Out of Nowhere

Disclaimer: The characters held within (save Leah) are not mine. They belong to the lovely JK Rowling (who isn\'t the devil, she\'s brilliant!!) and I am not making a profit, nor is any kind of copyright infringement intended.


A/N: Ok, my lovely readers, this chapter has a bit of Severus abuse in it, but it works out for him, promise. Please don\'t be mad at me. Also, this is the last chapter I have totally written ATM. Never fear, I am working on chapter 6 as I post this. It should be up in a day or two, swear. =)

JJ: She most certainly did set herself up for anything...and she got it. I bet you\'re wondering how she\'ll react, aren\'t you? *grins and points up* Be sure to read my A/N if you really want to know. LOL!

Catpower: She\'s definately got it made, doesn\'t she? I think it\'s just the man in both of them thinking about getting laid. LOL! And Lucius, well, that was a total comparison between him and our dear potions master. He\'s all blonde and rich and beautiful and aristocratic, and sorely lacking where it counts where as Severus is...less than beautiful when compared to Malfoy, he\'s friggin teacher, and hung like a wild stallion. *grins* Besides, Malfoy\'s got to have some kind of insecurity. He carries that large phallic symbol which has a smaller one inside it. LOL! And I don\'t think any of us are lucky enough to get to shag a sexy wizard and then go on a picnic with an old fashioned gentlemanly werewolf. *sighs*

Alauralen: Lemme guess, you\'ll never think of Malfoy the same, will you? LOL! There will be some hot action with Remus, more than likely in the next chapter. And, I can promise you it will be naked!Remus, not just shirtless. =D

eve/roarke: Just remember that about the tattoo. It tells something about her personality that\'s probably going to be a bit of a reoccuring theme. *grins* And I can\'t say I\'ve seen him in Play Witch, but he\'s really just too pretty to be hung down to his knees. LOL! I\'ll give him maybe average, though, if you want me to. (He still doesn\'t hold a candle to nummy Sev!! :p)


She whipped her head around to face him. “Don’t you dare! Do not say a word to me! That was the single most humiliating thing I’ve ever been subjected to!”

The young woman got up from the edge of the bed and stalked threateningly toward him. “’Follow my lead; I won’t lead you wrong.’ How dare you presume to know just exactly what is wrong for me.”

He opened the door fully as she walked toward him and drew himself up to his intimidating height of six foot four and looked down his large nose at her. She narrowed her eyes and stepped up to him challengingly. “You will not speak to me in that manner until you know exactly what I just saved you from.”

Both of her eyebrows shot straight up and her face flushed red. She reached back and slapped him. The moment her hand contacted his face, it surprised him, and he reacted. He grabbed both of her arms in his strong grip and forced her back against the wall roughly. She struggled against him screaming hysterically. Severus pressed his body close to hers in an attempt to cease her struggling and calm her down. What happened next surprised even the seasoned spy and warrior.

She stamped down on his bare foot with her heel and as he backed up, she kneed him in the groin. His breath caught in his throat and he let her go, grabbing for his crotch as he sank inelegantly to the floor.

Leah ran to the door and slammed it shut as she made her escape. When she got to the portrait, she turned back and ran to the sitting room, throwing everything haphazardly in her bag before running out. She ran. Tears were streaming down her face, causing her to stub her toes and trip, but she ran.

Finally, when she was at the top of the stairs to the dungeons, she stopped. Oh God!! I just got in a scuffle with Severus! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Oh fuck!! I kneed him in the nuts!! “Dobby!” Leah called in a near panic.

The elf appeared before her. “Yes Mistress, how can Dobby help you?”

She was beginning to hyperventilate. “I need you to do two things for me. First, I need you to take Professor Snape some ice, then I need you to show me where Remus’ rooms are.”

As the eager elf disappeared, she slid down the wall and dissolved into a bout of tears. It was only a few minutes before he reappeared looking frightened. “Come with me Mistress. \"

They walked for what Leah thought was forever, until they came to a suit of armor. Dobby touched it, and it leapt out of the way revealing a door. Leah knocked and it wasn’t but a moment before a shirtless Remus Lupin opened the door.

Upon realizing who was knocking at the ungodly hour, his expression softened and then immediately went to concern as he took in her tear stained face and tangled hair. Leah was still panting from her run and doing her best not to pass out. The werewolf immediately took her gently by the wrist and led her into his rooms. She looked into his questioning amber eyes, and promptly fell apart.

He gathered her into his arms as she cried and maneuvered her over to his couch. He caught phrases like, ‘making out with Severus’ and ‘hand-job’ and something about Lucius Malfoy, but what got his attention was the phrase ‘kneed him in his fellas’. Remus knew that nothing good could come from any situation that held the last phrase.

“Leah,” he murmured soothingly, “You’re going to have to calm down and tell me what happened. You’re hysterical right now.”

