Chapter Text
Severus had not expected to see his old schoolmate again, especially not as a professor. Yet here they were, on the steps to the entrance of Hogwarts, in the same place they first met so many years ago.
Dumbledore hadn't said anything about Remus Lupin coming so soon, and Severus wasn't sure on how to deal with his sudden presence. He quickly looked his old acquaintance up and down and tried to remember everything that had happened since the last time they had seen each other.
Remus has changed. He has gotten older, his age now clearly showing on his skin and the shadow of a long, difficult life haunted his face. What he lacked in height he made up for with muscle strenght. Remus was probably stronger now than Severus, at least physically, though he was a whole head shorter.
The man smiled tiredly at him and Severus gave a polite nod in response.
Then Remus turned his gaze up to the sky. Severus' followed.
It was a late evening, the night before the students would arrive for the new school year. The sky was dark, overcast with thick, rainy clouds. It would start storming soon. The full moon was barely visible.
"There's one thing you should know about me, Severus."
Severus had never held a high opinion of the man in front of him.
He could recognize his talent for the arts of magic back when they were kids, but he also knew how scared Remus had been of everything he didn't understand. Back then Severus thought he was a fool for not standing up for himself against all those people that tried to make him something he wasn't. What Severus didn't know though, is that Remus had been turning his fear into strenght, that he had built himself a castle of knowledge of every kind in his mind. Severus knew nothing about Remus practicing and perfecting his magic by himself silently, becoming stronger behind everybody's back. He learned to use his rare circumstances and the lack of attention he received to his advantage. He turned every wound into a reason to keep fighting.
Remus was no longer the small, vulnerable child that had never dared to open his mouth and now, here, when the bones of the man in front of him started cracking and his body grew and bent in a grotesque way, Severus' eyes slowly filled with terror as he realized what kind of monster was staring back at him.
For a minute the man and the wolf just stared at each other.
Severus would be lying if he said that he wasn't also feeling immensely impressed at the other wizard's transformation, in every sense of the word, but right now the uncertainty of the situation weighed heavier. Werewolfs were naturally much faster and stronger than any normal person, and the pale moon light turned off the switch to common sense and self control in the brain of the beast, making them completely unpredictable.
Severus tried to find the tiniest bit of human left in the small slits of the wolf's eyes, tried to find any hint of innocence in those crazy yellow irises.
He found none.
A low growl escaped from the wolf's hairy throat as his body, now twice the size, moved closer toward Severus.
There was no one else around. The other teachers were most likely at the dinner that Severus had planned on turning up to fashionably late and now wished he hadn't.
He pulled his wand out of his robe and pointed it at the creature's deformed head. There was no point in running, and Severus was ready to do whatever it took to keep the wolf away from him.
He stood straight, his hand gripping his wand tightly, feet planted firmly on the ground. If he could somehow get up the last three steps and through the huge gate of the castle, then he would be safe.
But as soon as the wolf caught sight of the wand and the nervous look on the professor's face, he stopped in his tracks. He got completely still, as if he was calculating his next move, but was that even possible? Did werewolfs have the ability to consider options? They functioned purely on instinct. There was only one option for them, and that was to kill.
But this wolf, Remus, peered deeply into Severus' eyes before letting out a loud, screeching howl and running away towards the forbidden forest.
Severus did not hesitate to use his chance to finally get into the school and have a word with the headmaster.
~
"How curious. Professor Lupin was supposed to arrive here tomorrow evening, together with the students, as an accomodation for his condition."
Professor Dumbledore did not seem very worried, even after Severus had stormed into the great hall and interrupted the feast with the request to speak to him privately.
"So you were aware of his... condition?"
The word tasted wrong on his tongue. He was well informed on magical creatures, though he hadn't encountered many werewolves personally, and he still struggled with picturing a bloodthirsty beast when talking about Remus Lupin, who Severus had only ever found one word for to describe accurately: kind.
"Of course. I was one of the first people he told. He trusted me, so I will place my trust in him, too."
Severus found himself wondering what exactly had happened back then. He was not an idiot, he knew how people got turned into werewolves, but picturing such a terribly brutal thing happening to a child who had slept no more than a few meters away from him every night...
It was no use imagining it, it was in the past now and none of his business.
Still, his body tensed up some more.
"Professor Dumbledore, with all due respect, you can't let him teach here. I worry his condition might restrict him in his professionalism. It also wouldn't shine a good light on the school if we let someone like him in charge of the kids."
Even to Severus his reasoning sounded ridiculous. Lupin's condition would not affect his ability to be a good professor and he had never cared about the image of the school. So what was this? Who was he really trying to protect?
"I would like you to stop speaking like that about him. You should realize that most of the time Professor Lupin looks just like all of us. And Severus, am I not right in remembering you two as classmates? You grew up beside each other in these very halls, surely you know how capable he is. I can assure you that Remus Lupin is in full control of his condition. As much as a person can be, that is. I believe he will be a great addition to our school and I would like you to respect this decision."
During this conversation the headmaster had wandered around the small room they were in and looked at the few moving pictures on the low stone walls. His hand was brushing through his long beard as if he was pondering deeply, but his otherwise relaxed stance told Severus that it was simply another one of the old man's habits.
"I don't doubt your judgement, headmaster, although I don't understand why he would go against your plans and put both of us in such danger on purpose. In all honesty, the whole situation was quite confusing to me. I hadn't thought of Lupin as so careless."
That was the truth. Remus had changed so much, Severus couldn't be sure if any part of that shy, fragile boy that he once knew had survived through the years.
He secretly hoped so.
"I have to agree that his actions were unexpected. However, I stand by what I said and I am sure he had his reasons.
Perhaps you two can discuss this tomorrow. If you do, let me know after. Now let's get back to the others, you haven't had any dinner yet!"
Professor Dumbledore gave him a warm smile as he held the door open for Severus to walk through. Most of the other professors had already left the hall by now and the few remaining ones were busy stuffing themselves with whatever food was left on their plates.
Severus let his gaze drift around the room, stopping shortly on each individual and quickly analyzing the group as a whole.
There really was nothing to worry about, this school had always been a place for unique people, after all.
If Severus was able to find a place here, then Remus would fit right in.