Dum Spiro, Spero-While I Breathe, I Hope

Disclaimer : I don’t own Harry Potter in any way, it all belongs to J.K. Rowling. The Draconians are my thing though. I own Phoebus and Snape‘s family pretty much, whoot! Unfortunately I don’t own Sevs…Damn.

Notes and warnings : Slashy goodness as always. **NC-17 chapter! Lemon! You have been warned!** Mind you, if you don’t want to read the stuff, then you don’t have to. Just…skim over it or something.


Dum Spiro, Spero
(While I breathe, I hope)
Part 4 : Lusus Naturae - A Freak Of Nature
By Reppa

 
 
Dread filled him as he was dragged towards the dungeons, Harry wished his least favorite teacher hadn’t heard anything of their plans on sneaking into his office and bedroom. Sure he was aware it was absolutely wrong, even where Snape was concerned, but Harry had to know whether the Potions master had any connection to his dreams as he seemed to. Seated before the old desk of the teacher’s office, Harry prayed it was something silly or he’d be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, sometimes his luck didn’t like to smile for him where the bitter Professor before him was concerned.

It always sent shivers up his spine to sit in that dark, dank room. The main sound in the entire space was the bubbling of the beakers filled with potions. There weren’t rats or spiders crawling about as Harry expected, surprisingly enough, the place was clean and nicely kept. If he were the secretive, reclusive type, this would be heaven, but at the moment it was just a tad intimidating. Especially when Severus sat before you with that predatory look.

“Potter, I would highly recommend…” Snape paused, slightly amused by the Gryffindor’s attempt to look relatively calm, though he knew the boy was probably miserable with his position. He was sure Potter was planning something and that the boy felt he was caught while he continued, “…that you keep that brute of a Godfather from harassing me further, for I will not be held accountable for my actions. After the blatant assault on my being by him the other day, I’ll be very quick to summon the Dementors or have him sent back to Azkaban.”

Assault? Harry inquired in his head with a confused blink, Why can’t Snape stop blaming him for such things? He’s impossible…With a frown on his lips, Harry made to stand, “That all, Professor?”

“I don’t believe you realize the severity of your situation.” That forced Harry to sit backn ann and eye him quizzically and all Snape could do was smirk wickedly, “Though you are not at all bothered by your Godfather’s harassing me, I am and I won’t put up with it anymore. Dumbledore may disapprove, but I care not in this case. I should warn you that if he continues, your grades can suffer more than they do now. Maybe even to the point of failing. So I suggest you have a nice, long chat with that bastard mutt about conversational etiquette. Remember what you have on the line here.”

All he could do was gape at the man. Because Sirius was annoying him, he was going to take it out on Harry? Now that just wasn’t fair! But the young Gryffindor reminded himself who he was talking to and was sure that if he objected, Snape would tear into him, so he was reduced to sulking away silently. Though when he found his way into the hall, he let the curses fly as he stomped up the stairs, so frustrated with the constant harsh treatment from that particulaacheacher, he paid no mind as he rammed carelessly into Draco.

The Slytherin scowled as he caught himself and glared at him. In their later teens, Harry had gained an inch or two on the Malfoy, not to mention a little more in the way of body mass, just a little. Draco straightened out his already disheveled uniform as his gray-blue eyes bore into him, “Watch what you’re doing next time, Potter! Nearly bowled me over with your big head.”

“You know what, just shut up, you scaly git.” Harry snapped before he bolted up and out of the dungeons to leave a startled blond back on the stairs.

Draco sighed wearily, “Well…figured everyone knows by now.” With a soft sigh, the teen finished his way on to his room, shifting his books in his arms. He paused at the door to Snape’s office to peer in, not seeing his Head of House anywhere. Well, he’d definitely see him tomorrow he reasoned as he turned in for the night.

*

Once he was finished, Severus sealed the letters and set them aside. One was to his mother, who was now bugging him incessantly about Phoebus. According to her and his siblings, his much older brother had told them of Remus and how he was rather smitten with the werewolf. He had to make a face, it didn‘t really faze Snape too much, seeing as he was used to his brother’s wandering eye and strange fancies, but it was Lupin. Sure Phoebus was going to get a bout of teasing from their middle siblings, his brother Cassius and sister Doris, but the man had put up with them for ages so he’d be unruffled. But Severus always ended up losing his temper.

Leaning back in his seat, he fingered the back of a stray book on his desk. “What to do…what to do…” he inquired of the empty space about him softly. Partially, Severus hadn’t wanted to drag Harry into the mess with Black, but the boy was the only possible leverage he had over the convict. There was Lupin too, but his brother wouldn’t like him doing such a thing.

