Fic: Knowledge is Power, Snape/Lupin, PG-13, Page of Coins
Title: Knowledge is Power
Type: Fiction
Main character or Pairing: Severus Snape/Remus Lupin
Card: Page of Coins
Card Interpretation: "Application, study, scholarship." The Page is shown so entranced by his pentacle he ignores all else.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don not own anything in the Harry Potter world. I am merely borrowing the characters for non-commercial entertainment. No harm, no foul.
Warnings: None really. Just school boy smooching.
Summary: Snape in so involved in his studies that he doesn't realize someone is studying him. He soon discovers there is more to learn than what you can find in a book.
Word Count: 2,288
Author Notes: Special thanks to my sister Steph for the quick and pleasant beta, despite the fact she doesn't care for the pairing. *hugs*
Knowledge is Power
Severus sighed as he walked out of the castle into the cool morning air. He loved this time of the day. Most of the rest of the student body was inside, stuffing their faces full of the treats provided by the school, not caring what they ate as long as it was warm and sweet. Severus made sure to eat quickly and efficiently, choosing his meals for fuel not flavor. His mother had instilled that in him at a very young age.
He looked around, searching for his favorite spot. Luckily, it was blissfully vacant and Severus sighed as he sank onto the soft grass. The air still held a bit of a bite of cold and it stung the young man's lungs as he inhaled deeply. Severus loved it. It made him feel alive.
Quickly opening his text, the raven-haired boy leaned over the book, the curtain of long hair obscuring everything but the pages before him. He moved in close, entranced by the spells described before him, his hooked nose barely skimming the pages as he read.
Lucius had loaned him the book, under threat of a most painful curse should anything befall the ancient text. Severus had been thrilled at the older boy's trust in him, especially once the younger boy realized the content held within. The text was old and held magics the headmaster would never allow within Hogwarts' walls had he known of the tomes existence there.
Severus had devoured the book, read it through in a single sitting, staying awake all night and missing classes the next day. He didn't care. He had to know, had to see what secrets were hidden inside. But now he could take his time to study and learn how each spell worked, discover the structure of the spell so he could deconstruct it and rebuild it, make it strong and better. It was Severus' dream to create spells so awesome, so powerful, that no one would ever doubt or mock him again.
He had just begun studying a rather intriguing spell that would capture a rival by the ankle when he heard the noise building from the castle's entrance. It seemed the lemmings had finished stuffing themselves and were coming out to ruin Severus' brilliant morning. Hunching over the text even further, the raven-haired boy tried his best to ignore the laughing and teasing that was common of the youth of this school.
Severus cringed as he heard the incessant, inane babbling of the bane of his existence. James Potter strode past him, followed by his usual posse of Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. Severus hated them all, just as much as they hated him. Well, hate may have been too harsh a word, but it would do.
Since they had all entered school, there had been tension between Potter and himself. Severus couldn't stand Potter's sense of entitlement, his enormous ego and grandstanding. Potter apparently couldn't stand Severus' superior intellect and skill.
It was a rivalry for the ages.
Severus refused to look up as the boys passed him, The Marauders they liked to call themselves. He concentrated hard on the words, though he hardly saw them. He could hear them laughing as they strolled toward their normal spots beneath the large tree beside the lake, the perfect spot for Potter's preening and Black's posturing. All the girls would watch and giggle, flirting with the most popular boys in the school.
Chancing a glance, Severus glimpsed up to see Lupin watching him as he passed. The blond haired boy had an odd look on his face, as if he were trying to communicate with him in some way. But Severus had little use for non-verbal communication so he let the moment pass without another thought.
Sinking back over his text, Severus studied the spell once more. If he combined the entrapment spell in the text with a levitation spell, it could be a powerful weapon to incapacitate an enemy. The boy closed his eyes in concentration. He imagined the wand movement, simple yet effective. He saw in his mind's eye an invisible cord stretching from the tip of his wand, wrapping around his opponents ankle, the left preferably, since for most, the right leg would be dominant. Then, with a tiny swish and flick, the enemy would float in the air, levitating by their captured ankle.
Severus smiled to himself as he imagined Potter hanging upside down, pleading for the raven-haired boy to release him from the unknown spell. Severus would let him dangle for a while, proving to the entire school that he was stronger, more powerful, before finally letting the arrogant boy go, dropping him to the ground with the thump.
