InsaneJournal

                There were very few times the potions master actually got so nervous he broke out into a sweat, but this was one of those times.

 

                "Rabastan, don't be so ridiculous," said Lucius. "The fact that he can create a Patronus does not indicate his loyalty! Maybe your magic is just severely lacking. I could teach you, if you want." He twirled his wand a bit. "I taught Severus, after all."

 

                "Let me see it, then," said Rabastan. Lucius formed his Patronus, and it worked even better than last Snape had seen. Lucius must have been practicing. He felt oddly touched. "One more point, though," said Rabastan.

 

                "What?" Snape's lip curled.

 

                "Why did you let me blackmail you if you weren't guilty?"

 

                "What if the Dark Lord believed your lies? I am in enough suspicion as it is, thank you!"

 

                Rabastan just smirked. "Okay. We'll go with that."

 

                Snape felt his organs turn to mush and slide out his kneecaps. Did that hellion think he liked it? He did. He thought he liked it. Snape gripped his wand where it sat in his pocket and shook with the effort of not using it.

 

                "Good day, Rabastan," said Lucius with a nod, dismissing him. Rabastan left with that same, cold smirk.

 

                Snape spat on the ground, watching the spot Rabastan had just Apparated from. "Someday, I am going to poison him."

 

                "Make it something graphic, Severus. I'll come and watch. I'd even cover for you." He grinned at him.

 

                "You know, Lucius? Sometimes I think we're the only sane Slytherins."

 

                "And Narcissa and Regulus, of course."

 

                Snape made a non-committal sound.

 

                "Why, what's wrong with them?"

 

                "Black blood," he said.

 

                Lucius thought back to all the members of the Black family that he had ever known. "Very good point, Severus, very good point."

 

 

 

                It was most decidedly no longer a full moon week, but Severus let himself in anyway. He sat quietly at Lupin's kitchen table until the man returned to his home.

 

                "Er . . . ." said Remus, staring at him.

 

                Snape got to his feet. "It worked, I think."

 

                "Oh. Oh, that's . . . that's wonderful," Remus said slowly, stepping forward toward him.

 

                "Look," he said slowly, clearly, "I feel indebted to you now, and I'd prefer not to be."

 

                Snape flinched as Remus's hand touched his arm in a gesture of comfort. "Just take care of yourself, is all."

 

                Snape nodded softly.

 

                "Stay for a cup of tea and a biscuit, then," said Remus, motioning for Snape to sit down. Snape, for once, had no argument against it, and somehow a bond was formed that day.

 

               

 

                Remus didn't wait for the full moon. He made a visit for Severus's place a few days after they'd had tea together. He waited a bit in order to not seem so desperate for the company, even if he rather was. There was no one in the house, so he sat in Severus's kitchen just as the man had sat in his. "I hope you don't mind me dropping by," said Remus softly as Severus's eyes widened.

 

                "Er."

 

                "Never heard you at a loss of intelligent words before, Severus," Remus smiled, waving his wand at the chair across from him. It pulled itself out for Snape to sit in, if he so chose. He did so choose.

 

                "Yes, well."

 

                "Don't entertain visitors much? Well, except . . . ."

 

                Severus sucked in a breath and glared furiously at him. "You are not to speak of it."

 

                "Alright, alright," said Remus, placating him. "Just answer me one thing: How are you holding up?"

 

                "I'm fine."

 

                "Truly?" Remus shuddered as he remembered the bloody duvet.

 

                "Well, you know, when rape becomes a part of life, you somehow get used to it," he said, then smirking at the dismay on Remus's poor face. "Good Merlin, Lupin, are you just stupid, or what? I seem to be doing alright, though, and I've been talking to Lucius."

 

                "For the record, you can always talk to me too," said Remus, grasping one of Severus's hands. Snape stared at their joined hands for a moment. "About lighter subjects as well." He released the hand again. "I won't deny that you've really been my only company these past few months. Sirius was around for a while, remember, but after that . . . ."

 

                "He set his affairs in order," Snape finished. "And now, of course, he's stuck in Grimmauld Place."

 

                "Precisely."

 

                "Er . . . stay for tea?" offered Snape rather awkwardly. Remus's smile was like the sun coming over the horizon in the morning.

 

                "I'd love to. Rather quaint house you have, Severus," he said as Snape rose to start some tea going.

 

                "Thank you," said Snape softly, despite the fact all the decorating was his parents', save for the extensive bookshelves.

 

                "I daresay it's even cozy."

 

                "You can't honestly say you'd enjoy living here," Snape said with a snort.

 

                "Why not? It's almost like the Burrow."

 

                "Lupin, you did not just say that," said Snape in a choked voice. "Well, you can blame my mother for the coziness. The likeness to a prison, that's all mine."

 

                "This is your mother's house, then?" Lupin asked, looking around at the pink, floral wallpaper. "I guess that makes sense."

 

                "My mother's? Do you see anyone else around? Lord, you really are daft. It's my home now. She died years ago."

                                                       

                "I'm sorry."

