Mirrorverse

~~Mirrorverse~~

First I want to apologize for the horrid lack of updating as of late. The flu and allergies cornered me the last couple of weeks, and some bad test results have me in a bit of a depression sadly. Writing has been virtually impossible far as 'fresh' stuff goes, and all I could seem to put out was the re-writes of When I'm Sixty-Four (which can be found both at Schnoogle and http://stories.com/authors/piriotessa in my HP fics folder.) Cheers for putting up with me during my lapse in updating, hopefully I'll be back on track soon. Meanwhile though these may be shorter than normal, I'm giving it my best :)

Second I want to dedicate this chap to Asioleh, a wonderful person who's kept me balanced and who has kept me from feeling like I will be forgotten if I fail to update. You're a gem luv, and thank you sooo much! :hugs and smooches:

Also I want to give major hugs and smooches to Angela, you guys have kept me smiling with your ecards and given me new reasons to keep searching for those elusive Chibi and other adorable hentaipics of Severus and Remus :beams: And I have found a few new ones oi...wait till your next card luv! :giggles: (Ahh...a young chibi Sev and Remy in the tub...or an older Sev/Remy having a lovely snog...or an older Sev/Remy being just themselves :faints: how wonderful! :beams:)

~~Chapter Nine: Truth Isn't Always A Bitter Pill To Take~~

The Hogsmeade afternoon had come and gone, though not without a few speculations as to what was going on. Severusand Remus weren't sure what to make of what had happened between Harry and James, nor did they even want to comprehend what had happened after their little 'duel' in which they had for the first time seen their 'Headmaster', let alone what had been said up until Harry and Peter had disappeared.

From the way Severus and Remus saw things though, it was blatant that even Harry's 'Father' had been surprised at what Harry had done. Already a whispered buzz of rumours had begun to float through Hogsmeade and the school about the fact that Harry had so blatantly made his intentions on being the next 'Dark Lord' all too clear. The attitudes of the Gryffindors had become quite tense, though the Slytherins were already going round with smirks on their faces as if Harry already had thronedhimself and was ruling the lands with darkness.

It wasn't until the sun had set and the stars were now making their way across the night sky that Severus and Remus had a chance to get some 'alone' time and talk over the day's events between themselves, and there was quite a bit they wanted answers for. Although neither were sure what to make of things, both of them knew something beyond their control and their understanding had happened today. They both feared that things were progressing far too quickly to be stopped, whatever it was that needed to be stopped anyways, but whatever it was Harry was at the centre of it. Getting home wasn't looking good either, and they still didn't have a clue how to go about doing that, and that worried them most of all.

The two boys sighed heavily as they now walked into their still empty dorm room, the other two boys who shared the room, Frank and Aiden, were still lingering down in the commons talking over the day's events. Remus and Severus had heard enough of the talks and speculations however, and had decided to get away from it all. None of it was making sense yet, and to keep hearing the debates and fears were only making things worse for them.

As Remus got to his side of the room, he took off his robe and necktie, tossed them into his trunk, then quickly went over and flopped down on his bed with a groan. 'This day just keeps getting odder and odder,' he muttered with a shake of his head.

Severus took off his own robe and necktie, threw it onto his own bed then went over and flopped down next to Remus, a scowl on his face. 'That would be an understatement I think. Odd doesn't even begin to cover this day,' he grumbled.

'I want to know what the hell is going on here. Forget even what we've been hearing, I can't fathom that yet, not sure if I even want to. Did you happen to get a glance at Peter earlier by chance?' Remus asked curiously whilst turning to look at Severus.

Severus turned to Remus as well then nodded, a strange look in his coal black eyes. 'I did, I wasn't sure if you noticed though, but I had a suspicion you might. I certainly hope Draco did not,' he said darkly.

Remus sighed and nodded. 'For his sake so do I, I think it would kill him to know that it had to be Harry who caused that. If he did see it though he's doing a damned good job in not saying anything, which would be unusual for him,' he said.

'I concur, it's not like that boy to kept silent about such things. I still want to know what the hell Dracomeant earlier though by what he said. He better have some good explanations for us later,' Severus said.

'That's if Lily let's him go later,' Remus said dryly.

