Werewolf
The cellar was rather dingy and reminded Remus of the Hogwarts dungeons. Which he was only there for potions lessons. It looked rather neglected like Snape hadn’t been down here in a while. And judging by the man’s face he didn’t seem to like the room very much. Though Remus would have preferred to go back to the shrieking shack, they didn’t have any people who could have stayed to watch the boys. Almost all the trusted adults they knew were busy on holidays.
Remus knew that teachers were people too and they had personal lives but it felt very wrong to picture Pamona Sprout enjoying herself in somewhere other than the Hogwarts greenhouse. He wondered if that’s how students saw Snape. He very much doubted they thought he’d be helping a werewolf transform on the full moon.
Remus always thought the man would just…brew potions? Read about potions? Drink potions? Merlin’s beard the man’s whole personality was tied to potions!
Or at least that’s what he thought at the start. But other than being a man who was way to obsessed with a subject Remus thought was extremely difficult, Severus enjoyed puzzles and brain teasers, he liked things to make him think. Which in Remus’ opinion was fascinating. He watched Snape complete a Rubix cube in under a minute, he was thoroughly impressed.
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Snape’s irritated voice speaking. “Lupin! You drank your potion, correct?”
“Yes, I’ve told you this twice already, Snape. Your thoroughness is impeccable as usual.” Lupin sighed sarcastically.
The raven haired man scoffed and tugged his hair roughly as he continued to prep the cellar with quietening charms as to not wake the boys. That was another thing Lupin discovered about the guarded man. He tugged his hair roughly a lot. It seemed to pick up more when he was stressed. He wouldn’t blame him he was just about to see a werewolf transform.
“So..the plan, again? Lupin asked.
“Oh but I thought you were irritated by my ‘thoroughness’.” Snape rolled his eyes as he cleared away some clutter with a swift potion of his wand. He repeated the plan nonetheless as it always made him feel better to be thorough than not to be.
“Since you have taken your wolfsbane potion, that I’ve supplied, you will be nothing more than a harmless wolf. Due to the charms I have casted the children will hear nothing from this room. I will be here with you to make sure the transformation runs smoothly and to assist you if anything arises. I will leave to go to rest in my room, I will than come down here in the morning to help you to your room. After which you will rest for a few days.” Snape said bringing down some medical supplies just in case.
Remus nodded, he was a bit touched by all the extra precautions and remembered he had saw Snape read two books on werewolves to get a better understanding of aftercare once the full moon has ended.
They had an hour till the moon was full, the boys were already asleep, they had to tell them that Remus would be gone for a bit but would be back in the morning, so if they needed something they would have to ask Severus instead. They were worried. Remus didn’t feel ready to tell the boys about his condition just yet. They’d be afraid of him at this age. He’d tell them eventually but tonight was not that night.
Remus sat next to a white sheet in the middle of the cellar and watched Snape sit in the corner writing something in a small black notebook. He assumed the man was observing his behavior for some new study he had going on.
The man sighed thinking of the pain he was about to endure. Some thought that the full moons got easier the older you got. They were correct to a certain degree. It’s much more understandable as an adult man, but as a five year old you really had no idea why you were in so much pain. And why you wouldn’t remember anything from the night before. The one thing Remus always remembered was his rather rubbing his back. That always eased him.
The pain though, the pain never got easier. It was always the same, sometimes it felt lessened when he’d drink before the full moon but he refrained from doing so as he felt like he had less control over himself. There really was no winning with this affliction. It was right proper shit.
They were silent for the most part, Remus mentally preparing himself, he couldn’t help but notice the nervousness in Snape’s body language. Also the fact he could hear the man’s heartbeat was a dead give away he was scared. Who wouldn’t be? About the see a man transform into a monster before your very eyes?
Remus noticed the minutes slowly lessen. He sighed standing up and started the process of removing his shirt. He first removed his sweater and folded it and gently laid it on the floor. He caught Snape’s bewildered eyes as he started to remove his shirt.
“What are you doing?” Snape asked startled his heartbeat quickening as he saw a bit of Lupin’s bare chest.
“Well I’ll be transforming soon..I don’t exactly want to rip my clothes while I transform.” Though there had been many occasions when this had been the exact thing to happen.
Snape only nodded. Lupin paused. “If it’s not too much trouble, could you turn away?” He asked and Snape frantically turned around a faint blush spreading over his face, Remus could have chuckled by how Snape seemed more afraid of seeing him naked than the fact he was about to transform into a werewolf.
He removed the rest of his clothes and laid them neatly on the floor before wrapping himself in the white sheet.
“You can turn around.” Lupin said softly and Snape turned back but kept his eyes firmly on his book. He knew Snape was a modest man in his own clothing choices so he assumed it was the same thing with others.
