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Hands and Face Behind the Voice	By : CalecusX Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 8178 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 6
Disclaimer: Harry Potter & its characters all belong to J.K. Rowling. I make no profit from it.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
Diagon Alley - August 17, 1990

"Sir?" his assistant whispered from beside him. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

"I'm sure of it, Perkins," Arthur Weasley replied quietly.

As the only two employees from the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, Arthur was in charge of searching and obtaining muggle items that were illegally charmed. Usually, those items would coincide with dark magical items, and he was then responsible for informing the auror office about it. Together, both groups would conduct a raid, which was the case happening currently.

"My informant has been watching this store for weeks," Arthur continued, "and he's someone whose been giving me information in the past for years."

Perkins shuffled his feet a little by the wall before speaking, "Well, it just seems strange that it is in such a... vulnerable location."

"Exactly," Arthur remarked. "The best place to hide dark magical items is in plain sight where it is the least suspected."

Their conversation ended there as they turned back to look at the heinous building: Tim's Toy Store.

The plan was that Arthur and his assistant would enter through the front of the store, while a team of aurors would go through the back. The raid shouldn't take more than an hour to finish if everything goes smoothly, and it was important that they find the illegal items quickly.

There were underground rumours of a wealthy pureblood seeking books on dark rituals. Anything pertaining to dark rituals were dangerous beyond comprehension, and it earned a wizard three years in Azkaban if found guilty of possessing such things. Apparently, those rumours had also lead him to this store which his informant had verified to be true. Arthur was certain that Lucius Malfoy was that 'wealthy pureblood', and he would attain proof of it somehow. No matter what, Malfoy could not be allowed to possess those books.

Arthur was then shaken from his musings when he saw the red flare of a sparkle going off above the store.

"Perkins, it's time," he notified the other wizard. "Auror Watson has given the signal."

His assistant nodded in assent as they both charged towards the building. Once through the door, they appeared upon the scene of mothers attempting to control their children as they ran amok the store. Toys littered the walls and floors, tempting the children to play with them and adding to the chaos.

The duo stood there awkwardly for a moment until Arthur delivered a loud coughed to get their attention. Heads swiveled to him, and he smiled politely at everyone.

"This is a raid to search for illegal dark items," he announced to the confused crowd. "Anyone not involved with Tim's Toy Store, please, vacate the area at once."

Most of the customers grumbled at the unexpected announcement while others whispered what a scandal this was. Mothers glared at him for the disturbance and children whined in disappointment, but they all eventually left the store, albeit slower than was normal.

While Perkins went on to handle the owner of the store, he wasted no time in sending spells out to detect any hidden compartments or an aura of anything dark. Arthur overturned shelves of dolls and flipped cases of rubber bludgers in his search as locating spells flew in every corner. As this continued, he could also hear the same thing going on in the back of the store from the other aurors.

More than half an hour of this later, it was quite obvious that there wasn't anything illegal in the building. Perkins was becoming anxious to find anything remotely dark, even going as far as confiscating a toy werewolf. Arthur was afraid he wasn't too far behind his assistant in that regards.

"Weasley!"

Arthur immediately turned to meet the irritated visage of Watson, the leading auror in charge of the raid group. The man's large form lumbered towards him as he straightened his back to receive the auror.

"What is the meaning of this?" Auror Watson demanded, his mustache quivering in anger. "There are nothing here but toys!"

"Th-there must be a mistake," Arthur tried to say. "My informant said that this was the location where the items are hidden."

"Well, your informant is clearly wrong," Watson countered, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Now I will have to apologise to the owner for the mishap and report this as a failure on our part."

"But Watson-"

"Just gather everyone and get out," Watson said with finality before walking away to talk to the owner.

Arthur sighed in guilt and gazed around the store and at the mess he caused.

How could the information he received been so wrong?

o-O-o

Malfoy Manor: Lucius' Study - August 18, 1990

A look of concentration was mirrored on both their faces as they stared at the chess board between them. Severus sat across from the Malfoy lord as he planned his next move. This was a game they both excelled at, yet it seemed his mind just wasn't into it today, and the evidence of that was laying in broken pieces near the side of the board.

