Five - Mooney Falls

A/N: Standard disclaimer applies

~*~

Severus stalked along the canyon's rim as he tried to calm himself into reason. Snapes in general, and Severus Snape in particular, did not beg. They coerced, cajoled, pressured, manoeuvred and, when necessary, manipulated people into doing what was required. He could not and would not beg Lupin for anything. He had taken the first steps in rebuilding their relationship by just showing up in the arid desert, he had come all this way to get Lupin back, to save him from his lonely existence. Suddenly, Severus stopped and the dust from his boots swirled around him like his thoughts.

...save him from his lonely existence...

As he pondered the past two years spent without Lupin and the final impetus that had led him to the decision to find his ex-lover, he grudgingly considered that the lonely existence might just be his own, and that perhaps, just perhaps, he was the one who needed saving.

No! Snapes didn't get saved – he was too proud for such a thing to happen. No, Severus was there to rescue Lupin from his pitiful existence and take him back to England where he could at least be protected from the glaring looks and harsh words of a society which was still prejudiced by Greyback's influence on the war. Severus would keep Lupin safe at Spinner's End, far away from the prying eyes of the misinformed and malcontented wizarding world.

He knew that Lupin hadn't meant to hurt him and belatedly realized that the man had experienced an epiphany, but still, the knowledge did little to salve his hurt pride and quash his anger.

~~~

'Yessssssssss, oh gods, yes Lupin, like that. Come on, fuck me harder, fuck me like you mean it.'

'Who the fuck are you?'

'I don't know, Lupin. I just don't know any more.'

Remus awoke bathed in sweat. His heart pounded in his chest and his sheets were sticky with the evidence of his dream. A dream! Remus took huge gulping breaths as he tried to put the images out of his mind. He had dreamed of fucking Severus the night before the full moon as part of a brutally hot sexual fantasy. Still – only a dream, thank goodness. Remus knew that he could never allow such a thing to happen and didn't even want to wonder what the dream meant. He cast a hasty Cleaning Charm over himself and his sheets and tried once more to get to sleep, but it was many hours before he drifted off.

~~~

A week had passed since their argument, seven days of polite conversation and walking cautiously around each other. Remus could sense that Severus was still uncertain as to where they stood, and he truly didn't know himself, but having Severus in his daily life was oddly comforting. They had developed something of a routine. In the mornings they would eat breakfast together, and then Remus would show Severus the different trails in the area that lead to various parts of the canyon. Although it was truly vast, they only ventured into the areas that Remus knew firsthand. The Hopi spirits enjoyed their company and encouraged them to explore, but it wouldn't do to anger them by trespassing on sacred ground. In the evenings, one or the other of them would cook and then they would share a quiet meal together, after which they would clean up, read or just rest until it was time to sleep. Severus still slept on the couch, and Remus had made it more comfortable with an enlargement spell after he realized that Severus was too stubborn to do it himself.

They had exhausted the trails around the rim of the canyon and even spent a little time among the Muggles, walking around the tourist area and exploring the various bookstores. Severus was particularly fond of the bookstore that lay not far from Remus' house, and he spent many hours perusing the books and posters therein. Finally, Remus suggested that they visit Mooney Falls, grimacing slightly as he thought of the name for the beautiful waterfall. Despite all his time at the canyon, he had only visited the waterfall once but still vividly remembered the first time he'd seen the falls, how he'd been mesmerised by the rush of the water as it hurtled past him and dashed against the rocks at its base. He had felt the Hopi magic very powerfully that day, and after making his way cautiously through the small tunnels and down the steep path to the bottom of the falls, he had bathed in the cool, sparkling waters and felt refreshed.

Reborn.

~~~

Severus had agreed to accompany Lupin to the waterfall and was secretly amused at its name. It seemed that, no matter how hard the werewolf tried, he could never escape his past, but Severus had vowed to make one more concerted effort to get Lupin to see reason.

That turned out to be no easy task, as they had not been on the best of speaking terms since their most recent argument. They weren't exactly angry with each other, but most of their conversations had been minimal at best. Still, breakfast that morning had been surprisingly pleasant, and after they had each showered, they had dressed in light short-sleeved shirts and trousers. Severus had even foregone his customary black garb for less severe navy and he had felt Lupin's eyes on him, although the man made no comment. He silently waited until the wards were lowered, and they stepped through onto the balcony, then he watched as Lupin re-warded his home. Their eyes met briefly before Lupin averted his gaze and blushed slightly as he wrapped his strong arms around Severus' torso.

Severus felt the frisson of magical energy that surged between them and, without thinking of the consequences, he encircled his long arms around Lupin and held him to his chest, earnestly hoping that they wouldn't be Splinched.

