Blood Lines

Twilight was fast approaching and, as he cautiously made his way to the prearranged meeting place, he sniffed the air for hidden dangers.

In his dog form the dim light was not a problem; dogs see better in low light, but they're colour-blind and he had to deal with that. Sirius gave a mental shrug and continued on.

Pausing just outside of the clearing, he scanned the area. To his dog's eyes the small glade was empty, but his nose told him differently. 'Citrus? It smells like someone's eating an orange. But if they're eating an orange why don't I smell them too?'

The scent of the fruit was vibrant and hung heavily in the clean air, but he could not find the scent of the person. Cautious after so much time on the run, he decided to circle the area and find the point at which he, she, or they had entered. After completing his circuit and finding not a trace, Sirius decided that the orange must have been left behind by someone passing by before it had started to rain. Sliding easily from canine to Human, he entered the clearing and approached the well.

The well itself had been abandoned for so long that the forest had begun to reclaim the ground men had forgotten that they had once cleared. The four low stone walls that made up the visible portion of the shaft were covered with clinging ivy, moss, and the rotting peaked roof that had shaded them for years.

A twig broke in the forest off to his left and Black instantly resumed the appearance of a large, entirely black Rottweiler. Muscles tensed, ready for flight, he sniffed the air again. The orange was overpoweringly strong and he realised his mistake a moment too late. 'I went all the way around the clearing without checking the clearing itself.' He nearly leapt from his skin when a voice whispered to him from the other side of the well,

"It's a Succubus. You attracted its attention when you popped into Human existence."

The silken voice that floated on an orange scented breath caused a shiver to run down Sirius' spine. It was so cold and detached, that it could belong to no one but, 'Snape? What is he doing eating an orange? I thought he only drank blood or acid or, something like that.'

Slowly he walked around to the opposite side of the well and saw a rather disturbing sight. Snape sat on a large rock that had fallen from the side of the well. He had a pealed orange in one hand and was pulling off sections and eating them with his eyes closed. His black robe and large cape pooled around him like a giant ink spill. It was disturbing Sirius decided, because Snape looked so casual without shedding a bit of the darkness that clung to him.

"I think the only way you could make more noise walking through the woods would be if some one tied a-" there was a rustle in the forest behind them. "It's the Succubus," he didn't seem to care and continued to eat his fruit.

A rather thrilling idea made its presence know in his head, 'If that is a Succubus, and I am immune to its trick, it will have to take the shape of the person that Snape cares about most!' A rather delighted chuckle echoed through his mind at the thought, 'James would have loved to be here for this one,' before his ears could droop he cheered slightly. 'At least I can tell Remus and Harry.'

Having finished about half of his orange, Severus stood and began to slowly walk toward the creature that was emerging from the bushes.

Snape approached the monster, stopping midway between it and Black, and ate another section of orange. He nodded at the undisguised horror, "Absolute proof," he spit a seed to the side, "that I'm a heartless bastard." There was a wistful almost regretful edge to his voice.

A look of confusion crossed the almost-Human face of the monster before it turned and went back into the forest.

"Come on," Snape abruptly walked to a thin point in the bushy circle and began to head north. "I have to get back before six-o'clock."

~

They had travelled a long enough distance from the clearing that Sirius had felt safe returning to Human form. In the moment it took for him to change shape though, Snape had gained quiet a bit of ground and Sirius had been forced to scramble to catch up.

"I thought they only came out at night," Sirius broached the subject that had been filling his mind for the past few kilometres.

"They usually do, but because of the dark sky and recent rarity of Human flesh," he emphasised the last two words with a glance back at Sirius, "some of the inhabitants of this wood have decided to come out early."

Sirius heard and ignored the sound of another hole being torn in his robes. "Is there some particular reason why we have to go at a break neck pace or did you find running through those thorn bushes especially pleasant?"

No response.

"Come on Sna--"

He whirled around so fast that he was in Black's face before the startled man could finish.

"Not another word,' he rasped. 'You make better time as a dog, and unless you're interested in finding your way out alone I suggest that you go back to your Animagus form now." Spinning sharply he faced the way they had been going and continued on.

It was obviously not just a threat. Even when they had been in school everyone had known that the skinny dark-haired boy never made threats. Every once in a while, though, some one who had pushed him too far would turn up in the medical wing.

Dropping to all fours he found it was much easier to push through the brush and keep even with his guide, until they reached a large round iron grate set into the side of a hill. When Snape stopped and stared at the chain that held the grate closed, Black shifted form again.

