Eclipse: Chapter One
Title: Eclipse
Rating: R
Main Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter
Pairings: Severus/Lily, Remus/Sirius
Setting: Hogwarts castle, Marauder's fifth year
Summary: When Sirius Black's prank goes horribly awry, Severus Snape is forced to concede to a future he never imagined. While change makes some improvements in his life, including an unlikely friendship with a Marauder and a romantic relationship with his best friend, Severus learns not everyone is entitled to happy endings. AU. Severus POV. Multi-pairing.
Spoilers: PoA and beyond
Challenge: Sky Samuelle proposed an AU Sevily where "Sirius' prank on Snape in fifth year go awry when James doesn't reach (Severus) in time: Lupin bites Severus, almost killing him. Lily realizes her feelings for her best friend might not be only platonic". The challenge is posted on FictionAlley Park here
Word Count: 1,486
_______________________
i "Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,
For he is gone beyond the good and the bad." -- Rumi; Our Death is Our Wedding with Eternity
ii. "Time bringeth swift to end
The rout men keep;
Death's wolf is nigh to rend
These silly sheep.
See, how in pride they go
With lifted head,
Till Fate with a sudden blow
Smiteth them dead." -- The Rubaiyat of Jalal Al-Din Rumi
iii. "I must tell you
I am on the prowl
and
when the moon is full
beware" - Ann Barcelon, The Prowl
It was dark, impossibly dark, but somehow, nonetheless, I saw him running.
Lupin -- Remus. The thin, shy, retiring Gryffindor prefect who looked incapable of hurting a fly. He was hurtling himself full-tilt towards me with wild energy, forcing his limbs to move faster, faster still. His light brown hair flew out behind him, somehow longer than I remembered it being that very morning, when I had eaten a mundane breakfast in the Great Hall with my Slytherin comrades, believing it to be just another ordinary day.
Clouds shifted, exposing a cruel, bloated moon. It stared down at me, casting a bland, white spotlight on Lupin, and suddenly I saw, with a jolt of shock, that it was not actually Lupin running towards me at all, but some beast doing a poor imitation of him. His mild, intellectual face was a mask of hate; slobbering, foam dripping from impossibly large jaws, his muzzle -- muzzle! -- stained crimson with blood, he tracked me with eyes that were no longer pleasantly hazel but downright golden. Thin, slit pupils scanned the night for the slightest move while he scented the air, determining the best route of attack. His faded school robes were in tatters; thick black claws emerged where his bitten fingernails ought to have been.
Distantly, I heard someone shouting. I thrust my trembling hands into my pockets in search of my wand, but I was shaking too hard to get a decent grip on it, and it slipped from my sweaty hands, falling to the ground. Lupin was closing in; the arc of his body seemed to fly at me; he was moving towards me so fast he barely seemed to be touching the ground. He was on all fours, his hands having given way to brutal paws, his blunt teeth exposed as he widened his jaw. Werewolf, my stunned mind whispered; all those midnight hours of research, tailing Lupin and his friends around wondering what they could be up to, and here was my answer, charging towards me with murderous fury.
"Severus, get out of the way, man," shouted a voice I recognised as belonging to James Potter. He sounded incredibly far away. "Pick up your wand," he called, and I detected a note of panic in his tone. "Get out of here!"
I bent low, my fingers fumbling in the dewy grass as I tried to locate my wand. Twice, my hands closed over something that felt like it, and I felt blessed relief well up in me, but both times I came up clutching nothing but a fistful of twigs.
The werewolf, silver-grey in the eerie light of the full moon, slowed. Cocking his head, he took a hesitant step towards me, sniffing the air. There was no Lupin left in his soulless eyes; the face studying me found books and notes incomprehensible and focused on nothing but the pounding of hot blood in my jugular. I pictured him leaping, tearing out my throat, and felt myself shake. My useless legs gave way and I toppled into my backside in the grass, both hands still frantically searching for some weapon I could use against him.
"No!" James screamed. He was far from us still, near the edge of the lake. His unkept black hair was plastered to his face by sweat and his clothes were torn in places, the sleeves of his Muggle-style shirt ripped nearly off of his body. "Remus! Hey!" Waving his arms about, he attempted to draw his friend's attention, but the wolf had eyes only for me.