~~~

Remus was thankful that, despite Severus' unexpected but welcome gesture, he had managed to Apparate them successfully a short distance from the falls, and his heart thrummed as he released Severus, the smell of him still swimming in Remus' senses. He wanted his visitor to have the full impact of the spectacular scenery, and as they approached the rim of the falls, they were greeted by the roar of the water as they walked along the trail. They stopped at the top of the waterfall and gazed down to the aquamarine waters in the pool below. The sheer drop of the water still made Remus slightly dizzy as he considered the two hundred foot drop of the water before it churned the surface of the pool at the foot of the falls. The roar of the water as it rushed past them caused the ground beneath their feet to shake with the power of its flow, and Remus again remembered the first time he'd ever seen these falls.

When he first arrived at the canyon, he had stayed close to his home, unwilling to do more than wallow in his hurt and despair. After a few weeks, the spirits had helped him enough that he was able to think with a clearer head, but he still felt a certain emptiness inside. He had resigned himself to the feeling and instead had turned his thoughts and his focus to exploring his surroundings. It was during one of those trips that he had walked into the bookstore that lay a short distance from his home. He entered it a bit nervously, but was soon warmed by the friendly smiles of the staff and customers. Impressed by the vast array of books and souvenir cards, he had browsed for several minutes before his hand came to rest on a folded map detailing the waterfalls in the area. He scanned the names and his stomach had twisted slightly at the name: Mooney Falls. Without hesitation, he had purchased the map and taken it home, where he opened it out on his table and just stared at it. The map was designed for tourists and hikers in particular and listed the different stages of the hike to the waterfall as well as a brief history of the place. Remus read and re-read the map and had fallen asleep at the table that night. When he awoke the following morning, he had known as surely as he knew his own name that a trip to the falls was necessary.

Transfiguring the required equipment had been surprisingly easy, as everything was detailed in one of the guide books from the store and Remus was able to observe hikers as they made their way past him. He had cast a Notice-Me-Not charm on himself and accompanied a small group of hikers to the falls. Initially, he had been very nervous of the sheer size of the descent and especially the rickety-looking chains and ladders, but the others had made their way down with few problems and he had steeled himself. Taking the example set by the others, he had slowly descended the chains facing the rock, and there was a part where he had to lower himself by the chains to get to the next foot hold. Many times during his harrowing journey, his heart had felt as though it was about to leap out of his throat, until finally he made his way down the wooden ladder at the very end of the hike. He'd stood on the sandy ground at the bottom and had tried to stop his body from shaking, but the adrenaline continued to pump through his system for a while longer. He smiled to himself at the screams and hollers of the group as they congratulated each other on a successful descent, and then he had walked away from them, content to explore the area alone.

~~~

Severus had not travelled to many places during his life, and he'd certainly never been anywhere like this. He stretched his arm out into the swirling mist, and the droplets caressed his skin with gentle touches of welcome. Lupin merely looked at him, but Severus almost couldn't formulate the words to describe the feeling of being here, surrounded by the evidence of the power of nature and the ever-present sense of the ancient forces.

'How did you find the falls?'

'I found a map at the bookstore. The falls seem to be quite popular with visitors.' Lupin's eyes glowed golden in the sun's rays, and Severus' stomach twisted as he realized just how much he'd missed simple conversations with this man.

'I never thought of you as the hiking type,' he snorted sardonically, still unable to stop himself from being... him, the sarcastic bastard that had caused the fracture of their relationship so long ago.

Remus grinned self-depreciatingly. 'Surely you don't think that with a name like Mooney Falls I wouldn't take at least one look.'

'Do you come here often?'

Lupin shook his head. 'Only once,' he replied noncommittally.

'Why?'

'Only needed it once.'

Needed. Severus mulled over Lupin's choice of the word and wondered why he had needed it and just what he had found. Then again, everybody needed something at some point in their lives. Why would the werewolf be any different?

He looked back at the falls and the swirling mists danced before him, enticingly beckoning him into the depths, and he felt the ancient magic very strongly here, almost fluid in its form as it washed over him, urging him gently onward.

~~~

Remus started down the uneven path, walking slowly over the moist and slippery ground and gripping the chains for support. Severus grumbled softly behind and he chuckled, knowing how completely out of his element the man was. They made their way across small ledges and through the first of two narrow tunnels which felt very claustrophobic and uncomfortable, and even Severus' mutterings were swallowed by the stone walls. Eventually they emerged from the second tunnel and stood side by side as they glanced over the edge of a sheer cliff. The noise of the water was much louder now, roaring past their ears with an eager rush, almost pulling them forward and down, urging them towards the crisp blue waters. Remus looked on as Severus carefully inspected the chains in the rock and the steep descent and tried to hide his smile at the incredulous look on the man's face.

'Surely we're not going any further, Lupin. You can't be serious.'

Remus looked into Severus' squinting eyes and laughed despite himself. 'I'm afraid so. Please, allow me.' He watched Severus carefully for any signs of resistance as he turned and took hold of him, ensured that his grip was properly secure, and then concentrated on the ground around the base of the waterfall and Disapparated.