"You know, if you're going to play this badly, you might as well spill whatever is inside that head of yours," Lucius suggested. "Perhaps then we can have a proper match."

Severus glared in annoyance at his friend, not wanting to admit anything, but he knew that it was useless to deny it. Eventually, the potions master conceded with a sigh before giving a one word reply.

"... Lupin."

The other wizard raised a brow at his succinct answer.

"Lupin," Lucius repeated pointedly, waiting for clarification.

Severus didn't bother to expound any further on the subject.

Lucius rolled his eyes at that. "I assume from your sulking that Lupin has accepted the offer?"

"I am not sulking," Severus refuted. He was merely thinking over Lupin's stay at Hogwarts in the foreseeable future. That was all.

"Well, it's not unexpected," the Malfoy lord continued, ignoring his comment. "The wolf needs all the help he can get now to support himself."

"I believe his decision had more to do with whom he had to tutor rather than the financial benefits," Severus said while his rook moved to avoid capture.

Lupin may be poor, but the man cared more for sentimental connections than anything else. A trait he always hated about the man.

"Then you are worried that his interest in Potter can be detrimental to your relationship with the boy," Lucius stated with certainty.

"What? That's not it at all," he said immediately. 'Where does Lucius conjure these absurd ideas?'

"Of course, it's not," Lucius placated unconvincingly as his friend's knight moved to crush a pawn.

"It's not, Lucius," Severus said adamantly. He wouldn't even consider such a thought since that would imply that he felt threaten by Lupin's presence, which was completely untrue.

"Whatever you say," Lucius' smirk was annoyingly arrogant in that moment.

"Enough about that - now tell me what's on your mind?" Severus questioned, instantly changing the topic. "You've been unbearably cheerful since lunch."

"Have I?"

"Disgustingly so," he added.

Ignoring his comment once again, Lucius went on. "Perhaps it may appear that way on the surface, but you must understand that it's difficult to conceal such elation when everything in life is going exceedingly well."

Severus didn't know what Lucius was going on about, but that didn't stop him from imagining ways to smack some sense into the man.

"What the hell are you talking about?" At times, it was best to be blunt with his idiotic friend.

"I speak of Weasley's ill raid on that toy store yesterday," Lucius divulged. "It was in the Daily Prophet this morning."

"Indeed," he replied neutrally. Severus had read the article and thought it was curiously careless of Weasley to act on such inaccurate information.

"Apparently, if it wasn't for that incident, Weasley could have been promoted," the Malfoy lord revealed delightedly, picking up a defeated pawn to examine it. "It is quite unfortunate that he received such misinformed intelligence about the store," Lucius supplied with a cold smile as he dropped the pawn into the discarded pile.

The potions master gave Lucius a long stare, attempting to decipher any hidden meaning from his expression and words. After a while, Severus asked, "You sabotaged his chance for promotion, didn't you?"

His friend's lips quirked a little to the side in amusement. Yes, completely guilty as charged.

"I am neither confirming nor denying that," Lucius remarked, adopting an air of innocence which didn't fool him for a second.

In the years he had known Lucius, there had always been an enmity existing between his friend and Weasley. It was one where both group would either curse or belittle each other when given every opportunity to do so. Highly entertaining at times if he remembered correctly.

"You know, I don't recall any mentioning of why you initially despise Arthur Weasley," Severus voiced out while the pieces on the board prepared for a final showdown.

"I never told you?" the Malfoy lord looked up in surprise.

Severus shook his head. "No, but most people seemed to have the idea that it came about from some ancient family feud."

"That's ridiculous," scoffed Lucius, "as if such a thing can instigate my loathing for Weasley."

"Then what is the reason?"

By now, the chess pieces were grumbling in impatience as they waited for the game to resume. Sadly, they would have to wait a little longer.

