A Different Turn of Events

Chapter 2

It has been weeks since the classroom incident with the Marauders and Severus feels far too agitated and relentless because of their none-stop apology. Whether it be a letter, a note or a basket of sweets (which he had no doubt came from the wolf) that was signed by all of them.

He answered to every single one of them with a polite but no nonsense attitude and a few words of firm dismissal that he thought was already too much considering what they did to him, he didn't think they deserve it.

The only thing that made Severus do it was because his mother raised him to be a good little gentleman and also one of the Hufflepuffs he was tutoring implied that he would be no better than them if he ignored them like Lily did. Of course she may not have meant that he should reply on the negative but it was all Severus was willing to do. It isn't as if he would actually forgive them. He didn't think he was capable of it, not after what they had done to him. He wasn't a saint, never have been. Merlin be damned if he started now acting like one now.

As he was mulling things over as one was wont to do, a hand came from the abandoned classroom, grabbed his robes and pulled him in with great force despite the fact that he was resisting quite violently.

The hand let go as soon as he was in the room, causing the momentum of the swing to hurl Severus to the back of the classroom. His back connected to the wall and had he not been as durable as he was, he would have received major injury out of it (he wouldn't have, Severus is just being dramatic, he would have been sore for a few days though).

Taking in gulps of air that his lungs were trying very hard to resist. He stood rather quickly for a wizard that had just been winded and trained his ebony wand on his perpetrator. He was surprised to see the wolf there. Standing like the idiotic Gryffindor that he was, holding up both his hands in a universal sign of surrender. There was an apology in his eyes and Severus could just see it try to form in his mouth. He felt the flare of anger light up inside him.

It was an instantaneous thing, when he realized that Lupin was going to apologize again. After Severus had continuously told him -- them that he would not accept.

After they took most of his sleep when they bombarded him with apology letters the other night and left him needing to be alert and therefore not get enough sleep.

When he had sent them each a note saying he wish to be alone and asked (demanded) that they leave him alone politely (or as politely as one Severus Snape is capable of). He had -- patiently -- informed them, he had expressed his indifference and had asked to be left alone for that alone was apology enough for him.

So really it could not be said that it was Severus Snape's fault when his frustrations and the noticeable (and frankly unhealthy) lack of sleep took hold of him and gave birth to a rage so intense it stole his breath for the shortest of moments and made him so incredibly livid he didn't know (nor care) about the survival rate of the stupid Gryffindor once he was done with him.

He growled, a low menacing growl that sent the wolf inside Remus trembling with both excitement and fear, all-consuming and all-penetrating fear. Magic, thicker and more powerful than any he had sensed before, more powerful than even Headmaster's settled around the room.

Tendrils unfurling and spreading across the abandoned classroom that Remus had thought was isolated enough that even the loudest of shrieks would not be heard, how terribly he regretted that now.

The magic wrapped around the room before it all snapped and started constricting his person. His heart skipped a beat or two as he realized once again what an utter idiot he's been for pulling a Slytherin in an abandoned classroom without said Slytherin's consent and proceeded to slam them, him against the wall so that he would think he was being attacked. Again, his treacherous mind supplied.

His thoughts were interrupted - or well his breath was but you know what they say about semantics.

His eyes watered as his lungs tried and tried and tried to heave a breath through his blocked windpipe and it hurts so, so much.

Severus watched, his rage igniting his insides and its flames licking at the cavity of his chest.

Remus clawed at the phantom hands that were choking him, his skin turning an alarming shade of purple and his eyes slowly losing their shine. And he watched as slowly the life started slithering away from his eyes... Slowly and slowly. Lupin's eyes now starting to droop.

Something inside Severus snapped and roared and the magic that was holding Lupin by the neck above the ground released, letting him fall down like a rag doll, heaving huge gasps of air and filling his lungs with as much oxygen as his abused throat could manage with every breath.

He let out a sigh and tried to calm his emotions as they try to overwhelm him with sensations after sensations that he really could not process nor understand. Enforcing his impeccable Occlumency walls, he strode to where Lupin laid pathetically and bent down to administer muscle relief potion and a pain relief one, both wolf-friendly.

Remus took the potions down gratefully and sat up when the beginnings of the potion started taking effect, working on calming his over excited wolf.

This reaction was certainly not what he expected, especially when Moony had been nothing but protective of him. What was it about Severus Snape that made Moony excited like so? Also, why hadn't Snape let him die? Goodness knows he deserved it after all those years of abuse that they threw at him.

"Th-Thanks..." his voice croaked a bit as the potions weren't enough to eliminate the scratchy feeling in his throat. Not that he couldn't live with a little discomfort. He was used to them. Snape looked him down his nose a bored expression on his mostly impassive face.

Severus really, really hadn't meant that. He truly, truly did not mean to almost kill Lupin for apologizing for almost killing him on multiple occasions. He really didn't mean to! Okay?! So why won't Lupin, the wretched wolf, look at him in contempt for this obviously accidental burst of (almost) murdering magic?! Why wasn't Lupin, the self-righteous Gryffindor and always right Lupin! Mad at him for almost killing him like his friend had tried on multiple instances (of the past that Severus could not let go) to do to him!? Merlin, Lupin! Be angry, goddammit Lupin! Be vengeful you pitiful cat! Don't look like you understand why I did what I did, you mongering fool!

Severus shifted from one foot to another waiting for Lupin to stand up sneer and say the 'screw this you're not worth the time' speech and walk out the door. But he didn't. Instead he sat there looking for all the world like he owned every sin on the face of Earth and was now facing judgment, gracefully. This of course, did not help with Severus' own growing guilt.

"I'm guessing you know why I pulled you here," the wolf muttered from his seat on the floor and Severus with a sigh sat down in front of him.

"To apologize incessantly no doubt," Brown eyes rolled.

Amber eyes gleamed in amusement. "I was going to show you a trade secret as an apology."

Eyebrow.

"And what, Lupin, gave you the idea that I would at all be interested?" His tone bordered on friendly teasing as he surveyed the wolf before him, looking for signs of further injury.

Lupin smirked in a way that was too Slytherin for Severus' poor heart. "Of course you would." his smirk molded into a knowing smile. "A room that can be anything you want it to be, aren't you even the slightest bit curious?"

Yes, positively Slytherin indeed.

To pique his interest like that, he might just give this wolf a chance.

~~~

edited 01/27/22