The Professors Assistant (Severus Snape X Reader)

Chapter 24: Friend's Company

     The next day finally came, and I wasn't feeling as well as I expected to. I needed to see Remus about this book, so I spent my day acting as if I was fine when in reality my head ached and span. I also had a feeling of not being in my body. Might have been lingering effects from stress, or a whole new wave of anxiety. I already made it to dinner without anyone suspecting I was unfit. As everyone enjoyed the feast, the mail arrived. Owls rushed in dropping letters and packages at various places, and also one letter in front of me. It was from Remus. 

     " Dear (Y/n), 

               It's so nice to hear from you, I hope you're doing well. I'd be happy to have you over tonight to talk about whatever it is you need. I apologize for not getting back to you before now, I hope you can still make time to stop by. Whenever you're good to drop by, feel free. 

                                                                                                                                                Love Remus,"

     It was officially settled, I was to head to Remus's place after dinner was over. After reading the letter, I folded it neatly and placed it down next to me. To which Severus picked it up afterward, reading its contents. 

     " 'Love Remus,'?" He scoffed at how Remus closed his letter to me. I rolled my eyes while I snatched the letter from my husband's hands. He looked very offended at my actions, but I  hardly cared as he was acting so childish. Realizing I wasn't going to put up with any attitude he put on, he simply sighed. " You're leaving after dinner is over, I presume?" He said looking down at his plate.

     " Yes, I am." I looked down as well. I had already finished my dinner, for the most part, it was just a matter of deciding to leave. 

     " Well, go then." Severus's tone was cold. He acted as if wasn't coming back. 

     " I guess I should... I'll be back." I rose from my seat at the teacher's table, but I paused for a minute. " Severus," He glanced at me; not bothering to move his head in my direction. However, I waited for him to look at me. He finally gave in and met my eye line. " I love you." I kissed the top of his head and then proceeded to leave the hall. I didn't bother to hear a response from him at the moment. 

     I finally stood at the doorstep of Remus's home. With a shaky breath, I lifted my hand to knock on the wood in front of me. Almost immediately I heard footsteps approaching the said door. My heart raced. I was nervous to see him, it had been years, the day Sirius was locked away. Yet, when the door opened, all my nerves went away. There he was, a charming smile on his face, wearing one of his oversized sweaters he was so fond of, and nicely kept honey brown locks that swept his face slightly. 

     " (Y/n)!" Remus exclaimed as he pulled me in for a hug. I wrapped my arms around him in return. Taking in all the senses of this man I had missed very dearly. 

     " Remus, it's so nice to see you." A smile on my face as I spoke. He invited me inside and led me to his living room. 

     " Please, sit down! Make yourself at home." I did as he said and sat down on the beautiful green couch he had. His whole place was quite charming, filled with books, lovely plants, and it was clean. No dust, no unruly stacks, and it smelled like apples and spice. This was the kind of home I always envisioned having one day. A place with a nice, warm feeling that wasn't stuffy or cramped. Looking around at everything, Remus chuckled at me. 

     " I forgot you'd never been here before. What do you think?" A glint in his eyes as he asked. 

     "It's really wonderful here, I didn't expect this from you." I laughed lightly. He walked over to join me on the couch.

     " And why is that?" A smirk on his face. Memories flooded my mind of how James and Sirius were about their homes, they were your typical boys who didn't care much for homey feels or cleanliness. 

     " Well considering I knew your friends living situations..." He caught my meaning. He knew exactly how messy his old friends were. 

     " Oh yes, I see now. Well sorry to disappoint you there." Clever as ever. I shook my head at him.

     " I'm pleasantly surprised, thank you very much." After all these years, Remus's presence was still comforting to me. 

     " So, as much as I'd love to believe you just dropped by to see me... Why'd you want to come here today? What do you need?" He kept a smile on his face, but his eyes told all, he was sad I was only here for something other than a visit. 

     " Dumbledore has told us that you have a book we need. Something on medieval spells." His eyes lit up after he heard me. 

     " I know the one." He got up from his seat and went into a room down the hall. He came back out a few moments later carrying an old-looking book wrapped in fresh white cloth. He handed it to me. " You know he tried to buy it from me." I started to unwrap the cloth from the covers as Remus spoke. 

     " Dumbledore?" I asked, now seeing the leather bond book instead of just the dusty pages. 

     " Yes, he seemed very interested in that book. Offered me a pretty penny for it." His gaze fixed on the book. I decided to open it, luckily for me, it had a table of context. I shifted down the page looking for anything having to do with Sirens, and sure enough there it was. Page 202; A Siren's Kiss, under the curses category. My heart sank... It really was a curse. " Are you okay?" His words cut me out of my daze. 

     " Yeah, I-I'm okay." I closed the book. I didn't have to courage to read about it on my own; I needed Severus with me. 

     " (Y/n)," Remus sat back down next to me, and he put a hand on mine. He could read me well, so he knew I wasn't okay. " What's going on?" His eyes were so soft as he looked at me. 

     " I might have a curse on me. Siren's Kiss." I opened the book back up to the table of context and pointed at the curse in question. He gently took the book from my hands and flipped to the correct page. His eyes scanned the page fast. 

     " Oh wow." His exclaimed. 

     " Is it bad?" I meekly asked. 

     " No, it's fascinating. The curse doesn't really affect you, more the people around you." He paused, " It honestly makes a lot of sense." I was confused as to what he meant. 

     " Makes sense? What does it say?" I began to slightly panic. What could make sense? 

     " You're supposed to be a weapon of mass seduction." He laughed. 

     " I'm sorry, did I hear that right? 'A weapon of mass seduction'?" It was quite funny. Leave it up to Remus to make me feel better with a clever joke. After our moment of laughter, I took a minute to really think about it. I was always fancied by the boys, even now. All of the marauders, every boy in Slytherin, Lucius's endless flirting, and maybe... even Severus too. I could have an unnatural attraction glued to me by this curse. I understood why it was a curse, the victim could never find someone who truly found them attracted. It was a curse to make a person a tool. Like a light that attracted flies. It seems my real father could have wanted to use me as a magnet for able young men. Or, at least, that's what it seems to be. Thinking all of this in my head, deducing what it all means, I felt sick to my stomach. 

     " It seems like there's a cure, a potion."