He moved to go make tea and she grabbed him. “I…I…” was all she could manage.

Remus took her hands in his. “I’ll be right back. I’m just going to make some tea.”

The young woman whimpered but let him go. Soon he came back carrying two steaming cups of chamomile tea. Leah took one in her shaking hands. She looked at the werewolf and sighed. He smiled warmly and said, “Drink your tea and calm down a bit. I want you to tell me everything.”

She nodded her head after taking a sip. After a few more minutes of silence, Remus put his hand on her upper arm to get her attention. Leah flinched at the touch. That’s when he noticed the large bruises on her arms. They were just starting to form. A feral, angry growl erupted from his throat.

“Remy, don’t. I know what it looks like, but it isn’t. I…he tried to save me, first from Malfoy, then from myself.”

She was still staring into her cup, and her voice was raw with emotion, but he got the picture. Remus soothed the wolf inside him for her sake. Leah sighed dramatically. “Ok, first, there are some things that I’m going to tell you that might make the wolf jealous, but I just want you to be aware.”

He nodded, indicating that she should go on. As Leah recounted her story, Remus did get jealous, but it quickly dissolved into anger and then sorrow for Severus and pride for the young disheveled woman before him. He could not think of a time in recent history when anyone had bested Severus Snape in a physical altercation, even if it was by accident, and on the dirty side.

“We need to get this straightened up, Leah. Let’s go to the dungeons and make sure Severus is alright.”

Her eyes went wide with fright. “Oh, no Remus. If I go back down there tonight, he’ll kill me for sure. That’s the main reason I sent Dobby down there with ice.”

Leah’s eyes began to droop some and she yawned. “I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night,” she mumbled.

Remus chuckled. “You’ve also had a mild sedative with your tea, and more than likely you’re coming down from you adrenalin high. I hope you aren’t mad that I slipped you a sedative.”

Shaking her head ‘yes’ indicating that it was okay, the young woman sighed and leaned back against the back of the couch. “You can deal with me in the morning, then,” she answered with a tired smile.

He picked her up from her sitting position and carried her to the bedroom where he laid her on the tan comforter. He looked sadly at her battered feet; she’d broken at least two toes on her run from the dungeons. Remus cleaned the cuts and scratches and bandaged her feet up as best he could before fire calling Severus.

Severus’ fire changed from the normal red to green and Remus looked around at the empty sitting room. “Severus!” He called.

After not getting an answer, Remus called out, “Severus, I’m stepping through!”

He stepped through the fire, and looked around. Everything was in place, but knowing what he did, he knew nothing was alright. He stepped up to the bedroom door and knocked. He heard a muffled groan from the other side and opened the door slowly. Severus was still lying in the floor and he was holding an ice pack over his crotch. “Severus?” Remus asked quietly.

Severus turned pain filled eyes toward the werewolf. “What!” He growled.

“Would you like for me to get you a pain potion? I’m sure you could use one right now.”

“They are in the cabinet above the sink.”

Remus retrieved the potion and after the tall wizard drank it, helped him up. Snape shrugged him off as he limped over to the bed and replaced the ice. He knew that just because he wasn’t hurting, didn’t mean there wasn’t any damage. And, there would be damage to a certain brown haired girl, for sure.

“Why are you still here?” The dark wizard asked in a defeated voice.

Remus sighed. “Severus, I think you know why I’m still here. Leah is in my rooms right now. When she knocked, she was on the verge of a panic attack.”

“She kicked me in my bits! Do you think I give a shit as to her state right now?”

“She also sent Dobby with a bag of ice.”

“Because she kicked me!”

“Yes, because she kicked you. She kicked you because you grabbed her and made her panic.”

“She slapped me!”

The werewolf shook his head. “Yes, I know, she slapped you because she was humiliated and angry because of what you made her do to Malfoy.”

Severus growled. “I had to.”

“I know you did, Severus. She knows too, but she got angry and things escalated from there. I gave her a sedative so she would sleep. She’s got at least two broken toes, and I’m still not sure how she made it to my door with them. Will you give her a chance to explain?”

“I bloody well will not! She’s caused more trouble since she’s been here. She could have blown my cover as a spy!”

“But she didn’t, did she? I’m going to bring her down here for breakfast in the morning so you two can talk. I think you’ll find her apologizing and sincerely sorry for over reacting.”

“If she manages to find her way back in my presence, she will be hexed into next week,” the dark haired wizard stated menacingly.

With a sigh, Remus went back to retrieve another pain potion for Severus and he set it on his bed side table. “She’ll be here in the morning before Seven with a tray of food.”

Snape turned his head away from the werewolf and sighed. Remus just shook his head and smiled at the whole situation. He flooed back to his rooms and went into his room. He stared sadly at the young woman sleeping in his bed and retrieved a fuzzy blanket to cover her with before he slipped into the other side of the bed and covered up.

