Work Text:
"So get Hagrid to do it!" Severus snapped at Dumbledore, "What do I look like? A dogsitter?"
"Severus..." Albus peered over his half-moon spectacles, "We need to understand why Professor Lupin's Wolfsbane had only limited effectiveness. You must observe him, and make what inferences you can. At the very least, being out of the castle will keep him from destroying his classroom again."
Severus scowled, "What's to say there's anything wrong with the potion? It seems convenient, don't you think? With Black out of prison, suddenly Lupin can't tolerate his condition under Wolfsbane. He's trying to help him, sir, I'm—"
"Enough, Severus. I trust Remus. Do as I ask of you."
"I'm terribly sorry about this, Severus." Remus said for the seventh time that week as he accepted the final steaming goblet of Wolfsbane from Severus.
Severus sneered, "If you are truly sorry, then you will determine whatever is causing this malfunction, that I need not waste my time again."
"I shall try, but I expect you will fare better than I. Lupine instincts are not terribly effective at scientific observation."
Severus scoffed. Remus stared down at the goblet and grimaced. He raised it to his lips and downed it in one, shuddering. His throat bobbed as if trying to work the flavor out of his esophagus, and he set the goblet aside.
"Thank you, Severus." Remus croaked.
"Yes, you certainly look thankful." Severus deadpanned. The corner of Remus's mouth twitched. Severus frowned.
"See you tonight, then." Remus said, still smiling softly.
Severus was still frowning when he left the castle that evening. He was likewise still frowning when he found Remus out in the Forbidden Forest. He was pale, a feverish flush high on his cheeks, and was leaning against the trunk of a giant tree looking like he could no longer hold himself up.
"Severus," he rasped. "You might not wish to watch this."
"Is that what you think?" Severus affected a courage he did not feel to go with his scorn and disgust, "I assure you, I do."
Remus didn't look convinced. He didn't look anything except in pain.
"My nose is sharper as a wolf. I'll come find you." Something yellow flashed across evergreen eyes. Severus refused to leave. Remus turned his gaze above, toward the black boughs of the trees. The sky beyond was darkening by the minute.
"It won't be like last time, Severus." The wooden sound of bark shredding beneath nails ripped through the air, "The wolf is with you now. You and no one else."
Severus bristled. He tried to think of a retort, but was interrupted by the wet crackle of bones breaking. Remus slid down the length of the tree, a hiss escaping him. He turned his face upward. His eyes caught the moonlight, the forest green felled in a matter of moments as black pupils dilated. They shone, glowing almost white as Severus's tight-fisted knuckles, before a toxic amber orange lily bloomed within.
Remus collapsed into the transformation, his bones snapping until he was quadraped, and still he did not scream—he howled. Blood turned to ice as the memory of the last time Severus heard that howl came flooding back to him. His false courage fled him, but he could not run, nor could he look away as the man died and the wolf was born.
Severus was still standing where he was when the wolf's whimpers finally died. It shook out its dark brown coat. Amber met black as its gaze found Severus, and Remus the werewolf casually ambled up to Severus and...bowed.
"What...are you doing?" Severus found his voice, realizing he was sweating through his robes despite the chill, though was now more frigid for it. He pulled the wings of his cloak in around himself.
Remus jumped from side to side, before rolling over onto his back and showing Severus a tawny colored stomach, tongue hanging out of his mouth.
Severus frowned, watching for a time. Eventually, as Remus became even less subtle, rolling onto the tops of his shoes and pressing a wet dog nose to his ankle, Severus realized why the Wolfsbane hadn't been completely effective the previous month.
Remus wasn't getting enough exercise.
He pinched the long bridge of his hooked nose, mumbling curses under his breath. If Remus the man were to, say, take up jogging, would that help Remus the werewolf control himself? Had this been documented by others? It was always difficult to find such information about werewolves as most refused to reveal their condition, much less permit observation. How many months would it take to figure out a solution?
Remus the werewolf grew increasingly more agitated. He whimpered as he flopped dramatically through leafy underbrush while Severus ignored him.
Severus sighed. He could hardly solve the problem now. The remainder of his task was to keep Remus undiscovered.
"Come on, then." He began walking and Remus jumped to his paws. As they pressed deeper into the forest, Remus would run ahead and circle back to Severus, weaving through the trees like a dog training agility. He would circle Severus and nudge his hand if he let it hang by his side, or brush his head against his thigh if not. Severus scowled and scoffed and sneered at each unnecessary touch.
An hour later, howling echoed through the forest, seeming to come from the gloom in all directions. Remus and Severus both froze, the former's ears rotating toward the sound. A split second later, Remus took off like a Firebolt into the tree line, and disappeared.
"Lupin!" Severus hissed when Remus did not immediately return. He was about call again when he heard panting behind him.
Three wolves manifested out of the dark, swirling the thick fog. All three bared fangs and the one in the middle growled. It didn't look much like a wolf at all, too large and black, though its fangs were certainly convincing. The two wolves at its side both bore injuries—evidence of a lost fight for dominance, perhaps.