Lupin sighed as the time finally came. The last minute of feeling completely human. What he wanted more than anything in the world was to not be cursed to be a monster. To be human.
The affects of the moon were in place, Remus screamed out in agony as he felt as if his spine was being stretched out of him in a grotesque manner, he felt his skin stretch and start to accumulate fur. He moaned deeply but that didn’t even sound human. It was an animalistic sound, a disgusting sound. His feet elongated and he felt his nails turn to claws.
He felt like every bone in his body break down and reassemble and re-align to be how the wolf wanted it to be. He groaned as he felt a bit of his control slip away from him. He felt like his mind was fuzzy. He knew now in his mind it was being shared with an inhumane creature. One that wanted to destroy and hurt. Though do to the wolfsbane it couldn’t and it seemed to be angering the creature.
He was now a wolf. He shook himself baring his teeth and howling loudly. He was tired now. So very tried. His mind than saw Severus. The wolf wanted to attack but the human side of him saw the man’s terrified face and felt sympathy. The man look scared out of his wits and huddled into the corner curling in on himself much like how Harry did to protect him when he was scared.
Remus sat down as if he were a dog, he felt the pain in his body and cried and animalistic cry as he than laid down. The chills of the cellar now becoming more pronounced.
He missed his school days where his friends and he would roam the school and enjoy themselves during the night. Where everything was ok. Where he was judged and no one was afraid of him. But that was taken away. He’d never see that again. It was gone.
Than he felt a hesitant hand petting his back. In that moment he calmed as he felt a quilt being pulled over him. His half human mind looked up at the man and felt grateful. He wished he could have said thank you but his wolf sighed took over and licked Snape’s thin hand.
Severus couldn’t believe he was doing this. He some how got himself from the corner where he was cowering, and stumbled near the wolf. He could only remember that one night when he had seen the werewolf at the shrieking shack before he was saved by James Potter.
He blamed Potter and Black for that, but never once had he blamed Remus. It wasn’t the werewolf’s fault his friends were complete idiots. If anything he pitied the other man for having such idiots for friends. Well his friends were genocidal maniacs worshipping another genocidal maniac so he didn’t really have much room to talk.
He was pulled out of his trance when he heard the cry of the werewolf. For some reason. Some odd reason he couldn’t let the werewolf suffer. He needed to help him. For some reason he needed to help him.
He put the quilt on the wolf once he saw Remus shivering and then started to pet him awkwardly. He was never too fond of dogs and Remus was more of a dog. Well a puppy more so.
He chuckled a little as the wolf licked his hand. This wasn’t so bad. It was a bit therapeutic to a degree. He only petted the top of the wolfs head before scratching behind the ear.
Than bloody Lupin got up. Snape jumped back landing on his back. Of course he did something wrong! Now he was going to die because he thought somehow he could befriend a werewolf. He braced for being mauled before he felt a weight laying across his legs and a bit on his chest. Remus was cuddling with him? What the hell..this night had to be the most confusing Snape ever had. The wolf was not as heavy as it looked as it laid on Severus.
Than it started to lick his face regardless of Snape’s protests. It licked his face and upper neck and hands.
“Lupin! Come on! I know you’re in there somewhere, cut this nonsense!” He said irritated as he tried to push the wolfs head away. He sighed accepting his fate as the wolfs teddy bear now.
Other than being covered in the wolfs slobber, he was also being assaulted by the wolfs tail that was hitting him like a whip.
“You are an idiot.” Snape muttered. And the Remus whined. He only sighed petting the wolf again sort of as an apology.
He remembered the one time he saw a stray cat on the street and petted it. It was soft and would lick him often, he begged his mum to let him keep it but she wasn’t fond of animals and told him, no. Little did she know he kept it for years. It died in his 3rd year and he was heartbroken.
Severus would never admit it but petting Remus was calming him down much like how his old cat did. It really wasn’t that bad. He than remembered the boys. They were going to need him. He sighed deeply attempting to get up. “Lupin, I need to take care of the boys. I’ll be back for you later.” The wolf whined as Snape made his way up the stairs of the cellar.
“Hey, I’ll be back later, I promise.” He reassured the wolf as he went upstairs expecting that the boys would be in bed fast asleep but of course, he was wrong and they were in the kitchen waiting for him. They ran to him and started to tug on his night shirt. “Severus! Where were you?” Harry asked his green eyes worried and wide and Snape had to look away.
“I was busy, I’m sorry did you need me? I’m here now.” He scooped both boys up in his arms before making his way upstairs. To his room. He was worried about Remus when he was like this but he needed to take care of the boys. They were in distress. They needed him much more than Remus did. Or at least that’s what he was telling himself. Once the boys were older he’d be able to stay with Remus.