The two men arrived moments later on the rocks at the edge of the pool, and Remus smiled as he released Severus, regarding him amusedly as the normally taciturn man looked with thinly disguised interest at the mist that swirled around them. They spent a while admiring the long column of water, and Remus relished the mist as it slowly caressed his face and body, soothing him with its cooling touch until his clothes and skin were drenched. He noticed that the thin fabric of Severus' clothing clung to his chest and legs, and the prowling beast inside Remus stirred, his eyes flickering over the tall, lean body before him as he licked his lips expectantly.

~~~

Severus enjoyed the fine mist of the falls that dusted their hair and eyelashes, but he was soon soaked to the skin, as was Lupin. He glanced around and was surprised at their total privacy, although he surmised that it was still rather early for visitors, and he was surprised when Lupin began to disrobe, laying his shirt out on the rocks that were already bathed in sunlight. He quirked an eyebrow in disbelief as the man sat on the stones and removed his shoes and trousers, then, completely naked, Lupin eased his sinewy body into the shimmering water at the waterfall's end. Severus shivered as a ripple of arousal ran through his body and watched, mesmerised, as Lupin ducked his head under the water repeatedly before disappearing beneath the surface, only to appear moments later at the pool's edge closest to where Severus stood.

'Come on, Severus, join me.'

Purely out of habit, Severus was about to drop a sarcastic remark but realized that he didn't really want to. It would almost seem out of place with the roaring of the waterfall, and he felt at peace here, surrounded by water and enshrined by the floating mists. The only feeling remotely comparable to this was during the final battle when Albus' phoenix had circled the area and his song had lent a moment of peace and a feeling of wellbeing in the midst of the horror and fighting. Severus had felt a swelling of hope then, safety and purpose in a way he'd never experienced before. This felt similar, comforting, right.

Severus quickly disrobed and lowered himself gingerly into the pool, taking a moment to allow his heated body to adjust to the cool water. He noticed that Lupin's gaze never wavered as he followed Severus' every movement with his eyes, even as they stood together under the falls, allowing the water beat down upon them in sweet punishment for untold sins.

They enjoyed the pool for several minutes before beginning their climb over exposed rocks as they explored one of the caves made by the water. Severus became increasingly aroused as Lupin's taut, thin body moved through the wilderness, giving the impression of an animal in its natural habitat. He was unable to hide his erection and didn't want to; the Hopi magic surged around him and he growled deep in his throat, causing Lupin to turn around in surprise. Severus quickly closed the distance between them and backed him up gently against the smooth rock where the water had rubbed away the roughness. Lupin's eyes were bright and dilated and his breaths shallow, his skin flushed despite the coolness of the water, and Severus knew that the time was right, the moment was now, and he pressed his body against Lupin's, leaning against the warm, hairy chest as he kissed him deeply.

~~~

Remus was surprised, but he responded willingly. He had felt Severus' sexual tension since earlier that morning, and he suspected that the native magic was encouraging it, in fact, he was sure of it. The wolf was closer to the surface in the days approaching the full moon, but still, he couldn't only blame the moon for the sensations and feelings that shivered through his body as his former lover reminded him of everything that had been good in their relationship. Severus' tongue was hot in his mouth, searching, caressing, his lips insistent against Remus' neck, chin, ears and his hands were everywhere, touching, feeling, leaving burning trails of fire along his skin wherever they passed. He shifted against Severus' wet skin and moaned into his mouth at the delicious slide of their cocks against each other, running his hands down Severus' back and grasping his hips. He rocked their bodies together and received an answering groan from the mouth that by then was sucking on his neck. Gods! Remus' body virtually vibrated with his need; he was on fire and the burn was strong and sweet. He was powerless against the magic that was taking over and sweeping them both along on the current of its power.

From the fringes of his consciousness, Remus heard sounds filtering through the roar of the water and they broke apart, his body wanting only Severus' touch. He dragged his mind together with effort and looked up to see a group of hikers about to begin their descent. At the same time, a blanket of grey clouds enshrouded the pool and the temperature dropped rapidly. Remus shivered and noticed that both his and Severus' skin had erupted in goose bumps. Not far off, thunder rolled and a stout breeze washed through the area, carrying with it a strong shower of rain. The hikers stopped at the cliff and waited, and Remus could clearly hear them shouting and laughing in the deluge. Severus moved away from him as their moment dissipated and hurriedly cast drying and Impervius Charms on both of them as well as their clothes. Remus sighed softly as Severus looked at him and he shivered at the memory of the heat in his gaze.

'Let me.' The words weren't spoken as a question, and Severus' tone was full of meaning. Stomach fluttering dangerously, Remus slowly nodded, and the strong arms enveloped him.

~~~

TBC