Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

The Long Road	By : SinisterMe Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Remus Views: 63598 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 18
Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from the Harry Potter world, which is trademarked by J. K. Rowling. This story is purely for entertainment purposes, no money is being made from it.

Chapter List
- 22
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- 24
Severus stood still in the middle of his destroyed kitchen and rubbed his hands over his face. “Well that was unexpected,” he said at length. Though in reality, it was not unexpected at all; he only hadn’t anticipated it so soon. He’d known Potter would show up eventually, but the fashion and time of his arrival had definitely not been foreseen.
“Thank you for telling him he could come back,” Remus said. “Though I’m not entirely sure why you would do that, sir.”
“He would have come back anyway, now at least he’ll think it was my idea.”
Remus laughed uneasily. “I’m very sorry about your kitchen,” he said. “I’m rather surprised you didn’t blast Harry into next Tuesday, sir.” The Snape he’d known while they’d both taught at Hogwarts wouldn’t have hesitated to roast Harry for his entrance, literally.
“I very nearly did,” Severus agreed, sneaking a look at Teddy, who was sitting back at his place at the table watching them. “Besides, it would have achieved nothing. He thought that he was coming here to save you and was rather deflated when he found you were in little need of it presently.”
“Yes,” Remus coloured. “He seemed to think a great many things.”
“Indeed,” Severus said, not exactly sure what he had missed while he was upstairs. Potter’s views had been made clear enough, however, for him to easily extrapolate that this was not a conversation to be had in front of Teddy.
Remus looked at Teddy. “Harry asked me if I would tell you that he was very sorry for frightening you like that. He really didn’t mean to do it.”
“Sir said he was my godfather,” Teddy said, basically asking for an explanation.
Remus clearly wasn’t expecting that. “Did he? What else did he tell you?”
“That a godfather is supposed to be special and to look after a child. I didn’t think he was a very good one, if that was what they were supposed to do, but sir thinks I should give him a chance.”
Severus could have cursed, but he kept his composure. He would rather no one had known that he’d done his part in keeping Teddy’s heart open to someone he himself detested so strongly. It would completely ruin his reputation.
Remus looked at him briefly. “He did, did he? Well I think he’s right on this one. Harry has a good heart and he loved you so much when you were a baby, we were barely able to get him to put you down when he was over.”
“Really?” Teddy asked.
“Really. A lot of people love you, kid,” Remus smiled fondly at his son. “You just might not know them all.”
Teddy smiled into his hand. Severus stood back silently and allowed them to have their moment together. He surveyed the damage to the exterior wall, finding it not quite as bad as he had originally thought. While it looked rather serious, the destruction would be easily fixed; or at least most of it would. The door would need to be replaced, but other than that it was reparable.
“Will he really come back tomorrow?” Teddy seemed torn between nervousness and anticipation.
“Yes, I think he will,” Remus said. “Hopefully things aren’t as eventful next time.” He turned to Severus, “What are you going to do about your kitchen, sir?”
Broken glass was everywhere in the back porch and into the kitchen, the back door and frame, both solid hardwood, had been blown clear out of the exterior wall and into the inside wall opposite it. There was little hope in salvaging either the frame or the door.
“I’m going to start by getting rid of some of these glass shards; nobody panic but I am about to use my wand,” he said, keeping an eye on Teddy as he did so. Giving the boy a moment to absorb what he’d said, he slowly brought his wand out of the folds of his robe, waiting a minute before actually doing anything with it.
He banished the splinters of wood and pieces of glass that were scattered about the kitchen and entryway, not really wanting to look at them any longer. He did his best to clean up the wall where his new exterior door would go; manually hauling the broken one into the back yard just to vent some of his frustration. Seven years of school and even after graduation Potter was still managing to blow things up and leaving him to clean the messes up.
Severus took stock of his interior wall, glad that nothing of value was stored in his back entryway. The wall was caved in, plaster crumbled to dust in some places. This was an easy enough fix for him, as he had done most of the updating to his home himself and was familiar with many spells of construction and repair. A few quickly muttered charms and it was good as new, the plaster popping back out and all of the cracks sealing themselves.
