Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Too Much Of Not Enough	By : RikuRocks Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > Slash - Male/Male Views: 1782 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Harry Potter, nor am I making any money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
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Severus sat alone in the vast library of Hogwarts. The fifteen-year-old�s hooked nose was pressed into a book, although his obsidian eyes did not appear to be taking in the words on the pages before him. His eyes shifted up with a glimmer of relief when a distraction approached in the form of a familiar voice.

�They should extend the curfew for the prefects who aren�t on patrol as well,� Lily stated to her friend Alice as they entered the library, their bags and arms over-filled with books and parchment. �That way we�d have more time to get our homework done without having to spend all our free time studying.�

�I know, especially with all the extra homework they�re giving us to prep for OWLs,� replied Alice. �I still say they�re over-doing it though; Owls are still months away�oh, here comes Frank.�

As Frank took Alice�s bag for her, the stack of books and parchment that Lily was balancing began to topple over. �Oh�!�

�Oh, Lily,� Alice was clearly trying not to laugh as she moved toward her friend. �Here, let me help.�

�No, that�s fine,� Lily assured her friend through a giggle of her own.

�Allow me,� offered Severus, who was also trying not to laugh, although with much better success than Alice, as he kneeled down beside his friend.

�Thanks, Sev,� Lily replied with a smile before waving Alice away. �We�ve got it�go have fun studying with your boyfriend.�

�Thanks Lily;� Alice smirked as she linked her arm with Frank�s and then called over her shoulder, �You do the same.�

Severus rolled his eyes as Lily called back to exclaim that he was not her boyfriend, which earned her a few �shushes� from the other students and a dirty look from Madam Pince. As the redhead blushed and apologised, the raven-haired boy�s attention returned to her fallen texts as he reached for another one, only to find his hand grasping someone else�s�someone with a thin, scarred hand that was about as pale as his own although fairer.

�Lupin;� obsidian eyes lifted to meet the gentle ones of a quiet and unassuming boy, with light brown hair and matching eyes. Just like his hand, Lupin�s face was pale, thin, and lightly scarred. He mild-mannered boy acknowledged the terse greeting with a polite nod, which caused Severus to frown slightly; �What are you doing here?�

�I came to study,� replied the slightly shorter teenager in a tone that held a trace of amusement at the fact that the other boy would ask such a question in the library. The raven-haired boy noticed that, despite his tone, the shorter boy�s voice had a strange hoarseness to it, as though it had been damaged or strained. Remus held up a couple of books he had picked up, �I thought you two might need a hand collecting these.�

Severus was about to reply with a snappy repartee when Lily jumped in, �Thanks Lupin. Hey, you don�t look so well�� Green eyes shot Snape a look when the raven-haired boy snorted lightly at the understatement. �Are you feeling all right?�

�Oh,� An emotion passed over the fawn-haired boy�s face so quickly that it was gone before it could be identified, then he offered a light smile. �Yes�thank you. I was feeling rather off-coloured over the weekend but I�m much better now.� Remus� expression suddenly turned apologetic as he held a few books and papers toward Lily; �I�m sorry, but I accidentally stepped on one of your books, I�m afraid.�

�Oh, that�s fine.� Lily waved off the boy�s apology as she took the proffered books. Severus took them from her to add to his own stack as the three teenagers stood. �Will you be all right for patrols tonight? We might be able to trade with the Ravenclaws��

�No, that won�t be necessary, but thanks. I�ll meet you in the common room beforehand, is that all right?� When Lily nodded, the brown-eyed boy offered another small smile, �I�ll see you later then, Evans.� Remus offered another one of his small, polite nods to Severus before heading to a different section of the library.

�Come on, Severus;� Lily adjusted her bag and led the way back to the table her friend had been studying at when she arrived. �You need to work on your Charms homework and I am completely stuck on my DADA report��

A couple hours later found the pair still sitting at that table; Severus� attention appeared to be drifting once again while Lily was focused on a paper she was writing, only pausing occasionally to check her notes or Severus� own.

