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The Intentions of Others	By : BunnyBopper Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Remus Views: 3142 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
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Just like the two before him, Harry’s third year at Hogwarts had given him a lot of things to occupy his thoughts. This year he was being hunted by a mass murderer and plagued by dementors on top of the usual pressures of quidditch matches (where something was usually enchanted to kill him), essays and exams. Not to mention navigating the teenage hierarchy in a magical world that was still unfamiliar to him in so many ways.
But what, or rather who, had been really on his mind a lot the last few days was Severus Snape. He was worrying Harry. Even more so than usual for a 13-year-old boy to worry about his nastiest teacher. Specifically he was worried about that potion.
As he lay in the comfort of his four poster, listening to the rhythmic breathing and occasional snores of the other boys in the room, his mind kept going back to that smoking goblet on that silver tray. The way Snape kept looking at Professor Lupin all through dinner the evening he drank it. Harry couldn’t fathom the expression on the potion’s master’s face but he was sure he could sense anticipation of something. It certainly was an incredible coincidence that Professor Lupin just happened to go off sick a few days later and Snape just happened to be there to step in to take over his class. Everybody knew the slimy bastard wanted the Defence Against the Dark Arts job and Harry certainly wouldn’t put poisoning someone past him to get it.
No matter how many times Hermione chastised him or how much Professor Dumbledore trusted him for whatever reason, Harry knew the man was evil and he was going to prove it. He’d made up his mind. The next day at breakfast Harry found a quiet moment with Ron. His best friend was completely on board as he knew he would be.
‘We’ll be heroes Harry! We’ll expose the greasy git and save Professor Lupin from a slow painful death – all before dinner!’ Ron had whispered excitedly to him as he speared a third sausage on to his plate.
The plan seemed simple at first. They would hide out under the invisibility cloak in Snape’s classroom to watch him brew the potion and look for signs of sabotage. They quickly ran into a snag though. Neither of them knew which potion Snape was meant to be making. He and Ron researched all through the library for healing potions during lunch. Well, Harry had searched, Ron had mostly moaned about how it was “useless” after he didn’t find exactly what they wanted in the first book he picked up. He turned out to be right though as they could find no mention of a potion that produced the faint blue smoke that Harry had seen.
As far as Harry was concerned this only served to further suggest Snape’s guilt. But how would they be able to recognise if Snape sabotaged the potion if they didn’t know what was supposed to go in it in the first place? He could just ask Professor Lupin what the potion he took was but for some reason Harry sensed this would offend him. Even if it didn’t he would probably just be as evasive as last time. It was no use. They’d have to rope Hermione into this.
‘Absolutely not!’ was the girl’s obvious initial answer as they cornered her in a quiet section of the library. ‘You two are being ridiculous. We were all wrong about Professor Snape in first year and you’re wrong this time!’ She whispered indignantly at them while adding to the steadily growing pile of textbooks in her arms.
‘But you can’t deny it’s suspicious.’ Harry countered before he went over the facts again.
‘Well, I admit there are a few...coincidences. But that doesn’t mean-’
‘C’mon Hermione, you’re the smartest one of us. Bloody Hell, you’re probably the smartest in the whole school! If anyone can work out if he’s up to something it’s you.’ Ron said pleadingly, but also sounding surprisingly genuine. Harry could see Hermione swither. The way only flattery from Ron could make her. He continued to press her.
‘He won’t even know we’re there! If nothing’s going on then no harm done. But if there’s even a slight chance that bastard-’
‘Ron!’
‘-is hurting Professor Lupin then we have to risk it.’
Hermione knew them both well enough now to know when they weren’t going to let something go. She was also too good a friend to let them do something reckless on their own. She sighed.
‘OK fine. But for the record I still think this is ridiculous and I doubt even I will be able to know what’s supposed to go in such an advanced potion. Despite how highly you seem to think of me.’ She said, blushing slightly.

***

The second snag came when they realised they had no idea when Snape was going to make another batch. However with a bit of luck and a lot of snooping they got the information they needed. Harry, Ron and Hermione had just finished a herbology lesson and were exiting the greenhouses when Snape swooped past them wearing his usual black and the glare he reserved just for them. Obviously they hung around unseen.