Picking up his quill, he quickly wrote in his own Potions text, Levicorpus, with the simplified wand movement scribbled beneath it. He would have to try it out later, just to make sure it worked the way he wanted. He shouldn't have too much trouble finding someone to experiment on since many of the younger boys in his house loved to learn the secrets of Severus' new spells.
In the distance, a bell sounded, signaling the students that classes were preparing to start. Everyone began to move, some grumbling, others excited, heading back toward the castle. Severus carefully packed his belongings away, making sure to seal with ink well completely and hiding the forbidden text deep with his tattered bag.
"Hi, Severus," a lilting voice called to him. Severus looked up in time to see the blinding smile of Lily Evans flashing at him. He returned it readily, its warmth genuine and true.
"Good morning, Lily," he responded as he hurried to collect the rest of his belongings.
"Better hurry, Snivellus," Sirius Black called tauntingly as he passed with the rest of the Marauders. "It would be a shame if you were late for class yet again. Not even Slughorn's pet couldn't get out of detention for being late to potions after missing class the day before because he too tired to show up."
Laughter followed the group of boys as they made their way inside. Severus simply glared at their retreating backs, his lips curling into a snarl. He would get back at them if it was the last thing he did.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later that evening, Severus was wandering the halls of the dungeons as he made his way toward the Slytherin common room. The experiment went very well and Severus was very pleased to discover that his newly developed spell, Levicorpus was easily performed non-verbally and was mastered quickly. By the end of the session, he could lift McNair with a mere thought and a single, simple flick of his wand.
He couldn't wait to try it out on some unsuspecting fool.
Swiftly rounding the corner, the raven-haired boy walked directly into a warm, solid body walking toward him. Both boys stumbled, grasping onto the other to keep from falling to the cold, stone floor. Finally steady on his feet, Severus looked to see who had nearly tumbled him to the ground.
"Lupin," he practically growled. "What do you think you're doing down here in the dungeons? You just think you can spy around here just because you have that Prefect badge? Shouldn't you be up in your comfortable little tower with your mates trying to figure out exciting new ways to get the rest of us into trouble?"
"Severus," Lupin replied softly. "Please, call me Remus."
"And why would I want to do such a thing?" Severus snapped. "I am not your friend."
"But you could be," the blond boy whispered as he stepped closer. Severus had not realized how close they were or that Lupin continued to hold his wrist in his surprisingly strong fingers.
"Why?" he whispered, taking a step backward, followed by another.
Lupin smiled widely at Severus. Severus didn't like it. It was too manic, too big, showed too many teeth. Severus felt like prey in this boy's sight.
"I've been watching you," Lupin whispered as he leaned in even closer. "You're lonely, Severus. I get lonely too."
Severus snorted at the thought. "You? Lonely? How is that possible when you're always surrounded by the Potter crew?"
The blue eyes drifted closed for a moment before Remus answered. "Haven't you ever felt all alone in a crowded room?"
Endless black eyes stared into the crystal blue as the two boys took each other in. There was a truth that Severus could see, despite his confusion and doubt. He was intrigued, entranced, and he wanted to know more. "Why me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"There is something about you, Severus," Lupin whispered. "Something hidden deep beneath that greasy black hair and long black robe. You hide, Severus. I want to know what you're hiding under all these layers. Layers of clothes and hair and gruff personality. I want to know your secrets."
"I don't have any..." Severus started, but was prevented from finishing when Lupin's lips pressed against his own. Shocked by the action, Severus gasped lightly, unknowingly inviting Lupin inside. The other boy's tongue was warm and wet and not all together unpleasant. Severus had kissed and been kissed before, but this was different. Lupin was gentle, but strong at the same time; questing with his tongue, but asking with his lips. The dark haired boy could still feel the strong grip of fingers around his wrist, gently trapping him against the cool stone of the dungeon walls.
Suddenly remembering the book hidden with the folds of his robes, Severus grasped for the text. The abrupt movement sent the book flying down to the floor, causing a loud thud to echo throughout the stone halls. He tried to retrieve his possession, but Lupin stopped him by moving his grip from Severus' wrist to his waist. The fingers were just as strong and demanding on the more tender flesh as it had been before and the power of it made Severus shudder.
This was a different power, delicious and intoxicating. He wanted to know more.
Pulling Remus in closer, Severus tasted and touched, learning the nuances of this newly discovered knowledge.
