Chapter 23

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Thanks to June for all of her help with the beta work.

Chapter 23

"Remus!" shouted Severus, as he knelt down beside the man on the ground.

Remus had grown stiff. His back had arched, making him look like Odysseus' famous bow. His breathing was coming out in sharp gasps.

Severus knew there was nothing he could do for him, except to simply allow the potion to run its course. He surmised that it was now reorganizing the very core of the man's being. Remus' wolf genes were reforming themselves back to what they once were, fully human.

The sweat was pouring from every pore of Remus' body, as he now began shaking and having convulsions. Severus realized that it would be easy for him to bite off his own tongue in this state, but he could not use any magic on him at this moment to assist him. So he turned and took from the sideboard a book; he transfigured it into a piece of wood and managed to put it in Remus' mouth.

Several minutes passed before Remus finally began to relax. His body stopped shaking, and he now went limp. Severus took the throw from the couch and placed it over Remus, to prevent the chill of the dungeons from causing his friend's sweat-soaked body any more torment.

Severus brushed the hair from Remus' face and placed his hand just below his nose to make sure he was still breathing ... he was. Severus then placed his fingers on Remus' neck and felt his pulse, as Muggles tend to do in times like this ... he was alive. Severus was sure the potion worked; it had to have worked. He knew that what he and Hermione created was perfection. Remus was alive and that meant he was no longer a werewolf; their potion worked; it had to have worked. Severus smiled to himself and almost felt like jumping for joy. Almost.

"Oooh," Remus groaned and slowly tried to open his eyes. He felt cold stone on his back, and all he could see was a crackling fire in front of him. "Please, tell me I'm not dead and in some strange hell dimension," he whispered. He heard a deep rich timbering laugh and for a moment panicked. 'Shit, I am,' he now thought.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

As Hermione walked down the halls of the dungeons, she decided to make her way to the DADA classroom. It was the weekend, and she knew Osiris and Crookshanks were around somewhere. She had already searched the Potions classroom, and her next stop was Severus' classroom. He had told her that, on his last trip to the Apothecary, he had purchased some special chocolates laced with brandy. He had left the box in his classroom since he had also purchased several new books, which he planned on using for some new lessons.

Feeling the need for something sweet, she decided it might be a good idea to get the chocolate and take it back to their rooms, lest some students come across them and make themselves sick what with the brandy-infused delights.

As she entered the classroom, she glanced at the far end and noticed the office door was open. That office was really a set of rooms that Severus had converted into a secure storage area for some of his darker books and potions, as well as a small office he could retreat to during class. She knew he warded his office quite well, and she suspected it might be one of the children inside.

"Dammit, Crooks! What's taking you so long? Are you almost done?" asked Osiris, clearly out of patience.

"Look, I'm doing the best I can." An exasperated Crookshanks looked to him and narrowed his eyes. "Might I remind you that I'm working with paws here?" He lifted a paw and shook his head, then went back to his task, "I don't see you helping. Why is it I always get stuck doing the grunt work?"

"Merlin, Crooks. You whine more than a stable full of horses. Don't you think I would spell that damned thing open if I could? That invisibility charm I did on us yesterday took a lot out of me, you know."

Crookshanks struggled to open the large black box, but to no avail. He sat back and let out a sigh of defeat. "It's no use," he said.

Osiris walked over and stood next to him, as they both stared at the object, which held a treasure within its confines.

"Maybe I should try 'open sesame,' " Crooks joked.

"Oh please," Osiris shook his head. "You really think..." He was cut off by a creaking noise. Then both he and Crookshanks were amazed when the box opened. Osiris stared in amazement, then looked at Crookshanks, whose mouth was hanging open.

"What the hell? I was kidding!" Crooks yelled.

"Who cares, it's open!" Osiris said as he and Crookshanks dove their heads into the box full of brandy-filled chocolates. With his paws, Crookshanks shoved two in his mouth at a time, while Osiris stabbed his beak at the bonbons and slurped out the brandy. "Ah, nectar sweet nectar."

"These are fantastic!" said Crookshanks with a mouthful of chocolate.

They were so engulfed in their gluttony, that they never noticed the robed figure approach them from behind.

"Just what do you two think you're doing?" asked Hermione, with her arms crossed, and a scowl on her face.

The raven and the cat froze. They slowly turned their heads and looked up at her.

"Well, we're eating Severus' supply of brandy chocolates, obviously," said Osiris evenly, earning him a swat on the head by Crookshanks' tail.