Lucius reclined back in his seat with a thoughtful look in response. "Well... it happened before you attended Hogwarts. I was a first year while Weasley was a fifth," his friend began slowly. "At the time, I had brought my beautiful eagle owl with me - Tiberius was his name. Anyway, it was the middle of the school term when I needed to send a letter."

For some strange reason, Severus suddenly felt that he would regret ever enquiring about this.

"When I arrived at the owlery, Weasley was there with his pet cat. He was having trouble tying a letter to the school owl as I called Tiberius down to land on the perch," Lucius recounted. "I was about to take my letter out, but Weasley came over and asked if I could help him with his own owl. And being the gracious person that I am, I decided to aid the fool."

His brows bent at that. The potions master now had an inkling of where this story was heading, and it was not good.

"I had my back turned for only a few seconds before I heard the most awful screeching sound," Lucius described uneasily. "I spun around to the sight of Tiberius sprawled on the ground with that filthy cat latched on his neck."

His friend completely stopped at that point, seemingly distracted by the memory.

"And..?" Severus urged, needing his speculations confirmed.

Briefly shutting his eyes, Lucius breathed out, "I immediately rushed to separate them, but it was too late... Tiberius died that day, Severus."

Silence reigned as he tried to process the whole inane thing. That only lasted for a few seconds before he finally responded.

"You hate Arthur Weasley because his cat ate your owl?" Severus asked incredulously. "How is that not ridiculous!"

The Malfoy lord glared at him and exclaimed, "Tiberius was a loyal companion, and that beast of Weasleys murdered him!"

He didn't know whether to laugh or bemoan the fact that Lucius could still hold a grudge after so many years over an owl. This was beyond ridiculous and bordering on psychotic... yet it was just like Lucius to overreact on the simplest of things.

Severus considered the other wizard for a moment while he mused over the story again. His eyes then locked with Lucius' as he asked, "Why was the bloody owl so important to you?"

Their gaze remained on one another before a reply was finally given. "Because he was my first friend," Lucius whispered out so quietly that he barely heard it. 'And you are my second,' was the thought he caught from Lucius.

Severus swallowed guiltily at the passive legilimency, while being simultaneously surprise and oddly happy with the revelation. Though he didn't know what to think about coming second to an owl. 'Perhaps some sentimental connections are okay,' he wondered to himself.

Turning his gaze back to the chess board, Severus lightly said, "I just have one more question to ask you: What has become of Weasley's cat?"

Lucius' eyes gained a gleam that the potions master had seen a few times when his friend got vindictively smug. The Malfoy lord leant forward in his chair and said with a relished expression, "I fed it to the giant squid."

Severus blinked. And he blinked again. Damn. If there was one thing Lucius was good at, it was getting revenge.

o-O-o

"Uh, Draco, are you positive this is okay?" Harry asked nervously, sitting as still as possible on the carpet.

"Of course, it's okay," he assured the other boy. "Father got these flying carpets from this wizard in the Far East, and they're charmed to not fly into anything."

Draco had snuck into the family storage room to borrow two of the carpets there. He wanted to try something new with Harry since they had already played snitch snatcher and wizard's chess the last time the other boy visited. Even though he wasn't allowed to play with these, Draco didn't think the carpets would be missed much... well, as long as no one found out about it.

"That does not mean that I can fly it!" Harry cried out as the carpet floated off the ground and began to move across the hallway.

"Don't worry!" Draco said, flying on his own carpet beside the other boy. "These two are twin carpets so yours will actually mimic mine. Besides, I'll only fly three feet off the ground."

Draco would be the one doing all the flying since his carpet was the dominant one, and Harry's carpet would just copy all his movements. Really, the other boy had it easy.

Their carpets continued to glide smoothly through the hallways with no trouble at all. As they flew, Draco finally spotted the stairs up ahead and grinned in excitement.

"Hang on, Harry!" he warned.

"Wha-"

Before Harry could finish his words, the carpets suddenly dipped, descending all the way down the stairs in a rushed speed. Their eyes widened with delighted surprise at the steep decline, enjoying the feel of the fall before they came to a stop near the end of the stairs.

"Wow..." Harry exhaled out.