Severus snorted. 'She's going to have to or we'll just have to kidnap the boy. Whatever is going on here he has a clue, and I want to know what it is. What happened today only proves Potter is being taken in quickly by whatever is going on here, and somehow we have to stop him from doing any more damage,' he said sighing heavily.

Remus nodded. 'Agreed, we'll have to get to Dracosomehow and have a nice long chat with him. I hope Harry knows what he's doing though, but I can't imagine he would do something as horrible as that to Peter, yet he didn't seem affected at all by it,' he frowned.

'Those slash marks on Pettigrew were fingernail marks, I'd bet my Gringott's account on it. Freshly made too by the looks of it,' he said frowning as well. 'Face facts, Remus, we don't know what Potter is or isn't capable of right now, nor what he's thinking. We don't even know if he's really in control of himself, and that is something that worries me.'

'He's certainly got a few new tricks that he didn't yesterday, give you that much. I know he's a Gryffindor heir in our world, but even James didn't have power like that, and he had his share of 'odd' powers as an heir. What bothers me is by being able to by-pass the wards on Apparationwithin Hogwarts he would have to suddenly have control over some incredibly powerful magics. Even Albus I don't think can by-pass the wards just as you please,' Remus said thoughtfully.

Severus snorted again. 'Don't underestimate Albus Dumbledore, he's also got a few tricks up his sleeve, believe me on that point. At least our Albus does, which makes me wonder now what or who he is in this world,' he mused.

'I hate to tell you this but I have every suspicion that in this world Albus is the old 'Dark Lord'. If so - ' Remus began but was cut off by Severus.

'Of course! How stupid have we been! If 'good' is 'evil' here and vice versa, then Albus would be 'evil' and - '

'Voldemort would be good?' Remus said cutting him off. 'If that's true then why haven't we heard or seen anything to that effect by now? We don't even know if there is a Voldemort in this world,' he said speculatively.

'Hmm, we've only been here a bit over a day though, it's not unlikely we wouldn't have heard anything more than we have yet. Since we got here we've been either holed up in the dorms, at breakfast or at Hogsmeade, and I doubt anyone would discuss such matters openly over tea or a butterbeer,' Severus reasoned.

'The other problem is that we can't just go round asking 'bout things we should already know, now can we, cariadau. Oh this is ridiculous, how are we supposed to find out anything if we can't ask anyone without raising suspicions?' Remus muttered.

'Simple, we will just have to do some silent observing, Remus. Somehow though we've got to get to Draco, I have no doubts that he knows something important about all of this,' Severusscowled.

Remus sighed then stretched a bit as well as yawning. 'Whatever he does know is going to have to wait for now I'd say. I'm sure Lily isn't going to let him go so quickly this time, not after he's been pointedly giving her the shy-off. If I remember correctly she dragged him off to Myrddinknows where soon as we got back, which reminds me, I wonder where Lucius went off to?' Remus asked curiously.

Severus shrugged. 'Not sure. I think after the duel I heard him say something to Lily and Draco that he had to go check up on something, and that he would meet with them tomorrow morning. Who cares though, the more I'm not in Lucius Malfoy's company the better,' he said with a petulant sniff.

'Oh now be nice, Severus. I mean in this world he doesn't seem like such a bad bloke anyways, not like the Luciusyou and I know err...knew,' Remus replied. 'Why do you think he's anything different then the jovial, carefree man we saw today?'

'I don't know, Remus, but there is something not right with him, I can feel it,' he said pensively.

'Is that your vampiric instinct kicking in, cariadau?' Remus said with a slight grin.

'No, that's my Death Eater instincts kicking in, nothing more or less,' Severus said firmly. 'There may not technically be Death Eaters in this world, but I've spent over twenty years of my life being one in our world remember. Despite our current situation and our new found 'memories', I still remember enough about being one that the instincts and feelings are still ingrained within me. That's not even the only thing either, there's something else that convinces me that things are not all they appear with the so-called Lucius of this world.'

'Oh? Wha'stha'?' Remus said whilst yawning again. 'Sorry, I feel so tired all of a sudden,' he murmured and closed his eyes for a moment.