“For now, I am going to erect a barrier ward; it will keep the temperature in the house constant as well as keep out any moisture or unwanted pests, unless Potter wants to drop by again, of course,” Severus drawled, beginning the incantation.
Teddy watched him mutely from across the room, death grip on his dragon.
Severus slowly spun the ward, feeling its steely strength manifesting as he coaxed it into all of the cracks and crevices in the space where his door used to be. Wards had always been a favorite of his; the magic was so resolute, so controlled, as long as one knew what they were doing. A tangle of glowing threads slowly unraveled themselves in the doorway to form a lightly gleaming grid before disappearing to the eye completely.
He sheathed his wand and turned back to the Lupins, seeing Teddy looking at him raptly.
“What was that, sir?” the boy asked in amazement.
“That was the creation of a basic barrier ward, a prolonged protection charm that will restrict the passage of almost whatever the caster requires. Basically, if you have enough skill and practice, you can stop just about anything from passing through your ward.”
“Cool,” Teddy smiled. “I’ve never seen magic do something like that before.”
“Wards certainly are something to see when they’re being created. If I remember correctly, your father has quite a knack for them.”
Remus looked startled at the compliment. “Thank you sir; I always was fascinated the design and application of wards. A creative enough person can do just about anything with them.”
“That is incredibly true,” Severus smirked.
Remus wasn’t sure why, but alarms were instantly going off in the back of his head. What wasn’t Severus telling him? Clearly there was something.
“I will send word to a carpenter in town; he will be able to replace the door in a few days. I will wait for the morning and send Fred with the message.”
“You can send Fred into town, sir? Do we live near a magical community?” Remus asked.
“Yes and no. For the most part it consists of squibs and muggles who have family in the magical community and choose to live as close to it as they are able. There are few ‘classically’ trained witches and wizards there, such as you and I are. The unique thing is my family has owned land near this community so long that we are almost a part of it, despite our resistance.” Severus gave a ghost of a smile at that comment. “I can trust that the carpenter there will craft me something suitable in a decent length of time.”
“I never knew there was any such community, sir,” Remus said respectfully.
“That is not uncommon. It is a collection of undesirables, for one reason or another. Most of regular society, ‘dirty’ and ‘pure’ blood alike would rather pretend it doesn’t exist, so they do. Really, it’s fitting that this is where I make my home, on the outskirts of even this sort of society,” Severus smirked, though he appeared to take no pleasure in the action.
“Well it sounds wonderful to me, sir. I wish I had known of such a place before… well, everything,” Remus ended lamely.
“Everything sounds good in theory,” Severus said elusively.
Remus wasn’t sure what exactly to make of that last statement, so he kept quiet about it. No need to go instigating arguments he’d rather not be taking part in in the first place.
“Would you like to continue with what I was attempting to show you before your godfather came bursting through my wall?” Severus noted idly that he hadn’t even looked after the stove. That would need to be done well before supper of Fred would have his hide.
“Yes, sir,” Teddy giggled; the look his father gave him said that that was a completely inappropriate response to a question asked directly to him by his master. His master, on the other hand didn’t even seem to take any notice.
“Alright,” Severus said. “How about you look at that book that I brought you, see what you make of it.”
“Okay,” Teddy said. He reached for the thick-paged hard covered book that Severus had brought down with him before Harry Potter had arrived. There were a couple of other books as well, but somehow he knew this was the book his master was talking about. He picked it up in his small hands. As he opened the blank cover his face showed immediate delight at what he found inside.
“Place your finger on the large shape in the corner,” Severus said, looking with more interest on the boy than on the door, since his ward was successfully cast. “That is the letter; the rest of the pictures on the page are common words that begin with that letter. When you touch the letter with your pointer finger the magic in the book will say the words on the page for you, lighting up in blue the sounds that are being made by each slowly pronounced word.”
Remus nodded, seeming to understand what Severus was saying.