He sighed deeply as they all got cozy in his bed. He saw the eyes of the two boys and realized there was no way they’d be sleeping.
“Is Remus ok?” Draco asked. Due to how vague they were about where Lupin was going the boys had about a million questions, Snape cursed Lupin for leaving him here to deal with all of this.
“Yes, he’s fine. He’ll be back in the morning, but remember he’s going to be really tired and we’ll need to leave him alone for a day or two, ok?” He said softly and the boys nodded but were slightly unconvinced.
Maybe if he told them stories they’d go to sleep. He decided it was worth a shot. He started to recount what he remembered of The Beedle and the Bard. He started to recount The wizard and the hopping pot.
He ended up recounting all the chapters of the book to the boys, than started to explain potions to them which they got bored of very quickly, he than tried to bribe than with sweets for the next morning if they went to bed now, he tried to recount a quidditch game he saw once. He didn’t really care about quidditch or even like it but he did like the rivalry he and Minerva had.
“I always beat her you know, Slytherin is just better than Gryffindor, she’s rather peeved about it at the moment.” He chuckled which made Draco happy and Harry huff as the boy seemed inclined to being a Gryffindor now.
It was useless though.
Everything he did was useless.
It was six in the damn morning and the boys hadn’t gone to bed. They missed Remus too much.
He sighed. They were children. Small children who didn’t understand why he had to leave. He knew Remus wanted to keep this away from the boys but it was getting more and more difficult to evade their questions.
Than the day light started to leak into the room. Snape stood up and told the boys to wait in his room as he went down to the cellar quickly. He needed Lupin. He never thought he’d ever say that considering he has hated the man for years.
He went down to the cellar and paused. He saw the man’s naked for lying there half under the quilt and half not. Snape blushed a bit as he watched. He always felt a bit naive and childish for always reacting to seeing someone in the nude. He preferred modesty.
He went down the cellar hesitantly and waved his wand in an instant Remus was dress in his pyjamas he was than lightly tapped by Severus.
“Lupin, the children want to see you, I’d do you good to sleep in your own bed. I- I could help.” He murmured softly not trying to disturb the man too much. Lupin looked up tiredly. And nodded slowly getting up as everything ached. Snape gave him a potion to help numb. The pain as they traveled up the stairs, they were on the landing when Harry and
Draco came running out of Snape’s room.
“Remus!” Draco said happily as Harry hugged Remus tightly.
Snape scoffed. “Ok, ok I know your excited but he’s really tired let him go back to bed.” He said trying to get the boys to back off. Somehow Remus found his voice. “It’s ok, truly. Boys do you want to come rest with me? I take it you haven’t fallen asleep yet.” They nodded and Remus smiled as the three started their travel to his room when Harry called out. “Can Severus cuddle with us too?”
Remus glanced at Snape’s whose face blushed slightly before he nodded. “Yeah c’mon, Severus.”
Snape internally groaned. “Well if we’re all going to rest how about we go to my room as your bed squeaks like a mouse.”
Lupin laughed as they all made their way into Snape’s room. Remus laid on one side and Snape laid on the other, Draco was behind Remus and holding onto his back and Harry was wrapped around Snape’s legs for some odd reason. Sort of like a cat. The man sighed, he was so very tired and these boys kept him up all night.
He held brushed a hand through Harry’s messy hair before he heard Lupin whisper. “Thank you, Severus.” He sounded very disoriented and confused as he said this which made sense for the next action he was about to take. He wrapped his arms around Snape’s torso and pulling the raven haired man closer to him tightly. His hand placement was more of Snape’s concern as he was half on his lower back. He tensed a bit than rolled his eyes and blushed as he held onto Remus’ shoulder and muttered something about the bloody wolf.
He sighed deeply, he usually spent every night alone in his bed, reminding himself of every terrible thing he every did and how horrible he was but now as he was cuddling with two young boys and a werewolf. How could this happen to him? He just laid his head down onto the bed and closed his eyes, all of them fell asleep.
All of them were asleep until late in the day. Severus was the first to get up, at 10:45. This was early for a man who didn’t get a wink of sleep the previous night. The other three were groaning not wanting to get up. He scoffed and took the two boys back to their room. He needed to care for Lupin and they’d get in his way.
Their protests didn’t last long as they fell asleep quite fast. He tucked them in and than made his way back to his room. He realized perhaps they all should have gone back to Lupin’s room instead. Now some how he had to get the werewolf all the way to the attic. He sighed and got his wand and said a quick incantation, Lupin now rising in the air following Severus.
He laid the werewolf in his own bed, and covered him with the blanket. He than sat on the edge of the squeaky bed, sighing, perhaps he should invest for a new bed. The squeaking was rather irritating to the ears. It didn’t help due to Remus’ constant turning trying to get into a comfortable position.
