Neither of them went to the astronomy tower that night, there was simply no point, it would only lead to more misunderstandings. Next morning, Snape left the Wolfsbane Potion on Lupin's doorstep by his door inside a box. The package was charmed to only open to him and no one else. Snape didn't want to go have breakfast and see Lupin so early, maybe they needed more time. But he had barely eaten the day before and the accumulated hunger was unpleasant.
Snape was very gloomy, even Dumbledore noticed there was a grey haze around him as he ate on his usual seat. Sometime after that, familiar steps came closer to him.
"Morning, Severus," Lupin said timidly sitting next to him
"Remus" Snape answered in a low tone
Remus was having what he called the "Emotional Hangover". Basically when he was an emotional mess the day before and later sobered up only to remember the things he said, did and felt. It was embarrassing and also upsetting because he rarely said things that weren't true. The tone was due to his instability, but not the content. The content was always painfully spot on. Remus could find a billion ways to talk about those feelings in a polite and rational manner today, even talking to Severus about being upset seemed possible but all that was out of the question the day before.
"Sorry for not showing up at the astronomy tower," Lupin said midway on his breakfast
"I also didn't. Did you find the package?" Snape asked
"Yes. I'll return the glass later. Don't worry, I didn't have any brilliant ideas this time" Lupin answered in a slightly bitter way
"Remus... just don't. Don't say that. Do you have a moment now?" Snape asked him touching his hand in a meaningful way
"I do, let's go" The werewolf answered surprised with the touch Severus gave him, they wouldn't be too explicit in front of others
As soon as they left, Minerva and Dumbledor glanced at each other, smiles forming in the corner of their mouths.
They walked until they found an empty classroom and closed the door after that. This was so hard for them, they both cooled down and in their hearts, it was all solved already but they still had to talk it over. At first, they were both serious not knowing what to say. So after some awkward silence, Remus raised his eyebrows and signed touching his neck.
"Ok, I'll go first. As you know, I had a terrible day yesterday. I've been that moody maybe three other days in my life... but anyway, I'm sorry for how I spoke to you and for slamming the door. I know you left your class just to see if I was ok, shouldn't have been so rude to you... I really wish you hadn't seen that and -" Remus said it all like he had a mental list of all the things he should apologize for
Severus interrupted him by touching his shoulder and looked at him deep in the eyes before he started talking.
"It's fine, Remus. In fact, I don't blame you for asking me to leave you alone. You've been sharing many intimate things with me, it's understandable if you need some space. And I started this... I'm sorry for yelling at you the other night. I'm terrible at receiving help, you didn't deserve that at all" Severus said suddenly shy to look at him, he didn't apologize much to others
Snape was about to continue saying something to cover up the fact his forearm was a touchy topic but Remus looked at him with very needy eyes and his brows slightly frowned. Severus didn't need more to know that all Lupin wanted was all that to be over and honestly, so did him.
Remus got closer and hugged him, placing his face side by side with Severus as he said a couple of this in a soft way.
"I forgive you too. Just don't raise your voice like that to me, it really affects me when people do that" Remus admitted
"Of course" Severus promised him rubbing his back a little
Their embrace continued for a while, both enjoying the warmth coming from the other. When they loosened up a little, they finally kissed. It was a needy kiss, both not concealing how much they missed each other's tenderness.
"That's not fair, how can I teach when you are doing this? I don't want to go" Lupin said as Severus touched his neck and hair after their kiss
"Do you have to teach this afternoon? I replaced Hagrid's class last week with mine, have some time" Snape asked him, this time touching Lupin's shoulder
"Yes, I have some practical lessons to give to the third-year students"
"I'll just pray for some creature not to assume my shape in the middle of your classroom, I suppose," Snape said sounding a bit uncomfortable
"I couldn't know you were Neville's worst fear. How do you know that anyway?" Lupin asked amused
"Students talk. And don't worry, I'm actually flattered" Snape said with a pinch of irony
"You can complain people treat you like the booger or you can be proud of it. You can't do both" Lupin teased
"According to you I'm a metaphysical entity, I might as well do what I please" Severus teased back
"Can we meet at night?" Lupin asked in a dreamy way
"Yes, meet me at my classroom, you will help me finalize a potion and we can spend some time together afterwards" Snape said touching Lupin's chin this time
"I can't see how I can possibly help you with anything, but I'll be there," Lupin said before stealing a kiss from Severus
They kissed again, as passionately as before, both growing anxious to meet later.
