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You Will Not Kiss Me	By : Prosperosdaughter Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Snape/Remus Views: 22836 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 2
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Chapter List
- 42
- 43
- 44
Chapter 43: A Brewing Commission

It was the March full moon. The vernal equinox followed in a couple of days. Spring was in the air during the day, but the nights remained bitter. This full moon fell on the Friday, meaning Snape had a weekend with Lupin and on the 20th, he would set to work on the potion for flight. The weekend ahead and the brewing of the flight potion all added up to keen anticipation for Severus Snape.

ooo000ooo

They were gathered in the clearing, the wolves having chorused to the moon. The human mates congregated around Snape and exchanged pleasantries and news as Snape listened, with his arm around Lupin's neck, as usual.

After half an hour or so, Amelie shuffled over to sit next to him and smiled at him shyly.

"Severus. I hope you're well," she said, in a high, pretty voice, her fingers working in her robe nervously.

"Amelie, yes indeed. And you too?" Snape gave her a curt nod, hoping she was not going to embarrass him with thanks for the full moon two months ago. She seemed reticent and unsure how to say what she clearly wished to and kept opening her mouth to start. Snape was sure, wherever she had studied witchcraft, she would surely have been the equivalent of a Hufflepuff. He did his best to hold his patience, as she clearly struggled.

She spoke haltingly, "I hope very much you won't mind my asking you this ... I mean, I hope you won't consider it an imposition ... um ... oh dear ... it's quite difficult ..." she mumbled. Snape could feel the heat of embarrassment radiating from her.

"Best just to spit it out, I suggest," Snape said in what he hoped was a kind voice, hoping his impatience didn't show. The wolf nudged him, Snape suspected in rebuke. He smiled tightly, but then his smile probably had never soothed anyone's nerves either.

"After the incident in January when you tended me, and the potion you made to protect us last month, I asked Dora whether you were an Apothecary. I hope I haven't offended you by asking about you, but it was obvious Dora knew you when you first joined us," she rushed to say. Snape softened, seeing how discomfited the woman was. "Dora told me you were a professor of Potions."

"Did she?" Snape said, with mock menace, seeing Tonks shift in the corner of his eye.

"Oh yes!" she said breathily, speeding along, "your work is of high renown, and you're widely published, and you're reputed to be one of the finest Potioneers in the country, if not the finest ..."

"Miss Amelie," Snape interrupted silkily, as he would a student. "You're wittering."

The woman, no more than a girl really, Snape thought, coloured visibly, even by the light of the moon. "I'm sorry," she said.

"Not at all," Snape clipped firmly, receiving another reproving nudge and look from the wolf at his side. "What do you wish to ask me? Speak plainly. I do not bite." There was a snort from Tonks, who he favoured with a scowl and received a broad smile in return.

Amelie took a deep breath and Snape could see she was steeling her resolve. "Jasper and I have been looking for an Apothecary to make us a certain potion. Most turn us down, because ... because Jasper's a werewolf – before even hearing what we want." She breathed deeply again. Snape had studied people a great deal both as teacher and spy, and all this young woman's body language told him how much it pained her to approach a stranger such as he in such a manner.

"We wish to start a family," she talked quickly. "Of course, Jasper does not want to pass on his Lycanthropy, which is almost certain if we leave it to chance. We know of a potion – complicated, expensive and time-consuming – beyond the ability of a high street Apothecary – an Electio potion – to choose not to have a cub. Have you heard of it?" Her words tumbled even more quickly now as she warmed to her task.

Snape's mind whirled and conflicting thoughts and emotions immediately warred inside him as the implications of what this young woman had said made themselves clear to him. He had heard of many different Electio potions for conception choices, although not against Lycanthropy.

"Electio inter homo et lupus - the choice between man and wolf," he whispered.

Amelie's face broke into a huge smile. "Yes!" she almost squealed. "You've heard of it."

"No, no," he shook his head. "But I certainly know the theory of Choice Potions. Do you know that it exists?" Snape found he was slightly fearful of her answer as he saw Lupin's ears forward and alert.

"Oh yes!" Amelie said happily, and Snape felt his stomach lurch slightly. "We have an ancient Formulary that contains the brewing method. We brought it with us this weekend in the hope that ..." Amelie gulped enormously and Snape closed his eyes as he waited for the question he knew was coming. "Could we ... could you ... may we commission you to brew this potion for us? We would respect your anonymity, if you wish ... and ... and we expect no favours ... or reductions or anything like that and ..." she stuttered as she gushed.

