Path of the serpent

Title: Path of the serpent
Author: ejab
Pairing: SS/LM with a little SS/RL and SS/DM on the side
Rating: will become NC-17
Feedback: oh yes, so highly appreciated
Disclaimer: it gets boring but yes, J.K. Rowling still owns them.
Warnings: nope, none, niente, nada
Category: all over the place
Summary: Severus has to watch Remus transform. It turns out to be a revelation in more ways than one
A/N: beta was underlucius. All remaining mistakes are mine.

23/?

"How is the potion going, Severus? Any progress at all?" Dumbledore looked worried. Snape was. After all those months there was still no breakthrough and frankly he was at a complete loss. Again. Not that he would ever admit that, of course.

"None to speak of," the potions master sighed. "As I said before - it is extremely hard to make."

"Ah, but you'll succeed in the end, my dear boy," the Headmaster gave him a disturbing cheery smile and shifted more to the edge of the seat. "I was thinking… maybe it would help if you were to watch Remus transform?"

"You want me to WHAT?!" Snape's mouth dropped. He could not have heard that correctly.

"Now, now, Severus, calm down… think about it; you can monitor his changes first hand and possibly find clues t-"

"He can rapport back to me after his transformation," the potions master snapped.

"But you may miss vital information. Remus isn't exactly capable of keeping notes on his
findings when he is transforming, Severus."

"Don't remind me," Snape growled, shaking his head. "I am NOT staying in the same room as a werewolf, thank you very much. Pitiful as it is, I value my life too much for that."

"No confidence in your own potions, Severus?" Again that bloody smile. Always a bad thing.

"Of course I have!" The nerve of the Headmaster to even implicate such a thing!

"So what's the problem? Just think of him as a big friendly dog and all will go well. You'll see."

That conversation had taken place the day after the potions master had deflowered Draco. And ever since then he was extremely tense and short-tempered, even during his private sessions with Draco. The young Malfoy had looked forward to his next session again but was disillusioned afterwards - his Head of House had been cold, distant and very absent-minded. Seeing the hurt look in his pupil's eyes Snape had curtly ensured Draco it had nothing to do with 'their last encounter' but that he was overwhelmed with 'challenging work'. Then an house-elf had brought mail. And after reading the parchment, which had his father's seal on it, Snape was even more distracted and shortly after dismissed Draco until further notice. Draco had left. Reluctantly and very disappointed. The potions master noticed the boy's attitude but did not want to deal with it. He had enough troubles of his own.

Sitting in his chair he read the parchment over again. It was short and to the point. "My dear Sev, Of course I understand. I will never stand in the way of your chance at getting the acknowledgement you deserve as a Grandmaster of Potions. Hereby consider the curse on Lupin lifted. Do not disappoint me. Yours, Lucius."

Damn. He had just run out of excuses.

With a reluctance that matched Draco's earlier, Snape informed the Headmaster he was ready.

And was told, with loathing cheerfulness, that Remus' transformation would take place on Thursday evening. Which meant he had only three days to mentally prepare himself. And why was Dumbledore gloating so much? Really, that man was as evil as The Dark Lord - a cunning old bastard is what he was! All warm and friendly and sickly paternal on the outside but underneath it all the Headmaster was always calculating and manipulating. A true Slytherin at heart. And somehow Severus could not lose the feeling that he was, again, being manipulated.

Thursday evening the potions master went to Lupin's rooms, thinking about how strangely the DADA teacher had acted ever since he had been told of this next step. Lupin had of course immediately understood that Lucius had lifted the curse but still remained at a respectable distance. That did not bother Severus in the least. It was the way the werewolf had started to look, no, to stare, at him. He had caught the werewolf staring at him on more than one occasion and every time their eyes had met, the DADA teacher gave him an almost melancholic smile before averting his eyes.

"I will not hurt you, Severus," Remus spoke softly, the moment Snape entered his room. The potions master frowned, seeing Lupin standing on the other end of the room, covered only in his old shabby robes. The man was already looking quite restless. And… nervous? Or insecure?