Snape was finally more pleased with the help he had been giving Lupin. He balanced the numbing potion, made his Wolfsbane and now he just needed Lupin to tell him which kind of pain he felt during his transformation so his next potion could cease that.
Harry questioned Lupin after his class when they could go back on training his Patronus charm but with the full moon so close to them, Remus kindly asked him to wait a bit more.
Harry was so much like James, sometimes Lupin would look at him from afar and get this bittersweet feeling by remembering young James Potter walking around Hogwarts as a teenager. They used to have so much fun, those could easily be classified as the best years of his life. The energy from the Marauders was contagious between them, a brotherhood anyone would love to belong. They showed him so much kindness by deciding to turn themselves into animagus so they could give Lupin company during the full moon.
Sometimes Lupin had a hard time treating Harry as himself and not James. It felt like he was talking to someone he already knew and liked so much. Also, James was one of his best friends so he knew him well. On the meantime, Harry only knew him for less than a year. It was true the boy was fond of him, but he didn't know Lupin like his old friends.
It was a desolating for Lupin to think he was the only one left standing of the Marauders, him of all people, who was doomed since he was bitten by a werewolf. James and Peter were dead and Sirius got himself locked up in Azkaban. Remus was sure on his heart that Sirius was innocent and he would give the world to see him now that he escaped but how could he do that? Would it be worth it anyway? Maybe he could get himself locked up as well.
Snape had some spare time in the afternoon so for the first time in quite a while, he decided to read something just for fun. There was this book he had been trying to read for weeks but always got caught up on something else. It was quite interesting on the first ten pages but soon he felt his eyes get heavy and not finding a good reason to fight against it, he just allowed himself to sleep.
Snape slept heavily for what was supposed to be a nap, dreaming first about a couple of things from his day. This last dream was something about the woods, he could hear Lupin's voice very away from him.
"Sev..." A soft voice woke him
"Remus!" Snape said surprised, waking up entirely all of a sudden
"Hey, didn't mean to startle you. Sorry for entering without knocking, didn't find you at your classroom and the door was open" Lupin explained
"That's ok. Did I keep you waiting for too long?" Snape asked as he sat on his couch
"Not for too long. Don't worry, I'm glad you rested. You looked rather tired this morning" Lupin said in a gentle way
Their eyes met on the same level and their faces were close, this time it was Snape that seemed lost on Lupin's eyes. Lupin gave him the vessel back and they went to the classroom, apparently, this was a priority for Severus.
Remus described his pain during the transformation as something extremely debilitating. It probably stressed his body to the point of exhaustion even before spending hours as a werewolf. Transforming back was also painful but in a different way. When he transformed, he felt the pain of bones cracking and breaking, along with the pain of all his muscles being stretched too quickly. The jaw, mouth, and nose areas were the most painful places since it had to grow all the features of the wolf. And on his body, the werewolf's back would form first and faster than the other parts, so it got itself the second place in pain for him.
Severus found it difficult to conciliate a potion to help on the pain of transforming back with the first one. If the first had a component that resembled stretching and pulling, the way back was compressing all that back. At least for now, Remus would have to choose. He chose to feel less pain in the first transformation, being honest that the panic component was already hard to handle.
With that being said, Snape got the base potion he had and added a couple of specific components. Lupin observed him do so with extreme ability but being honest he was more fascinated with the Severus he found asleep on the couch. He had never seen Snape truly sleeping before, Remus would always fall asleep before him and wake up after.