Squeezing my own eyes closed, I tried to persuade myself that I was safe and warm in my comfortable bed. I pictured the Slytherin common room, the fire in the grate that never quite warmed the area enough but which nonetheless sounded heavenly at the moment. I was freezing, I was wet; something, sweat or piss or dew, clung to my clothes, which in turn hung against my skin.
A black dog tore out from nowhere, leaping from the reeds near the lake and charging towards Remus with a quick, unsteady gait. It was a huge animal, nearly as big as a regular sized wolf itself, but distinctly more in control than Remus. Bounding towards the werewolf, snapping at his heels, the dog barked a number of times, whining and baying as it attempted to get the attention of the werewolf at its side.
I took the opportunity to pull myself up. Staggering upright, holding my hands out in front of me, I backed away two paces.
"No, Snape, don't move," called the black dog, which unfurled itself and reformed as Sirius Black. As I stood gaping, he shook his head wildly. "Don't run! Stay still. He -- he'll hunt you if you move."
The werewolf tipped back his head and howled a wild love call to the moon above, which flashed back with the reflected light of a number of stars. Sirius skittered a few steps away, his wand held firmly in one tight fist. He looked pale, though somehow still dashing, his hair smooth and his clothes as neat as if he had just spent the past hour preening. Inexplicably, he was laughing; a manic sound issued from his throat as he tossed his own head back, pointing his chin to the sky.
"You wanted -- you wanted to see where we went at night, did you, Snape?" Sirius smirked, clutching his stomach. "Couldn't leave well enough alone, had to try and get us into trouble. Well, here you are," he choked out, pointing at Remus. "Moony's little secret, and you know all. Are you happy now?" His dark eyes flashed with sudden, mirthless hatred and the laughter died in his throat. "Do you have all the answers now, Snape?"
"Sirius, don't," cried James weakly. He staggered over, holding a small rodent in between his hands. The animal cowered and shook between his palms. "Distract Moony, I'll get him out of here."
The werewolf had begun to circle during the short exchange, creeping ever closer as his revolutions took him a few feet nearer with every turn. He sniffed the air, panting, and his eyes lolled madly. A pink tongue, spotted with blood and what looked like bits of fur, hung between his parted jaws. I could see the razor-like teeth, impossibly sharp triangles that seemed to bide their time until they could be put to use sinking into hot flesh.
Sirius looked suddenly alarmed. "Moony, Moony, no!"
Dropping to the ground, he resumed his dog-shape; even as I trembled in horror, a part of me calculated the praise I would received from my favourite professors after turning in Black as an illegal Animagus. In contrast to the real Sirius, the dog looked matted and rather feral; not a speck of Sirius' haughty, well-bred mannerisms were translated into the loping, long-limbed canine.
Lupin charged then; an impossibly large leap brought him within feet of me. His breath plumed against my face and I could smell the coppery blood that soaked his teeth, and scent dead things. Bristling, fur standing on end, he crept infinitesimally closer, his eyes never leaving my face. Over his shoulder, I saw something happen to James Potter; he seemed to sprout horns from the top of his head, but I chalked that madness up to panic as I stumbled out of the reach of Lupin's ferocious jaws, holding my bare hands out in defense. Sirius' dog body rushed me, trying to interpose itself between the werewolf and I, but he was too late.
A split second later, every bone in my left hand was shattered between Lupin's iron jaws. I barely had time to register the pain -- though I heard myself screaming in horror -- before his warm, filthy muzzle was thrust beneath my pale chin. I registered his snapping jaws and the sudden gush of hot liquid as blood poured out of my arteries into his gaping mouth. Distantly, I heard James screaming, but my concentration was centred on Remus' bright, brittle, copper-coloured eyes, which shone like twin moons just inches from my face. His eyes were the last thing I saw before my vision was invaded with uniform black. His weight forced me to the ground, and as I listened to him lapping my spilt blood, everything faded from sight.
|| chapter two ||
Rating: R
Main Characters: Severus Snape, Lily Evans, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, James Potter
Pairings: Severus/Lily, Remus/Sirius
Setting: Hogwarts castle, Marauder's fifth year
Summary: When Sirius Black's prank goes horribly awry, Severus Snape is forced to concede to a future he never imagined. While change makes some improvements in his life, including an unlikely friendship with a Marauder and a romantic relationship with his best friend, Severus learns not everyone is entitled to happy endings. AU. Severus POV. Multi-pairing.