"Amelie, you are wittering again," Snape interrupted her, gently this time. He saw her enthusiasm and her happiness that their dream might come to pass. He inhaled deeply. Lupin was looking at him. Indeed, the whole assembled group was watching him. Amelie sat before him, still twisting her robe in her fingers, as so many students had done before her.

If he could brew an Electio inter Homo et Lupus Potion successfully, he could undoubtedly publish his findings. It would certainly infuriate many a blood purist, but no matter: it could certainly be justified even from a pureblood point of view that born werewolves would not be perpetuated. It would be a professional challenge, almost a sport and, no doubt, there would be a handsome commission. But he felt sick to the pit of his stomach – his very manhood could be threatened. If he could brew this, then Lupin would have no further objection to fatherhood and Snape had already shown himself that he could deny Lupin nothing. But not this – surely not this. He schooled his reaction to professionalism only, hoping he hid his inner turmoil (but he suspected not from Lupin's primal senses, as the wolf turned and placed his snout in Snape's hands with a small whimper).

"If you have brought the Formulary with you, I will look at it tomorrow and let you know," he said, as he stoked the head of the wolf and heard a tiny whine, he thought of thanks. Amelie nodded her head brightly. "Join us for lunch then," Snape said.

No sooner had Lupin resumed his human form, and Snape had Apparated them from the forest back to their room, than Lupin grasped Snape's hands in his own, weakly.

"Dear Severus," he said breathlessly, as Snape helped him to their bed. "I have sworn to you ... whether that Potion exists or not. I would never ... I swore ..." Lupin held Snape as firmly as he could, and kissed his forehead, desperate to reassure Snape before any other words were said.

Snape removed his own clothes and got into bed next to Lupin, taking him into his arms and stroking him gently. "I know, I know," Snape murmured into Lupin's hair, the constriction of fear in his chest loosening for, yes, he knew, but the reassurance was still welcome to the man who had been betrayed so often by those to whom he had been bonded before. "Thank you."

At lunchtime, the table had been set by their waitress and a heated trolley had been left with them of various dishes. Amelie and Jasper arrived and Snape realised that he had never seen Jasper in his human form before. He remembered his nightmare before their bonding and realised with a small smile why these dream guests had been in wolf form.

Jasper was as young as his mate. They were both blond and blue-eyed, nervous and eager. He suspected he appeared old and irascible to love's young dream personified – he certainly felt it. And yet something about them was attractive and pleasing. He thought it was the hope which radiated from them.

He left it to Lupin to make the small talk as they ate lunch. He had never really understood how small talk worked. It sounded so natural when Lupin talked of nothing and everything with others, but Snape found it an impossibility. It almost choked him to trot out the type of questions and answers that simply didn't interest him, although he always listened attentively both for the spoken and unspoken responses that could tell him so much. This young couple seemed to understand that nuance of Snape and Lupin's relationship and didn't importune Snape to any degree.

Once lunch had finished, Lupin fetched them some drinks and Jasper extracted a shrunken folio from his robes and enlarged the Formulary. On seeing it, Snape's fingers almost twitched to get hold of it. He could see it was ancient and he wondered what other treasures might be contained within its bindings. However did they get hold of it?

Snape's hands took the ancient Formulary with reverence, his long fingers almost cherishing the ancient binding and parchment. He sat away from the others to look at the work. Lupin understood Snape's need to soak up the ancient book and called the others out to the small terrace with their drinks, leaving Snape to it.

To the background hum of their conversation, Snape's fingers lovingly traced each page as he quickly took in the arcane contents: various love potions (for differing degrees of love from adoration to passion to frenzy and the potioneer's old friend, obsession - Snape had never needed a potion for that particular character trait), a potion to cure Dropsy, one to inflict it, and this: a potion to cure Wizard's Green Ague (luckily a scourge long since defeated), a potion for increased physical strength (and not one that he had seen before) and its counterpart to drain it; one for fearlessness in battle (to his mind: pointless – fear in battle meant increased awareness and necessary aggression) and another to make men mad with fear; and so many other interesting and in some cases obsolete brews. He wondered if part of his payment might be the book itself. He might well suggest it – it would be a real addition to his arcane collection.

And here they were: various conception potions for selection in offspring: gender, abilities physiological and psychological traits, and against various hereditary diseases and curses. And here was the one he was charged with: the potion to select a man not a wolf. He read the ingredients, and was startled by the rarity of some. It certainly would be expensive. He then read the method, his keen professional mind turning already seeing improvements, seeking the refinements that could be made from modern advances and his own experience. He had no doubt at all that it was completely within his competence. He would have to experiment though. The method called for three months' brewing, but he suspected there would be failed attempts. He would need to advise the couple there could be delays and failures along the way. He was starting to feel the pull of the challenge; the thrill of the sport. He looked up and caught Lupin's eye, and he smiled at Snape warmly, making Snape's stomach flip pleasantly.