"Now we just have to wait another fifteen minutes for it to emulsify better," Snape said waving his wand to set the proper temperature
"You are so good at this. I was a real disaster in potions back in school" Lupin said with a crooked awkward smile
"Do you know something wizards tend to forget about potion making?" Snape asked him in a light hearted way
"Not a clue, I probably must be one of those" Remus joked
"Ok, so... Why do you think our spells work? I see you are very good casting them with your hand movements, you don't need your wand for all spells" Severus pointed out, trying to lead him to where he wanted
"Because we have magical blood?" Remus tried answering
"That certainly counts too. But you can charm your spoon to mix your coffee and cream without touching it, simply and most importantly, because you want to. Magic is intent setting and potions are no exception. Most spells take seconds to be cast, it's simpler to focus your intentions this way and using a wand. Potions can take hours but they require the same amount of focus"
Remus stopped for a moment to process all that, never in all his years in Hogwarts had a teacher said something like this to him. It was so simple and yet such powerful knowledge.
"I think I might as well start having lessons with the first years again tomorrow, how come I never thought of that?" Lupin said still perplexed
"Maybe because you never tried to create a spell on your own?" Severus suggested him in a polite way
"I guess you're right... Have you?" Lupin asked with a smile on the corner of his mouth
"Matter of fact, yes" Severus said in a mysterious way
"Show me one!" Lupin said curiously
"I already have. I created Levi Corpus, for example," Snape answered satisfied
"That was you?! I had no idea!" Lupin said widening his eyes
In a matter of minutes, Snape suspended the fire and the potion was ready. He said he would keep it until the full moon to make sure it had the same aspect. He also gave Lupin another glass of the wolfsbane for him to take the next day. It felt good to have things back to where they were before all those misunderstandings.
Remus gave it some thought before he decided to approach Severus from behind as the black-haired wizard put a book back on a shelf that was a bit high. Lupin touched him close to his hips slowly, almost asking for permission. Severus felt himself blush and overheat suddenly, enjoying the butterflies on his stomach. He turned around slowly, a malicious smile forming on the corner of his mouth. It was revolting how explicit they could be by saying nothing at all.
This time Lupin was the one who leaned forward, kissing Severus rather fast and burring his hands on his dark hair. It was unlike Severus to let someone take control over him but he couldn't deny he was enjoying Remus crushing him against the bookshelf. Severus felt Remus pressing one of his legs between his own, and heard himself moan with the contact. That made Lupin crush him even more and kiss him on the neck.
"How about we go to your room?" Remus said touching Snape's buttons close to his neck
Snape nodded and held his hand, leading them to the corridor. He had a plan, but he had to be precise. When they were halfway through Snape stopped walking.
"What?" Remus asked him, seeing Snape get a few steps behind
"I forgot a glass open. I have to close it otherwise the content will go bad. I won't be long, meet you there" Snape said turning around quickly, not leaving time for Remus to say anything in return
The werewolf shrug it off and continued. Meanwhile, Snape entered the first room that appeared on his way. He unbuttoned his sleeve and started to make a series of incantations to conceal the dark mark. Took him several minutes, but he got satisfied with the result although it wasn't perfect. He then made his way back quickly, not wanting to make Remus wait.
Remus was a bit nervous there at Snape's bedroom, they had great night the other time and the expectations were pretty high he could say. His thoughts were interrupted when Snape entered the bedroom, locking the door with his wand and maybe casting another spell.
"Everything alright?" Lupin asked, referring to the extra minutes Snape took to show up
"Yes... Sitting on my bed already? You tricked me into making me think you were shy" Snape teased him
"Well you never tricked me" Remus answered teasing him back
Severus got closer and sat by his side.
"What is that suppose to mean?" Severus asked rubbing Remus' thigh in a provoking way
"I just knew you weren't shy at all, I even think you took it easy on me last time" Remus answered
"Maybe a little" Severus admitted smiling briefly
They continued kissing, slowly at first but soon they were back to the mood they had before. Remus was getting aroused fast, Severus could feel by the way he was moaning as he touched his body. It was a turn on to have his partner this way.