After a moment, Severus suddenly spoke; �He disappeared again Friday night.�

Lily did not pause in her work as she replied distractedly, �Who?�

�Lupin, of course��

The redhead rolled her eyes and sighed before looking at her best friend; �Are you on that again? Really, I don�t understand this fascination you have with Lupin.�

Obsidian eyes were focused on a figure curled onto one of the library�s window seats with several large books. ��And he spent the weekend in the hospital wing again.�

�He�s ill!� Lily followed Severus� gaze to Remus and gestured in his direction; �Anyone who takes a good look at him can see that.�

Severus turned his eyes toward his best friend, �Obviously, but why does Madam Pomfrey refuse to let anyone see him whenever his strange illness affects him?�

�I don�t know,� the redhead waved a hand dismissively; �Maybe she�s concerned visitors will affect his condition, or maybe he�s embarrassed. He doesn�t seem to like attention very much.�

�But what is his condition? None of the other students seem to know.� The raven-haired boy frowned; �And why does he avoid attention so? Everyone should like to be noticed once in a while��

The green-eyed girl shrugged and returned to her paper, �Who knows? Maybe he�s just shy�we�ve been prefects for a couple months now and he still hardly talks to me. Sure, he�s polite and always responds but�it�s never personal, you know?�

�Obviously, he�s hiding something,� commented Severus, now looking toward Lupin once again as though his gaze could penetrate the other boy�s flesh and show him whatever lay hidden inside. When his piercing gaze held no effect on the fawn-haired teen, he sighed and propped his chin on his hand, still watching the quiet boy.

�He always seems oddly relieved at the start of term and sort of�sad to go home for the summer. Perhaps he simply has troubles at home and he doesn�t want anyone to know about it.� The raven-haired boy mused aloud, then paused a moment to consider the idea, as it was definitely something he could relate to. However, he noticed that Lupin never seemed to have the bitterness that he held after a lifetime of listening to his parents� arguments. So it could be different but similar� �He always looks sort of worn�and he has all those scars that he always hides��

Lily rolled her eyes again and did not bother looking up from the notes she was reading; �He might just miss- Hang on;� green eyes rose to look at her friend, who was still watching Lupin. �How do you know he�s scarred?�

�There are several on his hands, wrists, and lower forearms -that seem to go on further- you can see sometimes when his sleeves fall back as he reaches for things or raises his hand in class.� By the tone he was using, Severus might as well have been explaining a creature he had been studying closely for DADA or Care of Magical Creatures. �You can also see some when his collar gets stretched because his idiot friends are pulling on him�even his hair hides a few on his neck and face.�

Lily blinked a few times as though making sure she had not fallen asleep while studying and then looked from Severus to Remus and back again. �Why are you paying such close attention to Lupin? I can sort of get your odd awareness of Black and Potter, since the gits seem to target you for those horrible tricks of theirs more often than not, but Lupin has never showed any animosity towards you.�

The obsidian-eyed boy tilted his head slightly, still deep in contemplation; �And he appears fragile but he isn�t, not as much as you would think��

Green eyes widened notably at the lack of reaction at the mention of Potter and Black. Normally, mentioning either of them guaranteed a small rant on how awful and over-rated they were. Lily glanced toward Remus again and then returned her attention to Severus, noticing the lack of malice or suspicion on his face as he studied the slightly shorter boy. �Come to think of it�you never show any ill feelings toward Lupin either. Whenever you talk about him, you seem more curious or exasperated; you never have the spite or contempt you have for his friends�not that I can blame you, but still��

Severus lowered his arm to the table and sat a little straighter, his brows furrowing slightly. �Like when you see him moving to get one of the larger cauldrons for group projects in potions and you feel the need to grab it for him so he doesn�t hurt himself, but then he hefts it to his work station without any complaint.� A touch of disgust entered the raven-haired boy�s tone, which always happened before he mentioned a specific couple of individuals. �Of course, you�d think Potter or Black would get it, seeing as how they love to show off and do anything to put themselves in front of a crowd, or that Pettigrew, as he�s always sucking up to someone, but no. They just goof off and let their ill friend work his arse off��

�Well why don�t you help him then?� questioned Lily, still slightly stunned but at least entering somewhat familiar territory now that Severus was insulting Potter and his friends. Or rather, most of his friends. The redhead arched an eyebrow when the Slytherin looked at her as though she had just suggested using the Whomping Willow as a maypole. �Don�t look at me like that. The other Slytherins cannot possibly fault you for helping a fellow classmate�and I�m sure you�d get along with him much better than McNair or Avery. You could really help him, too, since Potter and Black don�t seem to have noticed that he needs help in that class�not that that�s any surprise with how self-centred they are.�

�Tell me about it,� Severus practically snarled. �They�re doing fine in potions -not as well as you or I, but well enough- and yet they won�t stop showing off or slacking off long enough to help Lupin when Potions is clearly his worst subject.�

�It is? Hmm,� Lily looked over the sallow-skinned Slytherin, her mind clearly working in overtime. �Now that you mention it, he does seem to have trouble in that class. I noticed last week that he over stirred his potion when it should have been obvious that he needed to stop sooner.�

�Not to him; he�s at least partially colour-blind. He wouldn�t notice something like blue turning to green,� remarked the obsidian-eyed boy offhandedly.

Lily blinked again, noticing how Severus was still distracted by his thoughts�most of which seemed to consist of Lupin at the moment. �How could you possibly know that? I doubt even his friends know that much.�

�That�s because they aren�t observant and don�t care about anything beyond themselves. If you watch Lupin, it becomes clear in a matter of weeks. He�s terrible with any potion that requires you to watch for even remotely subtle changes in hue, and that time when we had to change the colours of parrots in Transfiguration, he could only do white, silver, red, and yellow intentionally�the rest were always off, and his skills in that class are normally top notch.�

The girl looked over her friend quizzically, and when she responded, her voice sounded slightly distracted. �That assignment was in first year�and you remember that?�

The obsidian-eyed boy nodded distractedly. �His illness becomes severe enough to hospitalise him at least once a month, usually for a couple of days,� commented Severus with a tone suggesting he were solving a puzzle and the final pieces were just sitting at the edge of his memory.

�It must be terrible,� stated Lily, strong enough to know she would capture the raven-haired boy�s attention, but casually enough so as not to let him suspect that she was plotting something. �He�s doing well in most of his classes, he never shies from his prefect duties -unless it comes to disciplining those toerags he calls friends- and he studies hard, as you can see, but I imagine he has to constantly play catch-up, if he�s as ill as you say.�

Returning his attention to the sickly-looking boy in the corner of the room, the obsidian-eyed teen seemed to be considering his friend�s words carefully. He was so intent on his thoughts, that he completely missed the corner of the redhead�s mouth twitch upwards when she noticed this. Schooling her features before the Slytherin could notice, Lily continued in a thoughtful, slightly concerned tone. �It�s a shame his friends are so selfish, if they cared more, I�m sure he could use the help in his studies...he isn�t like them, he needs to succeed here.�

This seemed to strike a chord in the sallow boy across from her, much as she had expected, and he appeared to struggle with his thoughts and feelings for a brief moment. An unusual look of empathy crossed his features briefly before a slightly irritated expression appeared on Snape�s face. �He�has talent�in some areas. I�m sure he will be fine. As you said, he is doing well in most classes. He was the only one to successfully identify those creatures in Care of Magical Creatures on Wednesday, and he took the top score in our DADA pop quiz at the beginning of the term.�

Lily ignored the slightly bitter tone that the last fact was stated in; �Yeah, but he isn�t much of a potions brewer and he nearly fell asleep in Ancient Runes the other day�poor thing was probably feeling pretty ill already, to plop his head down on a stone tablet like that��

Snape snorted slightly and wore the barest hint of a smile. �Well, you are a prefect, and the closest thing he has to a friend outside of those users, so why don�t you help him if you�re so concerned?�

The green-eyed girl beamed at her friend, although one looking closely might have noticed that the gleam to her eyes did not seem to be based upon something as simple as hearing a good suggestion�it was more like the glee acquired from having a carefully constructed plan falling into place.

�Lupin!� Lily called, ignoring the surprised look Severus wore when he turned toward her, the angry glare Madam Pince shot in their direction, the small chorus of �shh� from the nearest students, and the way Remus jumped slightly at the sudden shout in the otherwise quiet library. �Lupin, come over here a minute�no, bring your books.�

Severus looked back to see the fawn-haired boy turn with a slightly perplexed expression as he gathered his books and notes into a well-worn knapsack. �Lily, what are you doing?�

�Helping him�or offering to anyway,� replied the girl happily.