By morning, Leah was wrapped in Remus’ strong arms. She snuggled in closer to the warm body and made a contented noise, waking him. It was five AM and Remus was still exhausted, but he enjoyed waking to a woman in his arms. He laid there and watched her sleep. He still found it hard to believe that this young woman called him ‘sexy’.

She rolled over and woke with a yelp. He chuckled. “Good morning, Sunshine.”

Leah froze. She was in the bed with…Remus? She rolled back over and groaned at the pain in her feet. Looking into his eyes, she scowled. “Good? There’s never anything good about any morning.”

He laughed at her remark. “I’m sure that there’s nothing good about this morning, especially. What do you remember from last night?”

Her brow furrowed in concentration before the light bulb came on. “Oh, I’m so fucked,” she muttered.

He threw the quilt off and sat on the side of the bed before looking over his shoulder at her. “Maybe not,” he answered to her muttering. “Would you care for a cup of tea this morning?”

“I’ll have coffee if you’ve got it, strong and black,” she answered pulling herself up to lean against the head board. “Ahh! Fuck that hurts!”

He looked at her from the door. “You might want to be careful right now. You’ve got at least two broken toes and your feet are scraped up pretty badly from your great escape last night.”

She picked at a stray thread on the quilt she was sitting on. “I remember. I deserve everything I got.”

“Don’t think that,” Remus countered before he turned to conjure up some tea and coffee.

He returned quickly with a tea tray containing a kettle of tea for himself, and a kettle of coffee for Leah. They sat in silence for some time. Remus finally broke the silence. “You’ve got to patch things up with Severus this morning.”

She inhaled sharply and shook her head violently. “He’ll kill me after what I did last night. I crossed a line.”

“That you did. Actually, I’d have to say you crossed several. I don’t know many men who’ve gotten away relatively unscathed after an altercation with Severus. Mostly, though, I think you wounded his pride…and his bits.”

Leah groaned. “I didn’t mean to knee him in his stuff. It just happened. I’m sure he’ll be happy to know I got what was coming to me. I’ve got broken toes, so walking is going to be torturous for me. He won’t be the only one hobbling around.”

Remus outright laughed. “You are right about that, except we could take you to Poppy and let her heal your feet.”

“No, I know he’ll be too proud…or embarrassed to go to Poppy. I’ll just have to make do. People deal with broken toes every day, and it was my own dumbass fault I panicked.”

The werewolf looked at Leah like she’d just grown another head. “Why would you willing put yourself through the pain?”

She finished off her cup of coffee and poured herself another before looking into his shocked amber eyes. “Because, I hurt someone who I consider a friend. The physical pain will remind me to keep my anger in check in the future. Besides that, I will not let him think that I’m strutting around on fixed feet when he is hiding out because his nuts are the size of grapefruits.”

Remus snorted into his tea. “In other words, you are as proud as he is.”

“Maybe, but if I go to Pomfrey, then she’ll want to know what I was doing to break my toes, and I would rather not have to recount the tale of breaking his balls and then stumbling my way to your room because I knew that he’d Avada me if he caught me.”

The young woman’s blunt honesty made him shake his head. “Remus, I’d like a bath if I have to speak with Severus. Will you run me some bath water?”

“You’ll be having breakfast with Severus, and yes, I’ll run you a bath and help you get to the bathroom.”

Remus disappeared for a few minutes. He reappeared carrying her bag. “Is everything you need here in your bag?”

Leah swung her legs over the side of the bed and attempted to stand. As soon as she put pressure on her feet, an excruciating pain shot up her legs and caused her knees to buckle. Her mouth dropped into an ‘O’ as she sat back down, but she never made a sound. After a few deep breaths she looked up at Remus. “This is going to be an adventure. You know, I’ve never broken a bone before.”

The werewolf chuckled and set her bag in the bathroom before walking over to the bed and picking her up. Leah sighed. “I hate being stinking helpless.”

“You aren’t helpless. You just don’t know when to ask for help when you need it. Are you sure you don’t want to go to Poppy and let her heal you?”

He sat her down on the side of the large tub and she wrestled with the long gown, bringing it up to her hips, the slits revealing that she was commando underneath. “Absolutely not! I’ll manage somehow, no matter how daunting the task may seem.”

Rolling his eyes, he left telling her to call him when she got done. Leah bathed herself, taking special care with her tender feet. In total, she decided that her big toe on her right foot was broken, and her second and third ones on her left were. She managed to heft herself out of the tub and dry off, more or less. After putting on her underwear and bra, she put on a tank top, but her pants where much more difficult.

“Remus!” She whined. “I need some help!”