Two unique brews to start on his return then. The sooner he gave the happy couple the news that he would brew their potion for them, the sooner he hoped they would leave and he would have Lupin to himself for the rest of the day. He had shared him enough.

Yesterday, when the moon waxed full, he was subsumed in Lupin, gladly and willingly. Today, the moon waned, the wolf was spent and Lupin was his. It was their perfect symmetry.

He had Lupin stretched out underneath him, drawing his hands firmly down Lupin's torso and back up his chest until his hands rested on Lupin's shoulders and he leant over him to kiss him passionately, pushing his fingers into Lupin's hair as Lupin dragged his fingers down Snape's spine, making him arch and sigh, sighing his delight in the feel of the man under his hands and lips, and in the feelings the man's touch provoked in him. Just a touch gave him such deep, hot desire that made his ribs hurt as his chest swelled as Lupin breathed his name and pulled him closer, snaking his own hips beneath Snape to rub his erection against him, making himself moan.

Snape could not resist Lupin's moaning any more than he could resist his touch, and ground himself across Lupin's cock teasingly then moved himself between Lupin's legs and opening them wide as he lowered himself once more to kiss and suck on Lupin's chest whilst his fingers found Lupin's opening to prepare him. He groaned into the hollow of Lupin's neck, feeling him and hearing him moan to his touch, encouraging Snape to take him with his words and urgent hands upon his back. As Snape thrust into Lupin's eager but tight body, he could barely breathe, his desire was so strong and hot. Taking Lupin sharpened all Snape's senses exquisitely and yet clouded his mind in the same instant. His whole being became just his body's sensations and what he could make Lupin feel right then as he rolled his thrusts as slowly as he could, savouring the drawing friction on his cock and Lupin's whimpers and clasping hands as he nearly pulled out of him, but not quite and then gradually sped up his thrusts, creating delicious friction and heat that shocked his own senses, and hit against Lupin's prostate, making Lupin cry out with each thrust and as Snape grabbed Lupin's painfully hard cock in his hand to stroke him as hard as his thrusts had become.

Snape's blood was coursing loudly through his veins now, and his heart was beating too fast as he felt his orgasm rising, and cresting, and he could hold it no longer as he felt Lupin contract around him sharply as he came fiercely and they cried out together and Snape fell to the side of Lupin, as both struggled for the breath to tell the other of their love.

"So why is it that you think Harry is brewing Polyjuice Potion exactly?" Lupin asked, his small smile playing on his lips as they ate dinner.

"Far be it for me to know the mind of an idiot Gryffindor, Remus. You only have to look at the evidence: Potter used Gillyweed for the second task – the Gillyweed was taken from my store – I knew exactly how much I had and only enough for one hour had been taken. Boomslang Skin was also taken. This is an ingredient that's rarely used apart from Polyjuice Potion."

"And the Gillyweed was definitely taken at the same time as the Boomslang Skin?" Lupin asked.

"Well, it must have been," Snape said impatiently.

"But you don't know for sure?"

Snape had been about to argue, but no, he didn't know for sure. "That's neither here nor there, surely. Potter used the Gillyweed – that's not even up for debate, but it was the Boomslang Skin I noted in the break-in as it is so rare and valuable."

"Now, Severus," Lupin soothed, "I understand what you are saying, but I'm just not sure that because Harry may have been under his Invisibility Cloak on the night of the break-in that this fact alone assures he was the burglar. Now, don't tut," he said patiently, sitting back as Snape leant forward, ready to interrupt, "please listen."

Snape speared a piece of fish savagely. What excuses now for the sainted whelp of Potter?

"You see, what I don't understand is why Harry would take the egg on a burglary with him." Lupin was still sitting back in his chair and he let the statement hang in the air. Snape stopped eating. Indeed, it was a perfectly rational observation. Why on earth would he? The egg was large and heavy, cumbersome even. It would be nothing but an impediment to any act of stealth. Of course, he could have Levitated it and all manner of other spells, but, well, truly, the brat really wasn't that competent, in Snape's opinion. He felt a small fissure grow in his certainty.

Lupin had resumed eating his rare steak. "In honesty, Severus, Harry may well have been out of bounds, but I doubt he broke into your stores that night."

"And the Gillyweed?"

"Perhaps, a different outing. I know that doesn't absolve Harry, but something is off if you didn't notice the Gillyweed at the same time as the Boomslang Skin. You haven't noticed a second break-in?"