�You called, Evans?� questioned Lupin, who appeared torn between caution and amusement as he addressed the nearly giggling girl.

�Yes, and call me Lily. Sit down please,� offered the redhead. She rolled her eyes when the other prefect glanced at Severus nervously before returning his gaze to her. He attempted to decline politely, but Lily would not hear of it. �There�s no reason why you two can�t get along, just because your friends don�t get along with him. Right, Severus? Now sit down, Lupin, you�re distracting the other students.�

Remus took a quick look around, and flushed slightly when he noticed that a group of girls at a nearby table were in fact watching them curiously. He quickly sat in one of the vacant chairs at their table, his eyes downcast as his face returned to its usual hue. �So�can I help you?�

�Actually, Severus and I were just thinking that we could help you.� Lily did not seem fazed by the way both boys� heads suddenly jerked up to look at her, with nearly identical expressions of stunned disbelief.

The fawn-haired boy seemed to recover first. �Er, help me with what exactly?� He asked in a mild tone.

�Your schoolwork, of course! With how often you take ill, we figured having someone to study with -who actually cares about school and takes grades seriously- would help prevent you from falling behind. You know, we have our OWLs at the end of this year. We all could use a study group and we can help each other with our weaker subjects.� Before either boy could respond to this sudden, cheerful announcement, Lily was throwing a few of her books back into her bag and standing, all with a beaming smile on her face. �I promised Mary I�d help her with that charm we�re supposed to practice; the poor girl is wretched at charms, so I�ll be back in a couple hours. You two go ahead and work on Potions or Transfiguration until I get back. Don�t go anywhere!�

Severus finally found his voice just as the redhead was turning to leave the table. �Wait, Lily, I really-�

�Don�t go anywhere!� She practically hissed at her friend. �You�re both my friends and this means a lot to me, okay?� The sallow-skinned boy worked his mouth wordlessly for a moment before simply nodding. �Thank you,� she whispered back with a warm smile before raising her voice again, �You guys wait here for me!�

Obsidian eyes turned to the scarred boy sitting by him and then he took a deep breath. �I take it you heard the bit about her wanting us to�get on well�for her?�

Lupin watched the other boy cautiously for a brief moment, and then he nodded before offering a small smile. �Shall we go ahead and study then?� The smile faltered when Severus said nothing, to be replaced by a mild expression. Only his eyes gave away a hint of disappointment. �You don�t have to help me if you�d rather not; I understand. Just tell Lily that I appreciate it, but I had previous obligations. If you�ll excuse me,� he shifted his bag and stood.

�Lupin, wait;� the raven-haired boy sighed as the other stopped in the process of pushing his chair back into place. �If it means so much to Lily; then I suppose I can tolerate studying with you. Besides, I�d be doing the entire class a favour by making you less of a liability in Potions.�

�Well�if you�re sure?� That small smile appeared on the brown-eyed boy�s face again once the Slytherin nodded and motioned for him to sit down, which he obeyed. �Thank you, I really could use the assistance�and if you�d like, I can help you with our Care of Magical Creatures homework.�

Severus arched an eyebrow; �What makes you think I require any assistance with that subject?�

Lupin�s subtle smile faltered; �Oh, well I-I heard about your little mishap in class the other day and I just thought�� The fawn-haired boy paused to take in the sour expression on his new study-date�s face and bit his lip before offered a kind grin. �It could happen to anyone, you know�you shouldn�t feel discouraged. Brownies are not very social creatures by nature, but they didn�t seem to be bothered by me, so I was able to make some rather accurate notes and sketches, if you�d like to borrow them.�

The raven-haired teen frowned at his hand, which held a few light scratches that a brownie had left him with before scurrying into the woods. It seemed that the creature did not appreciate being picked up and moved as though he were simply an object�Severus was of the opinion that they should have selected less finicky ones for class. In any case, he could hardly write the needed foot and half of parchment on them with what he had. �That would be�nice. Thank you, Lupin. Er, how have you fared with your other subjects?�

The brown-eyed boy�s response was polite and gentle as usual; �I think my work is satisfactory enough in each of my subjects except Potions and Divination�I swear I am dropping that class next year.�

Severus frowned, �Divination? Why on Earth are you taking that?� He would never admit it, but he honestly expected the other boy to be more sagacious than to take such a woolly subject.