Severus leaned up on his elbow and looked down at the man next to him, wondering again how twisted the Fates could be to have so callously yet graciously given him someone so precious. Remus did look very worn out though, and even his breathing was a bit off-sounding, which made Severus actually worry for him. 'Never mind, we can talk more on this later, cariadau. Do you want to take a rest for a bit? You do look a bit pale suddenly.'

Remus shook his head then opened his eyes again, and to Severus'ssurprise they were now an amber yellow colour rather than the normal brown flecked with gold. 'No, not really,' he replied in a strange tone of voice.

'Remus, what is it?' Severus asked in concern now.

Remus nodded then slightly turned his head to look out the window. 'She's calling me again,' he said quietly.

'The full moon is tomorrow night, I'd almost forgotten. Will you be all right you think?' Severus asked still worried.

'I'm scared if you want the truth,' Remus replied in a low voice.

'Why?'

Remus shrugged then shivered slightly, curling himself up on the bed into a fetal position. 'In our world I only transformed a few days ago, Severus, now I have to do that again tomorrow night. I've never transformed so close together like this, I'm not sure how my body...my mind even...will react to it all. I've been so used to having the potion in me now that without it...' he trailed off quietly, a shiver once again coursing through him.

'I wish there was something I could do to help you, Remus, I really do. I will be with you tomorrow night, but I can't imagine what it must be like for you every month to have to face the changes alone, to have to endure the pain of what you go through. In fact, that's why I was going to - ' he began but cut himself off and bit his lower lip, not wanting to reveal what he was about to say after all.

Remus looked up at Severus curiously however, questions in his eyes. 'What were going to do, Severus?'

Severus looked back down at Remus getting lost in those amber eyes. He didn't really want Remus to know that even back in their own world he had been thinking about him, he didn't want him to know that he had every reason to have caved in so easily to the desires for the werewolf in this world, simply because he was following his own desires from back in their world. However looking down into those trusting, curious eyes of the wolf he found it was acting like a Veritaserum Potion to him, and he couldn't help but to tell Remus the truth.

'I was in the library doing research...for you. For the WolfsbanePotion I mean, so that I could perhaps alter the potion in order to make the changes easier on you,' he said quietly.

Remus blinked a moment trying to comprehend what Severus'sintent was, then he remembered the last conversation they'd had together before all this had taken place. 'Why?' he asked.

Severus sighed though he found he couldn't turn his gaze away even if he wanted to, which he didn't really. 'Because I didn't realize how much you really suffered during that time until our talk yesterday. I went to the library wanting to help you, to make it less harsh, less painful for you during your transformations. I never really agreed with the other Potion Masters when they released the final results of the potion, even back then I knew it had flaws. Until yesterday...I thought it was at least satisfactory enough to do it's job. It shouldn't do just that though...it should do more then it does, it should make things better for you, at least I want them to be...' he said quietly.

'Why? Why would you have wanted to even try to alter it? Just because of a few words spoken between us, Severus?'Remus asked.

'No, not just the words, but...but because I know that you don't deserve what you go through every month, Remus, you never did. I'm only sorry that because of my curious natures I got side-tracked, which ended up putting us all in the mess we're in now,' he grumbled.

Remus thought on that for a moment, debating what to say. He turned and looked up at Severus who was still leaning on his elbow, and he really looked at him this time, all of him. The way he had changed without using the potion, the way his hair fell in silky strands down his shoulders, the way his skin was pale like the early morning moonlight before dawn, giving him an ethereal appearance. The way Severus smelled, a mixture of earth and blood, and the wolf inside of him couldn't help but to respond to how that made him feel. Brushing a stray lock of Severus's fringes out of his eyes he looked up at him now invigorated, the tiredness leaving him and being rapidly replaced with desire, lust and need.

'I don't think we're in such a rotten mess, cariadau,' Remus said in lust-filled, impassioned voice.

Severus stared at him for a moment, surprised by the shift in Remus's voice as well as Remus'semotions, which because of the spiritual links they shared in this world he felt all too well. However much as those emotions were now feeding on him, corrupting him, he couldn't let them overtake him at the moment, he needed to stay in control and think even if it meant denying himself. 'Remus, no...how can you say that? Look at what's going on here won't you? Potter's gotten himself in over his head, Malfoyis in the quicksand even if he doesn't know it yet, and as for us...' he said trailing off, not even sure what to say on that matter.