"No, and I strengthened the wards after the first break-in. I don't think Potter could have broken in again, and certainly not without my knowing."

"Curious, don't you think ..." Lupin said mildly.

"Well, it wasn't Filch. He's a Squib. There was no-one else around."

"No-one that you saw. They were obviously long gone before Moody got there .."

"Moody ..." Snape hissed quietly and his brow knotted. "You know, now I think about it, I never questioned why Moody was there. I was so distracted that he would use the break-in as an excuse to destroy my office again and then I saw the map and realised Potter was there." Snape inhaled sharply and pointed to Lupin in emphasis. "You know how far the Defence professor's quarters are from that staircase. In fact, he didn't come from that direction at all." His voice fell to a whisper as his eyes narrowed as he was thinking. "In fact, he came from the opposite dungeon corridor from my own. I thought that he had come because of his Dark detectors, but I wonder ..."

"Could he not have been on patrol?"

"No, he was in his night clothes."

"What use would Moody have for Polyjuice Potion?" Lupin wondered. "Although, I think Aurors use it quite often." He leant into Snape and touched his hand lightly. "Promise me you're not Alastor Polyjuiced," Lupin smirked.

"I sincerely hope you would have been able to tell this afternoon - I hope I am distinctive." Snape said, with one eyebrow raised and Lupin chuckled. "Besides, I think this is one tryst he would not wish to make, judging by his comments to me." They continued eating, turning things over.

"You don't think ... rather than being possessed ... it is someone else under Polyjuice?" Lupin asked softly.

"It would explain a great deal ..." Snape nodded slowly, the idea catching light, as the two started to speak more quickly.

"But, if it wasn't Alastor Moody I met at the Hog's Head, how would he know all those things about me?"

"Indeed, and I don't believe it's possible to be under Polyjuice for that amount of time .. seven mouths. He would be poisoned. Addled. For all that Moody is, he is as sharp as a tack and quite hale and hearty ... more's the pity."

"Could the Potion be modified for long-term use?"

"It hasn't been as far as I'm aware, and it would take a potioneer of some skill and ingenuity. I'm not sure I am aware of one whose loyalties lie with the Dark Lord or indeed of a Death Eater that would be available to such a long term assignment. I know where they all are." He took a sharp intake of breath over his teeth. "And why would a Polyjuiced follower be at Hogwarts in the guise of a Defence professor. For what purpose?" He slammed his open palm on the table, feeling so frustrated at the lack of clarity. "I feel the answer's close – but hidden from us and the more we try to reason it out, the more knotted the truth becomes."

"Do you think Harry's in danger?"

"If Moody were a Polyjuiced supporter of the Dark Lord, then he must be. Someone Confunded the Goblet of Fire to ensnare the boy in these dangerous tasks. But he has come to no harm so far. Moody has had plenty of opportunity to hurt the boy. His only object of enmity appears to be me and Karkaroff, which would be right for the real Moody. I confess, Remus, I'm at a loss." He exhaled and ran his hand across his mouth.

"I think a Polyjuiced Death Eater is probably a flight of fancy too far for both of us..." he said as he smiled weakly at Lupin, but his mind kept niggling at him that things were wrong, and he shouldn't leave it. He sighed heavily. Then he remembered. "Of course, what isn't a flight of fancy is that you returned that blasted map to Potter again."

"Yes, I gave it back to Harry when I left. Well, I was no longer a teacher at that point," Lupin said, a small, sad catch in his voice. "It was Harry's. Our legacy to him, if you will." He smiled at Snape. "I don't regret it."

Snape snorted. "If I see him with it, I will confiscate it," Snape said, straightening in his chair and staring at Lupin in challenge.

"I would hope Harry has enough of his father's guile to ensure he is not caught!" Lupin said emphatically and smiled again.

"There's more than enough of his father in him," Snape grumbled. "Anyway, speaking of your little school friends, in your correspondence with Black, make sure you tell him to advise Potter to master defensive spells – Impeding, Stunning and Disarming and learn plenty of hexes too. He's a lot younger than the others – he's got a lot of ground to make up to get to the other champions' standards. He'll need to practise intensively before June if he's to make it through the last task."

"Why, Severus, you do care!" Lupin nudged Snape's hand teasingly and smiled broadly.

"Not in the least," Snape snapped, "but you have asked me to attend him for you. I am telling you how you may assist to do so." Snape stared intently at the remainder of his food, refusing to acknowledge his husband's knowing look. Or what his husband thought he knew.
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You Will Not Kiss Me