Title: Bitter on the tongue
Author: woldy 
Characters/Pairings: Remus/Severus
Rating: NC-17
Kinks/Themes Chosen: Sex under the influence
Other Warnings: breathplay
Word Count: ~1300 words
Summary: The beauty of potions was that just a drop could do anything you wanted.
Author's Notes: I've tried to include a touch of 'please your mod' in the pairing here. Many, many thanks to cymonie for doing a great job of betaing this at short notice.



The flask in Severus' hand glittered, opalescent grey in the dim light. For such a powerful thing, it looked innocuous, but that was the beauty of potions: just a drop could do anything you wanted.

Severus uncorked the flask and took a gulp. It was sludgy as coffee dregs, sour as vinegar, and he grimaced as he forced it down. He resealed the flask, replaced it on the shelf beside the Hair-Raising Potion, and sat down to wait.

The potion required five minutes to take full effect, and Severus wanted it to flow thickly through his blood before he saw Lupin. His association with Lupin had been an error of judgement, but he would fix that now.

Severus didn't feel any different, but that was to be expected: only his perception of Lupin would change. Once the potion stopped pheromones and endorphins from clouding his mind, he would see Lupin clearly again.

When precisely six minutes had elapsed, Severus tossed a handful of Floo powder into his fire and stepped into the flames. He emerged into Lupin's sitting room, which was shabby as ever: a still life of worn carpet, battered furniture, and second-hand books. The candles flickered at Severus' arrival, and the light glinted off a bottle of wine and two glasses on the table. How pitiful that Lupin saw this lingering mistake as romance.

"Severus," Lupin said, appearing in the doorway. His eyes were smiling as he said, "Can I offer you a drink?"

Lupin was in shirtsleeves and barefoot, like some vagrant child seeking a benefactor. He was so desperate for kindness, and it made him so very easy to hurt.

"Good evening, werewolf," said Severus, and watched Lupin's smile fade.

"You're even more charming than usual this evening," Lupin said, his tone carefully neutral.

"I see you've been mistaking my familiarity for fondness," Severus replied, gesturing at the candles and wine glasses. Lupin's mouth tightened.

"My mistake. I gather you've no interest in familiarity with me this evening."

Severus took a moment to let his gaze travel down Lupin's body and back up again. Lupin was almost too thin, and the candlelight hid his greying hair. No sane man should find this attractive, and thanks to the potion, Severus nearly didn't.

"One last time won't hurt," Severus said. "Since there's no risk of it becoming a habit."

Lupin's face shuttered at his words, but he didn't move away. Instead, Lupin raised his hands to unfasten his shirt buttons, one by one. As the shirt fell open, Severus saw the patchwork of scars across Lupin's chest, a reminder -- not that he needed it tonight -- that he was looking at a beast.

Lupin shrugged off the shirt, and unbuckled his belt. In a few seconds, he stood in front of Severus wearing nothing but his underpants.

"Well?" Lupin asked, meeting Severus' eyes. "Isn't this what you came for?"

Severus stalked forwards, and raised a hand to catch Lupin's chin, fingers pressed to the line of his windpipe.

"There's certainly nothing else I want from you," he said.

Lupin's skin was warm and soft beneath his fingers, acutely vulnerable. A wolf should know better than to let an enemy grab his throat, but Lupin held his gaze and showed no sign of fear.

"Then go on," said Lupin, the words vibrating through Severus' fingers. "Take it."

Severus pulled Lupin round and shoved him towards the wall, hearing the thud as Lupin's chest hit it. He pressed closer, until Lupin's body was hot and hard against him, and Lupin didn't struggle or object -- didn't do anything at all. He was pathetically malleable.

Severus' cock brushed against Lupin's arse as he leant in and murmured, "Only a fool could mistake this for affection, Lupin. Are you so lonely that you thought this mattered?"

"It matters to me, Severus," Lupin said quietly.

Lupin's voice was calm and bland, as though he were in a faculty meeting instead of being pressed to a wall, but his hips tilted slightly as he arched back against Severus' cock.

Severus pulled his robes aside, unfastened his flies, and his cock sprung out. He tugged Lupin's underpants down, revealing a lean arse and prominent hipbones, and ran his hand up the line of Lupin's inner thigh.

Severus rubbed his cock over the crack of Lupin's arse, briefly succumbing to pure sensation. It always felt disgustingly natural to touch Lupin, but tonight would be the end of that. Severus pulled out his wand, and wordlessly cast the charm to coat his cock in lube. He steadied himself with a hand on Lupin's hip, and positioned his cock against Lupin's arse.

"You were only ever a fuck," Severus said, pressing forwards.

At first Lupin's body resisted, then the muscles loosened and Severus felt the heat and friction as he slid inside. He thrust, sheathing himself in Lupin's body, and then pulled slowly back. He found their familiar rhythm, and it would be easy to lose himself in this simple pleasure, but that wasn't why he was here. Tonight, he had a job to do.

Severus bent his head to Lupin's ear, grazing the soft skin at the nape of his neck, and felt Lupin's heartbeat jump in response.

"Is this your idea of intimacy?" Severus asked, punctuating the words with the thrust of his hips.

Lupin's eyes fluttered shut, but he didn't reply.

"Has the wolf got your tongue? You needn't remain silent for my sake."

Lupin still didn't speak, but his body swayed with Severus' cock and hands. Perhaps he was trying to ignore the words, and shut out everything except touch. Well, Severus couldn't allow that. Severus raised a hand to Lupin's neck, pressing his fingers to the hollow of Lupin's throat, and felt the pulse thrum beneath his fingers.

"You've always been too weak to speak up," Severus said, as Lupin tensed, muscles tightening around his cock. "Never challenged your murderous friends, never told anyone the truth. How does it feel knowing they'd all still be alive if you had earned their trust?"

Despite Lupin's silence, it was easy to read his emotions - pain and disappointment writ clearly in the hunch of his shoulders and the line of his back. Manipulating Lupin was so easy, and all the more satisfying when he could sense every reaction.

"You disgust me, beast. Everything about you is repellent," Severus said, tightening his hand around Lupin's throat, and Lupin's breath became a rasp.

Severus thrust faster and deeper, hard enough that he knew Lupin would hurt tomorrow. He was close to coming, balls tight with it, and every sensation felt more intense: Lupin's arse around his cock, the pulse against his palm, the way Lupin's chest heaved with the struggle of breathing.

"I detest you," Severus said, slamming forwards one last time, and emptied himself into Lupin's body.

For a long moment they were still, aside from Lupin's heaving breaths. Then Severus gathered his wits and stepped away. He tucked his cock inside his trousers, buttoned them, straightened his robes, and finally turned to find Lupin watching him.

Lupin's neck was red, and a bruise was rising where Severus' fingers had gripped it.

"My Floo is always open to you, Severus," Lupin said, in a scratchy voice barely above a whisper. "But if you come back, then I'd prefer it if you didn't take the Hate Potion."

Damn Lupin. The man was so ridiculously naive, so utterly blind to the failings of those he cared for, and yet capable of noticing this.

"You're mistaken," said Severus coolly, moving towards the fireplace. "You've never had the slightest understanding of potions."

"I can smell it on your breath," Lupin said simply.

Severus threw handful of Floo powder into the fire, and said, "Spinners End!"

As he stepped into the flames and spun away, he heard Lupin's plaintive, "Good night."


Endnote: According to the HP Lexicon, the hate potion "Reveals the worst faults and habits of the target person to the drinker" and is recommended for getting over unwanted romantic attachments.