'Harry and Draco will handle themselves,they're bright kids, Severus. I'm more inclined to think Harry might have a better grasp of things then we've been giving him credit for actually, knowing him like I do. Stop worrying 'bout them, they'll be fine. As for us, fy fampire...personally...I see no problems at all...' Remus said in a low, husky voice, his fingertips now brushing against Severus's chin and neck.

Severus closed his eyes a moment and shivered from the feathery touches, then swallowed deeply. 'D-don't you see...we're ah...in j-just as equal...a...m-mess...here, R-Remus...' he stammered. Remus's fingers were having more of an affect on him than he thought possible, and he had to stop himself from letting the vampire take over and shag Remus on the spot. Now wasn't the time though even if it felt that way, there was still a lot to be discussed.

'What I see, Severus, is two people who have had too many years of untruths and unwarranted hatreds between them,' Remus said quietly.

'What exactly do you mean by that?' Severus asked sharply.

Remus chuckled then shook his head slowly. 'You're not the only one that has been keeping secrets all these years, Severus Snape. I also have mine,' he said coyly.

'Remus, what are you on about? What secrets?' Severusasked impatiently.

Remus looked at Severus oddly for a moment, debating if he did or didn't want to tell him what he should have long ago. Finally it seemed he reached a decision and getting up from the bed he walked over to the window. He then sat down on the ledge and looked up at the night sky contemplatively. 'It's funny really how ironic life can be, and how weary one gets of that irony.'

Severus sat up and watched Remus a moment, and though he was irritated a bit, he was also curious where this conversation was heading. 'Life tends to be that way I find all told, but why would you think that way? You have little reason to be as weary of life as I am I'd think,' he said.

Remus shook his head though he continued to look up at the stars and the almost full moon. 'You haven't a clue what my life has been like up till now, Severus, but I assure you it hasn't been all roses and buttercups.'

'Compared to mine I'm sure it has been,' Severus said gruffly.

'Everything with you is always a comparison, isn't it Severus. Life isn't always just about 'who's done worse' and 'who'sdone better' for themselves. It's about surviving in it, finding your place in it, what you've done with it, where you end up in it even. It's not always 'bout 'you' you know, you want it to be, but it isn't. You're not the only one who's been denied and rejected, hated and feared. You're not the only one who's been forced into doing things for the 'better good' when you didn't want to be,' Remus said heatedly.

'Oh really? Tell me then, how could someone like you possibly know what it's like to have a life like I have had all these years? Tell me what gives you the right to judge me?' Severussnapped.

'Because I've had it just as bad as you have, Severus, even if you don't think so. I may not have been a Death Eater, but I know pain and torture, I know loneliness and mistrust, just as much as you do. I know what it's like to wish on things and never have them come to pass...and when they finally do...it's nothing more than illusions. Even if those dreams and hopes might feel real, they aren't. They can and usually are taken away as quickly as given, and again only the emptiness remains behind,' Remus said bitterly.

Severus didn't reply on that right away, instead he thought about what Remus was saying, and something began to filter through his mind. Getting up slowly he went over to the ledge and stood behind Remus, also looking up at the night sky and the blazing still yellow moon of early evening. 'You said there's been untruths between us all these years, Remus, what did you mean? What possibly could you have had to lie about?'

Remus sighed and turned round to face Severus now, a sadness in those amber eyes. 'I used to sit on this sill back then and wait on the falling stars, you know? Wishing that one day that somehow my dreams would be fulfilled. That the person I loved...my lifemate...would come to me and wrap his arms round me, telling me he loved me and would always be there for me. I had to eventually realize that that's all they were though...nothing but ill-fated dreams. I knew that my lifemate would never want me because of what I am, and I'd be a right fool now to still think otherwise, now it's too late,' he said quietly.

'Black was the fool, not you. He didn't know what he was doing when he gave you up back then,' Severus said, a strange hitch in his voice.

Remus shook his head and turned back to look out the window, his shoulders slumped. 'That's just the problem, Severus...it was never Sirius who was the fool,' he said softly.

Severus blinked not quite comprehending just yet what Remus meant. 'He hurt you...why couldn't you see how much he was hurting you? I wanted to crush him, make him pay for that...if I had known he would break your heart the way he did...' he said.