"Just be quiet," was all Snape said while continuing to stare at the chain.

Stepping to the side to get a better look, Black saw what was holding them up, "It's a padlock," he offered, "Muggles use them to-"

"I know what it is. Now shut up. I need to concentrate."

Sirius wisely chose to step back and let Snape think. Obviously now was not the time to share odd bits of Muggle culture that he had picked up during his exile.

After a few minutes of silence Snape raised his left hand toward the lock.

With a slight sense of resignation he focused his will on the rusted lock that barred their way.

In one smooth motion, Snape removed the lock and chain from the grate and flung them into the forest.

The grate was opened and the tunnel beyond was large enough that Sirius could have walked it in a crouch. He chose to slip into dog mode, though, to save himself a backache.

Keeping one hand on the tunnel wall to steady himself, Snape led the way into the hill. The tunnel was long. The tunnel was dark. And the tunnel apparently led nowhere. After twists and turns, side passages and secret passages, and all of the nasty little spiders and rats and things that like cool dark places, Sirius was panting. Even in canine form he had been forced to nearly run in order to keep up with Snape.

Unable to see Snape in the utter blackness or even hear his footsteps (his claws raked against the tunnel floor drowning out any sound that might have been made by the figure before him), Sirius found himself following the slight citrus fragrance that still clung to his guide.

Gradually the oblivion they had been traversing began to fall away. There was a faint light ahead and when they finally reached its source Black was again thunder-struck. Snape had stopped at the end of the tunnel and just beyond it was-

Swiftly removing two lengths of narrow rope from a pocket, Severus whispered, "You're going to need to shift back to climb." Without waiting for Black to comply, he tossed one of the pieces of rope back at him and began to unfasten the front of his robe.

The dim light that seemed to be coming from above was not enough to enable him to clearly see what Snape was doing. Sirius got the impression, though, that he was using the rope as a belt and had tied it to keep his robe open and away from his feet.

"Follow my lead. Don't say anything, and start with your right foot," Severus advised before swinging out of the tunnel taking a sharp right.

When Sirius had tied his robe back and stepped forward to the end of the tunnel, he saw that it was intersected vertically by a nearly identical shaft that had a pale light at the top and seemingly no bottom. Leaning out to the right where Snape had disappeared, he saw a ladder that had been imbedded into the wall. Several of the rungs had fallen away and it looked as though starting on a particular foot might be the only way to make it to the top.

Gingerly, he grasped the far side of the ladder with his left hand. With his back to the abyss, he slowly placed his left foot on the rung at just about knee height above the floor of the tunnel.

A tiny splash echoed back after a long moment.

Very carefully, and rather awkwardly, he crossed his right leg in front of his left and managed to find a small post that only his right foot could have settled on. After that, the climb went smoothly. Snape could be seen far above and silhouetted in the circle of light that shone down.

Snape waited impatiently for Black to reach the top. When he finally emerged, his expression drew a small smile from the annoyed professor.

"This is not the same well we left hours ago, please, tell me its not," he gasped.

"That one was square, this one is round. It is nearly five-forty-five and we still need to break into the school grounds." He could not force the customary chill in his voice that should have been there. Hastily he untied his rope belt, refastened his robe, and set off again before Black could comment.

~

They walked the deserted halls of Hogwarts (it was dinnertime) and, silent as shadows, crept into the dungeon. Still leading the way, Snape stopped in the middle of a hall and indicated the wall on his left. "That's Lupin's door," taking a few steps further he turned and flicked his wrist at the wall on his right. "Yours is here. The password is... " he cringed slightly but forced himself to continue, "Honey-twist." Snape glared sharply at Black's poorly disguised mirth. "The Headmaster chose it. I suggest that you familiarise yourself with your rooms some other time. I need you to watch Lupin while I'm gone."

With nothing to leave in his new digs and no clean robe to change into, Sirius gave a nod of understanding and waited for Snape to lead him to Remus. 'It is probably still not a good idea to talk, but once he's gone, where ever he's going to, I'll be able to ask Remus if he thinks Snape's finally lost his mind. It's a very real possibility considering the way he's been acting.'

"You should leave your wand here."

'What on Earth for?' 'I knew it! He's a nutter.'

