McKay (scribbulus_ink) wrote in time_of_storms, @ 2006-09-05 14:25:00 |
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Entry tags: | chronological, joint |
October 14, 1997
Original poster: black_cauldron
Music: Possession, by Sarah McLachlan
After three days, Remus thought enough time had passed that it would be safe for him to visit Severus. He had shown himself to be strong enough to resume normal activity with the pack, which meant no one would be checking up on him unexpectedly, and even if someone noted his absence, he would deal with the questions; right now, he needed to see Severus, to make certain he was all right after their ordeal.
He left the caves and went deeper into the forest where the noise wouldn't be heard, and then he drew his wand and Apparated to Severus' wizarding hole, glancing around for Severus immediately. The first thing he noticed was that the place was untidy - an unusual state of affairs - and the potion fumes that usually hung in the air were missing. And then his gaze fell on Severus, and his heart constricted in his chest.
Severus sat on the sofa with his hands lying limply in his lap and his eyes dull and empty as he stared blankly at the wall. His clothes were rumpled, and he had far more than a five o'clock shadow on his gaunt, pale cheeks. The only good thing Remus could see was that there wasn't a bottle of alcohol anywhere near him, so he wasn't drunk, but the sight of him in such a state worried Remus far more than if he'd arrived to find Severus drunk and raving.
"Severus?" He approached slowly and softly, not wanting to startle Severus, and he perched on the sofa beside Severus, reaching out to brush back a stringy lock of dark hair and tuck it behind Severus' ear. He knew better than to ask the obvious and most stupid question; clearly, Severus was not all right, and he groped for something else to say instead. "I'm here," he said quietly.
Severus barely stirred at the sound of someone Apparating into his room - if it were Lucius or Bellatrix, they could kill him and he would have done no more than welcome the release from the hell of his self-loathing. In a way, the sound of Remus' voice was worse than that of an enemy. After what Severus had done to him, Severus simply couldn't bear to face Remus, to face the fact that their relationship was doomed, that no matter what Severus felt, he couldn't keep Remus safe from harm - even at his own hands.
The touch caused him to flinch, and he turned his face away from Remus, a shiver running down his spine. "Go away," he muttered thickly, his voice rusty from dryness and disuse. "There is nothing for you here now."
Whatever Remus had expected when he came to see Severus, it wasn't this; he didn't expect Severus to push him away, although he could easily guess why it was happening. Severus was rebuilding his walls, either to keep himself safe or Remus safe or perhaps both. He had forgotten the comfort they could offer each other and how the time they spent together, unguarded and unmasked, could rejuvenate their parched spirits - but Remus intended to remind him.
"There's you," Remus said, capturing Severus' hand and holding it tightly between his own. "You're here, and that's reason enough for me to be here, too."
"No."
The word was ripped out of Severus, and he snatched his hand away from Remus as if the touch burned. He couldn't give in to the weak part of himself, the part that tingled with awareness at the simple press of Remus' skin against his own. That way lay more hurt, perhaps even madness. If he hadn't already gone slightly mad from the pain of what he had to do.
Compared to now, the way he had felt after Dumbledore's death was nothing. Then, he had been manipulated by the old bastard, forced into an agreement he hadn't wanted but had been unable to escape. The circumstances had been decided without any input from him, he had been nothing more than a pawn in a power struggle between two powerful men.
This time, however, was different. This time, it was his fault, his failure. He had failed to keep Remus safe, because he hadn't been smart enough, hadn't been able to come up with a way to avoid the spell. This time, Remus was still alive... and Severus simply couldn't afford for there to be a next time.
There was a flash of hurt in Remus' eyes, but he pushed down his own pain at the rejection; there was a bigger hurt here, one that needed to be healed, or Severus was going to self-destruct, and Remus couldn't bear to watch that happen.
"Why not?" He lifted his chin, determined to press the issue. "If you're going to send me packing after everything we've shared, then at least, you ought to tell me why."
Because I love you, and I can't bear the thought that I might end up being the means of your death.
Severus couldn't say the words, didn't even want to think them. He didn't have the energy to simply hex Lupin, away, however, so that meant he was going to have to speak, to find the words that would make Lupin go away, and might possibly keep him safe. It was for Remus' own good - Severus was a danger to him.
"It's better this way. This is too dangerous," Severus said, keeping his face turned away. "I have let myself become distracted from my mission, the mission Dumbledore died to set in motion. Nothing else matters."
"Oh, bollocks." Remus let out a little snort and shook his head. "Really, Severus, you're going to have to do better than that if you want to get rid of me." Reaching out, he hooked his fingers beneath Severus' chin and forced Severus to look at him, meeting and holding his gaze with relentless intensity. "I know what this is about, and you aren't going to succeed in pushing me away with flimsy excuses about your mission. You weren't so worried about it when you begged me to let the wolf out to claim you. That genie is out of the bottle, and it isn't going back in just because you've decided to try to protect me from yourself."
