All the students seemed to be terrified and fascinated by the fact that Siris Black had been seen in a location not so far away from Hogwarts. Lupin had mixed feelings about it, of course. In a way, he knew the right thing to do was to advise Harry not to go searching for him. Although Lupin wanted to believed in his innocence, everything about the murder of his best friends was wrapped in a thick haze of uncertainties and he couldn't be sure of anything.
Still, late at night, Lupin found himself on the astronomy tower thinking of his long-gone friends and how much he'd love to see Sirius again. The werewolf almost felt a certain obligation to go out there and help him the way he could. Sirius was a fugitive and Azkaban did no favors on preserving people's integrity, he was probably hungry and cold somewhere. Remus was sure that if James had seen the news, he would be out there already. However, he respected his limitations on being overly heroic since he couldn't displease the people who gave him a chance to be a teacher at Hogwarts and Wolfsbane every month.
Now remembering the full moon would be in a week, he couldn't deviate his thoughts from Severus. He would most likely break up with him if he helped Sirius. It was all very fast between them and although things were going well once again, they still hadn't given a name to their relationship. They also didn't say those three words, although Remus could sense them on Severus' dark eyes on many occasions.
Lupin was still intrigued about how Snape managed to hear his thoughts on some occasions. They both knew it wasn't on purpose but it didn't explain how it happened. Thinking about it, Remus started to be anxious once again about that matter. What if Severus heard his thoughts about willing to help Sirius?
The werewolf felt a shock travel his body and gripped the edge of the place he was leaning when he saw a silhouette with the corner of his eye.
"Good night, Remus. Didn't mean to startle you. I see this place is taken for tonight, carry on. Just don't stay too long, the staircase gets slippery" Dumbledore said in a friendly way, starting to turn around to leave
"Professor Dumbledore, I was about to get back to the castle. I just needed some fresh air" Remus said looking at the bright moon
"Oh yes, we all need it from time to time. How are the potions going, if I may ask? I trust Severus to be very skilled" Dumbledor said approaching him to look at the moon as well
"He is... We've been trying some additional potions as well. One to make me less unbearable when the wolf is agitated and another one for pain during the transformation" Remus answered
"I don't think anyone finds you less than perfectly pleasant in this school, Remus. And I have to add that in all the years I've been headmaster, I've never seen Professor Snape eating this frequently at the teacher's table" He old wizard said looking playfully at the other with the corner of his eyes
Lupin felt himself blush a little. Damn it, Dumbledore could be very sneaky when he wanted to. There never seemed to be anything he didn't know about at Hogwarts.
"How obvious is it?" Remus finally asked, this time cracking a smile
"Oh, to me? Clear as this moonlight. But you two have been concealing it well from the students and other teachers. Except for Minerva, of course" Dumbledore answered, still playfull
They spent some time just observing the moon and the stars. Dumbledor had this light presence that made him a great company for any kind of activity. Remus could imagine him having a nice time with a first-year student talking about a pet and also could easily picture him on a fierce chess match with some great wizard of his time. He just couldn't get bored at all.
After some time dwelling on their own thoughts, Lupin gathered his courage to ask Dumbledore about Legilimency. He probably could help him more than all the books in the library.
"Professor, do you mind if I ask you about a specific type of magic? It's been rather hard for me to understand it" Lupin asked
"Seems like yesterday that I saw you carrying your notes around the school. Of course, I'll try to help you if I can" Dumbledore said in a dreamy way
"Well, is it possible for someone to use Legilimency without noticing it?" Lupin asked, but soon remembered that he already had the answer for that
"Legilimency is a very complex type of magic. Some wizards start to develop it from an early age and for them, it becomes challenging not to use it"
"Ok... But if someone learns it by studying it? How do they end up using it without being aware of it?" Lupin asked further
Dumbledore smiled and let out a low short laugh. He was politely amused by it. Remus was already sure Dumbledore knew it was Snape they were talking about.