The scarred teen looked mildly embarrassed as he avoided the slightly taller boy�s gaze. �I had been ho-er, planning on taking Arithmancy, but my friends thought it would be fun if we all took Divination together. I thought it might be interesting but�� The boy was apparently too polite to say what the class actually was, so he settled for shrugging slightly.

The raven-haired teen had no such hold-ups, �It is rubbish. Arithmancy is for more interesting, not to mention useful. Your idiot friends probably believed the reputation that it was an easy pass. Of course, such a subject might fit them, the joke that it is.� He caught himself in mid-eye roll and realised that he had probably angered the other boy, however, Lupin�s expression was unreadable when he returned his gaze to the Gryffindor.

After a slightly awkward moment in which Lupin continued to watch Severus with that unreadable expression, the obsidian-eyed boy decided to speak again. �Would you like to start with Potions and then move onto Care of Magical Creatures?�

The fawn-haired boy nodded politely as a mild expression returned to his face. He started speaking as he pulled his potions notes and essay from his knapsack, �I really have no idea what I�m doing wrong with this one�I think I have the theory sorted, but I failed dismally when we were asked brew it in class.�

�Yes, I noticed,� replied the slightly taller teen. There was a half second where he could have sworn the other boy looked surprised before the expression was gone and Lupin was simply smiling at him sheepishly. �Well here, let me take a look at what you have so far;� Severus took the scarred boy�s assignment from him and read it over as Lupin sorted through some of the papers in his bag.

The raven-haired teen�s brows furrowed slightly as he read the scarred teen�s half-completed essay. Once he was finished, he looked at the fawn-haired boy. �Your theory is more than sound. In fact, I am having a hard time trying to figure out how you could have written this after creating that disaster of a potion in class.� The Slytherin paused but the other boy said nothing. Severus sighed and looked at the essay once more, then, an idea struck him. �Lupin, you are either a half-blood or a Muggle born, correct?�

Lupin looked unsure of the importance of the question, but obviously decided to give the other boy the benefit of the doubt, which did not surprise Severus as much as he suspected it should have. �Yes, I�m a half blood.�

�Do you live in a Muggle populated area?�

�I- Well, I-it�s quite rural, but all of the nearby residents are Muggles�I think.�

Severus found the fawn-haired boy�s slow and uncertain response odd, but decided to ignore that and simply make his point. �So you probably do chores as most Muggles do at home; would that include cooking?� The shorter of the pair simply nodded, still looking uneasy, and Severus continued, hoping his newly appointed study date would relax once he saw where this line of questioning was going. �Potion brewing is not the same as Muggle cooking. It is a combination of subtle science, fine art, and absolute magic. You need to treat it as you would an intricate spell. Although, you obviously lack any talent for the craft, you do possess the required disposition and understanding enough to produce much better results than you do currently.�

Remus studied the Slytherin for a moment, as though mentally sorting through his tone and demeanour before surprising Severus by actually smiling at him. �Thank you.�

Severus felt the strangest urge to return the gesture but forced it back immediately, reminding himself that this was one of Potter and Black�s friends. �Well, you still have plenty of room for improvement. I think we should start on your conclusion, as you seem to have skipped a few nuances before reaching that. Sound as it might be, you�ll need to prove you actually know why this works�well, if someone else were brewing it.�

Lupin chuckled lightly but quickly grew serious and focused as they worked on the assignment, which Severus found pleasing. He had not expected the fawn-haired boy to loaf as his friends would, but was still not expecting the shorter teen�s work ethics to meet his own so easily. Over an hour passed before either noticed, and they had only realised it then because their Potions essays were complete.

�Here,� the Gryffindor handed several papers to the raven-haired boy. �This is everything I have from our last Care of Magical Creatures class. Do you mind if I read my Ancient Runes text while you read them? Feel free to interrupt me if you have any questions, I know my writing is a bit small�it�s just that I fell asleep during the last Ancient Runes class and we have a quiz next class, so I really need to catch up.�

Severus was reminded of the conversation he and Lily had before she abruptly decided to invite Lupin over to form a small study group. He nodded as he looked at the notes, then frowned slightly when he realised that Remus had loaned him not only his notes and sketches, but his own completed assignment as well.