He slid his fingers up to caress Severus' cheek, his tone gentling. "I don't need protection. I don't want protection. What I need and want is to be with you in whatever time remains to us. We need that, Severus. Throwing it away will make us both miserable and careless, and that will do no one any good."
"What do you know?" Severus snapped suddenly, surging to his feet and trying desperately to ignore the way his whole body responded to the simplest caress of Remus' fingers. Obviously reason wasn't going to work with Remus, and so Severus fell back on his tried and truth method - anger.
"You don't know what it's like to have to hurt, to have to kill, because it is your fucking duty," Severus bit out, glaring at Remus. He reminded himself that he was doing this for Remus' own good, and forced himself to continue. "You can suffer for the cause, Lupin, even die for it like a martyr. But could you kill? Could you stand to look the people you care about in the face as you make them suffer? I don't think you could do it. You're weak, Lupin. I don't have time for weaklings."
The wolf within Remus reared its head at that, growling. Its mate was angry; its mate was trying to push it away, but that was unacceptable. The wolf had chosen its mate, and it had no intention of letting go.
A low growl rumbled in Remus' chest, the wolf's primal need to claim overriding the logical portion of his mind. Reason clearly wasn't going to work with Severus anyway, and so he thought perhaps a more visceral approach would prove more effective.
He flowed to his feet in one smooth, graceful movement, staring at Severus with a feral light in his eyes as he allowed the wolf to rise. Grabbing the front of Severus' robes, Remus threw him back down on the couch and pounced, heedless of whether he hurt Severus or not; perhaps a little pain would jar him out of the pit of despair he was mired in. Straddling Severus' hips, he captured Severus' wrists and pinned them against the cushions over Severus' head, and then he swooped down until he was nearly nose to nose with Severus.
"You are making no sense," he said, his voice more than half a growl. "You think to drive me - us - away, but you gave yourself to us. You have forgotten whom you truly belong to. It's time you were reminded."
Snarling, he bared his teeth and fastened them on Severus' throat, biting down hard and worrying the skin, the wolf howling its pleasure in his soul.
Severus' eyes widened as Remus growled, a shiver running down his spine as his anger was washed away by a surge of something primal and undeniable. He watched as Remus rose to his feet, moving with the preternatural grace of the wolf, his traitorous body not caring for sense and reason and safety, wanting only to feel the press of Remus against him. Then Severus found himself on his back, Remus arching over him, pinning him down and holding him with a strength that drove away despair and left Severus positively weak with desire, struggling weakly against Remus, but mostly against himself.
He knew he should fight this - it was wrong, it was dangerous, and it would lead to more pain for them both. But feral light in Remus eyes held him as captive as the hands which pinned his wrists.
"No..." Severus tried to protest, but it was nothing more than a token sound, which transformed into a groan of pleasure as Remus' teeth found the sensitive skin of his neck, sending a surge of pure, molten heat throughout his entire body. He gasped, shuddering, his weak struggles against Remus' superior strength somehow becoming an arch of total surrender.
Remus felt the moment when Severus surrendered, and the wolf reveled in it, pleased that its mate had acknowledged it. Satisfied, it retreated, and Remus let it fade into the background as he nuzzled his cheek against Severus', growling with pleasure at the rasp of stubble; it was an exquisite little pain that added to his growing desire.
Lifting his head, he gazed down at Severus, his features open and relaxed as he regarded Severus with tenderness in his eyes. "That's it," he whispered, releasing Severus' wrists and sliding his hands along the undersides of Severus' arms. "Hush now and let me love you." He splayed one hand on Severus' chest just over his heart, feeling the steady rhythm beneath his palm. "I do. I love you, and I don't want give you up for some illusion of safety. We aren't safe, neither of us, and pushing me away won't save my life."
The affection in Remus' gaze was a pleasurable agony, something that Severus wanted so badly but was almost frightened to see. But the words... Remus' admission of love caused Severus' eyes to widen, his breath catching in his throat.
No one since his mother had ever loved Severus. A few people, like Minerva, had been friends, but Albus had been the only one who had been even fond of him. But this... Remus' declaration was so unexpected, so real that Severus couldn't fight against it, even if he had wanted to. It thrilled him and it frightened him, leaving him speechless with fear and wonder.
He couldn't give the words back, even though he felt the emotions behind them. He couldn't give in to that vulnerability, not yet, not when he was still reeling from everything which had happened. Yet he couldn't remain silent - if he were stuck with a bloody Gryffindor who wouldn't go away for his own good, then he supposed they would just both have to be damned for the consequences.
