Mirror, mirror on the wall

Severus sighed
heavily as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. There it
was again. Last week he had found a grey hair from his raven
black mane. After that there had been more. Now he spotted one,
two, three new ones. His gaze moved from his hair to his face,
and it didn’t make him any happier. Year after year the
lines in his face became deeper and made him look constantly
bitter. Between his eyes were two deep lines, like ravines and he
had pouches under his eyes. The sallow skin on his face had
started to sag, and he firmly refused to think about the other
parts in his body that had started to sag.

“Ugly old
bastard,” Severus growled in a low voice and threw a hateful
glance to the mirror.

“What are you
muttering there?” Severus felt arms wrap around his waist
and a head rest on his shoulder, a nose nuzzling his neck.

“I’m getting
old,” Severus said sullenly.

“We all get old,”
Remus said gently. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”

“I’m all
wrinkles and I have found grey hairs,” Severus exclaimed
annoyed.

“I have found grey
hairs twenty years now,” Lupin reminded him.

“That’s
different. It’s because of your condition. I’m just…
well getting old,” Severus muttered. Remus chuckled softly.

“Severus, we are the
same age, but I look older than you. And that’s fine by me.
It doesn’t bother me,” Remus said.  Severus shot a
piercing look through the mirror. His black brows were furrowed.

“You have always
been pleasant to look at. Getting wrinkles doesn’t make you
look ugly. But I have been ugly all my life and now I’m
getting even more hideous. I suppose McGonagall will have to fire
me soon since the students start to be scared,” Severus
said. This time Remus laughed aloud.

“Oh, you are a
treasure, Severus,” Remus said smiling. Then his face grew
more serious. “But seriously, Severus. Please don’t
call yourself ugly. I don’t want that anybody offends my
loved one, not even he himself.”

“But it’s the
truth, Remus. Maybe you should find yourself someone more
presentable, before I turn totally monstrous,” Severus said
darkly. His words sounded humorous, but Remus knew him well
enough to know that Severus was indeed speaking seriously. Remus
moved his hands to Severus’s shoulders and turned him around
so that they were facing each other.

“Would you leave me
because I’m getting older and less and less attractive?”
Remus asked.

“Of course not!”
Severus exclaimed. He was shocked that Remus even suggested such
an idea.

“So then why are you
expecting me to leave you?” Remus asked and his voice was
stern.

“Well…”
Severus couldn’t find the words.

“I love you, you
fool. I would love you even if you sprouted a third arm on your
forehead or started growing orange hair from your ears. And I
will love you however wrinkly, scarry or saggy you’ll get. I
want to grow old with you, and I want to be buried next to you
when the time comes,” Remus said and now his voice was soft
and tears were glistening in his eyes. His hands were gripping
Severus shoulder tightly. Severus smiled.

“I guess I’m
lucky ugly, old bastard to have a man like you,” Severus
said. Then he kissed Remus gently. “I love you.” The
tears that had hidden in Remus’s eyes were now streaming on
his face. Severus didn’t say ‘I love you’ too
often, and when he said it, he always meant it.

“Have we now
finished that getting old and ugly thing?” Remus asked.

“Yeah,” Severus
said. “Do you want some breakfast?”