Harry Potter - Remus Lupin/Severus Snape - Too Late
Title: Too Late
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
Prompt: Table Three: 002 - Bad
Word Count: 1,300
Rating: R
Summary: Marauders Era - The morning after the full moon
Author's Notes: Goes with the first prompt I wrote for this challenge, but can be read on its own too. I wasn't planning on connecting all 100 prompts in one continuing Universe, but I am now going to attempt it. They most definitely won't be written in order though.
Too Late
By: Innusiq
When Remus regained conscious human thought the day after the most recent full moon, he held a vague sense of something being terribly wrong. Normally he never remembered the activities of his wolf form, and usually he's quite thankful for that loss of memory, but this morning something was different. This morning it felt like the world had shifted and a vague sense of foreboding hung in the air as if nothing would be the same again.
He had to concentrate to pry his stiff and matted eyes open, and even then his sight was still blurred and unfocused. The sunlight streaming in through the infirmary's numerous windows was bright and it took a few minutes for Remus' vision to clear enough for him to see the person dozing uncomfortable in the chair next to his bed.
It wasn't the person he expected and had become accustomed to seeing.
"Sorry," Remus apologized with a sheepish smile as he struggled to sit up, his movements rousing his visitor.
James, one of his three closest friends, was on his feet immediately, helping Remus to find a comfortable position against the pillows. Remus noticed then that his fellow Marauder was being unusually quiet and the fact that James wouldn't meet his eyes only added to the strangeness surrounding his still muddled thoughts.
"Where's Sirius?" Remus inquires in a gruff and gravelly voice.
It was routine for Sirius to sit vigil with him until his body had fully recovered from his monthly transformation. It was a routine Remus had taken comfort in since his friends had discovered his special circumstance. It was a comfort that reminded him of family when his own was so far away.
James remained quiet, concentrating on the floor as if searching for a golden snitch from a distance only an expert seeker could locate. The hair on the back of Remus neck twitched, receiving confirmation that something had changed, or would very soon.
"James..."
Remus' inquiry was cut short by the sound of the infirmary doors swinging open. His heart caught in his throat as Severus strode into the room. James' posture stiffened at the sight of the Slytherin. Severus unwillingness to even sneak a peek of eye contact with him forced Remus heart to plummet into his stomach.
"Severus?" Remus whispered behind a trembling hand, whether the shaking was due to the previous night's exertions or the presence of fear was difficult to determine.
Severus moved like a student on a mission, ignoring everyone and anyone not involved in said task. Remus can’t even remember the last time Severus actively ignored him.
Was that a bruise on his cheek?
"Severus," Remus called a little louder, expecting the boy to turn around, wanting him to turn around, but was denied the courtesy of a simple acknowledgment.
It was no longer a secret within his circle of friends that Severus and he were dating. While his friends still had issues understanding his choice, they had at least granted that it was his choice and seemed to have accepted that choice. Remus quietly thanked James for being the leader in that acceptance for which the other two Marauders eventually agreed to, Sirius dragging and kicking his feet the entire way.
Something was not right.
Remus sat up and maneuvered his legs over the side of the bed.
"Remus, don't," James protested with a hand grasping his upper arm.
He didn't heed his friends' words of warning, jerking his arm free and literally sliding to the floor, completely too the floor, when his knee joints gave out.
"Remus!"
He knew better than to try such a bold move the day after his monthly transformation, he's had enough of them to be wise of what he was capable of and what he should avoid, but Severus avoiding him, not even looking at him, had Remus throwing caution to the wind without a care of the damage he could cause himself.
Funny that even in his human form the wolf was still causing trouble.
James was around the bed in seconds flat and glaring in Severus' direction.
"Snape!" James growled in a warning and reprimanding tone. "Are you blind? Your nose isn't that big."
Well, at least he now had Severus' attention, Remus noted when he looked up to see Severus standing stoic still, eyes staring at him and wavering with panic, concern, hurt, love and hate.
Hate?
James' arm wrapped under his own and around his back, easily guiding him off the floor to stand next to the bed with his friends’ support. There was concern radiating off James' features and it was for more than his transformation recovery alone.
What happened last night?
His mouth dried up and his throat tightened as a thought occurred to him, a terribly dreadful and just plain bad thought.
No.
"Severus?" Remus spoke his boyfriends' name in a question, not understanding the changes in Severus' actions towards him but dreading and fearing what he assumed had caused them.
