It Rains

A promise

Snape poured the hot tea into a chipped cup and added a few drops of revitalizing potion.

"I want you to tell me in detail what happened." - He said as he handed the cup to Lupin.

"I had never experienced such a feeling; it was almost like going into ecstasy. The smell, I could not quite understand what it was. Like wilderness, like the change of the seasons. My body was anesthetized, but almost immediately the pain came, I felt a tingling all over my body, my stomach ached, my veins burned, and then everything went black." - Lupin's gaze was lost, he was trying to put into words what had happened to him.

"You regained consciousness very quickly, though".

"Yes, once I vomited".

"How do you feel now?"

"Just a little tired. Do you think the blood has poisoned me?"

"It may be, but I've never heard of human blood being poisonous. I suspect ... and I'm just making an assumption here, that it's more of a purge type of thing".

"Purge? Purge what?"

Snape stared at him, thoughtful. He had a suspicion, but it was still too early to draw any conclusion.

"I'm still not sure about that." - He answered. - "I need a few samples of your blood. It is important".

Lupin agreed, drawing his wand and making a cut along his arm while he asked:

"The Akardos, are you absolutely sure she is safe at Malfoy Manor? Don't you think it would be more sensible to take her to Hogwarts?"

Snape narrowed his eyes.

"I am following orders, Lupin. I don't know how you expect me to do that. On what basis?"

"Her safety!"

"Her... safety." – Repeated Snape drawling his words. His indignation bubbling up under his mask of indifference. - "I have already told you, I have taken all the necessary precautions".

"But..."

"Have you seen Tonks lately, by any chance?" – Asked Snape with a casual tone while collecting a few test tubes of the flowing blood.

Lupin opened his eyes, surprised to hear that question coming from Snape. Since when was he interested on his personal life?

"I... no. I have not."

"Her Patronus changed." – Continued Snape without looking at him. – "It's a wolf now. I suppose that's why you have decided to come and hide in the middle of nowhere".

"I am not hiding". – Said Lupin embarrassed. – "Dumbledore has sent me on a mission..."

"Sure... then I am wondering why that poor thing Nymphadora looks like a walking disaster. An unrequited love, perhaps?" – His low voice, embellished with a delicate scathing tone. - "You have always been a coward, Lupin. Since you were a cub at school, hiding behind your friends, behind Dumbledore. I advise you to take care of your own problems this time and turn your snout away from what does not concern you".

Lupin opened his mouth to answer but then Snape stood up.

"Thank you for the samples. I will know where to find you if I need you".

≫ ──── ≪•◦ ❈ ◦•≫ ──── ≪

Severus sat back in his office chair, rubbing his eyes wearily, a mountain of ungraded homework over his desk. He called off the last two classes he had that afternoon. He kept finding it ironic that when he had finally obtained his coveted position as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, the circumstances in which he now found himself made him lose all interest in teaching a bunch of brats.