 

                "It was a gain more than a loss," said Snape with a dark chuckle, bringing the kettle over to the table. He went to the cupboard in the ensuing silence to grab some scones and set them on a plate with a thin, pink line edging it.

 

                "Fond of pink, was she?"

 

                "More than she was of me," said Snape with a smirk, as it made Lupin even more uncomfortable. Really, the man made it far too easy. "I'm glad you did not assume the plates were my personal choice."

 

                "What was your father like?" Remus asked around a bite of scone.

 

                "Abusive." He nearly grinned at the way Remus choked for a moment then righted himself. "If I were you, I'd avoid asking more personal questions I didn't actually want answered."

               

                Remus flushed slightly. "Er . . . well, thanks, I'll keep that in mind. I still think it'd be a nice place to live."

 

                "It's haunted. You're welcome to stay in the guest room. Love to hear what you'll say after a night of my grandfather's ghost tormenting you. He rather hated werewolves."

               

                "Ah. I see the two of you were close," said Remus, quirking his lip as he took another bite of scone.

 

                A rather plump ghost with cold eyes and a very severe expression slid into the room. "Half-blood or not, I raised him as my own." He leaned in very close to Remus. "Who are you?"

 

                "Er . . . Remus Lupin?"

 

                The old man hissed.

 

                "Control yourself," snapped Severus. "You'll not annoy another guest."

 

                "Lucius was not annoyed. He appreciates me," said Grandfather Prince with a sniff, seating himself in one of the other chairs, right through the table, after passing entirely through Remus first.

 

                "Ah!" yelped Remus.

 

                "What did I just say, Grandfather?" Snape raised an eyebrow, speaking in a dangerous tone. "You better go, Lupin. He'll get over himself eventually."

 

                "Werewolf scum. Poked you around in school too, didn't he?"

 

                "Daughter ran her mouth off, I see. Tea, Grandfather?" he said tightly, knowing the man could not drink it.

 

                "She thought it was rather pathetic of you."

 

                "Yes, I know," said Snape with a wave of his hand. "Now go, before I get my wand out and force you to. Have a scone first," he mocked.

 

                "You know they are my favorite," said Grandfather Prince with a sigh. "So you want me to put on a show for this man, to scare him away?"

 

                Snape shrugged. "I doubt you could. At any rate, leave us alone until then."

 

The ghost looked from one resolved face to the other before huffing and slowly drifting toward the kitchen door.

 

"For the record, Lucius was just accepting your flaws for my sake. If anyone actually liked you, you'd be properly dead."

 

                With one of the most evil expressions Lupin had ever seen, the ghost said, "Well, I'm off now, Severus, but, regarding your choice in guests, I must say: I hope that pureblood boy with the dark hair comes and visits again."

 

                Snape seemed to freeze.

                         

                "Out," said Lupin sternly after a moment, standing with his wand, shooing the ghost out of the kitchen. When he was gone, he turned to Severus again. "Well, that was rather unpleasant, wasn't it? Imagine you need some respite from that creature. Why don't you come and stay at my place for a while?" Without waiting for an answer, really, Remus Side-Along Apparated him.

 

                "Did you just Side-Along Apparate with me without my consent?" he raised an eyebrow.

 

                "Going to charge me with kidnapping?" Remus smiled softly.

 

                "How about a tour instead?" said Snape with disdain, but Remus noticed he was looking around with a bit of interest.

 

                "You living in your parents' old place must be a bit like Sirius in Grimmauld Place."

 

                "Without the mad furniture and even madder house-elf."

 

                "At least his place isn't haunted."

 

                "With ghosts, at least. I pity him, really. Who would want to be stuck in the Order's headquarters? I get enough of you fools without having to room with you."

 

                "But, Severus, you're about to do just that." Remus grinned softly.

 

                "What about your parents?" Snape asked suddenly, changing the subject.

 

                "Alive. Both of them. Only a few miles from here, actually," said Remus. He moved over to an end table to pick up a moving picture of his family. "I was an only child as well. My mother left me and my father a few times, but she always came back. She sends me letters," he said, motioning to a letter on the table where he'd picked up the picture. "Bakes and knits me things still, as well." Remus smiled softly, placing the picture back on the table after he'd given Severus a chance to look at it. "Very good with potions. You might enjoy talking to her."

 

                "Do you honestly know anyone—besides a professional quidditch player, Merlin forbid—who enjoys speaking of work in the off hours?"

 

                "She'd enjoy talking to you, at any rate. Well, this is the sitting room, obviously."

 

                "Obviously."

 

                "You've seen my kitchen. The bathroom is right over there. I also have a bathroom off of my room. Come past the kitchen. See, this is my room."

 

                "Floral?"

 

                "And I can't even blame it on my mother," said Remus with a soft smile. He opened the door to his personal bathroom. "Here's the tub. It's huge, I know. Anyway, the next room, the guest room, that'll be yours for now."

 

                "Thank you."

 

                "No problem," said Remus, smiling.

 

 

 

                They settled into a pattern of life, and Remus said nothing when the planned night turned into a couple of nights . . . which somehow turned into months.