"You see, Remus, most wizards that go after Legilimency are willing to connect. Kids that focus their magical abilities to access people's minds are trying to understand others in a simplified way, maybe to befriend them. Magic behaves as the water from a river... when you acquire knowledge in different areas, this ramifies the flow of the water. So I believe... That if a wizard has his intentions set very clearly on an objective, magic will flow more intensely through that path, even if it's not intentional" Dumbledore concluded with a more casual way
"So you're saying that all he wanted was to connect more with me?" Remus asked feeling guilty but also happy about the possibility
"I think so, you can say he let his magic leak a little bit. If it bothers you, there is this chapter from that one book at the library. It can give you some insight into how to set stronger barriers against Legilimency. But now, we should be getting inside. It will rain soon" Dumbledore concluded giving Remus some taps on his shoulder as they turned around to go downstairs
Later that night, when most students were heading to their dorms, Remus found himself thinking more about the conversation he had with the Headmaster. Not having control over a magical ability seemed juvenile, he could picture Harry turning his aunt into a balloon by accident but not Snape doing something equivalent. However, the werewolf excused himself to speculate about Snape's love life and it seemed hard to imagine Severus had too much experience with it. Lupin never suspected Snape could have been interested in anybody else at Hogwarts. And looking back he also didn't remember him dating someone at school. He clearly had experience with sex, but that doesn't require a romantic partner.
Lupin was leaning close to some windows, observing the outside. Dumbledor was right about the rain. He started to use his imagination to plan a little something for Severus tonight, something to smooth things between them. They were still processing everything from the other night and Snape still had this expression on his face when he thought people weren't looking. There was some residual sadness and concern lingering for sure.
Lupin was considering the possibility of using the room of requirement again when a cold hand touched his own for a second. It made him almost jump on the spot.
"Sorry Professor Lupin, I should have said something first" Christine said to him apologetically
Remus took a deep breath to recompose himself and smiled briefly. He was all over the place that night.
"It's ok, I was distracted. Can I help you with something?" Lupin answered in a kind way
"I was just wondering if you were feeling better," she asked a bit shyly. "Oh, and I wanted to thank you for the help, I can do most of the spells now" she completed with a happy face
Lupin was touched by it, sometimes he was scared to death by his students since he was afraid they could find out about his secret. But it was nice to be appreciated.
"I'm doing great, Christine, it's very kind of you to ask. And I'm happy to hear that, I knew you could do it if you practiced without all the pressure of having others observing" Lupin said turning around to see her better
She mentioned something about the subject he was teaching now and thanked him once again before leaving for the dorms. It was always awkward for her to speak to teachers, they all seemed so wise and busy. Having someone so accessible as Professor Lupin made her more comfortable to raise her hand when she had questions in other subjects as well and she was grateful for it.
From a distance, Remus saw his favorite black shadow walking around the castle. Snape had some books with him and Remus had a glimpse of him touching his neck with his free hand, maybe followed by a sorrowed face. Now he knew exactly what to do to please his lover.
While Snape read an old potions' book from the forbidden section of the library on his bedroom, Remus went to the dungeons to get some potions to use later. He wanted to prepare a bath for them in the same place he liked to bathe after the full moon.
The Gryffindor looked around and found the potion Severus had given him after the first full moon. That would be enough combined with the essential oils he had on his room and some spells.
As Severus grew tired of his choice at the library, he allowed himself to think better about the other night. The wizard knew he could trust Remus with his tears and genuine reactions, but expressing things with such intensity was unlike him. It made him embarrassed to remember losing control in front of him. He couldn't stop thinking he should be comforting Remus and not the other way around.
Also, Snape had been hard on himself for being in shock in the hours that followed the incident. The idea of losing another person he cared so much for was unbearable to him and triggered some older feelings of guilt. Once again, he was displeased to express it to somebody else. Even his own memories about school were overshadowed by what he had seen on Lupin's mind but now Snape was uncomfortable to know those had also been exposed.
When the bath was ready, Remus cast some spells and locked the bathroom from the fourth floor. He was ready to go downstairs and invite Severus to join him.
When Severus opened his door, his heart skipped one heartbeat to see his lover there, illuminated by a single light coming from the silent hallway. He was so attractive with his hair slightly messy.