Teddy took his index finger and placed its pad across the boldly embellished ‘A’ that was written and framed in the corner of the first page. A melodic voice intoned, “Apple”, “And”, “All”, “After”… Teddy watched the blue light as if sounded out every word on the page for him.
“On the last page is the entire alphabet, if you touch the first letter the book will sing it to you.”
“You mean my ABC’s, sir?” Teddy asked.
“Yes, I do; do you know them already?” Severus asked.
“Most of them,” Teddy said uncertainly.
“Well this will refresh your memory then. It is also one of the first steps we will take to help you learn to read.” Severus wasn’t surprised the boy didn’t know, he couldn’t imaging Walden singing the alphabet for anyone, let alone Teddy.
Teddy’s face brightened. “That would be great, sir!”
“I’m glad you think so; if you like you can continue to look through the book. When you’re familiar enough with it, I will show you how to make it go over the next step. You and I will practice also, but I think you would have more fun looking through the book for a while.”
“Okay,” Teddy said cheerfully.
“How about you go sit on the couch in the living room and flip through it? Your father and I will be right in here.”
“Sounds good, sir,” Teddy smiled, hopping off his chair and folding the book so it was tucked under his arm. He beamed at his father on the way past. Through the doorway Severus could see him climb on the couch and reopen his book.
Severus sat down at the table with a ‘thunk’; he rubbed at his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he’d seen this morning. He could really use a drink.
“Sir?”
“Yes, Lupin?”
“How did Harry manage to get onto your property, sir?” Remus asked.
“I imagine with a lot of work. I felt someone scratching away at my wards earlier this morning. There was only one magical signature, so there wasn’t much reason to worry.”
“You knew he was coming?”
“I knew someone was coming, though I had little idea it would be Potter. Not yet, at any rate; my property is notoriously difficult to find, I didn’t expect him for a while yet. Once it came to his attention that you and Teddy were alive and in my clutches, I’m sure he made it his personal mission to track you down.”
“Yes, he seemed to have a startlingly accurate idea of what my bonding entailed,” Remus looked rather ill as he said it.
“Well, not that this will make you feel any better, but I suspect that it is on record somewhere at the Ministry. And, knowing Potter and the rest of his troupe, there was much research done on the bonding and how to free you from it.”
“But I can’t be freed from it, surely Harry knows that,” Remus added.
“No, more than likely you can’t; I’m certain he does. Being an Auror, he will be up to date on the current laws.”
“So what does Harry hope to accomplish, then?” Remus asked, puzzled.
“Potter’s logic has always been mystifying to me,” Snape said. “I would assume, in this instance that he hopes to visit you and your son, at the very least.”
“He knows he can’t do that any time he wants sir. We belong to you; we can’t just sit down to tea whenever Harry decides to drop by!”
Severus failed to see why not. “You think I would not permit you to see him? I as good as invited him over for that tea you just mentioned. Or what did you think my true purpose in instructing him to return was?”
“I don’t know, sir,” Remus replied quietly. “Perhaps to show him, in some way, how far your control extends over us.”
Snape fought the urge to roll his eyes, giving a snort of laughter. “Yes, that’s it exactly, Lupin. I’m going to play nursemaid and babysitter while we’re all here by ourselves, but the moment we have an audience I’m going to don my torturer’s face and put on a right good show!”
“I didn’t mean it like that, sir,” Lupin sighed. “It’s just that he couldn’t come back without your permission, not repeatedly. This is your land, your house, he would be coming to see your possessions; a person can’t just do that without permission.”
“He seemed to do it just fine this morning,” Severus argued halfheartedly. “But I understand where you are coming from; it isn’t the fact that I allowed him to return, but the fact that my permission was needed.”
Remus looked down at his hands.
“I really do understand,” Severus repeated quietly. “I was in a similar position to you for most of my adult life, in a way. I am by no means belittling what you have gone through, or what you have yet to go through. But on some level at least, I know what that repression is like.” It was more than unfortunate that he would have to become the oppressor, something he had worked for many years to escape.
