Chapter Text
The air in Moon Howl was thick, heavy with the metallic smell of blood and damp fur. James burst into the room, wand raised, but stopped instantly.
His heart stopped.
He didn’t see Remus—the werewolf had already retreated into the shadows of the far corner, snarling—but he did see Severus.
Snape lay on the rotting wooden floor, a broken and unnatural figure.
Remus’s claws had left deep marks, a terrible gash that started at the base of his neck, split his chest, and ran down to his right leg.
His black robes were now soaked in a much too dark red blood.
“Severus!” James cried, his voice breaking in a panicked hiccup.
He collapsed to his knees beside him, ignoring the danger the werewolf posed. His hands were shaking so badly he could barely hold his wand.
Snape didn’t move.
His eyes were half-open, but his gaze was fixed, lost somewhere between pain and nothingness.
James pressed his cloak over the deepest wound in his chest, feeling the warmth of his blood seep through his fingers. “Stay with me, Snape! Please, don’t close your eyes! Not like this… not our fault…” But Severus only made a faint sound, a tortured grunt, before his body relaxed completely.
The silence that followed was more deafening than Remus’s screams.