"See? Told you it will be fun," Draco said with exhilaration. That was almost as good as riding a broom. Almost.

"Yeah... well, at least I didn't fall off this time," Harry joked.

It was then that a brilliant idea came to him, and he hastily landed his carpet before scrambling off.

"Wait a moment, Harry! I'll be right back!" Draco informed the other boy as he ran up the stairs.

"Draco?"

Draco sprinted down the hallway, glad that his mother was out today to not reprimand him on his behaviour. Arriving in his bedroom, he began searching under his bed and wardrobe, hoping the quaffle would still be in there somewhere.

'Now, where did I put that thing?' Draco wondered as he dug through a pile of robes.

A few minutes passed and not having any luck with his search, Draco reluctantly turned to his last resort.

"Dobby!"

A small pop instantly signaled the arrival of the house elf. "Ye-es, young master? How may Dobby be of help?" the thing sniveled pathetically.

Draco looked at the stupid elf in distaste. It was dressed in filthy rags and covered in brown stains that he hoped was dirt. If that wasn't revolting enough, it seemed like the elf's large, watery eyes was just begging someone to kick it. Oh, how he wanted to kick it.

"Find my quaffle now - the one I got last Christmas and be quick," Draco ordered.

"Yes, Dobby be quick an-,"

"Just hurry it up," he interrupted before the elf could blather on.

The house elf snapped its finger, and his quaffle appeared before them. He immediately snatched it and left, not wanting to be near that elf a second longer.

'Disgusting little thing,' Draco thought with a sneer as he walked back through the hallway.

Once he returned downstairs, it was to see Harry still waiting on the flying carpet.

"Where did you go?" the other boy asked curiously as Draco approached him.

"To get this," he said, showing off the quaffle in his hands.

"Um... I can't see it, Draco," Harry reminded him.

"Huh?" he said. "Oh, sorry about that - it's a quaffle."

"Okay... so what are we going to do with it?"

"Throw it to each other, of course," Draco revealed in a matter of fact tone.

"Draco," Harry said tiredly. "I'm still blind."

"I know that!" he said indignantly. "What I mean is, I'll lightly throw it into your arms and once you have it, you can just throw it anywhere, and I'll try to catch it. The best part is that we'll be doing this while flying the carpet."

It really was a brilliant and wonderful idea, if he had to say so himself.

"Draco, I can't possibly catch it and trying to do it on the carpet is just impossible," Harry disagreed right away.

"Hey, you don't know that without trying," Draco persuaded. "Come one, Harry, it'll be fun."

"Draco-"

"Harrrrryyy," he whined the other boy's name out for as long as possible. This was how he got Harry to agree with the flying carpet idea in the first place, so it should also work this time.

"All right, we'll try it," Harry gave in with a sigh.

"Yes!" Draco cheered. "Okay, just sit back on the carpet and we'll start."

Once they were up in the air with their carpets, he readied himself to throw the quaffle.

"Ready, Harry?"

"Uh, do I hold out my arms like this?" Harry asked, extending his arms as if to carry a huge bundle.

"Yeah, perfect," he said. "Okay, here I go."

Draco pulled back his arm and threw the quaffle towards Harry, hoping the other boy would catch it, but it seemed he didn't hope enough. Apparently, his throw was not light enough because the quaffle completely bypassed Harry's head and into the direction of the wall... directly where his mother's antique mirror was hanging.

At a direct hit, the mirror fell to the floor with a resounding crash.

"Oh, no," he whispered with dread.

"What just happened, Draco?" Harry asked worriedly.

Acting quickly, Draco flew both of their carpets upstairs, thinking up a plan. When they landed into his room, he got up and pulled Harry to his bed.

"Draco, is everything all right? What was that noise?" Harry questioned, looking more confused than ever.

"Just stay here, Harry - your walking stick is on my bed by the way - and I'll be right back!" Draco yelled as he ran back out of his room.

