Yes...same..." was all Severus could breathe out as the second touch from those fingertips seared into his body causing him to shiver yet again. *Stop...please stop...I'm begging you to stop...*

Remus's breath caught in his throat as he saw Severus shiver for the second time and this time he couldn't stop his own body from responding. All thoughts of the previous summons, of whatever it was Minerva and Albus wanted were removed from his mind. Only one thought remained, that is was his touch causing Severus to shiver like this...that he was the one in control.

Remus felt something welling up inside of him that was more powerful than anything he'd ever experienced. He wanted Severus. He wanted to hear his name on those lips, he wanted to be the one running his hands through that hair. He wanted to take in everything that was Severus Snape.

"Severus..." Remus whispered slowly and stepped in a bit closer to where Severus was standing.

Severus closed his eyes and leaned back against the wardrobe for support, his legs barely able to keep him standing. One more step...if Remus took one more step towards him he knew he wouldn't be able to stop himself.

"Severus..." Remus whispered again, a strange tone in his voice. Seeing Severus back away hadn't bothered him, in fact it just made him want him more.

Severus didn't answer, he didn't trust himself to answer. His name on Remus's lips, the tone of his voice was already pushing him to the limits. His voice...no longer the sweet quietness that Severus knew so well...this was torture. Husky, needful, demanding...wolfish almost. Enough to cause him to shiver yet again.

Remus saw the shiver and something that had only been creeping now boiled to the surface. All the dark arts he had been learning recently, combined with the fact he still was in full use of every one of his werewolf powers tore into him with a vengeance. He didn't just want Severus any more...no...it had gone beyond wanting. He needed him.

Remus's consciousness began to abandon him, only the searing need to break Severus's careful control, to make Severus his and his alone is all that drove him. Echoes of the dark stirred in his mind, coaxing him to give himself over to them, to use their powers to get what he wanted...what he needed. Closing his eyes for a moment he let those powers take him, oblivious to what he even doing.

The moment he did however he was the one that lost control. The dark took over...bringing forth everything that it taught him so far, as well as the powers of the wolf...strength, speed, instinct. Opening his eyes he didn't even know what this change in power had done to him.

But Severus did, and suddenly he grew very afraid. Years of well tuned instincts to the dark had already told Severus something wasn't right. The moment Remus had opened his eyes however confirmed it...Remus was no longer Remus.

Gone were the warm brown eyes from moments ago, they had now been replaced by yellowed irises...wolf's eyes. Gone was the soft and gentle mannerism, replaced now with a steeled guard, weary, ready to pounce at the slightest movement. Ready to kill for what it wanted. And Severus knew what it wanted...it wanted him.

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