They kissed briefly, this time not bothering to close the door.
"I prepared something for us, would you come with me?" Remus asked holding his hand, ready to lead him
Severus just nod and smiled on the corner of his mouth, closing the door behind them. As they walked, Snape was surprised to notice they wouldn't go to the room of requirement since they stopped going upstairs on the fourth floor.
"Are you sure?" He asked Remus, afraid someone might see them
"We'll lock the doors and I silenced the place for us" Remus answered
While getting closer, Remus was a bit nervous to know if Severus would like his little treat. He noticed over time Severus wasn't used to be surprised, even in a positive way. However, when they entered there, Lupin knew he had gotten it right.
Severus' expression brightened up instantly, although he wasn't exactly smiling. The bathroom was illuminated by candlelight and had some fumes surrounding the huge bathtub, that had an inviting scent coming from it.
"Saw you touching your neck today, thought maybe you needed to relax a bit" Remus explained, trying to break the ice
"You never cease to surprise me with your decorating skills" Severus pointed out, this time smiling
They kissed again and Remus could almost hear the "thank you" through it. This time the Gryffindor went a little further and buried his fingers on his lover's hair.
"You can leave your clothes over there" Remus said after they stopped kissing, pointing at two chairs on the corner
The werewolf started to take his own clothes off to enter, beginning from the shirt. Snape was sitting in one of the chairs and started to get anxious about it. He didn't have time to conceal the dark mark before undressing himself in front of the other.
Remus observed Severus was touching his forearm hesitantly, before starting to undo his buttons. Lupin was almost sure he had something there related to the dark arts, the rumors back at school revealed themselves to be very accurate over the years when it came to the Slytherin students.
"Here, you don't have to show it if you're not ready. We all make mistakes" Remus said approaching him and handling a light cloth for Severus to tight around his arm
Snape accepted the cloth but soon left it aside after staring at it for a moment.
"I'm tired of hiding it. From you. From everyone. There isn't one day I don't regret it" Snape said in a lament
"That's enough for now. Let's not make tonight about it, come over here, you can show me when you're truly ready" Remus said helping him get up and starting to undo his buttons close to his neck
Severus finished undressing and used the cloth to cover this forearm, feeling grateful Remus was giving him some time to think about how he wanted to tell the truth.
When Severus approached the bathtub, Remus was there already, looking at him with not so innocent eyes. Snape felt the warm water on his skin while entering and it was instantly delightful. He could feel his muscles relax, recognizing the effect of the potion. With his eyes closed, he felt Remus making him sink a bit more, just enough to submerge his sorrowed neck.
Lupin wasn't sure on which could be the next step to help Severus unwind. He had always been the one to ask for help and hugs. Snape probably went through some tough days of work and personal issues in the meantime and never said a word. Overall, Lupin made a mental note to stop assuming Severus didn't need to be taken care of from time to time. His lover could manage to deal with his own struggles by himself perfectly, but that didn't mean he had to.
With this in mind, Remus went closer to the other wizard and started massaging his neck from behind. It made Snape a bit startled at first, but as soon as Remus started to touch him gently, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
"Do you like this?" Remus asked, Severus had been too quiet
"Yes, yes... I even forgot to mention I was enjoying it" Severus said smiling a bit to himself
The Slytherin allow Remus to continue for some good time, also enjoying the touches on his shoulders and back. Remus even caressed Severus by touching his hair, making the other rest his head on his right shoulder.
After Lupin stopped and they were just in silence close to each other, the Gryffindor saw Severus' expression reflected on the water.
"Look at me, this is very important" Remus said turning to look at him directly
Severus was still thinking about it, that was clear.
"I'm fine now. What you saw was a one-time thing, everything was wrong in my life back then and even so, it didn't happen again. Don't worry. I wish you had never seen that" Remus said
"I wish you hadn't felt all that" Severus replied referring to his own memories. "I'll take your word for it, things also changed for me from the time those memories took place. But also in a serious note... if you ever experience something of that nature again, tell me"
Severus was looking at Remus with concern expressed on his black eyes and Remus felt his chest sting a bit.