‘Good afternoon Severus!’ Professor Sprout said brightly, ‘I assume you’re here to pick up the valerian roots? Don’t forget they are best used fresh!'
‘Yes, thank-you Pomona. I do indeed plan on using them tonight.’ Snape drawled back sounding slightly annoyed at being told something he evidently already knew. He took the basket filled with muddy roots she was offering before continuing. ‘These are one of the few ingredients I need that don’t actually cost the earth.’
‘Yes it’s unfortunate, but so worth it considering how much it helps Remus.’
‘Hmm.’ Snape responded sounding, in Harry’s opinion, that even if it cost a few sickles it would not be worth it.
‘Come don’t be like that. We all know how hard you’re working to help him!’ Sprout said with a playfulness in her voice.
‘I-uh...’ Snape looked slightly discomposed. A flash of colour showed on his pale cheeks. ‘I must be going. Thank-you again.’ He said as he hurried away.
‘Did you see how guilty he looked?!’ Harry said mostly to Hermione once Snape was a safe distance from them.
‘He certainly seemed rattled by something she said...’ She agreed thoughtfully.
‘It’s happening tonight then!’ Ron exclaimed with excitement as they made their way back to the castle.
***

The plan went off surprisingly simply. They had left dinner early and camped outside Snape’s classroom to await his arrival. When he did come striding up the corridor and enter the room his arms were laden with ingredients causing him to leave the door open for a short time as he set them out on his desk. This allowed the three of them to slip through under the cloak just in time before Snape slammed it shut with a flick of his wand. As he busied himself carefully laying out each ingredient the three teenagers moved slowly round the desks to get the best view. Now all they had to do was be quiet and wait.
To Harry’s amazement their luck continued. After Snape had returned from selecting one of his finest looking cauldrons he paused for a moment before flicking his wand again. All of a sudden some slow, yet rather loud, piano music started to play. Even Harry had to admit it was beautiful, in a melancholy sort of way, and therefore did not suit what he expected Severus Snape’s taste in music to be at all. Not that he’d ever given it any thought.
‘Clair De Lune.’ Hermione whispered to herself. The music was so loud they could talk in the lowest of tones without worrying about being heard.
‘Claire de what?’ Ron whispered back.
‘Clair De Lune. Debussy. It means ‘Light of the Moon’ in French.’ Of course Hermione knew what it was.
Snape stood for a moment listening as he surveyed the work ahead of him. Harry wasn’t sure what he was thinking as he hadn’t seen many expressions on the man’s face before other than contempt and loathing. But he thought Snape seemed a little sad, almost wistful. He soon snapped himself out of it and began brewing.
It certainly was a complex potion. Harry doubted he would ever have been able to attempt it, even in his seventh year. Snape worked diligently on it and seemed extremely focused. Every ingredient was cut with precision and expertly added between complicated looking stirring motions. Harry recognised a few of the ingredients – powdered silver, moonseed and of course the valerian roots from earlier. But when Snape began to weigh out some purple flowers Hermione gasped.
‘What?’ He asked.
‘That’s aconite! It’s extremely toxic if you use too much.’
‘I knew it!’ Harry whispered back triumphantly.
‘Wait! It’s still an ingredient used in potions. We need to watch and see if-’
Snape was taking extra care in this step. He was weighing out the petals on his ornate scales one by one. Pausing every so often to check everything seemed right. When he was finally satisfied he began to crush them carefully in a mortar and pestle. The slow musical piece was coming to the last few delicate notes as Snape added them to the cauldron. The familiar blue smoke began to rise.
Harry turned to Hermione questioningly. She shook her head and smiled with relief before mouthing ‘not enough’. Snape was setting the cauldron aside now before placing one of those silver goblets next to it. He turned quickly from it before sitting back behind his desk. Great, how long was he going to be here? Would they miss curfew?
