A Dog's Life

A Dog's Life

Disclaimer: None of the characters are mine, nor is any of the dosh.

"Budge up, Severus," said Remus, dumping his potions ingredients onto the workbench. He gave Snape an appraising look. "Blimey, mate! You look as bad as I feel this morning. What happened to you?"

Severus glared at him with red-rimmed eyes. He had spent the night outside the Gryffindor dormitory trying to apologise to Lily.

"Keep your hair on, Sev. I was just asking."

Remus started separating leaves from stalks on the bench.

"These are great plants you picked yesterday, Severus." Lupin chatted as he worked. "Did you two have a good day without me? Charmaine seemed to have enjoyed herself. She's gone for a quick kip just now. We had a rough night."

"I'm sure you did, Lupin, but I fail to see why I should be interested."

"Charmaine wanted you there last night, so she could tell you about me."

"I know all about you, Lupin," Severus sneered.

"You do?" Remus sounded pleased as he looked up to find Snape's black eyes boring into him. "Well, that's great, because I just wanted to say, what we've been doing has changed my life dramatically. I haven't felt so good in years."

Flicking his sandy hair out of his eyes, Lupin grinned.

"Spare me the details. I have no wish to hear about your dalliance with the Potions professor."

"What?"

"Lupin, I overheard the two of you last night." Snape's voice hitched just a little. "She told you she loved you," he whispered.

"Are you barking mad, Severus?"

"No. I heard it."

Remus's eyes crinkled with mirth as he started to snigger. "You crack me up, mate."

Severus glowered from behind his unwashed fringe. "Don't mock me, Lupin."

Throwing an arm around Snape's rigid shoulders, Remus gave him a quick hug.

"Stop mumping, Snape. Charmaine will get the sack if you spread that rumour. You picked up fag-ends of a conversation, and you're smoking them the wrong way round. Now, let me explain."

It took a while for Remus to explain about his lycanthropy. He worked as he spoke, sometimes emphasising a point with his stirring rod and occasionally pausing to let Severus ask questions. Only when he had finished did he look at Snape. Expecting to see disdain or disgust, he was surprised to see a look of intense contemplation on Severus's face.

"Merlin, your life has been as miserable as mine, Lupin. I don't often apologise, but I truly am sorry."

"Sorry for what, Sev? Sorry for my condition, or sorry for being a miserable git? Neither of those will change in a hurry, though you could work on improving them."

"Peace?" asked Snape, extending a hand.

"Mates," agreed Lupin, grasping the offered hand firmly and pulling Severus in for another hug. "You can call me Remus, if we're friends."

"Over my dead body, Lupin. Or yours, if you don't let me go," replied Snape through gritted teeth.

Remus grinned and ruffled Snape's hair.

"Keep your paws off me, wolfman."

"Chill out, you crabbit beggar."

"If I were any more chilled, Lupin, I would be frigid."

Remus choked on a laugh. "I'm saying nothing, Severus. C'mon, let's finish up here, my friend. I have some Honeydukes chocolates which need to be eaten before I get back to my dormitory. Better to share them between the two of us rather than the whole Gryffindor common room, eh?"

Severus savoured a spicy ginger chocolate as they tidied up. Soon, they were leaving the laboratory and heading for their dormitories.

"D'you fancy coming into Hogsmeade next weekend?" asked Lupin unwrapping another sweet. "I'm going to meet up with some of the guys who left school last year. They've all enlisted with Voldemort, who used to be at Hogwarts. He seems to be accepting all sorts, even half-bloods like us. Anyone who's interested is invited to join them. They call themselves Death Eaters, which seems grim enough to appeal to you. I've heard they hold revels. Sounds like they could be fun."

"Fun?"

"Heaven forbid, you should have fun, you antisocial wizard. You could just come along and catch up with the Slytherin old boys. Lucius Malfoy will be there. He's a bit of an arrogant prat, but no more than any of the other pure-bloods. You used to be friends with him when he was at school, didn't you?"

"If I agree to go, will you stop yapping and let me enjoy this chocolate?"