“Sir, we’re talking about one of my dearest friends coming for a visit; I don’t think I am in any position to be bemoaning my current circumstances by any means,” Remus was desperate for Severus to understand that he wasn’t trying to say he wanted more; this was far past what he could have hoped already.
“I didn’t mean to imply anything of the kind.” The opposite, in fact. Lupin had been almost too gracious for the little he’d done for the man so far. “And if you were, that would be more than understandable as well. Just know that I will not disallow your closeness to people who are in a position to help you. Your son, especially will need all of the assistance he can get.”
“Teddy?”
“You have other offspring? Of course Teddy; if he is ever to gain his status as a free individual, having people like the almighty Harry Potter in his corner will be nothing but beneficial to him and to that end result.”
“Seriously, sir? That is why you’re going to allow him to come back?”
“Among other reasons. You don’t think I’d make you stay here forever with only me for company? Now that would be cruel,” Severus said. He was jesting, trying to lighten the conversation, a technique he’d never fully mastered.
“I could think of worse fates, sir,” Remus smiled.
“Yes, but who has that kind of time?”
“You’re too hard on yourself, sir,” Remus said, hoping he wasn’t overstepping some kind of line.
“Oh I very much doubt that,” Severus drawled.
Remus shook his head. “If you say so, sir. Are you going to see to your shoulder? That looked like quite a hit you took.” Remus grimaced, “Thank you for protecting my son.”
“I’ll look at it right away, I’m sure it’s fine.” He could tell it was nowhere near fine, a cursory glance at it earlier had told him that some of the fabric of his robe had been burned into his skin; he would need to scour it to get it clean.
Remus made a face, “It doesn’t look that good, sir; if you don’t mind my saying.”
“I don’t mind; forgive me if I completely ignore you however.” Severus stood and went to crouch beside the stove. “I assume that Fred went back out to the garden so he didn’t have to look at the ruin of his kitchen?”
“I didn’t see where he went, sir,” Remus admitted.
“It’s what he usually does when he’s frustrated or upset,” Severus informed him. He peered at the stove, bringing his wand out and repairing its glass window carefully. “Hopefully my fixing the kitchen a little will soothe his nerves.”
Snape continued to fix all of the damage on the exterior of the oven before pulling it open and closing it, checking the hinges and the interior. Apparently finding it decent, he stood and collected the remaining bag that Fred hadn’t put away yesterday. It contained a stack of thick, colourful paper, some scissors and glue. These he set aside on the table for later.
“Thinking of doing some crafting, sir?” Remus asked, amused.
“Teddy will need to work on his hand eye coordination and his fine motor skills. Crafts are a fun, creative way of doing just that.”
“For someone who only taught eleven and up, you seem to know a surprising amount about early childhood education,” Remus said.
“I had the opportunity to instruct my godson from a young age. Draco and I have done everything from cutting circles out of paper to brewing the Dreamless Sleep,” Severus informed him; although he was altogether unsure why he was doing so. Probably because he was proud of the little sot.
Remus could clearly see Snape’s affection for the young man; it was written all over his face, plain as day. “How is Draco?” Remus hoped it wasn’t too loaded of a question.
“Draco is still young, though he has grown up remarkably since the war. He was visiting family in Paris, last I heard. Lucius had an aunt who lived there; Draco and she always got along well. I believe he’s been summering there; doing little else but chasing women and tasting wine I’ll bet. Merlin knows why I taught him anything, it’s not like he’s inclined to use any of it.”
“Well, what with the first two decades of his life, I should hope that’s all he’s doing, sir. I suppose he never got to be young and carefree any more than Harry did, what with his family being so embroiled in the war.”
“I suppose not. Still; I hope to see him make something of himself yet. His father’s fortune won’t always be there for him to depend on. They used up a vast percentage of it to escape the trials whole and without being sentenced to prison.” Severus was aghast; it was almost as if he and Remus were having an actual conversation. Remus wasn’t stumbling over everything he said out of fear he was going to offend him; he wondered how long it would last before the man noticed he was doing it.