Snape was really willing to try his chances on doing what he didn't the other night. So he made Lupin lay down and went on the top of him. Snape could feel Lupin's volume get bigger under him as his moans became deeper and Remus grabbed the sheets. They both started to take off each other's clothes and as soon as Snape had his neck and chest showing, Lupin started to kiss and lick him there. He noticed that when Severus liked something, in particular, he would slow down what he was doing to feel it better. The collarbone and chest area seemed to be a rather sensitive one.
After receiving some attention and feeling himself get tighter under his pants, Severus finished undressing them both. He positioned himself between Remus' legs and started kissing his inner thigh. The anticipation was doing its magic and Remus couldn't take his eyes out of him. The werewolf moaned loudly when he felt a warm mouth around him. Severus sucked him well, touching his waist and hips meanwhile. When he went faster, Remus could feel Severus' short nails scratch his thighs.
"Ahh...I'm getting too close, stop" Remus said almost breathless
Severus did as asked, raising his head to see how blushed Remus were. Lupin didn't leave him with much time to think, sitting right behind him and starting to stroke him while pulling his hair. Severus enjoyed every touch, moaning loudly when Remus kissed his back from behind. Severus could feel Remus' hard cock behind him, pressing against his skin and that was putting him on edge. Remus noticed the other seemed to like it, so he grabbed him by his hips and pressed him further against his member. The moans and movements were self-explanatory.
"Can we switch today?" Snape asked him, not sure if Remus liked both things
"Yeah, let's do it. How do I start?" He said on his ear
Severus asked Lupin to prepare him while he was laying on his back. He also said it was fine to use a spell on him for lubrication, the same he used the other night. Remus started slowly, noticing Severus wanted it but was also outside of his comfort zone. After some time stretching him, Remus could tell he gained his trust and started to do him deeper with his fingers.
Lupin said he wanted him to choose the position so when Severus was ready, they went closer to the headboard of the bed. Severus provoked the other by rubbing their cocks together before he sat on Remus. When he placed the tip close ho his entrance, Remus felt himself get crazy with the anticipation. He felt Snape sink slowly on him and when it was all in, he didn't wait to start moving. That caught Remus out of guard and he moaned loudly grabbing Severus thighs, that were around him.
Remus was really turned on, Severus moved fast and he was going deep on him on every thrust. He also felt Severus' cock hit him while he moved, something unexpectedly hot. He jerked him good and Severus let Remus fuck him more, not moving much anymore. He could feel their balls squeezing every time he sat harder on him.
Remus was doing him mercilessly even being under him. Severus was still, holding the headboard with his hands and that made Remus cock go more in and out. When he was closer, he started to move again.
"Ahhhh yeah, this" Remus moaned loudly
Severus was breathless, so close to his climax.
"Ah.. ahhh... Remus, I-..." Severus said in a moan as he came
Lupin felt his partner come really hard, it was the way he sounded, how his body pounded over his own and how hard he grabbed the headboard. Remus came too when Snape was almost finished, grabbing his thigs to make him go deeper.
After a moment of heavy breaths, Remus helped Severus leave that position and soon they were side by side in bed. They were both sweaty and with that blissful face on, leaving it obvious that they were both really satisfied with how it went. They kissed briefly and Remus was soon snuggled on him, making Severus smile to himself. His hands were on that wolf-like manner, more curled to his chest.
"Why do you like this so much?" Snape asked in a sleepy manner, feeling Lupin's nose on his chest
"Your scent... it's different here" Remus answered almost sleeping
"How so?" He asked with his eyes closed
"Don't know, I just love it" he said in a low sleepy tone
Snape opened his eyes a little by Lupin's choice of words. It was a surprise and also a soothing thing to listen to, maybe because it was said with complete honesty. He breathed deeply feeling Remus' scent as well, being so close to his hair.
"Me too" Snape whispered to a sleeping Remus that had no idea of the little mess he left behind right before his sleep