"Sure," agreed Remus, melting his chocolate in his mouth then sucking the brown goo in and out through his teeth. Severus shuddered, trying to shut out the image and enjoy his luscious treat in peace. Nearing the end of the corridor, Severus remembered his Potions book.

"Damn! I'll have to go back. See you later, Lupin." Turning, he tucked his last chocolate into his pocket and headed back the way he'd come.

He pushed open the Potions lab door and strode into the room in a swirl of robes, stopping abruptly at the sight of Mademoiselle Bien-Aimée.

She stood in the middle of the room with his Potions book held to her nose, eyes closed, inhaling deeply. The hands holding the journal shook slightly, and a single tear glistened on the tip of her eyelashes.

"Oh gods!" she moaned. "This is going to be so hard. I know what's coming. Why did you choose to send me? I can't do this. I'm not brave enough." She sniffed, clutching the book closer. "I can smell you, and I need..."

"Excuse me, miss."

The book clattered to the floor. Startled caramel eyes met his.

"Severus! What are you doing here?"

Stooping, Snape picked up his book from the floor at her feet. "I just came to collect this."

She turned away from him, resting her trembling hands on the work bench. Tears coursed silently down her cheeks, and her slender shoulders shook. A nimbus of swirling energy shimmered around her.

Uncertain what to do, Severus cleared his throat. "Are you all right, miss?"

He placed a tentative hand on her shaking shoulder, feeling an electrifying surge of magic through his fingers. To his immense surprise, she nearly knocked him backwards as she flung herself at him, clinging desperately to his robes.

"I don't want this," she wailed into his chest.

Bewildered, he held his hands away from her for a moment, trying to lean back and look at her before giving up and slowly folding his arms around her quivering form, drawing her into his protective embrace. Smoothing a hand over her bounteous curls, he murmured in her ear, "Whatever it is, it may help to talk about it."

She snorted a strangled, sobbing laugh.

"Just hold me, Severus." She took a long, shaky breath, leaning her flushed cheek on his chest. "You've always smelled so good. It's very soothing."

Burying his nose in her wild hair, he breathed her in. "You smell good, too."

There it was again, that honey scent swirling though him, bringing his senses alive. This vibrant witch, pressed against his body, stirred a maelstrom of emotions in him, and he wanted her. Charmaine! He groaned inwardly as his trousers tightened.

Two hands pushed firmly against his chest. "No! I... I can't do this. Please, take your book and go."

"Sorry. What did I do?" he asked, perplexed.

"Severus, it's complicated." She looked down and started to pull away from him.

Grasping her wrists gently, he enticed her back towards him. "So, explain. I'm not stupid."

"I know. Highest NEWTs score in the history of Hogwarts, so you kept telling us," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Pardon?"

Severus let go of her and perched on a high stool.

"Merde! I'm really screwing this up, aren't I?" Charmaine turned away from him. "Listen, Severus, this is..."

"It's complicated. Yes, I get that. Just explain, so I can understand. Please." He caught her hand again, pressing her palm over his heart and gazing into her tantalising, soft brown eyes. "Something big is happening, and I can't figure it out."

Climbing onto a stool next to him, Charmaine took hold of his hands, curling her fingers around his, drawing them onto her lap where she rubbed a thumb back and forth across his knuckles. Looking into the depths of his beguiling, dark eyes, she took a steadying breath to start her explanation.

Suddenly, the corridor outside erupted with shouting and the heavy pounding of running feet.

"Mademoiselle! Miss Bien-Aimée!" The groundskeeper roared down the corridor.

"Hagrid?"

Charmaine jumped to her feet, patting Severus on the shoulder.

"I must go. It's always the same, Severus, we end up looking out for others and never have enough time for ourselves. Another time, okay?"

Disconsolate, Severus watched as she ran for the door. Shoving his hands into his pockets in frustration, he found the uneaten chocolate. He pulled it out. It was his favourite, chilli flavoured dark chocolate; unctuous, warm and spicy. Glancing at the open door, he lifted the wrapped sweet to his lips, kissed it and laid it on the Potions mistress's desk with a short note. To warm your soul.

A/N: Thank goodness for chocolate and wonderful betas. Sunny33, I owe you one. Can I repay you in chocolate?