He needed to go back down stairs to get rid of the mess before anyone found out. His parents would kill him if they knew he flew the carpet inside the manor and breaking the mirror with the quaffle as a result.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, the worst possible situation that could have occurred, happened. Draco saw his father and Severus standing near the broken mirror, examining it with perplexity. They then promptly turned their heads in his direction, noticing his presence right away.

"Draco..." his father sternly trailed off, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Sensing his impending doom, Draco blurted out the only thing he could think of to save himself. "Dobby did it!"

o-O-o

Headmaster's Office - August 20, 1990

If this was the day the world ended, Severus would gladly welcome it.

Severus had expected and hoped for this meeting with Lupin and Albus to be short and to the point. However, he should have known better than to think such foolish thoughts when the headmaster was involved in anything.

When Severus had first laid his eyes on Lupin, it was shock instead of irritation that arose. It had been over eight years since he saw the other wizard, but he never expected Lupin to look so... old.

Lupin was covered in graying hair, most of them sprinkled all over the man's head. Then there were the heavy lines under the eyes and near the mouth, as if someone had taken a brush to paint the lines on. It was obvious that the man's monthly transformation had not been kind to him over the years.

He had snapped out of his observation fast enough to offer the other man a derisive sneer in greeting, and in return, Lupin gave him a weak smile which just happened to increase his sneer.

It seemed Lupin's half-heartedness was still the same as ever. And it still irked him.

The headmaster, on the other hand, had greeted Lupin like a lost friend. Albus had pulled the other man into a hug and immediately dove into a conversation about Lupin's travels and daily life. It was a sweet and joyful reunion between the two wizards.

And it was almost enough to make him vomit.

Thankfully, soon after that they went on to discuss the precaution for Lupin's 'condition' and the arrangement with Potter's tutoring. It was agreed that Lupin would tutor the boy four to five times a week when the new term would begin. Unfortunately, though expected, that meant the man would be living inside the castle. As a result, Severus had made certain to place Lupin's quarters as far from his as possible.

Once their discussion was done, Albus had given Lupin and him a moment to 'reacquaint' and 'catch up' with one another. In reality, the headmaster had requested them to talk out any misgivings they had, in order to improve their relationship.

This was the situation Severus found himself in now: an awkward and uncomfortable silence. A few minutes has passed as he sat stiffly in his chair, while Lupin had attempted to gaze at anything else but him. It also didn't help that Albus was the only one enjoying the tense atmosphere.

Severus wouldn't have reluctantly agreed to this if he didn't know the office was sealed shut until the headmaster wished it opened again. Successfully locking him inside against his will. Damn, the old coot.

"Well, this has certainly been a pleasant and productive meeting," Albus finally spoke up, ending the stony silence.

'Pleasant and productive?' he thought in disbelief. 'More like painful and unnecessary.'

"Let us finish here and meet again if there are any questions," the headmaster said cordially.

At that, Severus nodded his head and swiftly stood up to leave. He was already out the door and walking down the revolving stairs before Albus could add another word. Escape was crucial in this circumstance.

It wasn't until Severus passed the gargoyle guarding the entrance of the office, that he noticed Lupin had followed him. He increased his stride to get away from the man as quickly as possible, but Lupin continued to stay a few steps behind him.

"Severus?" Lupin cautiously said his name.

The potions master pretended not to hear Lupin's call as he rapidly turned the corner, praying this would deter the man.

"Severus, wait!" Lupin called out, running up to him in a haste.

Turning back to face the annoying wizard, he yelled, "What!"

Taken aback by his outburst, Lupin stumbled out, "Well, I - Severus, I just want to thank you for giving me this chance."

He sneered at the timid behaviour. It was nothing more than feeble words.

"I know that we may have not gotten along well in the past, but I hope we can work together from now on," the other wizard confessed.

"Spare me the confession, Lupin," Severus spoke impatiently. "We both know the real reason why you're here."

"What do you mean?"

"You may hide behind that meek demeanor - the same demeanor that stood back as Potter and Black acted out," he said, ignoring the cruelness of his words, "but we both know what lurks behind that facade on the full moon."