With a frustrated sigh, Severus explained, "My private lab is where I have been working with Lupin. I keep it as magic-free as possible so that the equipment that I have managed to acquire is not damaged. Now put your wand in there," he jerked a thumb at the hidden door, "alone. Or keep it company I don't care which, but it is not coming within two hundred paces of my lab." He moved past Black and swiftly made his way to what seemed to be just a small alcove down the hall from his classroom. With the hour biting at his heels, he did not wait to see if Black would follow or not. Again raising his left hand, he focused for a moment and... slowly a door came into being at the back of the nook and swung outward.

Sirius quickly spat the password and placed his wand on a small end table that was conveniently near the door. Not taking the time to notice that his living room had been fully furnished for him, or that a cheerful fire was burning in the fireplace, he raced after Snape.

Just making it through the closing door in the alcove, Sirius found himself, once again, in a pitch-black passage. This one, however, was not a nice smooth tunnel, it was a narrow steeply angled, spiral staircase that had nothing but a long fall on the inside curve and a rather slick curved stone wall on the outer edge. That was all he glimpsed before the door shut and disappeared. That and the edge of Snape's cloak as it flared behind him.

The door to the lab swung open and Sirius caught his breath at the wave of cold that rushed out to meet them. 'You work in a giant refrigerator?' he almost joked then, but remembered that it was Snape, decided to just snicker to himself. 'Snape surrounded by leftovers! Gotta tell Remus about that one when I get the chance.'

Walking in and setting his cloak back on the stool it had been on, Snape started tinkering with the insides of a beige colored metal box on one of the tables.

Without looking at the sleeping form tightly clutching a robe that had been improvised into a blanket, Snape began reciting a list that had been originally invented for Lupin. "Everything here is mine. Do not touch my things. You may sit on that," he pointed to a stool to the left of the slab, "and you may move it anywhere you like. So long as it stays where it is."

"So you just left Remus here to freeze?!" righteous indignation flared in his Gryffindor heart.

'"He is a Werewolf. An hour in a cold room is not nearly enough to kill him. I will be leaving just after sunset and you may do anything you like from that time, until I return." A malicious gleam entered his eye. He quickly amended, "Provided you do it silently and remain seated."

Black rolled his eyes but sat as instructed. Looking around the room he was awed. Due to a rather strong partiality for Muggle movies and television, he was able to recognise several of the apparatus, "Is that an electronic I.V. pump?" he gaped, "How do you get all of these Muggle electronics to work down here?"

"I don't. Well not in the case of the pump anyway."

Sirius was now looking at the table on which Remus lay, "What's with the restraints?" he eyed the thick leather straps with suspicion.

"I'm into bondage."

The simple answer, without any sneering addition or insulting comment, drew Sirius' startled attention. He looked up in time to see Snape tuck a small phial into the shirt he wore under his robe. Sirius thought his jaw might have dislocated from dropping so fast, he could only stutter a few whu-whu sounds. Then something that he had never dreamed possible happened. Snape quietly laughed. It was obviously at his expense, but it was a laugh nonetheless.

"What happened to you?" Lupin's voice was rough with sleep and, as he sat up, his glance moved from Sirius' scratched face to the wall clock, "It's six o'clock."

"So?" Not willing to accept that Snape had just got him good, Sirius shifted slightly to see the clock over his shoulder. He winced when the fabric of his robe brushed at a scratch on his neck, one of the thorn bushes had practically mauled him, "That reminds me," he glanced at Snape then returned to Lupin. "Remus, what would it indicate if a Succubus did not respond to a person?"

"I don't know," he yawned, "I thought you got over that stupid riddle phase when you were twelve."

"I thought you liked my riddles." There was a slight pout in his voice.

"Yah, like I liked a pop-quiz."

"Well this isn't a riddle," Sirius huffed.

"Fine. Uhhhm," Lupin closed his eyes in mock concentration, "If one of them is dead?"

"Come on."

"Why?!"

"Because Snape and I met in a clearing. A Succubus came up, just looked through him and left. So, oh Professor of the Defence Against the Dark Arts, what does that mean?"

"That he is a heartless git who doesn't know love. But we knew that back in school." Remus started to lay back down. The sun was slowly setting and he could feel it.

"Who was she?" Black turned and demanded of Snape.

"Who?" Lupin asked, not following the wild line of thought that his friend had run down.

Without looking away from Snape, he indirectly answered, "She must have been something special, to kill whatever heart you had. Did she die or just leave you?"

"Sirius!" Lupin cried in scandalized shock, "I can't believe you're saying-- That is disgusting- to suggest that a live woman would have him!"

A long silence followed.

"This is not a conversation that I will entertain," with a great deal of effort he kept his voice under control and finished the adjustments to the machine he was working on.