Remus softly chuckled now, hugging his arms to his chest. 'You still don't get it do you, Severus,' he said now turning back to face the other boy, 'Sirius didn't hurt me in that way, I told you what we had wasn't anything more than an act. He wanted people to think we were sleeping together, that we had a 'relationship', but we never did. I played along for a while because I liked the attention, and I didn't know what he really wanted to do at the time, that he was only using me. When I did find out yes, I was hurt, but not because of him...but because of what he did.'

'By breaking your heart you mean,' Severus said with a touch of anger in his voice.

Remus shook his head. 'No, Severus, you're still not listening to me. Sirius did not break my heart because I loved him. He hurt me because...because...' he said trailing off and dropping his gaze now towards the floor.

'Because?' Severus asked, then before he could stop himself he reached out and took Remus's chin in his hand, bringing his gaze back up to meet his eyes. 'What are you trying to tell me, Remus?'

'I'm surprised you never figured it out, Severus, for all the intelligence you claim to have. You weren't the only one who was watching back then you know, I was too,' Remus said with a slight smirk.

Finally things began to actually dawn on him, and the memories he'd buried long ago from their past started to resurface, mixing old with new memories. He had to struggle to filter out this world from their ownworld, but now some things that had always bothered him began to make sense. 'You were watching me too,' he said slowly.

Remus nodded slightly. 'Yeah, I was, since first-year actually, though now I understand why. I may not have known you for what you were, but somehow the monster in me must have suspected something was different, so I watched,' he said.

'You are not a monster, Remus,' Severus said sharply.

Remus snorted. 'I think you must be confusing your worlds up then, Severus. In our world I was never anything but a monster to you, if I remember correctly.'

'it was easier that way, easier to hate then...then to think otherwise back home. You still haven't answered my question, Remus. If Black wasn't the one who broke your heart...who did?' he asked, gazing deeply and intensely into Remus's eyes.

Remus looked back at Severus and with a heavy sigh said quietly, 'You did...'

Severus blinked again several times, then found himself stepping back away from Remus quickly. 'M-me? Why...how...I...I don't understand,' he said confused.

Remus turned back and looked out the window, again crossing his arms protectively across his chest. 'I'd been sitting on this very ledge back in our world when Sirius found out 'bout how I felt towards you. I had thought he was sleeping when I got up and came over, but he wasn't, he was very much awake. I had a picture of you that I'd had taken in secret and was looking at it, waiting on my falling star so that I could yet again make my wishes, and Sirius heard me saying your name. The next night was the Yule Ball and that's when he got me drunk...and in his bed. I was so angry with him, I wanted to murder him, I swear I almost did, but he told me that he'd help me get you, he had just wanted to see if it was 'worth the efforts' was all,' he muttered.

'Then...then why did Black come to my bed? Why?' Severusdemanded.

'I didn't know he was going to do that, believe me. Sirius was a walking hormone back then, shagged anyone that he could get his hands on. You made it all too easy as well once you began seducing him. I suppose that in the end he completely forgot 'bout the fact that it was me who was in love with you. My heart was broken though the day I found out just how much of a 'friend' he was...he'd used me to get to you, he never wanted to 'help' me, only keep me away from you. He told me that you weren't worth my time, that you were a 'good shag' but nothing more. What really clinched though, what really shattered my heart back then was that he told me that you didn't think much of me, that you hated me even. When I heard those words...I believed him...Severus...' Remus said heavily.

'So yet again I was the cause of ruining a life,' Severussaid quietly.

Remus shook his head sadly. 'There wasn't much left to ruin, Severus, only dreams that were already shattered, nothing more. I was a foolish child for even having them,' he said.

'Does the adult still think it's foolish to believe in dreams?' Severus asked questioningly.

Remus snorted. 'Considering I'm not an 'adult' at the moment, I don't know,' he said curtly.

'Don't get cheeky with me, Remus, answer the question,' Severusreplied with some annoyance.

'Very well, Severus, you want to know what the adult thinks...I'll tell you,' Remus said turning back round to face Severus. 'The adult has lived over twenty years in a life that has been filled with only sadness, loneliness, and bitterness. Years ago the adult Remus Lupin stopped looking up at the stars and waiting for them to fall in order to make wishes on dreams that he knew would never come true. Someone once told the child that it does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live, and the adult took that at face value, even if it meant living in the emptiness, at least there were no more dreams.'