“Well, only time will tell, sir.” Remus was thinking that Severus seemed to reminisce about his godson the way a father would his own child. “Are he and his father still very close?”
“As much as they ever were. Lucius is so busy trying to rebuild his empire that I think he has time for little else.” In other words, nothing had really changed for the father and son.
“Well, at least he has you, sir,” Remus said optimistically.
How Lupin managed to make that sound like such a good thing was beyond him. “Yes, I suppose he does. I imagine I’ll see him again in the fall, but I do exchange regular post with the boy. Someone needs to make sure he’s staying out of trouble.”
Remus chuckled. “Good luck with that one, sir.”
“Indeed,” Severus allowed his lips to quirk. “It’s usually a losing game when one plays with the Malfoys, in my experience anyway.”
“In most people’s experiences, I would think, sir.”
Snape harrumphed; yes, that was probably more accurate. “No matter, they do what they will when they’re that age.”
“I hope so, sir,” Remus said wistfully.
The expression on Snape’s face changed imperceptibly. “I will not impede your son from living his life to the fullest even if we can’t get around the bonding, Remus. I would find no joy at all in doing that.”
Remus nodded slowly, not sure what to say in the face of the turn this conversation had taken.
“I suppose I should look at this confounded thing,” Severus scowled, gesturing with his good arm at his wounded shoulder and standing quickly.
“Bring me with you, sir?” Remus asked.
Severus looked at him with one eyebrow raised. “Want to see me bleed do you?” he asked with a sneer.
“Not at all, sir!” Remus protested. “I could be there for a second set of hands if you needed them?”
“Indeed."
“What? As long as you don’t need a second set of feet I should be able to assist,” Remus grinned.
Snape shook his head in disbelief. “Alright, you win just based on the sheer absurdity of your last comment.” He stood and levitated Remus’ chair, making it move before him through the living room.
“We’re heading upstairs for a moment Teddy,” Severus said.
The boy barely looked up from his book.
“Teddy?” Severus tried a little louder.
The boy’s head snapped up. “Yes, sir?”
“Your father and I are heading upstairs for a moment; you’ll be okay where you are?”
“Oh yes, sir!” Teddy said with enthusiasm.
“If you need anything you come right up and get us; I’ll leave my door open, okay?” Severus asked.
“Mmhmm,” Teddy agreed, already reabsorbed in his book.
Severus smirked and continued upstairs; at least the boy seemed to take an interest in learning. That would be a novel experience after decades of Hogwarts students sleeping through his class.
He steered Remus into his room, already having most, if not all of the supplies he would need in there. He set Remus’ chair down by the small table and drew the blind open.
Severus set out three small bottles on the desk that was against the wall nearest Remus. He retrieved a swath of medicated bandages and a couple scouring pads from his medical kit. Carefully, he removed his tattered robe and shirt, barely wincing when he tore some of the material that had been burned into his flesh away. He threw his discarded clothing onto the floor, as it had been magically burnt and wouldn’t likely be salvageable. He went over to sit at the chair in front of the desk, taking his bottle of whiskey and a nearly clean glass along with him.
There was a small mirror on a stand that was turned face down on the desk, this he righted and aimed at his wounded shoulder. He poured two fingers of liquor into the glass and knocked it back quickly, pouring about the same amount into the glass again and re-corking the bottle. He cleansed his hands and forearms the same way he did before touching any of Remus wounds, taking the scouring pad in one hand and casting the same charm over it.
Remus watched in appalled fascination as Severus firmly gripped the edge of the desk with the hand of his burned arm and brought the scouring pad up to the injury with his good one. Lupin had seen the material that had seemed almost seared into his skin; surely he couldn’t mean to just scrub it out with that abrasive pad? He hadn’t even taken an analgesic potion.
Severus set his teeth and applied firm, even strokes with the scouring pad across his injury. He knew this was the only way; it couldn’t be allowed to heal with those fibers in there, not without welcoming a severe infection at any rate. He continued, running back and forth motions across a small portion of the affected area. Magic had a funny way of doing things; it had burnt through his clothing and skin and then managed to cauterize a large portion of that exact same wound, that he would now have to reopen and disinfect.
