Serendipity [Book 2]

Choosing Sides

Remus Lupin was surprised to see his oldest friend storm into his office during her free period. The effects of the Axless Draught seemed to have worn off. Her amethyst eyes were alit with fury as she slammed her open hands down onto the top of his defenseless desk.

"He kissed me!" She seethed. Remus could only stare at Ariella in stunned silence. He had only seen her this angry once before.

"Did you hear me? He kissed me!" She reiterated as Remus dumbly nodded. He was trying to recollect his thoughts. Ariella huffed in annoyance as she folded her arms across her chest. It was clear that she had somehow managed to lose her friend to his thoughts.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. Remus cleared his throat before nodding. He climbed to his feet and moved around to the front of the desk, next to Ariella.

"Who kissed you?" He questioned, although Remus had a good idea who would be brave enough to kiss the blonde.

"Snape! Why would you ask such a dumb question? Who else would kiss me?"  Ariella responded darkly. Remus sighed.

"And why did he kiss you, Elle?" He inquired as Ariella frowned and shrugged.

"I don't know!" She answered with an annoyed tone. If she had known why the Potions Master had kissed her, then she wouldn't have felt the need to convene with her oldest friend.

"You're a bloke! You tell me why he would kiss me!" She demanded childishly. Remus chuckled as he watched the blush spread across the blonde's cheeks. He gently brushed a stray curl away from her countenance.

“Elle, I can’t tell you why he would kiss you. You know that,” Remus remarked softly as Ariella frowned.  Remus’s fingers lingered on her cheek before he dropped his hand to his side.

“I kissed him back,” She admitted softly as she hung her head in shame. Remus tilted his head to the side with a gently smile.

“And why did you kiss him back?” He questioned. Ariella sighed as she shrugged her shoulders.

“I have no bloody idea,” She answered quietly. Remus’s face softened as he watched a flash of remembrance cut across Ariella’s face.  He knew why she would kiss the Potions Master. He had seen the way they looked at one another at mealtimes, in the teacher’s lounge, and in the halls. Minerva had told him about their rouse over his predecessor. He could see the care the dark man showcased when affairs involved the blonde. He had seen that look cross someone’s else’s face before. The thought caused a frown to cross his face. Ariella took the frown as a sign of anger at her.

“You’re not mad, are you Moony?” She asked apprehensively. Remus quickly shook his head. He put his hand on her shoulder gently.

“Elle, there’s nothing you could do that could make me angry with you,” He reassured her as she smiled softly. Ariella sighed before standing erect.

“Guess I should get going,” She remarked as she ran her hand through her tangled curls. Remus smiled and nodded his head.

“I’m here if you wanna talk, Elle. Remember that,” He commented as Ariella smiled.

“I’ll hold you to that, Moony. And P.S. that bogart smells horrible,” She mentioned before walking out of the classroom. Remus’s chuckles followed her as she made her way back to her classroom. The bell rang as she passed the threshold of her room. Her fifth years made their way to their appointed desks and looked to her expectantly. She smiled before flicking her wand toward the board and notes scrawled across the black mass.

“On with it then! No dillydallying. I mean it,” She remarked gently. Most of her class chuckled before pulling out parchment and quills to copy the notes. As Ariella taught her class about the history of the giant wars, Severus sulked in his office. After their heated embrace, the Potions Master was left with a biting cold that pierced him to the core. A knock on his door distracted him from his brooding and he frowned.

“Come in,” he drawled. Remus frowned as he slid into the room. Severus quirked his eyebrow at the man. Remus shook out his robes of invisible dust before clearing his throat.

“Severus, I’ve come to talk with you,” He remarked as Severus’s frown deepened.

“About what?” He snarled. He didn’t like the man standing in front of him. He didn’t want to talk to him unless it was absolutely necessary or if Ariella was close by. Severus looked to the clock and noted the time.

1:45, he noted. Ariella was teaching fifth years.

“You know what, Severus. Elle told me,” Remus answered quietly. Severus could see the storm underneath Remus’s calm exterior. Severus scowled before motioning to the chair in front of his desk. He might as well get this conversation out of the way. After all, if Remus attacked him, then he could attack him without facing major repercussions from Ariella or Dumbledore.

“Why would you kiss her, Severus?” Remus asked as Severus scowled at him.

“I fail to see how that is any of your business,” He drawled. He watched the anger spread across the werewolf’s face. Remus clenched his fists at his side and he frowned, softening the scowl he was wearing.

“Ariella doesn’t deserve your contempt, Snape. She never has. I’m here out of concern for her, do not test me,” He warned as Severus stared at him. It was the first time all year that Remus had acted anything less than cordial toward the Potions Master. And why he may despise the werewolf,  he knew Remus was genuinely concerned for Ariella’s well-being.

“What do you want?” Severus asked, conceding to participate in this conversation.  Remus sighed before sitting in the chair Snape had motioned to earlier.

“I want to know why you kissed her, Severus,” Remus responded as Severus frowned. He didn’t know why he had kissed Ariella Cross. In fact, he was curious as to why she kissed him.

“What did she tell you?” He inquired as he leaned forward onto his elbows. Remus frowned. The Potions Master was being secretive.

“You kissed her. That’s what she told me,” Remus answered. He didn’t need to let the man know about how he knew Ariella had kissed him back.

“Is that all she told you?” Snape asked suspiciously. He could feel Remus was hiding something. Remus nodded.

“I’m going to tell you what I told her,” Severus began as Remus leaned forward. He had told Ariella about why he had kissed her?

“I don’t know why I did what I did. However, you can convey my deepest apologies to Cross,” He added as Remus stared at him.  He suddenly stood to his feet and glared at the potions master.

“Severus, I am not your errand boy. If you have something to tell Elle, you tell her yourself. And both of us know why you kissed her,” He growled as he stormed out of the room. Severus stared after him. It was clear that the werewolf cared deeply for the blonde. Suddenly realization dawned across Severus’s features.

“He loves her,” He snarled to the empty office. His voice reverberated off of the walls and echoed back to him.  He felt dread settle in the pit of his stomach. If Remus Lupin loved her, then he, Severus Snape, did not stand a chance. Merlin knows how incompatible  the two of them were. Merlin also knows how much he craves her touch, even now.

 "Bloody hell," he muttered to himself.