After The Full Moon
Thursday, February 28th, 2002
*Severus’s POV*
Severus really hadn’t expected to fall asleep, and if he did he thought his mind would be riddled with nightmares, likely flashbacks from his first encounter with Remus’s wolf form. He did fall asleep, though, and he didn’t have nightmares. He dreamt about…well, he didn’t really remember, but it wasn’t bad.
He woke up at the same time Remus always woke him, 6:00. It was early, but Severus didn’t mind too much. It made him feel more put together. Today, though, Severus woke up on his own, Remus nowhere in sight. Remus was maybe still transformed, but definitely sick.
Severus couldn’t change his own diaper. Severus couldn’t get dressed or brush his teeth or do his hair. Severus hadn’t cooked in over two decades.
He was as absolutely vulnerable as an infant. It wasn’t even self-deprecation at this point, it was just the truth. Usually it wouldn’t matter, but Remus wouldn’t be able to take care of him until tomorrow at the earliest, and even then he’d only be able to do the bare minimum for another day or two.
Severus wanted to be a good housemate. Wanted to cook Remus breakfast in bed and fetch him heating pads and ice packs and whatever else he needed. But he couldn’t even take care of himself, so both men would be miserable every full moon, including this one.
Finally, at 7:03, Severus threw his legs over the edge of his bed and stood. Usually Remus put the crib-like bars up so Severus wouldn’t fall as he tended to, but didn’t last night so Severus wasn’t trapped for over twenty-four hours.
Severus had gotten a lot stronger and a lot better at walking over the past three weeks, but it wasn’t perfect. He spent most of his time either in Remus’s arms or in his custom manual wheelchair Remus and Poppy worked together to get him.
He was embarrassed of the wheelchair at first, but grew to actually, secretly, love it. It was light pink with rainbow wheel spokes and had a retractable footrest, push handles, and armrests all of which were a more matte rose-colored pink.
He couldn’t change himself, but he could stuff a new diaper inside the old one so his skin didn’t touch the waste and so there was more absorbance. He couldn’t change his clothes, let alone bathe, but he could rinse his hands and face with bathroom sink water. He couldn’t cook, but he could eat a pre-made sandwich from the store and a small bottle of apple juice.
Then it was 8:09 and Severus had to figure out what he could physically do for Remus. It hurt him and his pride, but he just couldn’t overlook the fact his body was incapable of so many things.
No ice packs. No heating pads. No breakfast in bed.
He could bring Remus the rest of the sandwich, it was a long one, like subway, and a juice.
Remus was asleep, but human when Severus wheeled in. No, not human, in human form. He was never a human just like how he was never a wolf, he was always a werewolf, his form just changed.
Severus wanted to let him sleep, he needed it, but he couldn’t do magic without his wand, maybe even with it, and didn't have the energy to go back downstairs. Didn’t have the energy to walk across the hall to his own room.
Severus climbed into Remus’s bed, behind him against the wall, and shaked Remus until the younger man woke up.
“I—uh—huh?”
Severus had never wished he could speak more than he did then. Instead, he just held out the food and drink to the other.
“Oh, thank you, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart.
Since he couldn’t talk, Severus rubbed his face against Remus’s upper arm, reminiscent of a cat.
“You didn’t have to do all this for me.”
A small part of Severus’s brain felt embarrassed, because this really wasn’t so much. Another small part felt accomplished and grown up, because he did something all by himself. But, the majority of his brain felt the proudness of a five year old waking their parents with burnt toast and half-eaten apple sauce on Mother’s Day.
Naturally, more cat snuggles occurred as Remus ate, and after.