�Lupin, you gave me your essay.�

�Yes, I thought it would be a good study asset,� replied the fawn-haired boy conversationally. �Don�t worry; I�m certain that all the facts are accurate.�

�You know Professor Kettleburn is just as likely to believe that you cheated if I were to simply copy this,� remarked the raven-haired teen levelly.

�That is true, or he might just give us both a more complicated essay.� Remus still sounded as though they were having a friendly conversation over tea; �But I�m not concerned. You don�t have any reason to cheat, and, much as you might dislike me, you still are proud and determined to succeed on your own, so you won�t cheat.�

Severus was torn between anger and surprise. While he did not like the fact that the slight boy presumed to know so much about him, he had not thought that the Gryffindor paid close enough attention to him to make such an accurate judgment call. Considering that the scarred teen�s tone held no trace of mockery or conceit, the obsidian-eyed teen decided not to be too hard on him. �As you said, I have no need to copy such an�� There was a scarcely noticeable pause, �Average piece of work, but you should still exercise more caution in the future.�

Remus wore a thoughtful frown, but did not look up from his Ancient Runes text or comment on the rude remark.

Severus frowned himself at this, unsure of why he should be bothered by the other boy�s reaction. He decided to simply continue studying until he had an actual reason to speak again, and upon reading the Gryffindor�s essay, realised that the description he gave was not accurate in the least, but he could not give the other boy the satisfaction of admitting as much�After all, the boy was one of Black and Potter� friends.

The unusual feeling remained with him as he studied, however, he was not sure what it meant or what to do about it. He had to re-read a few of the other boy�s notes before he shook himself of the unknown emotion. When he was finally finished writing his own assignment, he passed the papers back to Lupin; ��Those were quite helpful.�

The corner of Remus� mouth twisted up as he took the papers back. �Gad to hear it. What other assignments do you have left? I have Charms, Divination, and History of Magic.�

�I have Charms, History of Magic, and Arithmancy.� While it would have been simple enough to suggest they study for their electives and, therefore, avoid having to talk for another hour, Severus found himself pulling out his History of Magic book. �Let�s get History of Magic out of the way while we�re still unlikely to fall asleep.� He vaguely wondered why it sounded as though he were making excuses before he shunned the idea.

�Good thinking,� replied the fawn-haired teen with an amused grin. �We can read the chapter and our notes, and then quiz each other, if that sounds all right to you.�

�That sounds acceptable,� replied Severus, pleased to hear that the other student had notes, which was unusual for the subject, although he himself had always taken notes. The Slytherin was also pleasantly surprised to discover throughout their time on the subject, that Lupin actually paid attention and seemed to appreciate History of Magic. The two boys read silently for the better part of an hour before quizzing one another, sharing general information on the subject, and even getting into a friendly debate on whether the Vampire Treaty of 1802 was truly fair.

Despite the fact that well over three hours had passed since Lily left for only a couple, the redhead had still not returned, however, neither of the two boys seemed to notice her extended absence. Once they finished studying for History of Magic and were sure they would both do well on the following week�s quiz, the two fifteen-year-old�s decided to move onto their Charms assignment. They studied and discussed the required text, but realised that they could hardly practice the charm in the library, so they decided to move their study session to one of the nearby empty classrooms.

After moving the dusty desks to the edges of the room, the two boys began practising the Locomotor Charm, first taking it in turns to move small items, and gradually moving onto larger ones. After nearly an hour had passed, they were racing a pair of desks around the room and pondering aloud on where the various names and incantations for some spells originated. They were so content on their conversation and focused on their spells that neither boy realised Lily had found them until she cleared her throat, after standing at the door for longer than they would have guessed.

The desks fell to the floor as the two boys turned quickly at the sound and turned their wands toward the source before immediately lowering them; Remus with a polite apology, Severus with a frown.

�Lily, where have you been?� he asked, then frowned further at the beaming smile she was wearing, �And why are you looking at us like that?�

�I just didn�t expect you two to get on so well so quickly,� explained the girl, still smiling. �Sorry, I was caught up. I thought the both of you had turned in already�it is nearly curfew.�

The two boys glanced at one another before looking at the classroom�s wall clock and quickly realising that they had spent around five hours in each other�s company. The raven-haired teen gaped at the offending timepiece as though it had pulled the wool over his eyes, while the fawn-haired teen turned back to the redhead with a small smile. �I hadn�t noticed.�

�Did you get much studying done?� asked Lily, looking the boys over carefully.