Lupin found his voice first and innocently asked, "Okay, who was he then?"

With a low growl Severus stood and grabbed his cloak, "Not even if you strapped me down and forced me to swallow Veritaserum, would I have this conversation with you." He checked the fluid bag attached to Lupin's I.V. and paused halfway out the door, "I will be back within the half hour." He then closed the door and headed back to his bed to sleep off the Plasti-juice.

In the midst of the growing darkness, the sun cut a last piercing swath through the clouds in his mind and Remus sat up quickly turning to face Sirius, "Do you think he could really beat the serum? I mean that's what he said, right?"

"I don't know," Black kept his voice low, "He opened a padlock without a key or his wand or anything, and well, you remember what they used to say about him," he shrugged uncomfortably, "Maybe he could."

~

Half an hour later, Snape slowly pried his eyes open and began to pull himself to his feet, 'Gotta get more sleep soon. Maybe I should try the Dreamless-sleep potion, or the Deep-sleep potion.'

*If you took enough of either one it wouldn't mater... *

Still rather foggy, when he reached the lab it took a few seconds to remember what the extra body was doing there. "It's almost sunset," he announced staring for a moment at Black before snapping on a pair of rubber gloves.

"Ya think?" Lupin faked surprise.

Sirius watched silently as Snape injected a clear liquid into Lupin's I.V.

"It's a mild sedative," he didn't have to look up to know that Black was watching his every move. "I need to strap you down now," Severus addressed Lupin, who was not looking very well all of a sudden, "You won't be able to hold still enough for the EKG. I don't have the battery power to run the test twice."

Closing his eyes, Lupin lay back and once again trusted himself to Snape's theoretical mercy.

"It's ok Lupin," Snape sounded almost reassuring, which of course only worried him all the more. As the straps were cinched down on his ankles and thighs, Severus whispered low enough that Black could not hear, "You were right and I know it. It's ok, really."

"Right, about what?" Remus cautiously opened his eyes.

Carefully tightening the strap across Lupin's chest, Snape did not answer. Instead he frowned slightly and closely watched the rise and fall of the Werewolf's bare chest.

"What ar--"

"Sh." Snape cut him off.

Becoming increasingly nervous under the Potions Master's gaze, Lupin began to strain against the strap across his chest, taking sharp breaths of air. When he felt Snape's cool, finely boned hand spread over his heart Lupin struggled harder, "Loosen the strap- I can't breathe!"

"No."

Sirius could not hear the word as it left Snape's mouth, but he could read it on his lips. "What is going on?" he was becoming rather worried now too.

Swiftly closing the valve on Lupin's I.V. Severus reached for one of the wickedly long needles on the tray beside him. "He is having an allergic reaction," he plunged the needle straight into Lupin's heart and released the drug it contained. Pulling the needle out he flung it to the other side of the room with a snarl and slapped Lupin's face as his eyes rolled back. "I need you to stay awake." Neither his tone nor his touch were gentle. He got the desired result anyway.

"Can't... breathe..." Lupin gasped.

"The drug will keep your heart beating, but I can't do anything about your lungs," he knew it was not a comforting thing to hear, but time was slipping by, "Once you shift to your wolf form the allergic reaction should end." At Black's disbelieving look, which he saw from the edge of his vision, he sighed, "There are very few drugs that affect people and animals in precisely the same way. The amount of sedative that I used could not possibly affect a Werewolf. I hope," he added under his breath.

"Well what are you going to do now?!" Sirius was nearly beside himself with impotent rage. Unable to help his dying friend and wanting to seriously throttle the only one that could, he nervously bit his lip and drew blood.

"Oh great," Severus hurriedly found a gauze pad and handed it to Black. "You just had to bring the scent of fresh Human blood into this didn't you." Jabbing a finger in the direction of a bio-hazard-red trash bag, he spoke harshly, "I can't do anything until he stops breathing. Then, I think I can keep him alive until he shifts."

They watched as Lupin strained harder and received less for his efforts with each passing minute.

He stepped forward as Lupin opened his mouth and gaped like a fish. No air filled his lungs and only his heart moved in his chest, "I'm truly sorry for this," Severus whispered. Looking into Lupin's fearful eyes, he leaned in closer, "I don't have the right equipment to do anything else."

Re-injecting the chemical blocker into the struggling heart every five minutes, for nearly half an hour he breathed life into Lupin. Now Snape was seeing black spots, and feeling dizzy. As the sun and moon traded places on the throne of the sky, he released the bonds that held Lupin down.

