Never Surrender [ Snape x Lupin ]

Chapter Eighteen

In the early hours of the morning, Snape and Dumbledore had to search for the recently transformed werewolf. Lupin had passed out close to a large tree, seemed to be a pattern, maybe it could give him some shelter. They both could see his clavicle was sunken on the spot. He also had many cuts and bruises all over his torso. At first, Dumbledore and Snape exchanged petrified looks when they saw dry blood on Remus' mouth. They reached him and started searching the surroundings for injured animals.

"Take samples of that blood, Severus. If he attacked anything we need to know" The older wizard stated

"I will, however... I don't think he did, sir" Snape said after covering Remus' body with his cape

"What makes you say that?" Dumbledore asked

"There is a bloody bite on his forearm, I think he bit himself close to transforming back" Severus remarked

Dumbledore bothered to hold Remus's arm at the angle of the bite. Seemed like a reasonable theory.

Now on the Hospital Wing and on the shelter of his agitated dreams, Remus knew he was done for. He knew Sirius was innocent and helped save him but he was as fucking screwed as he had ever been. Maybe that's why it was so hard to hold on to his human consciousness, there was probably not much in that reality for him anymore. Even in his sleep, there was a promise of irredeemable gloom on his awakening, a feeling of dread creeping in the corner. A fear, nonetheless, to wake up on what could be the worst day of his life.

Severus stayed by his side for that afternoon, finding it most unusual that Remus hadn't been awake for a single second. They were still upset with each other but no one knew better what to do with him, Dumbledore himself asked Snape to take a look at the recently transformed werewolf.

With the passing hours, Snape couldn't avoid feeling guilty for being so rude to him at first. Even if it meant talking to him while he was still asleep. Yes, Lupin had forgotten to take his potion in a night he knew more people would be around. And yes, he attacked three students, his ex-lover, and his fugitive friend. But still, seeing him so out of reach was no easy sight.

"Come on, Remus, come back" Snape muttered when the clock accused four in the afternoon

Severus barely had time to think about it to that moment, but he was also having a hard time. In a way, all that unfolded the previous night proved to him that he actually had something to be suspicious about. And now he knew a hard to swallow truth: Sirius was innocent. And Petter, the actual responsible for betraying Lily and James, had escaped.

The conversation Snape held with Dumbledore made him understand Black had been accused under fake charges, it was a massive set up at the Ministry. Sirius had been arrested in that hell hole for thirteen years. Unfairly. Not that Snape didn't feel secretly satisfied Black had suffered, but it was a very different situation than what he first thought.

In a way, the truth came more smoothly than Snape anticipated. Because now he faced innocent people. He felt being made fun of, especially by Dumbledore, who knew everything and just watched him act on himself. But they were all on the same side. And yet, and not for the last time in his life, Snape was the only one with something to hide on his forearm.

Severus heard a weak cry of pain coming from the bed close to him. Although Lupin would usually wake up agitated after transforming, he showed very little interest in his first look at the surroundings.

"Severus?" He asked confused. "Where am I? What... what happened?"

But now, Lupin had his eyes wide open, instantly throwing the sheets out of his sight to look at his forearm. Finally regaining his most recent memories.