The obsidian-eyed boy arched an eyebrow at his friend, �What else would we have been doing? We nearly completed all of our homework actually; just one subject left each�how about you?�

�I finished most of mine,� the green-eyed girl reported happily, still eyeing the two boys over mischievously. �You should let Remus and I walk you back to your dorm before we start our patrol.�

Severus looked his friend over suspiciously, clearly realising that she was up to something, but unable to figure out what that was. �That really won�t be necessary, Lily, but thank you.�

Obviously oblivious to any devious plots in the making, Remus turned to the taller boy, �But it will be past curfew by the time you make it to the dungeons. I wouldn�t want you to get into any trouble on my account.�

�Exactly,� added the redhead as she stepped aside to wave the boys out of the classroom. �You won�t get into trouble if you�re being escorted by a couple of prefects and we can just start our patrol down there.�

Severus could not think of any sound argument to this excuse, nor could he think of any reason why he should want to argue, so he retrieved his bag and followed Lily out of the room, with Lupin behind him. Literally; the boy stayed a few feet behind them for the entire walk to the dungeons and seemed slightly different from how he had been over the past five hours�it was as if his mind were drifting.

The obsidian-eyed boy looked the other boy over discreetly when they reached the entrance to his common room, wondering if they had over done it while practising their charms and perhaps upset his odd illness.

Before he could decide if he should say anything, Lily turned to both boys suddenly, �Oh! I completely forgot my Care of Magical Creatures homework! ...And we�re going to be patrolling for the next couple of hours. Do you two think you could me a favour?�

The scarred boy nodded, showing the appropriate level of concern for the situation and genuinely seeming to want to help, while the raven-haired boy wore a level expression. He knew it was not like Lily to forget an assignment, even when she was spending time with her girlfriends. He once again suspected that his friend was up to something.

The redhead smiled lightly, looking somewhat embarrassed, which made Severus even more suspicious. �Could you two meet me outside of the Great Hall tomorrow morning before breakfast and help me finish it? Care of Magical Creatures is my third period and I won�t have time to complete it before that.�

�Of course Ev- I mean Lily,� Remus quickly amended his response, and took on a docile tone when the girl shot him a brief but fierce look at the start of her surname.

Severus sighed quietly as he believed he figured out what his friend was doing; for reasons he could not be sure of, she decided that they had to include Remus into their �circle� of friends. Perhaps it was pity, perhaps she merely, like Severus, thought that spending so much time with Black and Potter would be detrimental to the fawn-haired boy, or perhaps she had somehow known that he and Severus would take to each other so well. The obsidian-eyed boy could not see how the third option was possible, as Lily barely knew Remus herself, but he certainly had gotten along with the scarred teen better than he could have imagined.

The raven-haired teen quickly decided that he could live with Remus as a friend if that was what Lily wanted, so he nodded to his best friend. �Shall we make it an hour before breakfast then?�

The green-eyed girl�s smile was genuinely happy, but Severus recognised the victorious gleam to her eyes and knew right away that he was correct in thinking she wanted him to accept Remus. Before he could drop any subtle hints that he was onto her though, his train of thought died at the small but sincere smile that Remus wore at the statement.

�That sounds great,� stated Lily brightly, �Thank you, Severus. Good night.� After placing a quick kiss on her friend�s cheek, the redhead turned, calling Lupin to come along and begin their patrol.

Severus stared after them for a moment before coming to his senses and speaking the password to open the door to the Slytherin common room. He walked to his dormitory and changed into his pyjamas in a daze, completely lost in thoughts that were growing hazy as his body suddenly realised what time it was and that it needed sleep.

One thing he was certain of, he had never thought of someone else as Lily showed him any sort of friendly affection before, yet that night, his mind had still been on Remus as the redhead kissed him on the cheek. He vaguely wondered if Lily was not the only reason he had decided to accept the quiet boy as a friend, until drowsiness dulled his mind too much to concentrate on anything and sleep overcame him.
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