He sighed deeply, laying his arm over his eyes, how he wished he hadn’t said what he said. Now when he saw the dog it glared at him like he was some fiend spawned from hell. Had it been that bad a thing to say? It was true. Snape winced, reminiscing on such things just reminded him of James.

Deciding how redundant it was to dwell on such meager things one couldn’t change, Severus stood to deliver his letters. Hopefully there was an owl or two left in the owlery he could use. As he stepped from his quarters and closed the door behind him, he glanced down the hall at the sealed off chambers of Draco’s room. He shook his head as he stepped up to the upper level of the castle for his slight errand.

*

After last night, Harry’s resolve should have been deterred in intruding on the peevish teacher’s quarters, but it instead strengthened it. Hermione still insisted, if not more so, that he take the greatest precautions to not be caught. The three of them waited near the dungeon stairwell, Harry was under the invisibility cloak while Ron and Hermione were tucked in a hiding spot. After he watched Snape leave, frothing goblet in hand, the Gryffindor rushed quietly towards the steps when he was sure the teacher was out of sight.

When he arrived at the wooden doors between him and his destination of choice, he pulled out his wand before pausing. Was it him or did he hear a strange noise from the classroom? Staying still, Harry continued to listen until he was sure he had heard nothing and returned his attention to the doors. According to Hermione, Snape would be the hermit of a Slytherin he was and would have hexed his door to scare away intruders. It took him a few failures until he finally managed the door open and stepped in.

As expected, Severus’ quarters were scarcely furnished. Several bookshelves and a bed. “How exciting…” he mumbled softly as he dropped his cloak and draped it over the foot of the bed as he set to work searching. Carefully, he flipped through each book as swiftly as he could and looked under the bed before finally glancing at the Marauder’s map for any secret passages. But there was nothing he could find that had any connection. Heavy in heart, he left the room and stood in the hall for a moment, suddenly straining to listen.

There it was again. A kind of scraping noise emitted from the potions classroom. He’d only heard it once before and that was back in the Chamber of Secrets. An image of the basilisk flitted through his mind, but Harry shook his head as he reasoned the Potions professor wouldn’t be keeping such a dangerous creature after what had happened. In caution, the boy approached the door to realize it was charmed. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the door, trying as he had before any incantation his friends had read to him before one of the more discreet spells finally worked. It was strange the thing was so well-guarded, after all of this casting, Harry could use a rest. The door swung open with a creak and he gradually edged in, seeing nothing he had expected.

His gaze traveled over the class until it fell on a huge snake skin trapped under a desk. Harry blanched immediately, Snape was insane! He didn’t need to see anymore to know this was all a terrible idea. As he turned to leave, he froze as something heavy fell over with a loud clatter, it sounded like a cauldron. With fear, he turned back to see what had caused the ruckus before his breath hitched in alarm.

Sitting just across from him and draped over the tops of a few desks was a giant cobra, reasonably the size Buckbeak was. It was a pale shade of gold with gray-blue slitted eyes, gray patterns decorating it’s hood and along it’s spine and long, protruding fangs. Stiff where he stood, Harry sat and engaged in a staring contest with the beast which dropped with a thud and slitherlonglong the floor with a sharp hiss. Obviously just standing there was not a good idea as Harry turned and bolted out the door, turning quickly to shove the door close. But his luck was against him as he was bowled back and a shadow loomed over. Now the serpent was between him and the way from the dungeons.

With a curse in alarm, the Gryffindor stumbled to his feet and ran down the hall, hoping there was some alternate way out of the dungeons or some secret path he could take. He had paused to bang on Draco’s bedroom door, but there was no reply, forcing him to continue running. In moments, Harry had hit a dead end and rammed into a wall, cursing loudly. Banging on the wall, he turned to listen for the snake as it approached the corner. Just a few seconds and he’d be reptile food.

Hurriedly whipping out the map, Harry looked it over for the slim chance there was a way out of this and praise be there was. A secret passage was behind the wall, but due to the markings on the map, he was sure even his father and friends hadn’t found their way in. The teen licked his lips nervously as he struggled with his wand, chanting repeated spells to open it with little success. “I am not being food for the Slytherin mascot!!” He bellowed, slamming his fists down on the wall before he fell forward. After he crashed to the floor, Harry looked up dazedly at the opened wall. “Slytherin…?” The Gryffindor gaped as the walls slid shut just as the large cobra was rounding the corner, and darkness surrounded him.