Spoilers: PoA and beyond
Challenge: Sky Samuelle proposed an AU Sevily where "Sirius' prank on Snape in fifth year go awry when James doesn't reach (Severus) in time: Lupin bites Severus, almost killing him. Lily realizes her feelings for her best friend might not be only platonic". The challenge is posted on FictionAlley Park here
Word Count: 1,486
_______________________
i "Regarding him, say neither bad nor good,
For he is gone beyond the good and the bad." -- Rumi; Our Death is Our Wedding with Eternity
ii. "Time bringeth swift to end
The rout men keep;
Death's wolf is nigh to rend
These silly sheep.
See, how in pride they go
With lifted head,
Till Fate with a sudden blow
Smiteth them dead." -- The Rubaiyat of Jalal Al-Din Rumi
iii. "I must tell you
I am on the prowl
and
when the moon is full
beware" - Ann Barcelon, The Prowl
It was dark, impossibly dark, but somehow, nonetheless, I saw him running.
Lupin -- Remus. The thin, shy, retiring Gryffindor prefect who looked incapable of hurting a fly. He was hurtling himself full-tilt towards me with wild energy, forcing his limbs to move faster, faster still. His light brown hair flew out behind him, somehow longer than I remembered it being that very morning, when I had eaten a mundane breakfast in the Great Hall with my Slytherin comrades, believing it to be just another ordinary day.
Clouds shifted, exposing a cruel, bloated moon. It stared down at me, casting a bland, white spotlight on Lupin, and suddenly I saw, with a jolt of shock, that it was not actually Lupin running towards me at all, but some beast doing a poor imitation of him. His mild, intellectual face was a mask of hate; slobbering, foam dripping from impossibly large jaws, his muzzle -- muzzle! -- stained crimson with blood, he tracked me with eyes that were no longer pleasantly hazel but downright golden. Thin, slit pupils scanned the night for the slightest move while he scented the air, determining the best route of attack. His faded school robes were in tatters; thick black claws emerged where his bitten fingernails ought to have been.
Distantly, I heard someone shouting. I thrust my trembling hands into my pockets in search of my wand, but I was shaking too hard to get a decent grip on it, and it slipped from my sweaty hands, falling to the ground. Lupin was closing in; the arc of his body seemed to fly at me; he was moving towards me so fast he barely seemed to be touching the ground. He was on all fours, his hands having given way to brutal paws, his blunt teeth exposed as he widened his jaw. Werewolf, my stunned mind whispered; all those midnight hours of research, tailing Lupin and his friends around wondering what they could be up to, and here was my answer, charging towards me with murderous fury.
"Severus, get out of the way, man," shouted a voice I recognised as belonging to James Potter. He sounded incredibly far away. "Pick up your wand," he called, and I detected a note of panic in his tone. "Get out of here!"
I bent low, my fingers fumbling in the dewy grass as I tried to locate my wand. Twice, my hands closed over something that felt like it, and I felt blessed relief well up in me, but both times I came up clutching nothing but a fistful of twigs.
The werewolf, silver-grey in the eerie light of the full moon, slowed. Cocking his head, he took a hesitant step towards me, sniffing the air. There was no Lupin left in his soulless eyes; the face studying me found books and notes incomprehensible and focused on nothing but the pounding of hot blood in my jugular. I pictured him leaping, tearing out my throat, and felt myself shake. My useless legs gave way and I toppled into my backside in the grass, both hands still frantically searching for some weapon I could use against him.