"I promise" Remus said touching Severus' hand underwater
Severus nodded with his head, accepting to trust his lover. He also came close to kiss him, realizing how much he had been longing for that type of contact in the past few days.
They continued kissing for some time, Remus had his back on the edge of the bathtub and Severus was pressing his body against the other. It was soothing to have their eyes closed, feeling each other and also listening to the sounds of the water every time they moved.
Although the day had been rough, it didn't take long for them to start touching in a more intimate way. They were finally back to a comfortable place, no insecurities on the background to distract them. And their bodies reacted accordingly.
Severus was running his fingers all over the other, he liked to grab him with a certain vigor. It occurred to Remus that maybe his partner would like to be bottom tonight, at the very least, he liked to be bottom when he was having a rough couple of days. But apparently, Snape didn't follow the same logic. For him being bottom was a very specific type of mood.
Remus was kissing and sucking slightly on Severus' neck as he felt a hand working on him underwater.
"Oh... yes, Sev... I love it when you do this" Remus whispered on his lover's ear, grabbing his hair on the side
Severus whispered some things back at him, things that made Remus scratch his partner's back in response and bring their bodies closer to feel each other's arousal.
That moment was becoming more intimate with every move and although the moans that followed weren't loud, they were making Severus shiver in pleasure.
Severus was jerking the other underwater, also giving some attention to the balls and a particular spot right behind them that always made Remus bite his lip.
Lupin was very sensitive tonight, every touch was making him thirsty for more friction. He wrapped his arms around Severus and buried his face on the side, feeling his scent and heat.
Snape noticed how on edge his partner was, which made him even more turned on. They had been intimate a fairly good amount of times by now and they were passed the initial point in which they felt they had to prove they were good at it or that they could last enough to satisfy the other. Now they could take it slow or fast, the way that seemed right for them at each time.
"I could come just with you doing me this way" Remus said in a drunken tone
"Do you want more?" Severus asked starting to kiss Remus' neck and collarbone in a provocative way
Remus answered with a moan and turned around to feel Severus' length press against him. Severus went along and pressed himself there, sometimes threatening to penetrate him and sometimes biting Lupins' neck slightly from behind.
When they were done with the foreplay and anxious do continue, Severus helped him get ready with his fingers for a while, waiting for the sign to begin, which didn't take long.
When Remus nodded, Severus held his jawline with a bit of strength and slowly pushed himself inside. Remus was holding the edge of the bathtub, his eyes closed and mouth a bit opened as he felt Snape go deeper inside him.
Tonight, Severus started doing him at a slow pace. This would be fast, they were both close, and yet there was no reason to rush it.
Severus wasn't taking too much in and out, the movement was shorter, but Remus seemed to enjoy it a lot. The werewolf could feel his partner hold and press him against his member and eventually, Remus found himself licking and sucking Severus' fingertips.
The moaning was low key and the water sounds were discrete, making it a very sexy environment.
Severus loved to see Remus so aroused and it made him feel himself get closer to climax.
Remus felt Severus was having a hard time to keep a steady rhythm, also noticing his breath was getting heavier behind him. So he used both his hands to hold the edge of the bathtub and Severus got slightly more on the top of him.
Snape placed his hands on his partner's hips started to moan a bit more loudly on Remus' ear, bitting it very slightly on the earlobe. Remus felt himself be filled by the other, who moaned with his rough voice shamelessly. He felt Snape's touch on his jawline while he came, and it was absolutely intoxicating.
Remus loved being bottom to him. So many times his previous partners believed a bottom had a need for spanking, harshness or violence, but it had nothing to do with it. He liked to serve him on his needs, to feel desired and to be conducted by him. Following his lead during sex was just so rewarding. A good sub wasn't someone with high pain tolerance, it was simply someone who could commit well to the role of trusting somebody else to be in charge.
Snape didn't pull out instantly, he was still delivering some slightly bites on Remus' shoulders, making the water a bit agitated as they moved on it. It made Remus wonder if maybe Severus wanted a second round.
