Mommy Dearest

Mommy Dearest
Chapter 3

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Eyes twinkling, Albus watched as his Potions Master glared once more at the empty chair that Remus normally occupied at the Head Table, secretly pleased with himself. Absence does make the heart grow fonder, he thought with amusement, and sending Remus away for the day had been a rather brilliant move on his part.

The Headmaster had noted the previous evening how Remus had refused to so much as meet Severus\' eyes, and the vexation which that had apparently caused the black-haired wizard. He was well aware of their fairly regular chess games, and so he had arranged after Severus left the Hall to pull Remus aside, and ask him to undertake a set of small errands for him - errands which would have him not returning until Sunday evening.

At the same time, Albus had casually mentioned the visit he had from Serena Snape, and had watched Remus flush bright red with embarrassment. Fortunately, however, Albus was a Legilimens of no mean skill, and Remus, having no suspicion of any ulterior motive on the Headmaster\'s part, had been his normal disingenuous self. And in the amber eyes of the werewolf, Albus had read with satisfaction that Remus had apparently developed a bit of an interest in the Potions Master quite on his own. Which suited Albus Dumbledore just fine. Now all that was needed was to tilt Severus\' interest from friendship to something more... if it wasn\'t there already. Given Severus\' obviously sour mood in the absence of the DADA professor, it might very well be.

Nodding in satisfaction, Albus rose as the meal ended, watching the black-haired wizard rising as well and stalking back to his dungeons. Now he just had to wait and see if the little plan he had set in motion would carry the day on its own... or if he would have to resort to far less subtle manipulations.

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Bone tired, Remus entered his quarters, dropping his cloak on a chair near the door and yawning widely. It was fairly late, but he had managed to finish the \"urgent tasks\" Albus had requested of him. Although why the Headmaster needed that specific set of documents delivered to Bill Weasley in Egypt, followed by him retrieving whatever that rather disturbingly glowing package had been from those goblins in Turkey, Remus was loathe to ask.

A warming tray of food had been left on his table, and Remus smiled in gratitude for Albus\' thoughtfulness. A note from the Headmaster was propped against the tray, urging him to eat and bathe and then get a good night\'s rest. Excellent advice, which he planned to heed.

Making short work of the delicious meal, he sighed, then headed off towards the bath.

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A knock on his door caused Severus to look up from his book, frowning. It was late, and he couldn\'t imagine who might be inclined to come rapping at his door. He wasn\'t even fully dressed, having discarded his robes and his coat. But he rose from his chair, scowling, part of him almost glad to have a possible outlet for his ill temper. If it were a student, even one of his own house, on some trivial mission, there would be a very large deduction of points in their future - and he didn\'t have to be Sybill Trelawney to predict that.

Reaching the door, he undid his wards, before opening it with an expression of extreme annoyance... which turned to outright anger when he first saw no one. Then a slight sound caused him to look down, directly into the large green eyes of Winky the house-elf.

\"What is it?\" he asked harshly, even though he knew the creature would hardly disturb him of her own volition - she would have been sent.

\"Professor Snape!\" she said, almost trembling in fear as she regarded the Potions Master. And yet, orders were orders, and hers had been very specific. \"Winky was told to tell Professor Snape that Professor Lupin needed to see him in his quarters right away! Professor Lupin just returned to Hogwarts and Winky was told to say that it was very urgent.\"

Surprised at this news, Severus stood for a moment. Remus had been away from the school? That explained his absence from every meal today, rather than it having been further the continued embarrassment that Severus had assumed. That changed things... didn\'t it? And Remus was summoning him to his quarters? What in the world could be going on?

Immediately, however, Severus found his interest piqued. He had spent to many years as a spy, had danced on the edge of a knife until it got to be a familiar place to be. And an exciting one, if the truth were known. A bit of intrigue called to him, teased him and tormented until he had to know what it all meant. If he had only known he was proving his mother right - boys will be boys - he might have locked himself if in his quarters and refused to emerge ever again.

Instead, he pulled his door shut behind him, and nodding to Winky - who gratefully disappeared - he set off in the direction of Remus\' quarters near Gryffindor Tower. He wasn\'t running, but he was moving with a haste that would have made his black robes billow behind him in a most ominous manner - had he been wearing them.

Arriving at the werewolf\'s quarters, he paused. Urgent, Winky had said, and Severus scowled, arranging his face in his normal lines. After all, he couldn\'t very well let the werewolf see that he might be anxious to actually see him. That would not do at all. Finally satisfied, he raised his hand, and knocked softly on the door, only to have the portal rebound slightly from the motion... it had been open. This cannot be good, he thought, frowning. A professor leaving his door unlocked was an invitation for disaster... or a sign that one had already occurred.

Years of spy instincts kicked in, and Severus drew his wand from his sleeve, and quickly cast a silencing charm on the door. Then he opened in fully, peering into the werewolf\'s sitting room cautiously, looking for Remus, or for any potentially hostile intruders. His eyes fell on Remus\' robes, tossed carelessly over a nearby chair, and saw the remains of a meal on the table. It all looked normal enough, except for the door being open, and there being no sign of Remus Lupin.

Entering, he shut the door behind him, carefully uttering a locking charm that would block any attempt of escape if there were indeed invaders within. Listening intently, he heard faint sounds coming from a room in the back, and he moved stealthily in that direction, black eyes focussed, breath sharp and shallow.

