The Challenge

Snape woke up suddenly. Remus Lupin was shaking him and calling his name.


\"What the hell do you want, Lupin? Can\'t you even let me sleep?\"


\"You\'ve been asleep for over twenty-four hours, Severus. I was concerned.\"


Snape sat up. \"Twenty-four hours?\" He yawned and stretched. \"I must have
been more exhausted than I thought. Any chance of a cup of tea? Something
to eat?\"


Remus sat heavily on the bed. \"You managed to terrify us all. We thought
that you were ill. Especially when Dumbledore heard you shouting. Shouting at Sirius.\"


Snape chuckled. \"Because I was shouting at Sirius. Several times. And he
shouted back.\"


\"I thought I was the only one who dreamed of Sirius shouting at them.\"


\"I wasn\'t dreaming, Remus.\"


Remus looked at him sharply. \"Don\'t mock me, Severus. Not about *this*.\"


\"I\'m not. In fact, we\'ve all been fools for the last six months. Sirius
went though the veil alive and corporeally, not as a spirit. You know the
stories about that veil. Well, apparently if you go through as a living
body, you end up in Limbo. He\'s been there,trying to contact us. He said he\'d been trying to contact you.\"


\"I have had some very vivid dreams.\"


\"Not dreams, Lupin. Black trying to contact you.\"


Remus looked stricken. \"And I\'ve been taking potions to stop myself
dreaming.\"


\"What! Where the hell have you been getting them? Don\'t you know they are
dangerous? Addictive?\"


\"Knockturn Alley. And yes and yes. Do you think I wanted to keep dreaming
of him? Knowwhatwhat I\'ve lost again?\"


\"Why didn\'t you ask me for something? At least I can give you something
that won\'t be harmful.\"


\"I try not to ask you for anything, Severus. Not after what you\'ve already
done.\"


Snape suddenly put his arms around Remus, who then began to sob
heartrendingly, the months and years of sorrow released in a flood of tears. Snape twisted and dragged them both fully onto the bed, cradling Remus even closer, and rocking him gently. It was years since he had held him, years since he had had to comfort anybody.


He was rather surprised he still knew *how*.


After a while, Remus sobs grew quieter, and he sat up, resting his head on
the friendly shoulder.


\"Thank you. I think I needed that more than I knew.\"


\"Are you up to any more shocking revelations?\"


\"Depends on what they are.\"


Snape outlined what Sirius had told him about Voldemort, and the messages he had asked him to pass to Remus.


Remus smiled gently at some of them. Snape had no idea the real content of
those messages.


\"Severus?\"


\"Yes?\"


\"When are you next seeing Sirius?\"


\"On the weekend. I\'ll be back in the house then.\"


Remus smiled. \"I\'ll wait until then.\"


\"I want you to promise me something, though, Lupin.\"


\"What?\"


\"No more potions from Knockturn Alley. If you need something, contact me
and I\'ll brew it. And don\'t try to contact Sirius yourself. You have no
idea what you\'re doing and you could inadvertently injure yourself.\"


Remus smiled. \"I promise. To both.\" Suddenly, he embraced Snape again,
the other man returning the embrace. \"It\'s good to have my friend Severus
back again. It\'s been far too many years.\"


\"Too many years.\"


\"And with any luck, I\'ll get back my missing piece.\"