Severus stiffened and turned on his heels, heading toward Madam Pomfrey's office.
"Snape!" James yelled across the otherwise empty infirmary, still holding onto Remus. "He doesn't know."
Was James pleading? For me?
There was a silent pause before Severus made any retort, but when he did, it was with his back turned.
"Neither did I," Severus said, sounding angry and defeated at the same time.
Severus picked up his pace and disappeared into the healer's office without further word or explanation, but Remus didn't need one.
It was then that Remus knew that Severus had found out his secret. He didn't know how Severus found out but Severus now knew that he had been keeping a secret and in keeping said secret had lied on occasion to keep it. To add insult to injury, Severus also knew that his fellow Marauders knew the secret too.
Remus knees gave out a second time that had nothing to do with fatigue and slumped against James. He felt just as angry and defeated as Severus. He was angry with himself for causing the pain reflected in Severus eyes, and defeated because he knew that once he or anyone crossed Severus Snape, there was no going back.
James picked him up and laid him on the bed, pulling the covers over him once he was settled. They stared at each other for an extended moment before he rolled onto his side facing away from his friend.
"I'm sorry," James apologized, for what he wasn't entirely certain, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Remus didn't want to deal with this now. He didn't want to talk about how his world had completely crumbled around him, out of his control, and all while he wasn't even in his right mind.
"I don't want to talk about it," Remus stated adamantly, pulling the covers tightly around him.
"Sure," James agreed, accepting, always accepting, his wishes. "But when you are ready, I will be here."
He didn't acknowledge James' offer. He didn't react when he heard the chair next to his bed scrape against the floor as his friend took a seat. He couldn't even breathe when Severus emerged from Madam Pomfrey's office and exited the infirmary as if they were complete strangers and not teen-aged lovers.
All Remus could do at that moment was remember the feeling of uncommonly gently hands anchoring his hips and his legs wrapped around Severus' slender waist, the movement of their bodies as they rocked together in unison seeking a completion only they could give each other, and knowing, in that spark of climax of their first time, that he had to tell Severus the truth. He had to share his full self with the boy-nearly-a-man that he loved before it was too late.
And now it was.
______
Link to my table: 100 Situations Snupin Table #3
Fandom: Harry Potter
Characters: Remus Lupin/Severus Snape
Prompt: Table Three: 002 - Bad
Word Count: 1,300
Rating: R
Summary: Marauders Era - The morning after the full moon
Author's Notes: Goes with the first prompt I wrote for this challenge, but can be read on its own too. I wasn't planning on connecting all 100 prompts in one continuing Universe, but I am now going to attempt it. They most definitely won't be written in order though.
Too Late
By: Innusiq
When Remus regained conscious human thought the day after the most recent full moon, he held a vague sense of something being terribly wrong. Normally he never remembered the activities of his wolf form, and usually he's quite thankful for that loss of memory, but this morning something was different. This morning it felt like the world had shifted and a vague sense of foreboding hung in the air as if nothing would be the same again.
He had to concentrate to pry his stiff and matted eyes open, and even then his sight was still blurred and unfocused. The sunlight streaming in through the infirmary's numerous windows was bright and it took a few minutes for Remus' vision to clear enough for him to see the person dozing uncomfortable in the chair next to his bed.
It wasn't the person he expected and had become accustomed to seeing.
"Sorry," Remus apologized with a sheepish smile as he struggled to sit up, his movements rousing his visitor.
James, one of his three closest friends, was on his feet immediately, helping Remus to find a comfortable position against the pillows. Remus noticed then that his fellow Marauder was being unusually quiet and the fact that James wouldn't meet his eyes only added to the strangeness surrounding his still muddled thoughts.
"Where's Sirius?" Remus inquires in a gruff and gravelly voice.
It was routine for Sirius to sit vigil with him until his body had fully recovered from his monthly transformation. It was a routine Remus had taken comfort in since his friends had discovered his special circumstance. It was a comfort that reminded him of family when his own was so far away.
James remained quiet, concentrating on the floor as if searching for a golden snitch from a distance only an expert seeker could locate. The hair on the back of Remus neck twitched, receiving confirmation that something had changed, or would very soon.
"James..."
Remus' inquiry was cut short by the sound of the infirmary doors swinging open. His heart caught in his throat as Severus strode into the room. James' posture stiffened at the sight of the Slytherin. Severus unwillingness to even sneak a peek of eye contact with him forced Remus heart to plummet into his stomach.