All they could do was keep quiet and watch as Snape pulled out a stack of essays and began marking. Harry recognised them as belonging to their class. Judging by how often Snape paused to pinch the bridge of his large nose before letting loose some very strong curse words he didn’t think they had done very well on this one. Just then all four of them turned to look at the door to see Professor Lupin enter after giving a brief quiet knock.
‘You know, it’s generally considered polite to wait until someone grants you entry before you waltz in.’ Snape said looking back down at his essays. There was something different in Snape’s manner towards Lupin now they were alone, or so he thought anyway. His tone was still sarcastic but it was much softer than usual.
‘My apologies Severus, I’ll certainly remember that in future. I do appreciate you correcting my crass ways.’ Lupin said smiling with mock formality.
‘How are you feeling?’ Snape asked still not looking up.
‘Oh you know...awful..but I can’t complain when I have you around to help me.’ His smile seemed genuine now.
‘Indeed you can’t.’ Snape said finally meeting his eye. He pointed over to the cauldron at the side of the room. ‘I’m rather busy tonight so we’ll need to keep this strictly business I’m afraid.’
What on earth did he mean by that?
‘Very well.’ Lupin sighed as he made his way over to the potion and poured some into the goblet. Harry still had a sense of alarm at the thought of him drinking it. But Hermione seemed to think it was OK. ‘Urgh, haven’t you figured out a way to make this taste better yet?’ Lupin asked after he’d drank.
‘You know I spend my time thinking of nothing other than your comfort Remus’ -since when did Snape call him Remus?!- ‘but as I’ve told you, exactly fourteen times now, there isn’t anything I can do.’ Lupin sighed again as he walked over in front of Snape’s desk.
‘Well I suppose there are limits to even your talents...’
The three of them looked at each other under the cloak. We’re they FLIRTING?! Impossible. Professor Lupin must be mocking him. But there seemed no trace of malice between them.
‘There are limits to my patience also. What are you still doing here?’
‘I have something for you.’
Professor Lupin was still smiling and he appeared to be trying to suppress some excitement. He pulled out something small from inside his robes before tapping it with his wand to bring it back to it’s actual size. What landed on Snape’s desk was a wicker basket containing a pile of small black and yellow flowers with silver edges.
‘Flowers? That’s a bit cliché even for you.’ Snape said looking down at them with his eyes narrowed. ‘Wait. Are these?’
‘Silver-laced primroses! I remember you saying you needed some but that they were rather hard to find. I came across them on one of my walks in the forest.’ Lupin was saying, obviously pleased with himself.
‘I said that weeks ago!’
‘I happen to have an excellent memory.’
‘Disturbingly so. And I suppose you also remember me telling you that they grow deep in the forest? So deep Hagrid doesn’t even go that far?’
‘Don’t seem to recall...OK fine. It took me about five hours.’
Snape huffed angrily.
‘You could have been hurt! And you aren’t well right now! You look even more bedraggled than usual come to mention it. Sit down for goodness sake.’ Snape had conjured an armchair for Lupin who gratefully sank back into it.
‘I can take care of myself thank-you. Though I did trip over a particularly large tree root. Didn’t want to crush the flowers so I fell quite hard.’
‘You’re an imbecile.’ Snape was rooting around in the drawer of his desk. He produced a large bar of high quality chocolate and handed it over to Lupin.
‘Ah! This should help.’ Lupin said eyeing it happily. After he’d taken an appreciative bite he went on absent-mindedly. ‘Oh this is good. Did I ever tell you I love you?’
All five people in the room went completely still. Snape was staring at Lupin across his desk in apparent shock. Both men began to flush as they looked away from each other awkwardly. Lupin coughed.
‘Ahem-um- what I meant of course was-'
‘Don’t worry Remus. I always know exactly what you mean.’ Snape said softly as he returned to his marking. Lupin paused for a moment to look at Snape before he smiled and stood up.
‘I know you do. See you later Severus.’
Snape didn’t reply as Lupin left the classroom. Once the door was closed he abandoned his marking, placed his head in his hands and stared down at the desk eyes widened. After several moments he buried is face in his hands. What he said into them was muffled but Harry thought he could make out the words -
I love you too.
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The Intentions of Others