Lupin's face paled slightly as the man tried to swallow uncomfortably.

"So no need to thank me when you are doing this for yourself," he explained, looking down on the other wizard with derision.

"No - no, I'm doing this for him," Lupin whispered before raising his voice in faux confidence. "I'm doing this for Harry."

"Oh, really?" Severus said in a mocking tone. "Are you certain, you're not just grasping on to the last piece of your little group?"

"That's not true - I care for Harry and-"

"Tell me, Lupin," he cut in, not wanting to hear the rest. "If you profess to care for him so much, then where were you as he grew up in that muggle house?"

"You know that I was traveling to find work, and that I was too busy to see him," the other wizard defended heatedly.

"Don't make me laugh, Lupin. In truth, you were running away," he said coldly, his sharps eyes pinned on the other man. "Too absorbed in yourself to care about anything else - just wallowing in your self-pity."

From this distance, Severus was able to hear Lupin's harsh breathing, and the potions master wondered what other reaction he could get out from the man.

"And you?" Lupin asked through veiled temper, fists tightening in restraint. "Were you not also drowning in the sorrow of losing everything you loved?"

Severus smirked at the other wizard's gall of asking him that, not phased at all by the question.

"That's one of the many differences between you and I, Lupin: I have never let it stop me, and I never claimed to care for Potter from the beginning yet not once visited the boy," he finished resolutely.

Lupin's shoulders slouched slightly at his answer, and he secretly enjoyed the look of hopelessness on the other man's face

"But what about now?" Lupin quietly let out after calming down. "You care for Harry now, don't you?"

At the question, Severus decided to stare at the other wizard silently until Lupin began to fidget in uneasiness.

After a while, he said, "Wait outside the potions classroom two days from now at 11 before noon. Don't bother showing if you're late." With that, Severus walked away without another word.

o-O-o

Potions Classroom - August 22, 1990

His first meeting with Remus Lupin would be in the potions classroom, since the professor refused to have 'that fool' in their quarters. Harry was seated at a desk as the Professor Snape explained about his new tutor.

"Potter, think of this week as a trial period," Professor Snape said once again. "If Lupin is in any way inadequate or simply dislikable, then it's no trouble at all to kick the man out."

"I think I got it, Professor," Harry assured, bewildered with the professor's protocol on how to handle the tutor. "You don't have to worry about it."

"It is not concern, but caution," the potions master corrected. "Lupin can be insufferably stubborn and obnoxiously righteous, so no need to be accommodating around the man."

"Yes, sir," he said, deciding to just go along with it since the professor always had a reason for everything.

"Well, let us get this done with," Professor Snape said as he stood up and left the room.

Harry waited in contemplation, curious about what type of person this Lupin was to incite such displeasure from the professor. Initially, Harry was nervous when he was told of his tutoring. However, having such low expectations on the tutor was strangely comforting. It made him feel at eased about his own performance.

He soon heard two sets of footsteps returning, and Harry turned in his seat to face them. It was quiet for a moment before the clearing of a throat broke it.

"Hello, Harry," a voice spoke up, "I am Remus Lupin, and I believe you've been informed of our arrangement with your tutoring?"

"Yes, Mr. Lupin," Harry answered politely.

From what he could tell, the man's voice sounded tired to him, but it also held an excited quality to it. As though Mr. Lupin was eagerly waiting for something.

"That's good, but please call me Remus," the man said kindly, "Mr. Lupin sounds too formal and I-"

"Now that the introductions are over," Professor Snape unrepentantly cut in, interrupting the other wizard, "I'll be with Madam Pomfrey to help with the restocking, and shall return in an hour. Potter, don't forget that we'll be dining in the Great Hall for lunch today."

"Yes, Professor."

"And Lupin, if you require anything, please do hesitate to ask," Professor Snape said irritably before leaving the classroom with a slam of the door.

The professor must really not like this man to show this much inconsideration. Then again, Professor Snape was this way with mostly everyone, and the only person he seemed to get along with was Mr. Malfoy.

"Merlin, he hasn't changed at all," Mr. Lupin muttered to himself.