The sounds continued. Water, a sharp splashing sounds as if something had been submerged, followed by a gasp and more splashing. A hard thud, and then a groan... Severus\' eyes widened. It sounded like someone was drowning Lupin in his own bath - and Severus was startled at the burst of fury he felt at the thought of someone harming the werewolf. Snarling, his wand came up and he burst into the room, ready to start hurling hexes...

To be greeted by a wet-haired, wide-eyed, naked werewolf, sitting in a tub of water. A werewolf who stopped abruptly in the process of rubbing his head where he had apparently struck it on the shelf behind him, so shocked by the sudden appearance of the scowling, dark-haired wizard in his bathroom that he didn\'t even think to cover himself, and could only stare, unblinking, at his unexpected guest.

For his part, Severus was just as shocked, mouth slightly open as he stared at the other man. But, being Severus Snape, he recovered first, and whirled on his heel before stalking from the bathroom in a rage spawned by horrified embarrassment.

\"Severus!\" he heard Remus calling out behind him, before the sounds of wet feet hitting tile came to him. But the Potions Master was in quite a rush, making it to the front door and placing his hand on the knob. He turned it, and scowled furiously when it refused to open - totally forgetting the locking charm that he himself had placed on the portal not five minutes before.

Suddenly his shoulder was grasped in a powerful grip, and he was spun around and backed up against the door as a pair of glittering amber eyes assessed him. Surprisingly, his colleague seemed more perturbed than angry, although spots of color on his cheeks told that he was just as flustered as Severus felt. If he were being fair, the former Death Eater would have admitted that it was obvious that Remus had not been expecting his presence.

But Severus was far too embarrassed to be fair.

\"What are you playing at, Lupin?\" he hissed, eyes narrowed. Typical Death Eater response - when cornered, attack.

\"Me?\" Remus asked, dumbfounded by this unexpected verbal assault. \"If I may point out, Severus, you burst in on me in MY bathroom... I believe that question rightfully is mine to ask.\"

One advantage of being a superb Occlumens... Severus was able to keep down the flush of discomfort that threatened to rise to his cheeks. Instead, he raised a haughty brow, running his eyes assessingly down the the other man\'s body - noting with a surprising pang that Remus had slung a towel around his hips before chasing him down. Disappointment? he thought, stunned as he identified the emotion. As it was, he couldn\'t help his mouth going dry as his eyes travelled over the narrow shoulders, lightly muscled chest, and flat abdomen of the almost naked body facing him. Sweet Merlin... he\'s... attractive.

The thought made Severus scowl harder. \"No, it is not, Lupin,\" he finally found his voice, hoping that his perusal of the other man\'s body had come across as insulting rather than hungry. He drew a hissing breath, and kept his voice as tight and clipped as possible. \"I was summoned here, told it was urgent, and upon my arrival I found your door standing ajar. Suspecting that you might have been the victim of a prank or in need of other assistance, I entered. I heard sounds from your bathroom that sounded as though you might be in trouble, which is the only reason I burst in like that. I expected trouble, not to find you... in such a state of dishabille! What am I to think, other than that you arranged this whole thing for some purpose that is beyond my understanding!\"

Amber eyes widened, before Remus\' brow creased and his mouth tightened in anger. \"What possible purpose could I have in wanting to summon you to my quarters to catch me in the bath?\" he almost snarled.

Answering that snarl with one of his own, Severus almost spat his reply. \"How am I supposed to know what strange thoughts cross your mind, Lupin? You have always been known as a prankster, and some of those have been of rather questionable taste in the past! You tell me what your motive was, for it is quite beyond me!\"

\"I only returned about thirty minutes ago, Severus, from a very long day and a half of running errands for Albus. Why in the world would I want to play a prank on you? If anything, I would think this might be your idea of payback for my, er, mis-statement with your mother! It\'s not as though you are exactly the most forgiving sort!\" The werewolf began to almost pant in anger, causing his chest to heave in a way that drew Severus\' eyes quite against his will.

\"I will tell you again, Lupin, in words of one syllable, so that perhaps it will get through your obvious denseness - I. Was. Told. To. Come. Here!\"

\"Oh, yeah? By whom?\" Remus asked.

\"Winky!\" the Potions Master hissed, his own breath growing short, and a flush finally stealing over his pale face. \"As if you are unaware of having told her to do it. House elves do not lie!\"

\"Neither am I!\" Remus said. \"If you think my idea of a good time is to be caught naked in the bath by someone I....\" he broke off suddenly, realizing what he had almost said. Someone I am attracted to...

Sensing a weak spot, Severus pressed the attack. \"Someone who repulses you? Someone you can embarrass, or flaunt yourself before?\"

Weak spot struck. \"Shut up, Severus!\" Remus snarled, stung at both the insinuation that he had flaunted himself - although that might have been a good idea, part of him thought - and the insinuation that he had done it to embarrass someone he found unattractive. Part of him realized the insecurity in Severus\' statement, and with the instincts of a predator - combined with the frustration of the man - Remus did the only thing he could think to do to stop that mouth. That snarky, insulting, incredibly attractive mouth. He kissed it.

Stepping up to the Potions Master, Remus put his arms around the neck of the slightly taller wizard, and abruptly pulled the dark head down to his own.

Severus barely had time to hiss in surprise, so quick was the movement which pulled him slightly off balance and into the werewolf\'s body. Then, just as quickly, warm lips were crushed against his own. Warm, soft, demanding lips, which turned from punishing to beguiling in the space of a single breath. Startled, and already aroused by the man who was kissing him with such incredible skill, Severus was unable to help himself. Oh Merlin... Mother is never going to let me live this down, he thought vaguely. I might as well enjoy it while I can...

And so, with a groan, Severus kissed Remus back.