"How do you want it?" Snape asked on Remus ear after some time
Being behind him, it was delightful to observe Remus react to his voice with a shiver.
Remus turned around and kissed him very passionately, now making it fast, his body was aching for more attention. He made up his mind and sat on the edge of the bathtub, his feet still inside the water. Severus understood the hint and touched his partner's tights to make himself slightly less submerged in the bathtub.
Severus didn't tease him before beginning, he just took some moments to look at him. Remus was wet and sitting right in front of him with his legs opened enough to grant access to himself. Severus touched him from the chest to hips, following the lines until his eyes landed on his member. He bit his lips for a brief second and started to deliver some kisses on the tip before putting it on his mouth.
Remus arched his back involuntarily, his hips betrayed him and made a movement to let Snape have more of him on his mouth. He was very sensitive because being outside the water made him a bit cold and now Severus' warm mouth was working on him.
Severus didn't wait long to suck faster and deeper. He felt Remus grab his dark hair, half because it was easier to have it held back and a half because the werewolf was starting to discover he liked to pull hair.
"Yes, yes..." Remus moaned in low voice, eyes squeezed shut
Severus had sucked him deep and almost taken his lover's member entirely out his mouth to tease the tip. When he put it all inside his mouth again and sucked another couple of times, he finally felt Remus' arousal fill his mouth. His partner was moaning loud and as he went a bit faster, he couldn't avoid moaning a bit himself. His taste was bitter and Severus couldn't avoid noticing the had swollen a considerable amount of it.
When Remus' legs stopped shaking involuntarily, he laid down on the cold stones for a while. He heard Severus getting out of the water and after mumbling a couple of things to his ears, Remus let the Slytherin take care of something pretty intimate for him. He felt Severus roll him to the side gently and cast a spell on him, the same spell he would usually perform on to get clean after sex.
"Rem, are you alright? I think your blood pressure may have dropped. Your lips are purple" Severus asked him while touching his wet brown hair
"Maybe a little. Don't worry, it's the warm water, happens sometimes" Remus replied while still laying down on the cold stone
Severus waited and after getting them both one last clean, he helped Remus out of the bathtub for them to get changed. Remus seemed to be experiencing something quite good, he looked a bit trippy and extremely relaxed. And as they walked together to Remus' room, Severus also felt great to have Remus' trust back.
There, on his private accommodations, Remus got Severus something to wear during the night and they were under the covers in a matter of minutes. This time, Remus embraced the other tightly, remembering to give him some care as well, although they were almost sleeping.
"I trust you're feeling better now, am I right?" Severus asked before the other started sleeping
Remus knew himself well enough and after some minutes laying down he was able to get himself up and walk normally. Even so, it didn't hurt to check, Remus was very quiet.
"Yes... it's just..." Remus started but interrupted himself with a malicious smile
"You do realize now you'll have to say it" Severus teased him
"It's just... the way you did me today... I'm still processing it" Remus admitted
Snape smiled to himself in the dark, to him nothing compared to know he had pleased his partner in such a satisfactory way. He loved to have his trust and to put him in many different positions. It was always great to be top with Remus, he didn't have to come up with a billion different ideas and worry about making him bored midway there.
"You were great too. I don't have to elaborate much, I think you heard it very... clearly. And thank you for arranging everything there, looked beautiful" Snape whispered in his ear
Meanwhile, close to the edges of Hogwarts, Sirius Black was trying to break the incantations that protected the castle. It was the fourth night on this task and, apparently, whoever was responsible for that had done an outstanding job. He still had the entrance by the Whomping Willow, but the full moon would be in a couple of days and maybe his friend would use the passage on the previous dates to get things set up. By all means, Sirius wasn't ready to face anybody yet. The entire magical community thought he had betrayed his best friends and there was no way to be sure Remus didn't think the same. He simply couldn't be too careful.
He tried for another couple of hours but his worst fear came true when he saw a Dementor with the corner of his eyes. He quickly turned himself into the black dog and bit his clothes, carrying them back to the forest. He waited in his hiding place, and when he was sure the Dementor was away, he simply gave in on his tiredness. This would have to wait another night.