Curious at the remark, he decided to ask, "You know of Professor Snape from before?"

"Oh, yes," confirmed the older wizard. "We were in the same year together at Hogwarts but in different houses though."

"I can imagine Professor Snape was in Slytherin," Harry said, smiling at the thought of the professor as a young student. He wondered if the potions master was really the same then as he was now.

"Yes, Severus was a Slytherin through and through back then... and still is," Mr. Lupin revealed nostalgically.

"Then, were you in Ravenclaw?" Harry had a feeling that Mr. Lupin was the studious type.

"Actually, that was a second choice," the older wizard revealed with a hint of laughter. "I was a Gryffindor."

"A Gryffindor? Does that mean Professor Mcgonagall was your Head of House?" Harry remembered her mentioning that she was also his parent's Head of House.

"Yes, and I was also-" Mr. Lupin suddenly stopped himself in mid sentence.

"Sir?"

"I mean, I was also a prefect in my fifth year," the man finished hesitantly.

Harry just nodded his head in reply to that and wondered what the older wizard really wanted to say. So far, Mr. Lupin seemed very friendly, but he couldn't help thinking what the man could have possibly done to make Professor Snape dislike him.

"Now Harry," Mr. Lupin said, "why don't you tell me what you know so far of the wizarding world?"

o-O-o

Azkaban - August 30, 1990

Sniffing the air for any scent of the guards, Sirius in his animagus form stealthily stalked over to the gates outside, the last obstacle to his freedom.

He had managed to allude notice so far, passing only a few wizards on duty until he reached the ground floor. Today was the perfect day for his escape since most of the guards were dismissed from Azkaban thanks to Fudge. In addition to no one watching over his floor, it had become an easy escape for him. Well, that and him going on an extreme diet for a month.

One thing Sirius couldn't get his mind around was that he hadn't seen a single dementor. It was peculiar how they hadn't been floating around to scare the prisoners lately, and he couldn't feel their presence at all, yet it was highly unlikely that they had left Azkaban. It was as if they had all disappeared with no one the wiser about their location.

Then again, why should he care? As long as they stayed out of his way, then they could do whatever they like.

Abruptly, Sirius stopped when he heard some people talking near the gates.

"Alright, Henry, but only this time, okay?" the guard grumbled. "I won't cover your shift the next time again."

"Thanks a lot, Ben," Henry said. "I promise that this will be the last time."

The two talked for a while more before one of them opened the gate. Then both of the guards walked out, leaving the entrance ajar. Seeing this as his chance, Sirius quickly ran over and dashed through the opening. He continued running, not turning back for anything since the fear of capture was too near for him to even consider stopping.

Sirius didn't know how far he ran, his mind only concentrating on getting away as fast as possible, but he soon reached the end of the island when there were no more ground to run on. He stood there panting while staring out into the vast scenery, awed at the magnificence of it. And without another thought, he leaped into the sea.

'Freedom!' Sirius screamed happily in his mind.

Finally, after all these years, he was free from that wretched prison. Free from the stupid stone walls, free from the cruddy bed of hay, and free from the lousy food. He was finally free.

However, shock soon replaced his happiness as he submerged in the water. 'Shit! It's freezing cold!' Sirius thought frantically, trying to keep his snout above the water as he paddled.

Good thing he was still in his animagus form, but now Sirius had to swim until he was out of the wards surrounding the whole area. Only then could he transformed back and apparate away. Before Sirius could think anymore on it, a huge wave suddenly slammed into him, dragging him under until he had to break through the surface for air again.

Great, in addition to exhaustion and starvation, the frigid, cold water had to be against him also.

'Well, at least it can't get any worse than this,' Sirius said to himself agitatedly as another wave attempted to drown him.

No sooner had he finished that thought did the dark clouds above him rumble noisily. It was soon followed by the first few drops of rain hitting him on the snout and eyes before it completely transformed into a downpour rivaling that of a waterfall.

'Damn. I just had to say it. James always said that I tend to jinx myself with those words,' he thought miserably. 'But do I ever listen? Of course not!'