As the two boys kissed and groped, lost in the other, neither of them knew they were being watched.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
James and Sirius watched in awe from their hiding spot at the end of the hall. They had been following Remus for days, trying to figure out where the boy was going after their evening meal. He always claimed he was leaving to do his rounds as Prefect, but nearly always came back out of sorts. They decided something was up and were determined to find out what it was.
Hiding under James' invisibility cloak, the two boys were shocked when their friend walked straight to the dungeons. They followed as closely as they dared. It was hard trailing your friend when he's a werewolf, especially so close to the full moon.
Hearing a scuffle, the two invisible boys waited until the noise quieted down to see where Remus had gone. They both stood in shock at the sight before them. The last thing they expected to see was their best mate snogging Snape.
They watched in silence until they were sure they would not be discovered and slowly crept down the hall for a better vantage point.
"Moony sure is aggressive right before the full moon, isn't he?" James whispered quietly.
"And lusty," Sirius responded with a chuckle. "I never would have taken him for being so hands on, ya' know?"
The two boys fought down the urge to laugh until a loud thud echoed through the hallway. James spied the book lying at Snape's feet and summoned it to him. He opened the text and was surprised to discover several spells written into the margins. He located one that seemed to be the most recent addition.
"Levicorpus?" James asked Sirius. "What do you suppose it does?"
"Not a clue," answered Sirius. "We'll try it out on Wormtail when we get back to the common room. Now put that back before the greasy git notices it's gone."
"He won't notice," James snickered. "Not with Moony's tongue down his throat like that. It looks like he's trying to eat him alive."
Sirius chuckled as he watched James levitate the book back to its place at Snape's feet.
Once it was safely back in place, Sirius whispered, "I've a got a great idea."
"What's that?" James asked.
"What do you say we introduce Snivellus to our dear Remus' other side?"
"What other side?" the bespectacled boy asked.
"Well, Snape seems to be enjoying Lupin's wild side, so why don't we show him Moony's real wild side?"
James' mouth fell wide open for a moment before he clamped a hand firmly across his face to keep from howling in laughter.
"Brilliant!" he exclaimed once he got his laughter under control. "Come on, then. Let's go try out that spell on Wormtail first, and then we've got plans to make. The full moon is only three days away."
The two boys scurried away under the safety of invisibility, leaving the other boys alone to continue as they pleased.
They were all completely ignorant to the fact that they were about to change their history forever.
~~~The End~~~
Type: Fiction
Main character or Pairing: Severus Snape/Remus Lupin
Card: Page of Coins
Card Interpretation: "Application, study, scholarship." The Page is shown so entranced by his pentacle he ignores all else.
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don not own anything in the Harry Potter world. I am merely borrowing the characters for non-commercial entertainment. No harm, no foul.
Warnings: None really. Just school boy smooching.
Summary: Snape in so involved in his studies that he doesn't realize someone is studying him. He soon discovers there is more to learn than what you can find in a book.
Word Count: 2,288
Author Notes: Special thanks to my sister Steph for the quick and pleasant beta, despite the fact she doesn't care for the pairing. *hugs*
Knowledge is Power
Severus sighed as he walked out of the castle into the cool morning air. He loved this time of the day. Most of the rest of the student body was inside, stuffing their faces full of the treats provided by the school, not caring what they ate as long as it was warm and sweet. Severus made sure to eat quickly and efficiently, choosing his meals for fuel not flavor. His mother had instilled that in him at a very young age.
He looked around, searching for his favorite spot. Luckily, it was blissfully vacant and Severus sighed as he sank onto the soft grass. The air still held a bit of a bite of cold and it stung the young man's lungs as he inhaled deeply. Severus loved it. It made him feel alive.
Quickly opening his text, the raven-haired boy leaned over the book, the curtain of long hair obscuring everything but the pages before him. He moved in close, entranced by the spells described before him, his hooked nose barely skimming the pages as he read.
Lucius had loaned him the book, under threat of a most painful curse should anything befall the ancient text. Severus had been thrilled at the older boy's trust in him, especially once the younger boy realized the content held within. The text was old and held magics the headmaster would never allow within Hogwarts' walls had he known of the tomes existence there.
Severus had devoured the book, read it through in a single sitting, staying awake all night and missing classes the next day. He didn't care. He had to know, had to see what secrets were hidden inside. But now he could take his time to study and learn how each spell worked, discover the structure of the spell so he could deconstruct it and rebuild it, make it strong and better. It was Severus' dream to create spells so awesome, so powerful, that no one would ever doubt or mock him again.
