Saved by Love (Severus Snape / Original Female Character)

The Mutt

August 1993

It was late night, Remus sat at a table inside Hogsmeade's shadiest pub: The Hog's Head. Across from him on the imbalanced table, a thin man dressed on clothes two sizes too big for him devoured a plate of food and gulped down cheap firewhisky as if he had never tasted anything better in his life.

Remus looked at him with a warmth in his tired eyes, smiling as he shook his head.

"What?" asked the thin man, "I've missed the feeling of having a full stomach. And this," he said pointing to the cheap firewhisky in his glass, "Regular people take for granted their freedom to just get drunk and relax."

"But the food here is-"

"It's digestible, Remus," he finished his food and sighed, "That's more than I was offered some days in the past thirteen years."

"I know, Sirius. I understand."

The thin man, Sirius Black, tossed back the last of his firewhisky and smiled, clearly glad to be there.

"You're the happiest patron Aberforth has probably ever served," Remus laughed.

"Why are we here?" Sirius asked, looking around the empty pub, "I know no one comes here but... it's dangerous for me to just sit here."

"We're waiting for Severus-"

Sirius growled low, "Remind me again: why are we waiting for Snivellus?"

Remus sighed, "You need his help. He knows how to get to the safe-house inside Hogwarts' grounds. And he's bringing you a wand. Also, he's brewing an experimental Polyjuice that will last you a week, instead of an hour, for you to be able to live here in Hogsmeade without attracting attention."

"I'm not sure I'll take anything made by him with 'experimental' in front of it," said Sirius, bitterly.

"Florence is helping him make it. She wouldn't let Severus poison you."

That caught Sirius' attention, "So she's on speaking terms with Snivellus, now?"

"You could say that," Remus whispered; having promised not to talk about Severus and Florence being married for Severus wanted to break the news to Sirius himself.

"What's taking him so long to get here?" complained Sirius, "I bet he's doing it on purpose!"

"I don't know," said Remus, worried.

But then the front door of the pub was opened and Severus walked in.

"Look, there he is!" Remus said, and the relief was clear in his voice.

Severus walked towards them and sat at the table, "Evening, Remus," he greeted just him.

Sirius fisted his hands in anger and glared at the man, "Snivellus."

"Prison did you good, mutt," Severus replied in a bored tone, "It brought out the deranged gene your inbred family is known for."

"I'll show you deranged!" Sirius growled.

"Sure," Severus chuckled, sizing him up contemptuously.

"Why did it take you so long to get here?" Remus asked, "If I were seen with him, Azkaban would sound like heaven. You know werewolves don't go to prison..."

"I'm aware," Severus drawled, his dark eyes on Sirius.

"What?" Sirius barked, feeling uncomfortable under his staring.

Severus tilted his head and smirked, as if finding something amusing, "As he's not trying to kill me, I'm right to assume that you haven't told him anything."