Seven Halloween Acrostics
Title: Seven Halloween Acrostics
Word Count: 100 (a piece)
Rating: PG
Challenge: Halloween
Characters: Severus/remus/The rest of the order/The rest of the world
Authors Notes: Post HBP, Seven Acrostics, all spelling out Halloween (naturally)... not sure where I was going with this aside from pure boredom. They all connect to one another though I think they can be read separately... enjoy.
I.
He fell the second time on Halloween,
And like before witches and wizards alike crowded the streets in acts of celebration.
Lingering in the doorway of the faculty lounge Severus held his breath
Leaving was next to impossible, and returning was even harder. The
Order members that had survived sat around the table already; patting eachother on the backs.
"We did it" they all seemed to think.
Even though the real battle was waged by different hands entirely.
Entering the room Severus felt like he was walking into a cold shower
No one would meet his eyes, not even Remus.
II.
He recalled a time when they were both at Hogwarts
And the Marauders had yet to form their gang.
Lupin was cornered by a group of fifth year Slytherins and no one stopped to help him
Lest they be singled out as well. Snape watched with morbid fascination as
Outnumbered, and trapped Remus' eyes sought out every other person in the hall
Wielding a silent plea that went completely ignored...
Even by those who were supposedly brave and fellow Gryfindors.
Equally appalled and intrigued Snape alerted the first professor he saw
No one ever knew about that, especially not Remus.
III.
How something so trivial cropped up in his mind
And took precedence over his own current shame was astounding
Last year he would sneer at them all and perhaps there would be scathing remarks
Later he and the headmaster would have a quiet heart to heart about the real issues
Once the others had left him alone and he was no longer on his guard
Whatever he had expected to replace that scene he was not sure
Exactly how this fit. With Dumbledore it did not matter what you did
Everyone got second chances
No one would ever give him that courtesy again, except maybe... Remus
IV.
He didn't turn and billow out of the door, no matter the strong urge
And instead stepped just inside and scanned the room
Less than half the order was present. Those that were
Lost and those that had been on a different side all along were
Open wounds on the faces of those that remained
Willing himself to speak words to change his fate Snape opened then closed his mouth
Even if the headmaster was not gone, Severus would never be part of the festivities
Evil by nature
No one saw anything else. And no one ever would, not even Remus.
V.
Hollowed by the intensity of the glare that was shot his direction
An eyebrow shot up instinctively, and the other shortly after followed suite.
Leaving naked curiosity upon his face in their wake
Lupin had never once, looked upon him with such intense rage and disappointment
Over the years there were a couple times when Snape
Was sure he deserved it probably even more than that but
Even then, Remus was patient and aggravating, and never concerned enough to garner this look that was
Exasperating, and invigorating and had all the telltale little
Nuances of care... Albeit in a less than positive direction
VI.
Harry defeated the darklord on Halloween, twice over.
Aurours who had spent their lives trying to accomplish a quarter of that,
Laughed about the irony of it all. And those that considered themselves the side of
Light, let out a collective breath because surely all was right with the world.
Only nothing was all that changed in the end because
Wizards and muggles and even animals in the wild-
Every creature wanted power and eventually tried to take it
Elementary principles had been at work
Now the more complicated task of cleaning up the pieces made all humble, even Severus
VII.
Hands submissively at his side Severus took a seat at the staff table
All eyes were on him now, though none were quite meeting his own, except
Lupin's, which were trained relentlessly on his, with bold and blunt anger.
Leaving now would be an admission of guilt, staying an exercise in audacity
Only Snape could be so calm while walking that path
When friends and enemies were the same people all your life
Every victory was mostly bittersweet. That's how he knew
Eventually when the last comrade and enemy was buried, he could find peace that
No one would dare to bother... Except perhaps Remus.