'If the adult still had a chance to wish on those stars though, Remus...what would he wish for?' Severus asked quietly.

Remus shook his head. 'I'm not sure...but maybe...he'd wish for those days from long ago. Before the hurt, before the dreams died, when the child would sit here and hold that picture of you in his hands...pretending that it was your arms round him holding him tightly, pretending that you loved him in return,' Remus said quietly then looked back at Severus again with a sad look in his eyes. 'What we've shared the last day or so here has been wonderful, Severus, but it's not real, it's not us. It's nothing more than illusions and false dreams, and I don't know if...'

'If?' Severus asked.

Remus sighed then turned to look up at the moon, it's now paling yellow reflected in the yellow of his eyes. 'If I want to have my heart broken again, Severus. If when we do go home we find this is nothing more than a lark...a twisted dream...and that when we wake up you'll be hating me again like before. I don't think I can do that again, I know I can't survive it this time. No more than I think I will survive tomorrow night's transformation...'

'You will survive it, you have to,' Severus said firmly, though a part of him was scared now. The tone of Remus'swearied voice was saying far more than he wanted it to.

'Why should I? Just so I can come back and face more illusions, Severus? What's the point in that?' Remus said bitterly now.

Severus closed his eyes and drew in a sharp breath, exhaling slowly. Turning Remus back round to face him again he peered deep into Remus's eyes, saw the sadness, the lost dreams and hopes of youth, and he couldn't help himself and he leaned over and gently brushed his lips across Remus's a moment before pulling back slightly. 'I never hated you, Remus, never. I wanted to break Black, make him pay for all the times I thought he was hurting you by his cheating ways. I wanted you to see him for what he was, I wanted you to hate him, but I never wanted to hurt you in the process. You are a fool in once thing though, Remus...' he said softly.

'Oh? In what?' Remus asked puzzled now by Severus's words and the kiss.

'I'm surprised you haven't already figured this one out, Professor,' Severus said with a slight coy smirk now. 'Think about where we are right now. We're in a world that is bringing forth not illusions, Remus, but who we really are. What we really feel, what we really want from our lives. Now do you understand?' he asked slowly.

Remus stared at him letting that information filter through him, then looking back at Severus he nodded, a new light filling his amber eyes. 'You...this is really what you always wanted too?' he asked a bit hesitantly.

Severus smiled softly, thennodded his head. 'In my mind and in my heart it wasn't Black that was in my bed back then...it was you. It was your hands on me, your lips on mine, you that was inside of me. You weren't the only one Black lied to, he told me you hated me too, because you see...he knew I wanted you too.'

'W-What? What do you meant?' Remus asked puzzled.

'I think it was the second time he came to my bed that he found out the truth, or part of it. I...err...well I mistakenly called out your name after I ah...well you know after things, and Black confronted me of course. I brushed it off best I could, but I pretty much knew he didn't believe me. Now that I know how you felt about me however, it explains certain things I didn't understand at the time,' Severus muttered.

'Like what?' Remus asked curiously.

'For starters, how Black was insistent on cornering me at times he knew you would be coming along to see us together, and then knowing that you'd seen us he'd walk away soon as you'd leave without so much as a word. Not to mention that he became less and less subtle about the fact that you hated me, that you thought I was nothing but a 'greasy, oily haired Slytherin git who wasn't worth the time and efforts'. I still didn't stop loving you though, I couldn't even if I wanted to, I needed you much as the vampire needs the blood. Even though I thought you hated me, I just couldn't hate you,' Severus said.

'Well now, those words sound very familiar don't they,' Remus said dryly. 'That's Sirius all over, that manipulative, sneaky, underhanded bastard of a dog. He played us both off, causing us to hate each other when there was no reason for it. He's the one who ruined our lives if anything, causing me to lose my home, my job, hell my whole damned life,' Remus said angrily.