"No!" James screamed. He was far from us still, near the edge of the lake. His unkept black hair was plastered to his face by sweat and his clothes were torn in places, the sleeves of his Muggle-style shirt ripped nearly off of his body. "Remus! Hey!" Waving his arms about, he attempted to draw his friend's attention, but the wolf had eyes only for me.
Squeezing my own eyes closed, I tried to persuade myself that I was safe and warm in my comfortable bed. I pictured the Slytherin common room, the fire in the grate that never quite warmed the area enough but which nonetheless sounded heavenly at the moment. I was freezing, I was wet; something, sweat or piss or dew, clung to my clothes, which in turn hung against my skin.
A black dog tore out from nowhere, leaping from the reeds near the lake and charging towards Remus with a quick, unsteady gait. It was a huge animal, nearly as big as a regular sized wolf itself, but distinctly more in control than Remus. Bounding towards the werewolf, snapping at his heels, the dog barked a number of times, whining and baying as it attempted to get the attention of the werewolf at its side.
I took the opportunity to pull myself up. Staggering upright, holding my hands out in front of me, I backed away two paces.
"No, Snape, don't move," called the black dog, which unfurled itself and reformed as Sirius Black. As I stood gaping, he shook his head wildly. "Don't run! Stay still. He -- he'll hunt you if you move."
The werewolf tipped back his head and howled a wild love call to the moon above, which flashed back with the reflected light of a number of stars. Sirius skittered a few steps away, his wand held firmly in one tight fist. He looked pale, though somehow still dashing, his hair smooth and his clothes as neat as if he had just spent the past hour preening. Inexplicably, he was laughing; a manic sound issued from his throat as he tossed his own head back, pointing his chin to the sky.
"You wanted -- you wanted to see where we went at night, did you, Snape?" Sirius smirked, clutching his stomach. "Couldn't leave well enough alone, had to try and get us into trouble. Well, here you are," he choked out, pointing at Remus. "Moony's little secret, and you know all. Are you happy now?" His dark eyes flashed with sudden, mirthless hatred and the laughter died in his throat. "Do you have all the answers now, Snape?"
"Sirius, don't," cried James weakly. He staggered over, holding a small rodent in between his hands. The animal cowered and shook between his palms. "Distract Moony, I'll get him out of here."
The werewolf had begun to circle during the short exchange, creeping ever closer as his revolutions took him a few feet nearer with every turn. He sniffed the air, panting, and his eyes lolled madly. A pink tongue, spotted with blood and what looked like bits of fur, hung between his parted jaws. I could see the razor-like teeth, impossibly sharp triangles that seemed to bide their time until they could be put to use sinking into hot flesh.
Sirius looked suddenly alarmed. "Moony, Moony, no!"
Dropping to the ground, he resumed his dog-shape; even as I trembled in horror, a part of me calculated the praise I would received from my favourite professors after turning in Black as an illegal Animagus. In contrast to the real Sirius, the dog looked matted and rather feral; not a speck of Sirius' haughty, well-bred mannerisms were translated into the loping, long-limbed canine.
Lupin charged then; an impossibly large leap brought him within feet of me. His breath plumed against my face and I could smell the coppery blood that soaked his teeth, and scent dead things. Bristling, fur standing on end, he crept infinitesimally closer, his eyes never leaving my face. Over his shoulder, I saw something happen to James Potter; he seemed to sprout horns from the top of his head, but I chalked that madness up to panic as I stumbled out of the reach of Lupin's ferocious jaws, holding my bare hands out in defense. Sirius' dog body rushed me, trying to interpose itself between the werewolf and I, but he was too late.
A split second later, every bone in my left hand was shattered between Lupin's iron jaws. I barely had time to register the pain -- though I heard myself screaming in horror -- before his warm, filthy muzzle was thrust beneath my pale chin. I registered his snapping jaws and the sudden gush of hot liquid as blood poured out of my arteries into his gaping mouth. Distantly, I heard James screaming, but my concentration was centred on Remus' bright, brittle, copper-coloured eyes, which shone like twin moons just inches from my face. His eyes were the last thing I saw before my vision was invaded with uniform black. His weight forced me to the ground, and as I listened to him lapping my spilt blood, everything faded from sight.
|| chapter two ||