Never Surrender [ Snape x Lupin ]

Chapter Eighteen

"What on Earth were you thinking, Remus?" Snape asked exasperated in a low tone as he moved away from his bed at the hospital wing

The potions master could be cold blooded for many things, including injuries, however, broken bones were a hard thing to look at for Severus. Remus was still unconscious from the night before and Madame Pomprey was using all her skill into fixing his smushed clavicle.

There are certain visions a person can hardly forget, and feelings so surreal that even as memories, seem more like a daydream in the mind. Sometimes is the disposition of a scene that captures the eye like a photograph and sometimes time itself bends to accommodate everything being experienced, both in real-time and when the moment is remembered.

There were simply too many of those nerve-wracking moments the night before, a catharsis so immense to all involved that maybe one lifetime could never make justice to the time it would take for a human to properly process it all. So many things at stake, way too little time to consider the outcome of every word said and every action made. Had one simple detail been different, the outcome would be unpredictable. And now, with all the dust finally settling down, all they could do was to bare, with an unsettling stillness, whatever was left of the comfortable reality they had before.

Things used to be simpler, even if just hours ago. Last night had been the night. The full moon when Lupin finally had the chance to see Sirius again, face to face. The night they so carefully planned to sneak Sirius into Hogwarts again to terminate Peter Pettigrew. And also the night things got out of hand because Lupin had forgotten to take his last Wolfsbane and Sirius was almost kissed by a Dementor. Even if Remus didn't know that part yet, as he lost his consciousness to the beast, he feard it could happen.

Snape had followed his ex-lover to the Whomping Willow, he knew there was something in the air. And for his most sorrowed delight, he was right. He hadn't seen Sirius Black in years, thirteen to be more exact. And there was something about the way he hugged Remus that made him feel like an eternity was too short never to see him again. All the guilt he had been carrying for not trusting Remus evaporated from his blood when he saw them at the Shrieking Shack, while hidden under the invisibility cloak.

For Remus, it was also not easy seeing Severus that night, knowing he was proving him right. The look he had on his dark eyes spoke an entire speech just for itself. It was clear he resented everyone telling him he was crazy for thinking this could take place. Remus would never forget the disgust on his expression when he saw Sirius. The way they still hated each other unconditionally even after all those years. But there was also something off about Snape that night. Like he was living the delusion of having a good reason to kill Sirius. Something he never thought he would have the pleasure of fulfilling.

None of that ever mattered. The Slytherin was knocked unconscious before he could do anything against Sirius and he only came to know all about how Black was innocent the next morning, after a very angry conversation with Dumbledore.

While Sirius and Lupin explained to a very confused and infuriated Harry all about the truth, and convinced Hermonie about their motives, the full moon was creeping in the corner. Harry decided his father wouldn't want his best friends to become murderers, so they would take Pettigrew back for the Dementor's kiss. But it all went terribly wrong.

The only thing minimally comforting, yet also enerving, Lupin could remember as he transformed was to see Snape coming into their direction. That happened only because he had taken all the potions in that week so far, except for the last one. He was able to watch the wolf act as Hermonie tried talking to him. Lupin lost the last bit of himself after having a glimpse of Snape positioning himself in front of the students to protect them. Horror was carved on him, but there he stood. And that was all Lupin could remember.