"You can not guarantee me that. You won't be yourself in another hour or so," the potions master countered, definitely nervous and staying VERY close to the door. He SO did not want to be here! What had Dumbledore been thinking?

"Hour?" Remus smiled sadly. "I don't think so. It's already starting. I can feel it - my senses - I can smell your fear."

Snape swallowed nervously, forcing himself to look closer. Yes, the DADA teacher was already trembling and his face showed deepening lines that represented suppressed pain. Suddenly he seemed so much older. Older and tired. Very tired.

A convulsion ran through Lupin's body and his face grimaced in pain. Another convulsion, more violent this time. Lupin closed his eyes and moaned. After opening his eyes again, he looked at the potions master with an almost apologizing look. "I know you are scared and I'm sorry the Headmaster made you witness this. Believe me, I'd rather-" a hoarse cry of pain escaped the DADA teacher as he was struck with another convulsion which made him almost collapse. It left him gasping from pain for a moment, "… spare you."

Snape was about to make a nasty remark but couldn't. Not when the next convulsion made Lupin fall to his knees and grab his head, shaking it and again cry in pain. Convulsion after convulsion followed and they seemed to get alarmingly worse each time. It didn't take Lupin long to lose control completely and scream and howl in pain constantly while tears ran down his face. A face now horribly distorted in all-consuming pain. Clearly no longer aware of another man's presence he started crawling over the floor, screaming himself hoarse from the blinding pain, pulling and clawing at his hair and head and even trying to bite his own hands. Anything to stop the pain!

The potions master desperately wanted to move furniture to prevent the DADA teacher from bumping into it and hurting himself even more but he just could not move. Didn't dare to.

Slowly the screaming started to sound more like howling. Then it all stopped.

Lupin just layed there, now stiff and motionless. Then his limbs started to tremble and he began to growl and grumble. The sounds sent shivers down Severus' spine as he stood there frozen, eyes big in fear. He watched with horror as Lupin's head became flatter and longer, as did his body. His shoulders crooked and hair appeared on his face and hands. The potions master gulped, almost hyperventilating, and saw the hands change into ferocious claws. Oh Merlin, oh dear Merlin…

Terrified beyond rational thought, Snape clenched his hand around the wand he had pulled out of his robe, not daring to move. He watched the grey wolf, that had been Remus, eyeing him curiously. Then it got on all fours, put its nose in the air and sniffed, tilting its head as if wondering what this other creature was. Slowly the wolf walked towards the potions master. Snape gulped again, raising his wand as slow and inconspicuously as possible. Damn Dumbledore! Damn that stupid - a rough tongue licked his hand. What? Barely able to belief what he was seeing, Severus blinked and watched the wolf lick his hand a second time before it walked to the mattress on which it turned and turned until the exact right spot was found and the wolf laid down, sighing contentedly, closing its eyes and soon drifted off to sleep.

The potions master stared at the werewolf in utter disbelief. That bloody wolf was sleeping! Here he was, scared as hell and expecting to be torn to pieces, and that bloody wolf was taking a nap!

Well, okay, at least he could stop shaking now. Slowly releasing a breath he had been holding, Snape loosened his grip on his wand. And soon slid down against the wall until he was sitting. On a cold stone floor. While the werewolf was laying on a soft, warm mattress. Life was so unfair.

Severus woke up with his back still firmly against the wall. It felt cold, stiff and painful from leaning against the cold hard stones but surprisingly enough his legs felt nice and warm. Puzzled he looked down and gasped at the sight that caught his eyes - a very naked Lupin, curled up over his legs and with his head on his abdomen. Asleep. Snape held his breath for a moment, then slowly exhaled and let his eyes roam over the body of the man beneath him. So many scars everywhere - some clearly from ripping out flesh, others from scratching and biting. There was hardly undamaged skin to be found. He had seen them before, yes, but somehow they made a far bigger impression this time. After seeing the transformation with his own eyes, he only now was somewhat able to understand the amount of pain, despair, self-loathing and hell they represented.