Remus sat there, rigid as a board. Severus had never treated any of his injuries in such a fashion. Snape continued on, staring into that little mirror and scrubbing at his shoulder until blood began to trickle down his chest again. “Sir?” Remus finally asked.
“Yes?” Snape said, not a waver in his voice.
“Isn’t that incredibly painful?”
Severus made a noncommittal sound and set the pad down, he then knocked back his drink and poured himself another. He saw the way Remus was looking at him and gave pause. “Most analgesic potions have little effect on me since my… debacle with that pain reliever of my own creation; if you wonder why I’m drinking.”
“It isn’t my place to question you, sir,” Remus said.
“It is when I’m supposed to be responsible for the well-being of your son.” Severus sterilized his hands and arms again, as well as the new scrubby pad. He didn’t hesitate, just started reefing away at his tender looking skin, trying to get out all of the fibers.
Remus watched with horrified interest; Severus’ face barely even twitched as he scrubbed away layer after layer of charred flesh without mercy. He continued on up his shoulder and to the point where the burn ended just where his back began.
“Did you have to do something similar to my burns when I arrived here? I’m sure all kinds of things healed into those,” Lupin found himself asking, though he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer.
“Fred cleared your wounds; though I’m positive he did a majority of it magically, I’m almost certain that he needed to do at least the edges of them by hand. You were unconscious for the procedure; it would be why you don’t remember it.”
“Well by the looks of things, I’m glad that I don’t, sir,” Remus said.
“Your injuries covered far more of your body and had had a long time to heal over whatever contaminants they were exposed to. Even if somehow you would have gained consciousness, Fred or myself would have put you under again until the procedure was completed.” Severus set the scourer aside and reached for one of the bottles, uncorking it and dousing the exposed area with it.
The potion bubbled and fizzed over the area, which reddened even more if possible. The foam that appeared was tainted ruby from the free flowing blood. Remus wasn’t sure if he was imagining it but he thought he might be hearing the bubbles pop from where he was sitting. Severus was watching the potion do its job impassively in the mirror, barely even frowning.
Remus tried not to think about what would have happened if that magical overload had hit his son; the awful sounds of distress he would be making if he sat there with those burns across his torso instead of across Severus’.
Snape looked over at him. “What?” The werewolf looked positively grey.
“It’s nothing, sir. I just can’t thank you enough for not letting that burst hit Teddy. He definitely wouldn’t be taking this as well as you are.”
“He is a child, Lupin. It’s not common practice to treat their injuries in the way I’m treating mine; their threshold for pain is much lower than most adults,” Severus felt like Lupin must know that.
Remus wondered what Severus’ threshold for pain was. Severus was dabbing at the bubbles with a clean square of linen, watching his movements in the mirror. This he set aside, taking a new square and dabbing some of the contents of the other bottle of potion onto it. He applied this sparingly and reached for the swath of bandages.
“Let me help you with that, sir; it’s why you brought me up here isn’t it?” Remus asked.
Severus thought it best not to say that he had brought Remus upstairs because he had asked and for no other reason. He was more than experienced in tending his own maladies. He turned to look at the other man, seeing nothing but hopefulness on his face.
Was he really about to let Lupin assist him? It would not be something he had done often or willingly for most of his life. Poppy had been the only one, and even he hadn’t gone to her with half of the things that needed tending to, both as a teenager and as an adult. The longer he waited before replying, the more that hopeful expression waivered on Lupin’s face. Here was a man who was so dependent on him that he couldn’t even move around the house without his aid, and he himself was afraid to give up control in the form of something as small as someone bandaging a wound for him. He drank his third measure of whisky.
“Roll up your sleeves a little; I’ll sterilize your hands for you,” Severus said at length.
Remus let out a breath he’d been holding in. He thought for a moment there that he had been too forceful in the way he’d spoken to his master. He did his best to pull the loose sleeves of his shirt up in such a way that they would stay there. When he was done he held out his hands.