'Oh, Remus, I'm so sorry about that, I wish I hadn't done it now. I sent you away that time because to be so close to you, to have you within arms reach and not be able to have you in bed, it was too much for me. I had to fight the vampire in order to keep myself from claiming you, from taking you even though I thought you'd never give me your consent. I couldn't though, I could never do that to you...so I hurt you instead, showed hate instead of love, and drove you far enough away so that I could go back to my own dreams, without the threat of your presence making them all too real,' he said dejectedly.

'Oh, Severus, we've both been so stupid haven't we. So much time we've wasted apart when we could have been together, so much pain and loneliness we've caused ourselves...' Remus said in a choked voice.

Severus sighed slightly and then nodded. 'How very true that is, more than I want to admit or want even think about right now. Instead, all I want to do right now is to play 'catch up' with you, Remus Joseph Lupin. In body, mind and soul I belong to you, even though for the moment it's only in this world, should we ever go home I...I want to make it permanent there too. I don't want to lose you again, Remus, I can't. I think we've both had enough of being lonely and afraid, don't you?' he said hesitantly.

'You...you mean that?' Remus said astonished now.

'I'll tell you just how much I mean that when we do get home, but for now...I'll just have to show you,' Severus said with a coy grin, and then he reached over and pulled Remus into his arms. 'You don't have to wish on any stars here, cariadau, that much I can tell you,' he whispered seductively, then he leaned in and captured Remus's lips with his own, lust, passion and need filling his body and thoughts.

However their bliss wasn't going to last long, for before they could even get to Remus's bed a very agitated Dracodashed into the room in a huff. Skidding to a halt in front of them a blush crept up Draco's face as he saw them still snogging,and he coughed slightly in embarrassment. 'Err...yeah well...umm...I'm sorry to interrupt you two lovebirds, but ahh...' Draco began though it was clear he was hedging on what he had to say.

'Draco? What is it, what's wrong?' Remus asked now, though still a bit out of breath from the heated kisses, he could see there was definitely something important Draco had to say from the way he looked.

'Well ahh...you see we have to umm...that is the Transfiguration professor wants to see us,' Dracosaid hesitantly.

'Oh really. And what is it that is so important that can't apparently wait till Monday when classes begin again, Mr. Malfoy?' Severus said with a scowl, clearly unhappy at being interrupted.

Draco shot Severus a glare then muttered something under his breath. 'Sorry to break off your little lovefest here, Professor, but there is something important and no, it can't wait till Monday,' he said heatedly, then turned to Remus. 'Anyways, a message was just delivered to me by owl from ahh...someone who I can't say exactly and we - '

'Malfoy stop playing these damned games with us. Who sent you a message and what is this about? What are you hiding from us?' Severus demanded cutting him off.

Draco looked at Severusangrily a moment debating what to say, though he seemed to reach a conclusion quickly enough. 'Look I don't have time to tell you everything, you'll just have to come with me,' he said firmly.

'Not until you tell us why,' Severus said standing his own ground.

'Oh bloody hell, you are an impossible git, Severus Snape!' Draco muttered.

'Thank you for that assessment, Mr. Malfoy. Now tell us what's going on or we aren't going anywhere with you,' Severusscowled.

'I'll be waiting in the commons by the portrait, I suggest you be there if you want to know what's going on. Professor Riddle will explain everything to you when we get there,' Dracosaid heading out the door now before either Severusor Remus could say anything else.

Not that they could have however, for both of them were too stunned at what Draco had just said to even move yet. Finally Remus broke the silence and said in a strange voice, 'Did...did he just say...what I think he said?'

'The part about explaining things or the part about a 'Professor Riddle'?' Severus asked.

Remus rolled his eyes and smacked him on the arm. 'Don't be a prat, Sev, this isn't funny. He did say 'Riddle' didn't he?'

'Hmm...well, I think that answers our question from earlier, Remus. I say we go,' Severus said.

'I don't think we really have a choice, do you?' Remus replied with a light chuckle. 'This day just went from odd to downright surreal I think.'

'Somehow, Remus, I get the feeling the day is far from even over yet,' Severus said quietly. Together the two of them headed out of the room to the commons, both of them hoping that before the night was through they'd have some of the answers they needed so desperately. Not to mention that maybe this 'Professor Riddle' could provide some clues as to how they could get home, because he very well might be their only hope in getting there.

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October 30, 2002 9:39 PM ©Piriotessa/Piri Lupin-Snape/Piri Malfoy