Gods, and he thought HE was scarred? The physical pain alone Lupin had to go through each month had to be inconceivable, not to mention what it did to his muscles, tissues, nerves and tendons. The man surely would not get very old. And then he wasn't even taking into consideration what it meant for his mental health yet. His admiration for the DADA teacher increased quite considerably. He was not sure if he himself would have been able to cope with such a burden every month of every year he was living.

An inquiring sound made Snape focus on the present again as Lupin moved a bit and yawned.

"Seems the wolf longed for company… " a drowsy voice rose up from the human form.

"Yes, well, at least my legs were kept warm," the potions master mumbled.

"Sorry, I'll get off." Remus agonisingly slowly started to move sideways laboriously.

"What precisely do you think you are doing, Lupin?"

"What does it look like? I'm crawling off of you," came the strained reply. "Can't exactly walk yet, you know."

"So it seems. Lay still and I'll push you off." Snape did just that, stood up and straightened his legs. Ah yes, that felt so much better. Then he looked down again. "Well, can't leave you laying on a cold stone floor. Guess I'll-"

"A bath. Can you please fill the bath with warm water? I'll manage from there on, I promise." The DADA teacher gave his colleague an almost beseeching look accompanied with a shy smile.

"Eh… yes, of course," the potions master nodded curt and disappeared into the bathroom. A few minutes later he came back and, after some hesitation, picked Lupin up and carried him towards the filled bath and lowered him gently.

"Oh yes… that's so much better," Remus closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth of the water soothing his cramped muscles and body. "Thank you." Snape nodded and left the bathroom. Remus was vaguely aware of the sound of a closing door before he shut his eyes again and gave himself over to the healing warmth once more.

"Any more soaking and you'll have no skin left. Out." The potions master appeared in front of him again. Hadn't he just left? He frowned in astonishment.

"You dozed off. Now out," the potions master pulled the plug out of the tub and determinedly picked him up and carried Remus to his bed. "Now drink this. It will help to somewhat ease and restore the damage done to your muscles and other parts of your anatomy. And why have you never a requested a Healing Potion from me before?"

The DADA teacher obeyed slightly taken aback, noticing more vials on a chair nearby. Severus obviously had been to his chambers to collect some potions. That did not, however, give the man the right to stand there like that and act as if he was giving one of his students a reprimand.

"You are already overworked as it is and besides, you d-"

"Oh, stuff it, you annoyingly self-sacrificing Gryffindor." Snape snatched the now empty vial away impatiently, gave Lupin a second one to drink and then pushed him down onto the bed firmly. "Just shut up and lay still." His harsh sounding words were a shrill contrast to what came next: a delightful relaxing massage, skilfully applied from his head to his toes and back. Back and front. Remus sighed happily and silently counted his blessings. He did not know what had brought on this pampering but he sure as hell wasn't about to complain. It felt sooooo good!

"The irony of it all…" he mumbled, already too dazed to realise he had said it aloud before drifting off to a well deserved sleep.

The potions master heard the remark but paid no attention to it. Until he was back in his own quarters and just about to start on a report. The moment he picked up his quill, the sentence flooded through his head again and suddenly he understood. All of it - the stares, the remark, the smiles, Lupin's surprising willingness to accept the deal and the treatment he'd received and… Severus dropped his quill instantly, staring at the parchment in front of him in sheer disbelief and shock. Oh gods, the bloody Gryffindor was in love with him! With HIM!

And did the Headmaster know? Most likely, yes - that old bastard always seemed to know. Snape felt pure hatred rise up inside of him. Hatred and disgust. Directed towards Dumbledore only. Not for Lupin. He could hardly blame the werewolf for what he was feeling, although coming to terms with that new insight was difficult enough (and that was putting it mildly) but if the Headmaster also knew, the man had just crossed the line of acceptable behaviour, as far as he was concerned. He was indeed as evil as The Dark Lord. But at least The Dark Lord never pretended to be anything but evil!