"What's the matter with you? You're not even going to attempt to lie?" asked Crookshanks.

Osiris turned to him. "And what do you suggest I tell her? You're sitting there covered with chocolate!" Osiris used his wing and pointed to the cat's paws, which were indeed covered in chocolate.

Hermione approached the table and looked down into the box. The two had eaten the top layers of the confections, but ... thanks to her timing ... hadn't had a chance to get to the bottom.

"I can't believe you two. Severus brought those chocolates back for me," pouted Hermione.

"Oh really? Then why was the box locked in his office and warded using some stupid word only an imbecile would think of?"

"Hey," protested Crookshanks.

Osiris quickly looked at Crookshanks, "Sorry, Crooks, no offence."

"Severus has been busy. He just hasn't had a chance to bring this to our rooms, that's all," said Hermione, as she pushed the two aside and took hold of the box.

"Busy? So busy that while he's gathering his papers to take back to your rooms he can't lift a simple box and carry it to your rooms?"

"Oh, you be quiet," she said as she turned and walked out of the room, box in hand.

"Those were goooood," said Crookshanks.

"Yes, but I know were we can get some lemon liquor filled cream cakes. Come on." They hopped down off the table and disappeared behind a tapestry.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Severus had helped Remus up off of the floor and onto the couch. Remus was shaking, still in shock from what his body had gone through.

"I know this is the stupidest question I have ever asked another human being, but how do you feel?" asked Severus.

"Well, I feel like someone shoved a Muggle hand mixer up my ass, and liquefied my insides. Other than that, I feel great."

"You look like hell," said Severus as he chuckled.

"I thought that's where I was for a minute there," Remus smiled, then winced as he tried to make himself a bit more comfortable. "Do you think it worked?"

"Are you feeling well enough to get into the floo and go see Poppy? She can do some tests on you to see if your chemical composition has changed."

When Remus nodded, Severus guided him into the fireplace, then grabbed a handful of powder. "Hospital wing."

Once there, they slightly stumbled out of the fireplace, and Severus called out for Poppy. The mediwitch came out of her office, wondering what the commotion was about.

"Severus, what are you yelling about?" she asked, then noticed Remus leaning slightly against the taller man.

"Poppy, Remus is not feeling well. Can you please have a look at him?" asked Severus as he guided Remus to sit on one of the hospital beds.

Poppy came to stand next to Remus, then began waving her wand over him while she muttered a few spells. She furrowed her brow, and then shook her head. Severus and Remus looked at each other. They began to worry.

"I don't understand," she said, then repeated what she had done earlier.

"Poppy, what is it?" asked Remus as he looked from her to Severus.

"What have you done to yourself, Remus?" Poppy asked as she looked at Remus, then to Severus. "Severus, what have you two done?"

"Out with it woman. What's wrong with him?" Severus said as he rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"There is no trace of werewolf genes in him," she said with a slight tremble to her voice. "Now, what have you two done?"

"Well, you see, Severus made this potion for me," started Remus.

"And I wasn't sure if it had worked or not," Severus laughed. "We thought he would just keel over and die, but..." Before Severus could finish his sentence, Poppy's eyes grew wide and her face turned several shades of red.

"You mean you gave him a potion you thought would kill him? You didn't test it?" she yelled, then looked to Remus. "And have you lost your mind? How can you take a potion when you don't know what it will do to you? Does the Headmaster know what you two have been doing?" As she was yelling at the two men, Madam Hooch walked in with an injured student. While Poppy turned her attention to the student, Severus and Remus snuck out of the Hospital wing. They laughed as they walked down the hall.

"Merlin, why is it that woman can always make me feel like some knobby-kneed first year?" said Remus as he began to feel himself again. As they laughed, Severus stopped and grabbed Remus by the arm.

"Wait, did you hear what she said?" Severus looked at Remus, as it finally dawned on both of them what had just happened.

"It worked. The potion worked. I'm...I'm cured," Remus whispered. "You've done it." Remus threw his arms around Severus and began to cry.

Severus, although feeling a bit uncomfortable hugging a crying man in the middle of the hallway, patted Remus on the back and smiled.

Remus pulled away from him and laughed. "I can't believe it."

"Come on, perhaps Hermione has returned to our rooms. She will want to know the good news."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So Remus is cured, and Osiris and Crooks are off to plunder Dumbledore's hidden goodies. I'll have another chapter up tomorrow.