Severus cast the same charm over them as he did to his own hands when dealing with an injury. He poured another portion of the potion onto a clean section of linen and handed it and the roll of bandages to Lupin. He would need to make his blistered shoulder more accessible to the other man. Deciding it would be the easiest way and would prevent eye contact, he tossed a pillow on the floor for height and sat down in front of Remus with his back to him.
Remus supposed that this was better than Severus kneeling before him, but not by much. He put any misgivings about their roles aside, wanting to do the best he was able. This would be the first time since his arrival that his master would be allowing him to do anything for him; he was finally able to do something for Severus and not the other way around. The good news was he couldn’t possibly treat the magical wound any more harshly than Severus had already been treating it.
He took the potion wetted cloth, reaching over Snape’s shoulder to set it carefully on the damaged part of his body, dabbing the ointment tenderly on the area. He took his free hand and pulled lightly on Severus’ other shoulder, directing him back a little so he would have easier access.
Snape allowed Remus to lead him, following his direction without resistance. He thought to himself how this was among the first times that Remus had touched him purposefully. The touch was outside what he had originally intended to do, which was to see to the wound; it had not been strictly necessary, Remus could have asked him to lean back just as easily. He wondered if Lupin realized he hadn’t even asked for permission. In either case, Remus was making him feel like he was an intricate design made from spindly spun glass; the other man was being so painfully careful that Severus would have chuckled in any other circumstances. As things were, he kept quiet, waiting to see what the werewolf would do if he was given space and wasn’t spooked.
Lupin continued to lean over Severus, looking intently on the injury to make sure that he hadn’t missed a spot. Going over one of the worst places a second time just to be thorough, he set the cloth aside, finding himself satisfied. He unraveled a small section of the bandage.
“I know it probably smarts, but would you please lift your arm, sir?” Remus asked meekly.
Severus instantly did as he had been asked, wondering halfheartedly if anyone had ever asked him to do anything so nicely before in his life. The ironic part was that Lupin had always been this sickeningly polite, even before the calamity of his bonding to Walden; it was one of his best and most infuriating qualities.
Remus carefully began to wrap his arm with the medicated gauze, mindful that it wasn’t pulling while he wound it or that no wrapped section was too tightly bound. When he was finished, he tucked the end cautiously into the rest of the bandages, trying not to jab Severus as best he could. He didn’t register that he had ran his hand over the bandaged area softly when it was complete, before withdrawing all contact.
“There you go sir,” Remus said.
Severus moved his arm around, trying out the motion of the bandaging. Everything seemed to be as it should; outside of the pain nothing was too constrictive. The liquor was working its way through his system, distracting from, but not relieving the feeling; it was better than nothing.
It almost galled him to say it even though the words were sincere, “Thank you, Remus.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“For what?” Severus couldn’t possibly see what Lupin would want to thank him about.
“For letting me help you, even though you could have managed perfectly fine without me, sir,” Remus said; a smile in his voice.
“Yes, well…” Severus wasn’t sure what he should say back to that. He stood up instead, ignoring his twinging knee. He walked to the wardrobe and selected a new shirt, shaking it out and donning it slowly. He repeated a similar process at the closet, replacing his shredded outer robe for a new one that was completely whole.
Remus watched Severus do up his clean shirt, every button in its eye covering a pale expanse of skin. He put a robe on when he was done with the shirt, looking comfortable only when he was ensnared in its voluminous folds.
Severus gave him a wry look. “Since your newly healed hand works so well, perhaps you would be interested in some… how did you put it earlier? ‘Crafting’?” Severus asked.
Remus laughed. “I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do this afternoon,” he said.
“It’s settled then,” Severus said, levitating the chair Remus was in and walking both of them from the room and down the stairs.
A/N: Thank you, thank you, thank you for your wonderful comments on the last chapter. You guys really give me the encouragement needed to keep writing this story! Hope this chapter wasn’t too dull after those last two! Please let me know what you think, I always love hearing it!
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The Long Road