"Holy Merlin! Are you crazy?!" Not having a death wish of his own, Sirius changed to his Animagus form.

"As a dog you are safe," he continued to undo the straps, "and if I leave him tied, as he shifts he will be fatally injured." Deftly he slid a muzzle onto the emerging werewolf's snout, "I have been commanded to search for a cure for him. I don't think death is what the Headmaster had in mind."

Yawning slightly, Snape took up his cloak again, "I will be back shortly after midnight. I still need those samples, and I think he should rest a bit after all of that, er- trauma." He exited without the exhausted Werewolf noticing.

Sirius lay down on the stone floor and prepared for a long boring wait.

~

With sureness borne of familiarity, the cloaked figure swiftly made his way to the proper door, and silently let himself in without knocking. Closing the door he turned to scan the dimly lit examination room/research lab. Keen eyes pierced the darkest shadows searching for the room's rightful occupant.

Strong arms came up from behind him, encircling his waist and pulling him tight against a cool, well-muscled chest.

Arching his back and tilting his head so that his hair fell away, he bared his neck, "Take me now," he managed to purr.

A soft laugh sent puffs of cool air against his skin, as the invitation to nuzzle his neck was playfully accepted.

"I have not bitten anyone for nearly half a millennium," the gently accented voice caressed his ear. "But I would go back on all of that now, if you really meant it," Starch breathed the question across the warm temple before him, "Do you?"

For a nine hundred-year-old Vamp, Starch was remarkably healthy emotionally. He looked as though he must have been in his mid twenties when he had crossed over as they put it. His accent had definitely become English over the centuries. But when he was really engrossed with or excited by something, a slight hint of Greek would creep back into his words. Clear grey eyes spoke of a kind but troubled heart. It was his hair though, that set him apart. A rather eighties style, uneven thatch of white hair interspersed with grey spots.

"No," murmured the warmer of the two, dropping the pseudo-seductive behaviour. Turning around so that he could return the embrace, his voice was slightly muffled by a supportive shoulder, "Why do I do this?"

"You need unconditional acceptance. I provide that for you," Starch spoke softly and stroked the head that was burying itself into his shoulder.

"Why?"

The sincere confusion that he heard tore at his still heart. "Are you sure you want to hear the truth? I have no idea how or why they did what they did. But I do know what they did, did to you." He waited, but there was no response.

"That night, my clan turned against me," Starch stepped back and forced his friend to face him. "They sought to end my quest for mortality and tied me with silver chains to a memorial cross in the graveyard. The silver burnt my flesh and sapped my strength, leaving me helpless to the coming dawn. You released me. You drug me to the safety of a dark crypt. You poured out your own blood to give me the strength to survive," his voice, normally calm and soothing, was charged with emotion, "When I drank your blood I tasted your inner being. I know what has been done to you. Are you sure that you want to know?"

After several precious minutes had gone by he felt a slight nod and continued. "Everyone needs love." He decided to try starting with a basic truth, one that every child knows instinctively. One that his friend had no grasp of, "You are not whole, you require someone else. I offer a hug and emotional support. You understand manipulation and falsity but not friendship. So you try to relate to me in a way you do understand, something safe."

"My Master..."

Taking the face before him between his hands, Starch silently begged for the right words, "He sees you but dimly, and even then his sight is clouded by his own desires." 'Please, I have tried so hard and for so long. And he still can't even understand the difference between love, lust and a strategic alliance.' "'I have drunk of your blood, your essence. I have tasted of your inner being. I have accepted all of you."

After a few more minutes, minutes that they both knew could not be spared; the intruder began to pull away. "It's almost eleven-thirty, I should go now. I know that you have an appointment in an hour." He could not look into the eyes that tried to offer a comfort he could neither accept nor comprehend. He had been told the truth though, and that he could understand. "'Just make sure that the results get to the right man."

As swiftly and silently as he had come, he departed, and the vampire was left to await his first scheduled patient of the night.

~

"Ah, Snape how nice to see that you remain as punctual as ever. Even with the new trouble you seem to have found," the slight jab was softened by a friendly smile.

"Did you manage to get the records?" Snape ignored the baiting.

"You know I would not be in this business if I could not steal a simple patient's record from Saint Mungo's," Starch scoffed at Snape's apparent lack of faith.

Snape arched a coal black brow, "Technically you're not in business."

Matching his friend's smirk, Starch handed him a set of hospital pyjamas, "Lets see if I can't manage a better job than Doctor Merkowitz, hmm?"