"Severus?" Remus whispered behind a trembling hand, whether the shaking was due to the previous night's exertions or the presence of fear was difficult to determine.
Severus moved like a student on a mission, ignoring everyone and anyone not involved in said task. Remus can’t even remember the last time Severus actively ignored him.
Was that a bruise on his cheek?
"Severus," Remus called a little louder, expecting the boy to turn around, wanting him to turn around, but was denied the courtesy of a simple acknowledgment.
It was no longer a secret within his circle of friends that Severus and he were dating. While his friends still had issues understanding his choice, they had at least granted that it was his choice and seemed to have accepted that choice. Remus quietly thanked James for being the leader in that acceptance for which the other two Marauders eventually agreed to, Sirius dragging and kicking his feet the entire way.
Something was not right.
Remus sat up and maneuvered his legs over the side of the bed.
"Remus, don't," James protested with a hand grasping his upper arm.
He didn't heed his friends' words of warning, jerking his arm free and literally sliding to the floor, completely too the floor, when his knee joints gave out.
"Remus!"
He knew better than to try such a bold move the day after his monthly transformation, he's had enough of them to be wise of what he was capable of and what he should avoid, but Severus avoiding him, not even looking at him, had Remus throwing caution to the wind without a care of the damage he could cause himself.
Funny that even in his human form the wolf was still causing trouble.
James was around the bed in seconds flat and glaring in Severus' direction.
"Snape!" James growled in a warning and reprimanding tone. "Are you blind? Your nose isn't that big."
Well, at least he now had Severus' attention, Remus noted when he looked up to see Severus standing stoic still, eyes staring at him and wavering with panic, concern, hurt, love and hate.
Hate?
James' arm wrapped under his own and around his back, easily guiding him off the floor to stand next to the bed with his friends’ support. There was concern radiating off James' features and it was for more than his transformation recovery alone.
What happened last night?
His mouth dried up and his throat tightened as a thought occurred to him, a terribly dreadful and just plain bad thought.
No.
"Severus?" Remus spoke his boyfriends' name in a question, not understanding the changes in Severus' actions towards him but dreading and fearing what he assumed had caused them.
Severus stiffened and turned on his heels, heading toward Madam Pomfrey's office.
"Snape!" James yelled across the otherwise empty infirmary, still holding onto Remus. "He doesn't know."
Was James pleading? For me?
There was a silent pause before Severus made any retort, but when he did, it was with his back turned.
"Neither did I," Severus said, sounding angry and defeated at the same time.
Severus picked up his pace and disappeared into the healer's office without further word or explanation, but Remus didn't need one.
It was then that Remus knew that Severus had found out his secret. He didn't know how Severus found out but Severus now knew that he had been keeping a secret and in keeping said secret had lied on occasion to keep it. To add insult to injury, Severus also knew that his fellow Marauders knew the secret too.
Remus knees gave out a second time that had nothing to do with fatigue and slumped against James. He felt just as angry and defeated as Severus. He was angry with himself for causing the pain reflected in Severus eyes, and defeated because he knew that once he or anyone crossed Severus Snape, there was no going back.
James picked him up and laid him on the bed, pulling the covers over him once he was settled. They stared at each other for an extended moment before he rolled onto his side facing away from his friend.
"I'm sorry," James apologized, for what he wasn't entirely certain, and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.
Remus didn't want to deal with this now. He didn't want to talk about how his world had completely crumbled around him, out of his control, and all while he wasn't even in his right mind.
"I don't want to talk about it," Remus stated adamantly, pulling the covers tightly around him.
"Sure," James agreed, accepting, always accepting, his wishes. "But when you are ready, I will be here."
He didn't acknowledge James' offer. He didn't react when he heard the chair next to his bed scrape against the floor as his friend took a seat. He couldn't even breathe when Severus emerged from Madam Pomfrey's office and exited the infirmary as if they were complete strangers and not teen-aged lovers.
All Remus could do at that moment was remember the feeling of uncommonly gently hands anchoring his hips and his legs wrapped around Severus' slender waist, the movement of their bodies as they rocked together in unison seeking a completion only they could give each other, and knowing, in that spark of climax of their first time, that he had to tell Severus the truth. He had to share his full self with the boy-nearly-a-man that he loved before it was too late.
And now it was.
______
Link to my table: 100 Situations Snupin Table #3