Severus had barely reached for his wand when the black wolf charged—he was swift enough, and sent it crashing against a tree. It wasn't down for a second before it regained its feet and reattempted—Severus frowned. Any normal wolf would run.
He sent off another hex but missed and hit the second wolf—the black wolf had dodged, which seemed impossible. Severus kept his gaze on the black one and didn't see the third wolf come flying at him from his left. It knocked him over and the breath from his lungs. He hexed the wolf and scrambled backwards from the black one.
Severus was still raising his wand when another wolf leapt over him to collide midair with the black wolf. As he regained his feet, Severus saw it was Remus. The black wolf threw its weight against Remus, revealing the tawny stomach stained with crimson.
The other two wolves fled as Remus fought the large one; Severus couldn't get a clear opening to hex the black wolf. Werewolves being larger than regular wolves, Remus was evenly matched to the unusually sized one. If anything, he was more slender, his limbs longer, and though it made him more agile against the other, Severus still heard snapping bones echo in his ears.
The larger canine lunged. Remus maneuvered to the side, but he couldn't shake the other enough to create an opening.
There was something off about the black wolf. Under Wolfsbane, Remus's wolf instincts couldn't override the man's intellect. How was it this other wolf was still managing to hold its own against something capable of strategizing? Perhaps the Wolfsbane really was ineffective, and only stopped him from killing Severus.
Finally, Remus feigned fleeing. The black wolf didn't give chase, turned around, and charged Severus again.
"Sectumsempera!" Severus grazed the wolf's leg; blood sprayed and the wolf crashed into the ground. It stood, slower and shakier now. It paused, looking back at Severus, when Remus flew out of the trees and lunged for the throat. The wolves went rolling through the brush until momentum threw them apart, and the black wolf took off into the gloom.
"Don't!" Severus shouted when Remus went charging off. He slid to a stop, growling in the direction the black wolf went. He was panting hard, and Severus saw where blood matted the fur.
"Come here." Severus said, though he was already crossing the clearing. He knelt by Remus, who laid on his stomach, resting his head on his front paws. Severus ran his fingers along the bloody fur, finding the wounds wherever Remus would whimper at his touch. He reached into his cloak, and retrieved a bottle of dittany, meant for himself. It could rarely cure werewolf bites, though the chance of contracting lycanthropy was still high. A precaution, Severus felt Remus suffered enough pain for one night.
He uncorked the vial and pressed his finger to it. He dabbed Remus's wounds and cleaned the fur to ensure the bleeding stopped.
"Roll over..." Severus muttered, half scooping Remus onto his side. He was breathing hard, the tawny belly rising and falling, wet blood glistening in the moonlight. Severus worked quickly. When he was done, Remus had still lost a lot of blood, and Severus pulled him into a hollow of roots and dirt beneath a tree. It was a tight fit, but at least they weren't exposed and could wait out the night.
After a few minutes, Remus shuffled forward weakly, and laid over Severus's lap. Figuring he might be cold from blood loss, Severus pulled off his cloak and threw it over both of them.
"I meant it."
Severus woke with a start. Birds chirped outside the hollow, and Remus Lupin was climbing back into the hollow, having apparently left to transform without waking Severus. He shivered, getting back under the cloak with Severus.
Bewildering behavior.
"I—what?" Severus was still half asleep.
"I won't ever let it happen again, Severus." Remus swallowed, head resting back against the roots. "You can't imagine what I felt after that night. I wanted to die. I never wanted to hurt anyone, but especially you."
Severus blinked.
"I'm not a boy anymore. I know now it's not enough to just stand by and do nothing. I know that to care about something is to protect it from harm. I'm...sorry I couldn't do that before."
Severus found his voice. "I don't need you to protect me, Lupin. Not now, not then, not ever!" He hissed.
Remus nodded, "I know. But you deserve it: to be protected."
Severus was too stunned to blink.
"Thank you for healing me," Remus continued.
Severus scoffed. "I'm not allowed to let you die, I'm afraid."
"Are you also not allowed to let me be cold throughout the night?" A faint light appeared behind his green eyes; Severus's gaze fell to a soft smile on soft lips.
Severus looked away quickly. Under the cloak, Remus took his hand in his own. Severus felt as he did the night before, like his false courage, false scorn and false disgust fled and left him frozen and unbearably vulnerable. His blood turned to ice, and he shivered violently.
An arm circled his waist and pulled Severus closer.
"Look at me." Hot breath warmed his ear. Severus swallowed, and looked over, his eyes immediately falling back to the soft, flushed lips.
Remus kissed him. Severus didn't know how to kiss or how to stop kissing, and couldn't figure out how to do either at the moment. The hand at his waist pushed up to his neck, and Remus deepened the kiss. Severus worked out how reciprocate based on what Remus was doing, and decided he would stop kissing him whenever the man found the time to teach him how.
For now though, they snogged quietly to the sound of birdsong and wind through autumn leaves, shivering against one another and warming each other's blood.