He had just begun studying a rather intriguing spell that would capture a rival by the ankle when he heard the noise building from the castle's entrance. It seemed the lemmings had finished stuffing themselves and were coming out to ruin Severus' brilliant morning. Hunching over the text even further, the raven-haired boy tried his best to ignore the laughing and teasing that was common of the youth of this school.
Severus cringed as he heard the incessant, inane babbling of the bane of his existence. James Potter strode past him, followed by his usual posse of Black, Lupin and Pettigrew. Severus hated them all, just as much as they hated him. Well, hate may have been too harsh a word, but it would do.
Since they had all entered school, there had been tension between Potter and himself. Severus couldn't stand Potter's sense of entitlement, his enormous ego and grandstanding. Potter apparently couldn't stand Severus' superior intellect and skill.
It was a rivalry for the ages.
Severus refused to look up as the boys passed him, The Marauders they liked to call themselves. He concentrated hard on the words, though he hardly saw them. He could hear them laughing as they strolled toward their normal spots beneath the large tree beside the lake, the perfect spot for Potter's preening and Black's posturing. All the girls would watch and giggle, flirting with the most popular boys in the school.
Chancing a glance, Severus glimpsed up to see Lupin watching him as he passed. The blond haired boy had an odd look on his face, as if he were trying to communicate with him in some way. But Severus had little use for non-verbal communication so he let the moment pass without another thought.
Sinking back over his text, Severus studied the spell once more. If he combined the entrapment spell in the text with a levitation spell, it could be a powerful weapon to incapacitate an enemy. The boy closed his eyes in concentration. He imagined the wand movement, simple yet effective. He saw in his mind's eye an invisible cord stretching from the tip of his wand, wrapping around his opponents ankle, the left preferably, since for most, the right leg would be dominant. Then, with a tiny swish and flick, the enemy would float in the air, levitating by their captured ankle.
Severus smiled to himself as he imagined Potter hanging upside down, pleading for the raven-haired boy to release him from the unknown spell. Severus would let him dangle for a while, proving to the entire school that he was stronger, more powerful, before finally letting the arrogant boy go, dropping him to the ground with the thump.
Picking up his quill, he quickly wrote in his own Potions text, Levicorpus, with the simplified wand movement scribbled beneath it. He would have to try it out later, just to make sure it worked the way he wanted. He shouldn't have too much trouble finding someone to experiment on since many of the younger boys in his house loved to learn the secrets of Severus' new spells.
In the distance, a bell sounded, signaling the students that classes were preparing to start. Everyone began to move, some grumbling, others excited, heading back toward the castle. Severus carefully packed his belongings away, making sure to seal with ink well completely and hiding the forbidden text deep with his tattered bag.
"Hi, Severus," a lilting voice called to him. Severus looked up in time to see the blinding smile of Lily Evans flashing at him. He returned it readily, its warmth genuine and true.
"Good morning, Lily," he responded as he hurried to collect the rest of his belongings.
"Better hurry, Snivellus," Sirius Black called tauntingly as he passed with the rest of the Marauders. "It would be a shame if you were late for class yet again. Not even Slughorn's pet couldn't get out of detention for being late to potions after missing class the day before because he too tired to show up."
Laughter followed the group of boys as they made their way inside. Severus simply glared at their retreating backs, his lips curling into a snarl. He would get back at them if it was the last thing he did.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later that evening, Severus was wandering the halls of the dungeons as he made his way toward the Slytherin common room. The experiment went very well and Severus was very pleased to discover that his newly developed spell, Levicorpus was easily performed non-verbally and was mastered quickly. By the end of the session, he could lift McNair with a mere thought and a single, simple flick of his wand.
He couldn't wait to try it out on some unsuspecting fool.
Swiftly rounding the corner, the raven-haired boy walked directly into a warm, solid body walking toward him. Both boys stumbled, grasping onto the other to keep from falling to the cold, stone floor. Finally steady on his feet, Severus looked to see who had nearly tumbled him to the ground.
"Lupin," he practically growled. "What do you think you're doing down here in the dungeons? You just think you can spy around here just because you have that Prefect badge? Shouldn't you be up in your comfortable little tower with your mates trying to figure out exciting new ways to get the rest of us into trouble?"
"Severus," Lupin replied softly. "Please, call me Remus."
"And why would I want to do such a thing?" Severus snapped. "I am not your friend."
"But you could be," the blond boy whispered as he stepped closer. Severus had not realized how close they were or that Lupin continued to hold his wrist in his surprisingly strong fingers.
