azure_rosa (azure_rosa) wrote in lupin_snape, @ 2012-01-04 21:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | fic: pg, zmember: azure_rosa |
A gift for the mods and elves of SnuSa
Title: A gift for the mods and elves of SnuSa
Summary: Today, of all days, Severus had decided to not only announce that his mother was still alive, but that she wanted to meet him.
Pairings: Snape/Lupin
Disclaimer: If you think any of these characters are mine please tell me what world you live in so I can move there posthaste!
Rating: G-pg tops
Warnings/kinks: Um... none aside from awkward conversation?
Author: azure_rosa
AN: THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!! Everything was lovely and I know an absolute ton of work went into running SnuSa from start to finish. I just wanted to show that we really appreciate all the effort you put in! :D
Remus was sure he was going to explode if he was forced to contain anymore emotions as Severus steered him to a rather non-descript little house on an unassuming street in the middle of a town he had never heard of before in his life. Today, of all days, Severus had decided to not only announce that his mother was still alive, but that she wanted to meet him.
Severus had never struck Remus as overly sentimental, yet here he was on Christmas Eve being taken to “meet the family”. Apparently Severus’ desire to have a “quiet night in” had an ulterior motive after all. Unfortunately it wasn’t the motive Remus had originally suspected and wholeheartedly approved of, at the time anyway.
Severus walked up to the door without the slightest hesitation and knocked with his left hand while he rang the bell with his right. He seemed not at all nervous or concerned about the situation. For just a moment Remus resented the calm his lover of nearly a year possessed. It hardly seemed fair that he was so entirely unruffled while Remus felt as jumpy as a jack rabbit.
Eileen Prince answered the door almost immediately and warmly bid them enter, closing the door behind them before directing them to the living room and disappearing back into the kitchen. Remus had assumed she had died some years ago from the way Severus had spoken of her, rarely and always in the past tense, yet here she was, striding smugly back into the room with a tray of tea and biscuits floating along behind her.
In that moment, seeing her walk toward them with such confidence and with that smirk he had only before seen on Severus, the resemblance was uncanny. Remus was sure that even if he had never been introduced he would have pegged her as Severus’ kin. She was slender and pale, like her son, and her hair was exactly the same shade though hers was sparingly shot through with silver, curly and much longer. Her eyes were a watery blue that should have been completely unintimidating, but they still managed to feel piercing and intent the instant they were turned on him as she sat in the chair across from the sofa he was sharing with Severus.
Without a word she poured tea for each of them and passed out plates. All was silent for several awkward minutes as they sipped their tea and nibbled at the offered biscuits. Remus could hear a clock ticking somewhere. In the stillness it seemed almost threatening, like a muggle bomb waiting to explode.
“So,” Eileen drawled in a manner eerily similar to Severus when he’d caught third years out after curfew, “you’re the one who’s been keeping my boy from visiting as often as he should.”
Remus boggled for a second, not sure how to respond to that only to have Severus dive in to defend him, “Now, mam, you said-”
“I did, didn’t I? Well, it is hardly his fault you’ve been neglecting me, even if he was indirectly the cause.”
“I was busy mam, you know-” Severus was starting to develop that line on his forehead he usually only got when arguing with Albus. Remus was suddenly much calmer as he realized Severus had been every bit as nervous about this as he was, just better at hiding that fact.
“Too busy to pop over for tea or supper once in a while? If so I should travel to the Ministry and tell them precisely what I think of them stealing my boy’s life from him, again!”
“Work isn’t the only-” It was rather like watching a tennis match, Remus thought bemusedly. One volley immediately followed the other and if you didn’t keep your eye on the ball…
“Of course it isn’t! You’ve got a lovely young man now, don’t you?” Then as suddenly as they had started needling each other they stopped as if suddenly remembering they weren’t alone. They both stared at him as if expecting him to say or do something. That, Remus decided, was patently unfair.
“Our schedules have been a bit insane these last few months. Neither of us have been getting as much time off as we would like and the time we do get usually winds up being eaten by the bare necessities.” Severus was smirking unhelpfully at his mother and the growing thunderous look across her face Remus urged to continue, “That said, now that the holidays are upon us we have some time off and Severus’ schedule is supposed to stabilize some which will help.”
“What about yours?” Eileen asked pleasantly, calmed by Remus’ reassurance.
“I currently work for George Weasley as a clerk, but now that the holiday rush is over he wants me to help him develop ideas for new products as well.”
“I meant your schedule Remus.”
“Oh! Yes, it should be more regular now too. Well, at least until Valentine’s, I’m told it gets nearly as bad as before Christmas, though not for as long.” He was babbling, that was never a good sign.
“Good! Then I shall be seeing more of both of you. How does New Years sound? We could have a nice supper and get to know each other.” Remus was very entertained by Severus expression at the offer.
“I know I work the night before and the day of, but I do believe I have the evening off. Severus?”
“I’m sure something could be arranged,” Severus grumbled. Remus made a mental note to ask Severus’ boss for the time off personally. Knowing his lover he’d “forget” to ask and send him off to sup with his mother alone.
“Oh dear! Severus, I seem to have forgotten the ginger biscuits, could you be a doll and go get them? Refill the pot as well, will you?” Remus didn’t need to look at his lover to determine what he thought of that idea; he could feel his back stiffen the way it always did when he was bracing himself for something dangerous or stressful. Severus stood obediently; his eyes flickered over to Remus, granting him a brief reassuring look before picking up the tea pot and walking toward the kitchen.
Remus watched him go and tried not to panic over being left alone with his lover’s mother. She hadn’t seemed overly impressed with him thus far, so losing the buffer of her son did not feel safe in the slightest. What if she didn’t approve of him? What if she tried to scare him off? Oh Merlin, what if she knew and was going to tell him precisely how much she disapproved of her son living with a werewolf?!
“Breathe son, if he comes back and you look that pale he’ll think I cursed you.” Apparently she was also responsible for Severus’ wry sense of humour.
Remus chuckled self-consciously and managed to calm himself down a bit. “My apologies, I seem to be suffering from a touch of nerves.”
“If you weren’t I’d have been much more upset he’d been neglecting me.”
“I am sorry about that.”
“I don’t blame you, Remus.” Eileen smiled fondly, “Severus always was a touch obsessive when it comes to anything he truly cares about.”
Just then Severus bellowed from the kitchen, “Mam! Where did you hide those biscuits?”
“Did you check the bread cupboard?” She hollered back before turning back to me and continuing in a normal tone, “He’s never brought someone home before. He must love you very much.”
Remus blushed, “I like to think so.”
“He does, a mother knows these things.” As Eileen paused to sip at her tea, an awkward silence fell again, “You make him happy. Thank you, I don’t think I could ever explain what that means to me.”
Remus glanced fondly in the direction of the kitchen when he heard muffled curses and running water.
“Severus is very important to me. If he loves me half as much as I love him, then I consider myself truly blessed.”
“He does dear, never let him tell you otherwise.”
They heard Severus approach and by silent agreement they immediately began chatting amicably about the weather. He shot both of them suspicious looks, placed the biscuits and the teapot on the table and sat again, clearly expecting a return of the tension from before. Remus and Eileen just smiled at him.
Ever since that day Remus and Eileen got along swimmingly, much to Severus’ surprise and confusion. He asked both of them what they had said to each other while he was gone, but all either would say is they had reached an understanding and not to worry about it. Severus failed to be reassured by this. His lover and his mother seemed to be in cahoots which could only mean trouble as far as he was concerned.