Now, with the determination of a stubborn hippogriff and the mood of a sour ogre, Sirius began his fervent swim to get the hell out of there.

o-O-o

Hogwarts Library - May 18, 1977

Remus winced in discomfort as he tried to place the tome back on the shelf above his head. It had been four days after the full moon, and his limbs were still sore from the transformation. He was accustomed to such pains, but that didn't stop him from wishing the aches away sooner.

With a tired sigh, he carried the remaining stack of tomes to the other book cases. Remus told himself that this was the last time he would 'volunteer to clean up after his friends, and be nice about it; so far, this was the sixteenth time he told himself that.

Not watching where he was going, Remus inadvertently bumped into someone, causing all the books to drop to the floor.

"Oh, excuse me," Remus said as he quickly bent down to gather the scattered tomes before looking up. His eyes widened slightly when he caught sight of who it was. "Severus..."

The Slytherin boy sneered at him, lips twisted in loathing. Teeth crooked and yellow, along with pallid skin and lanky hair - he represented the very epitome of a pariah amongst their peers.

Remus slowly got up and took a step back, abandoning the books in the process. Ever since that incident in the Shrieking Shack last month, Remus had been careful to avoid the other boy out of guilt and fear of condemnation. Besides for their lessons, he didn't interact with Severus any other time.

"Watch it, Lupin," Severus said, his form tensing slightly, "or else you'll hurt someone with your carelessness."

Remus instantly caught on to the double meaning behind that statement, and it saddened him to know that there were some truth in those words.

"Severus, about what happened last month-"

"Shut it," Severus vehemently spat out. "I don't want to hear any empty platitudes from you."

He swallowed nervously and switched his gaze to concentrate on the other boy's shoulder blade instead.

"No need to worry your little mind about it," Severus revealed. "You should know that I was forced into a vow to keep your dirty secret."

Remus mentally cringe at the reminder of that. When Professor Dumbledore had informed him of the vow, he felt both relieved that his secret would be safe and shame for feeling such a thing at the other boy's expense. In addition to that, a part of him still resented Sirius for the prank, but he hated himself even more for running away from the incident and pretending everything was all right.

"I never wanted any of that to happen," Remus whispered desperately, glancing up to show his sincerity. "I'm sorry, Severus."

"Well, regardless of what you wanted, it happened anyway," Severus said calmly, gazing at him through guarded eyes. "What you want changes nothing."

"I - I understand," he said dejectedly, accepting his judgment before bending back down to collect the books.

At that moment, Remus wanted nothing more than to be back in his dormitory; anywhere to be away from the discerning presence of the other boy.

"Belladonna Root," Severus spoke suddenly.

"What?" Remus blinked up in confusion.

The Slytherin boy glared at him, as if his question had just confirmed the stupidity of all Gryffindors.

With an impatient release of breath, Severus reluctantly explained, "Belladonna Root is one of the key ingredients in a muscle relaxant and calming potion. You should increase the amount of crushed roots in the potions, since they lose their potency over continual consumption. However, both potions are the most effective if you drink them before the change."

Remus stared in disbelief as he tried to absorb all of that in, but his mind still had trouble wrapping itself around an advice given by Severus.

"Why?" Remus asked quietly. "Why help me?"

"Don't misunderstand," Severus said sharply. "I don't want what you have to infect the rest of us. That's all."

At the reply, Remus smiled in self-depreciation because he knew just how truly infected he was.

"Drinking those before hand should leave your other half in a better disposition," Severus continued. "Which is not that much of a difference, but it should still aid in you having a less than volatile temper during that period."

Severus' mouth then closed with a click, lips thinning in disapproval as if it pained him to say all of that. Without further a do, the other boy turned around and walked away.

Remus knelt there as he watched the Slytherin's back, rigid and stiff in obstinance. Very much like the person itself, yet he couldn't help the hope that rose, wishing they could perhaps get along someday.

"Thank you, Severus."

TBC
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Hands and Face Behind the Voice