*

Remus found himself outside the doors of the Divinations class. Despite any and all warnings Sirius had given him, the werewolf hadn’t wanted to listen to him. The rumors Phoebus was a Deatheater were only rumors, and such gossip was usually untrue. Like the Witch Hunts. Tentatively, he brought a hand up and eased the door open to look in. The space beyond was surprisingly dark, which made Lupin thankful for his heightened senses as he stumbled in. “ProfessAre Are you in here?” He was sure the taller man was, he could smell him quite well. Such a musky aroma that was hard to miss. The DADA professor was getting slightly nervous as he approached the teacher’s desk and the man’s empty chair.

‘Maybe he’s in his quarters…’ Remus reasoned before he made his way upss, gs, getting slightly winded as he did. The full moon still wore on him even though he had the aid of Severus’ more potent Wolfsbane potion. “Too bad he can’t make it this strong too often…” he breathed heavily, getting his wind back.

“Good to see you, Lupin.” A husky voice whispered behind him, scaring him near death. Remus whirled around to look up at the Divinations master who was smiling brazenly at him, “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“Ah, I was wondering if you and I could talk. Seeing as we don’t see much of each other.”

“Especially after you moved seats at the dining table.”

Remus went beet red as he hung his head shamefully, “I’m so very sorry…My friend insisted I keep my guard. I hope you understand.” His eyes widened slightly when Phoebus caught his chin to make him look up. The man had that smile on once more before he gestured for him to follow. Pausing reluctantly, Remus trailed behind him quietly to his quarters. It was feeling quite personal, the werewolf noticed as he sat himself in a chair.

The room was sparsely decorated, a table with chairs, some bookshelves and a bed. Star charts and the like hung on the walls and a mobile from the ceiling. It was very obvious the long haired man took his job very seriously. Remus shifted uneasily under the other’s watchful eye, feeling much more nervous than he reasoned he should.

Phoebus smirked mischievously at him as he took the weight off his feet on the bed. The Snape patted the bedding next to him, “Now, now. Come sit here, distance is always a problem in conversation. Quite a turn off really.” The auburn haired wizard blushed at that, hesitantly standing to take the seat proffered. The DADA professor was a little worried he was starting to forget what he came here for, reluctantly sitting onto the springy cushion of the mattress. He just wasn’t expecting what happened next as Phoebus gripped him by the waist to throw him back against the bed and pin him down.

“What are you doing?!” Remus gasped in alarm, trying to hide the growing redness of his cheek. He squirmed wildly for a moment as the taller and consequently larger professor pushed into him but he stopped with a gasp when he felt the other’s arousal press into his thigh. His breath quickened while he felt hot kisses placed along his jawbone and neck. This had been the last thing he had expected to happen but he wasn’t going to start objecting…

Pulling back briefly, Phoebus smirked down at him. It was a superior kind of smirk, one he’d seen worn on Severus at some times, but this wasn’t as cold as the Potion master’s. He took in Lupin’s somewhat bewildered expression, but it wasn’t hard to sense the thoughts of lust hidden deep down. This just pleased the Psychic even more.

Gradually, his wrists were let go and the dark haired man’s hands slowly drifted down his frame to slide beneath his robes, fingers tracing the werewolf’s pale skin. Remus shivered briefly, letting out a quiet little whimper, brow knitting together as the squirms a bit under the touch. Biting his lip softly, he drapes his arms over Phoebus' shoulders, pulling him closer and holding on tightly as he presses his hips up against Phoebus', making known the growing arousal he was getting.

The Divinations expert’s smoldering eyes stayed locked on Remus’ face as he pulled back a little. Smiling slightly as he leaned forward to kiss him, his hands ran down to his hips to undo the other's clothing. With his eyes now closed, he stroked Remus' arousal, stroking gentle but earnestly. Remus was gasping softly, making a quick movement to seize his lips. He made a soft sighing as he kissed the other several times again, before he spoke with his purring tone. “Does that feel good?”

Remus nodded dumbly as he whimpered into the kisses. His entire body was burning with some unfamiliar desire; something blinding his senses completely. There was but one thought in his head, and that was of the man before him, the man who he'd so quickly fallen in love with, not even realizing it till now.