"Why?" he whispered, taking a step backward, followed by another.
Lupin smiled widely at Severus. Severus didn't like it. It was too manic, too big, showed too many teeth. Severus felt like prey in this boy's sight.
"I've been watching you," Lupin whispered as he leaned in even closer. "You're lonely, Severus. I get lonely too."
Severus snorted at the thought. "You? Lonely? How is that possible when you're always surrounded by the Potter crew?"
The blue eyes drifted closed for a moment before Remus answered. "Haven't you ever felt all alone in a crowded room?"
Endless black eyes stared into the crystal blue as the two boys took each other in. There was a truth that Severus could see, despite his confusion and doubt. He was intrigued, entranced, and he wanted to know more. "Why me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"There is something about you, Severus," Lupin whispered. "Something hidden deep beneath that greasy black hair and long black robe. You hide, Severus. I want to know what you're hiding under all these layers. Layers of clothes and hair and gruff personality. I want to know your secrets."
"I don't have any..." Severus started, but was prevented from finishing when Lupin's lips pressed against his own. Shocked by the action, Severus gasped lightly, unknowingly inviting Lupin inside. The other boy's tongue was warm and wet and not all together unpleasant. Severus had kissed and been kissed before, but this was different. Lupin was gentle, but strong at the same time; questing with his tongue, but asking with his lips. The dark haired boy could still feel the strong grip of fingers around his wrist, gently trapping him against the cool stone of the dungeon walls.
Suddenly remembering the book hidden with the folds of his robes, Severus grasped for the text. The abrupt movement sent the book flying down to the floor, causing a loud thud to echo throughout the stone halls. He tried to retrieve his possession, but Lupin stopped him by moving his grip from Severus' wrist to his waist. The fingers were just as strong and demanding on the more tender flesh as it had been before and the power of it made Severus shudder.
This was a different power, delicious and intoxicating. He wanted to know more.
Pulling Remus in closer, Severus tasted and touched, learning the nuances of this newly discovered knowledge.
As the two boys kissed and groped, lost in the other, neither of them knew they were being watched.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
James and Sirius watched in awe from their hiding spot at the end of the hall. They had been following Remus for days, trying to figure out where the boy was going after their evening meal. He always claimed he was leaving to do his rounds as Prefect, but nearly always came back out of sorts. They decided something was up and were determined to find out what it was.
Hiding under James' invisibility cloak, the two boys were shocked when their friend walked straight to the dungeons. They followed as closely as they dared. It was hard trailing your friend when he's a werewolf, especially so close to the full moon.
Hearing a scuffle, the two invisible boys waited until the noise quieted down to see where Remus had gone. They both stood in shock at the sight before them. The last thing they expected to see was their best mate snogging Snape.
They watched in silence until they were sure they would not be discovered and slowly crept down the hall for a better vantage point.
"Moony sure is aggressive right before the full moon, isn't he?" James whispered quietly.
"And lusty," Sirius responded with a chuckle. "I never would have taken him for being so hands on, ya' know?"
The two boys fought down the urge to laugh until a loud thud echoed through the hallway. James spied the book lying at Snape's feet and summoned it to him. He opened the text and was surprised to discover several spells written into the margins. He located one that seemed to be the most recent addition.
"Levicorpus?" James asked Sirius. "What do you suppose it does?"
"Not a clue," answered Sirius. "We'll try it out on Wormtail when we get back to the common room. Now put that back before the greasy git notices it's gone."
"He won't notice," James snickered. "Not with Moony's tongue down his throat like that. It looks like he's trying to eat him alive."
Sirius chuckled as he watched James levitate the book back to its place at Snape's feet.
Once it was safely back in place, Sirius whispered, "I've a got a great idea."
"What's that?" James asked.
"What do you say we introduce Snivellus to our dear Remus' other side?"
"What other side?" the bespectacled boy asked.
"Well, Snape seems to be enjoying Lupin's wild side, so why don't we show him Moony's real wild side?"
James' mouth fell wide open for a moment before he clamped a hand firmly across his face to keep from howling in laughter.
"Brilliant!" he exclaimed once he got his laughter under control. "Come on, then. Let's go try out that spell on Wormtail first, and then we've got plans to make. The full moon is only three days away."
The two boys scurried away under the safety of invisibility, leaving the other boys alone to continue as they pleased.
They were all completely ignorant to the fact that they were about to change their history forever.
~~~The End~~~