He pulled out a vial and put it to Lupin lips. “Drink, it’ll relieve some of the pain.” He told Lupin his voice barely above a whisper as to not startle the half asleep werewolf.
The man obliged and drank slowly. Severus nodded. He got the man a cup of water and left a few crackers just in case the man wanted something.
Watching what Lupin went through he now understood why the man took longer to heal, the stretching of his body and pain he felt was something Severus hadn’t seen before. He was surprised.
“I’ll check on you in a few hours, shout for me if you really need me, ok?” He said going towards the door, the only indication that Remus heard him was a nod and a small grumble of a thanks.
Severus exited the room and went down to the cellar to fix any mess that was left from the transformation last night.
It was now 1:00pm and Severus was drinking a cup of coffee, he liked the bitter taste of his coffee black although as of late, Lupin had been making his coffee and adding a little bit of milk and vanilla, he’d never say it to the mans face but it did taste very good.
He began on breakfast, he decided waffles would be a good thing to try, he had a feeling the boys would like them.
Speaking of the boys they made their ways downstairs bleary eyed and still in their pyjamas. Draco at least tried to comb his hair, not that it was any good, Harry obviously didn’t have a care in the world. They sat in their chairs and looked at Severus who gave them their food. Both of them ate silently which mean’t they really enjoyed it.
Snape continued to drink his coffee. When he heard his door swing open. He knew in an instant it would be Albus and Minerva.
“Merlin’s beard..that door needs to be locked better.” He ran a hand over his face as Albus entered looking more jovial than he should have.
“Morning! I see you all seemed to have had a long night?” He said looking at the boys.
Severus was about to answer when Draco spoke. “Yeah, Severus and Remus went to Remus’ room and his bed was squeaking so loud!” He exclaimed.
“Yeah, and Remus kept groaning.” Harry added through a mouthful of waffles. Minerva’s mouth fell open and Albus had a blank expression. Snape felt his face burn and he quickly added. “The- full moon, I took Lupin back to his room, he was in pain and couldn’t get comfortable in his bed.” He said speaking rather quickly.
Albus and Minerva nodded smiling. Snape shook his head irritably and sipped his coffee, as the boys went to go play with Minerva Severus decided to take the time to ask Albus about the boys and why trouble seemed to follow them like the plague.
He explained the situations to Albus, about the man in the cafe and about the man in the park. He described in detail about what happened and how odd it was.
Two attempted kidnappings on the boys? In such a short amount of time? It was proper weird.
He thought perhaps Albus would understand and give him some useful advice and make sense of this but all Snape got was a:
“How odd.”
Severus could tell Albus knew more than he was letting on. The man always did.
“How odd?.. How odd! Albus this is more than ‘how odd’! You have placed me with two boys, one from a prominent political family whose mother and father have been incarcerated for illegal activity, and he is getting death threats because of said parents, at the age of six!”
Albus was about to cut in before Severus cut him off again.
“And Harry bloody Potter! Albus he’s been called the savior of the wizarding world! He’s-he’s practically wizard Jesus! You want me to take care of both these boys, and both of them almost got kidnapped and I can tell you know something. So tell me. Let me keep them safe.”
His eyes were wide as he stared at Dumbledore who nodded.
“Yes, Severus I know this is a rather confusing and important matter but trust me that I would not have given it to you if I did not have full confidence in your capabilities as a caretaker. As for knowing anything, no, I do not.”
Severus felt his stress rise, “You are sure? No plots? No underlying issues? No curses?” He asked worriedly.
“No, Severus, but do trust if I find out anything you will be the first man I tell. Ok?”
The response did reassure him a bit, but he knew better than to trust Albus Dumbledore fully. The man had a way of lying that even Snape, who was a master at it, couldn’t even tell.
“I do believe Lupin will be needing you.” Albus said as he turned away to go with the boys, Severus sighed and made his way up the stairs to the attic where Lupin was awake eating crackers.
“Oh? Snape, glad to see you? Would you happen to have more pain relief potion?” He asked and Severus nodded giving it to him. Lupin thanked him and drank it.
“How are you feeling?” Snape asked,
“Better, still weary. These potions you have seemed to be better than the ones I’ve been drinking for past couple of years.” He said with a slight grin.
“They’re a product of my own design.” He muttered.
“Of course, your brilliance does not cease to amaze me.” He smiled.
Lupin sees Snape’s face and sighs. While Snape was upset about the boys attempted kidnappings Lupin thought it was for another reason.
“I have been wanting to bring this up for a while,”
Snape looked at the man confused and gestured for him to continue.
“Severus, it’s almost September 1st. What are we going to be doing about the boys?”
All Severus’ tired brain could muster up was a simple,
“Shit.”