Phoebus’ hands were stroking him harder. Then he brought himself down to lick teasingly before glancing up to see his reaction. He was pleased to see the muscles in Lupin’s stomach begin to knit and tremble with his ministration upon him; but the soft lick seemed to have been too much for him. Remus’ back arched slightly, brow knitting and mouth dropping open in a silent scream that only came out as a chogaspgasp. It was an expression of pure bliss. A smile graced Phoebus’ lips at the reaction, and he took it as an invitation to continue as he let his tongue stroke the erection again, longer and more enticing. In a moment, he slid his mouth over the arousal, sucking on it hard while his tongue massaged it. His hands pressed into Remus' thighs as he worked, his lips smiled as the taste was quite intoxicating.

An almost pained moan drifted past Remus’ lips, the degree in which his back was arching forced him to prop himself up on his elbow. One trembling hand drifts down to comb through the other professor’s hair, gripping and releasing the long silky locks in a loose fist as he struggled for control over himself, though that was quickly slipping away as he grew hotter and hotter. “Oh Gods…” he whimpered softly.

The elder Snape applied more force to his suckling as he listened to Moony moan and felt him move at the attentions. As he kept his focus on the task at hand while he ran his tongue over the head, tasting the werewolf's precum. His hands stroked along his thighs enticingly while he graced the sensitive member in his mouth with his teeth, which wrenched a cry tos Res Remus’ lips.

The heat was unbelievable, and the rough tongue fluttering against his cock was driving him crazy. It wasn’t helping him much that the full moon wuttiutting his senses over the edge. He shuddered when he felt the long haired man suck and lick much harder until Remus sobbed in desire before he finally came, long and hard. He hardly noticed as Phoebus got back up and leaned over him as he panted laboriously. His amber eyes flickered open to stare at him, looking pleasantly shocked and all Phoebus did was smirk, “I take it you enjoyed that a great deal. Riveting conversation, ne?” At that, all the DADA professor could do was once more nod dumbly.

*

Harry groaned as he stood up, covering his mouth and nose, “Cripes! What is that smell?” The air was disgustingly putrid and dust clung heavily to it. The walls and ceiling were covered every inch with cobwebs and the boy wondered how old this place was. And how long it’d been since someone actually walked about. Plucking his wand up, he held it up while chanting ‘Lumos’ for some light. Urge for exploration overriding his sense of safety, Harry wandered into the dank hallway to see what lay ahead.

For some strange reason, everything about these catacombs was strangely familiar. Like he’d been here before or at least caught glance of it. Shrugging off the feeling, he continued on before finding himself in a spacious laboratory. Nothing about the place really caught his interest until his eyes fell onto the operating table and he blanched. There was the remains of a body, bones covered in shrunken skin with dried, a mop of brittle once fiery red hair turned a gross brown, and cracking, dried organs littered about. He felt ill to his stomach as he looked away and his green eyes settled on some books laying on a far table. Without so much as a last glance, he made his way over to pick one up and look it over.

The book was black in color, leather bound and spattered with red and silver blood. The lock was broken and looked as if recently opened. Meaning he wasn’t the only person to have been down here recently. After looking it over, he nearly dropped it in shock. On the back the words ‘Property of Tom Riddle’ were scribbled in neat handwriting.

Then everything fell into place. This was it. This lab was where the dreams took place. All of a sudden he realized he held the biggest clue to what was going on. With a smile, he took that and the other book for it had been sitting on good measure and hid them in his robes.

Harry quickly made his way out, eager to leave and finally breath some fresh air once more. Pausing long enough to utter the password, he shuffled out and rushed on his way down the dungeons until he was stopped in his tracks when rounding a corner. Snape was standing there, back to the door of the Potions classroom door, with the Gryffindor’s invisibility cloak pressed to his arm. His stomach sank like a rock. In his carelessness, he’d forgotten his cloak on the Professor’ bed and he was sure he would end up hearing this in the morn. Taking a deep breath, he hesitantly came about, earning the most severe of glares from the Professor he’d seen since when he had barged into the Shrieking Shack with the intent to turn Sirius in.

With a loud growl, the dark haired man stormed over towards him, a livid scowl twisting his thin lips as he howled at the Gryffindor, “How dare you go poking about my quarters and let loose that beast?!?! You could have killed someone!! You know that?! Incompetent!! Irresponsible!! Just like Black!! You will be serving detetntion for the entirety of the term and it will be little surprise if Gryffindor house no longer has any points to speak of after such behavior!! I had found Granger and Weasley and before this night is done, McGonagall will have a few choice words as well!! NOW GO!!”

“Er…Professor…can I have my cloak back…?”

“NO!! NOW GET!!!”

Harry didn’t need to be told three times.

 
End of Chapter 4