He opened the door to find her dressed except for her pants. She was sitting there with her towel wrapped around her head in a tank top…and her underwear. Remus blushed at her state of dress, immediately noticing her well muscled, shapely legs. Leah rolled her eyes. “Don’t be such a prude and come help me get these pants on. I’m having a hard time getting them over my feet without wanting to cry from the pain.”

He took the pants, and gently got them over her injuries. She pulled them up to her thighs as he turned to leave. “Wait!” She called. “I need you to get them pulled over my hips so I can fasten them. I’m still having a hard time standing.”

Again he flushed red from his neck to the roots of his hair. He moved to help her, and she lifted herself from the edge of the tub with her arms. He straddled her legs, careful not to step on her feet and leaned over her shoulder to see where he was pulling the pants. His cock instantly hardened in his pants as he looked straight down to see only a small lacy bit of red fabric covering the cleft of her butt. She was wearing a thong! He got her pants situated and quickly left the bathroom.

Leah sighed and shook her head with a smirk as she grabbed her brush and began brushing her wet hair. It wasn’t long before she had her bangs braided and pulled back to keep her hair out of her eyes. Remus stepped back in and asked her if she was ready to go. She scowled. “Are you sure I have to go?”

“Yes, you have to go. I just got back from flooing Severus, and he’s awake. He promised not to do anything to you until you and he talked.”

“Ok,” she answered dejectedly as she held her arms out for Remus to pick her up.

They flooed to Severus’ rooms and she made the werewolf put her down so she could hobble into to room where Severus lay. He was sitting on his bed, reading glasses perched on his nose and potions book in his hands, when Remus opened the door. Holding her head up high, Leah shuffled in and crawled on the opposite side of the kind sized bed. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh.

Snape raised an eyebrow. She looked at him with a blank expression, but the pain she was in filled her eyes. “Did he not give you a pain potion?”

She shook her head timidly. “I wouldn’t have taken it had he offered,” she whispered.

“Don’t be an idiot! You are obviously injured and there is no reason for you not to take a pain potion.”

“Actually, there is. If I take a pain potion, then I could do more damage. I’d rather hurt and know my boundaries, even if it means not being able to wear shoes and shuffling everywhere for a while,” she said tersely.

He scowled. “What would wearing shoes have to do with anything?”

She looked down, suddenly finding her hands interesting. “I…um…I broke three toes last night leaving here.”

He laughed a loud mirthless laugh at her fortune. “Then you got what you deserved.”

“I think so,” she answered quietly, “but Remus said I shouldn’t say things like that.”

She looked up at Snape. “I also refused to let Madam Pomfrey heal me. He accused me of being proud.”

At that moment, Dobby appeared with a large tray of food. “Master Professor Lupin told Dobby to bring breakfast. Where do you want it?”

Leah motioned him over to her side of the bed and she sat the tray between herself and Severus. Pulling the cover off, her nose was greeted with the pleasant smell of omelets and bacon. There were also waffles and Maple syrup along with a large ceramic bowl of mixed fruit, and a pitcher of pumpkin juice.

Leah tucked in as Severus watched her. She didn’t realize just how hungry she was until the food got there. When she bit into her fourth piece of bacon, drenched in syrup, she looked up to see him smirking. “What?” She asked defensively with a mouth full of food.

He just shook his head and popped a grape in his mouth. She took a sip of juice and said, “Something or you wouldn’t be grinning like the Cheshire Cat.”

He scowled. “I do not grin.”

“Of course not,” she placated with a smirk of her own.

They finished their meal in silence and she scooted down on the bed, turning on her left side, using that arm as a pillow. Severus was back to reading his tome and not paying her any attention.

She reached over and gently touched his bicep with the tips of her fingers. He did not look up from his book. With tears glistening in her eyes, she whispered his name softly, “Severus.”

He turned his head toward her and looked over the top of his square black frames. “I’m sorry for last night, Severus. I really feel like I owe you an explanation.”

He snorted. “I would say that you do, considering I probably saved your life.”

Leah wiped the tears away. “I know you did, and thank you. I was really angry about what happened with Lucius and I let my temper get away with me. Had I not slapped you, you would not have grabbed me, causing me to panic.

“My brother is six years older than me and he used to torment me growing up. He would do things like grab me from behind and pin my arms at my side just to make me cry. He’d also grab me by the arms, like you did, and slam me into the wall or a door or what ever happened to be close. I wasn’t strong enough to fight strength to strength, so I always did what I had to to get away from him. I’d bite him or stomp his toes or even kick him if he got close enough. He could make me panic when nothing else ever bothered me.

“I hate what I did to you last night. I hate that I lost my cool and took the cowards way out. I hate that I have the vision of Lucius Malfoy, hung like a little boy, eyes rolled back in his head in the throws of pleasure etched in my psyche,” she finished making a face.

Severus chuckled at her last admission. With a smirk he offered, “I’m not opposed to assisting you in erasing that vision.”