This was a bad idea, and it could only lead to more pain, but Severus couldn't deny himself or Remus their need to be together, to find the release they could only give each other. He looked up at Remus, life coming back into his eyes, although his voice was raw and ragged. "Then love me," he said, tipping back his head to bare his throat willingly.
Relief flooded Remus as he stroked Severus' throat with his fingertips and then slid his hand up to cup Severus' cheek. He didn't expect Severus to say "I love you too", but he didn't need to hear it. The spark of life rekindled in Severus' eyes was answer enough, letting him know the worst was over.
He bent and pressed his lips to Severus' jugular, the steady pulse throbbing beneath the skin. "I will. I do. I love you." He murmured the words against Severus' throat, wanting them to soak into Severus' skin, into his blood so that Severus would know the truth of them. He wanted them to sink down into Severus' very soul and banish the pain and loneliness; he wanted Severus to know he no longer had to fight alone.
The vibration of the words against Severus' skin warmed him in ways he couldn't describe, and for some reason he accepted the truth of them unconditionally. Remus was many things, but he was not a liar - if he said he loved Severus, it must be true. The knot of pain within his soul loosened, and Severus drew in a ragged breath, wrapping his arms around Remus tightly. He didn't know what the future held, what further pain they had in store, but if Remus loved him, perhaps that miracle would be enough to sustain them both.
"Yours," he murmured huskily, sliding his hands up to bury them in the thick, soft waves of Remus' hair. "For however long we have left. Or for as long as you can stand me."
Remus smiled against Severus' neck and relaxed as Severus gently finger-combed his hair, thankful that Severus had let go of the idea that they ought not be together. It would be such a waste when neither of them knew how much time they had left, and there was no sense in spending it apart and miserable.
"I think you'll find me far more difficult to get rid of than you realize," he said as the wolf growled with contentment within him. He had made one risky admission, and while Severus had accepted it willingly enough, Remus wasn't certain how well he would take being told the wolf had chosen him as its mate. That, he thought, was an admission for another time.
The words were a balm to Severus, and he pulled Remus' head down toward him, capturing Remus' mouth in a fierce kiss. Parting his lips, he moaned, inviting Remus to deepen the embrace, to claim him as no one else had ever claimed him. He needed Remus, needed him to burn away the ice of Severus' doubt and loathing, to destroy it in the fires of the passion that flared between them.
Remus slipped his tongue between Severus' lips, claiming his mouth at a leisurely pace. Severus' ferocity spoke of need, but Remus didn't intend to be rushed, not this time. Severus, he thought, needed to feel a connection to life again - to feel cherished and loved - and Remus intended to give him that and more, if Severus would let him.
Pushing himself upright, he grabbed the lapels of Severus' shirt and yanked, sending buttons flying, and then he bent again, growling softly with pleasure as he rubbed his cheek against Severus' bare chest. Satisfied that he was awash in his mate's scent, he began covering Severus' chest with kisses and licks and nibbles, covering every inch of flesh with gentle caresses of his fingers, lips and tongue, showing Severus with each one how deeply he was treasured.
With a moan Severus gave himself over to Remus' ministrations, sliding his tongue against Remus', tasting and sensing and feeling. Then Remus was ripping his shirt, and Severus gasped, eyes flying wide at the display of feral strength. It was wildly arousing, but it was no comparison to the feeling of Remus wallowing against him, the pleasurable pain of stubble against his sensitized skin, followed by the soothing slide of hands and mouth.
His hands caressed over Remus' hair, down to his shoulders as Severus writhed, involuntary noises of need escaping him. No one had ever treated him like this before, worshipping his body as though he were priceless, seeming to try to wring pleasure from every bit of his skin. Gasping, he threw his head back, arching into Remus' mouth.
A feral light shone in Remus' eyes, and the growl rumbling in his chest grew louder as he scooted backward to straddle Severus' thighs, and he ripped open Severus' trousers. He could practically taste the thick, heady scent of Severus' arousal, and it enflamed his own, but he was still determined to revere Severus as he deserved.
Moving with predatory grace, he stretched out on his stomach and settled between Severus' legs as he yanked both underpants and trousers out of his way. Reaching up, he ran his nails down the length of Severus' torso, leaving pink trails in his wake, and then he nuzzled Severus' abdomen tenderly.
"So perfect," he murmured. "You're gorgeous, Severus. I don't think I can possibly get enough of you - your scent, your taste."
To prove it, he closed his lips around Severus, drawing him deep and offering Severus the pleasure of his mouth.
Severus was drowning in a pool of pleasure, each place where Remus' skin was in contact with his own seeming to tingle with awareness, making him feel more alive than he had ever felt before. He urged Remus on, his own hands wandering restlessly over Remus' hair, his neck, stroking lightly at the curve of ear and the hard line of Remus' jaw. Then he felt Remus move, and he lifted his head in time to see Remus bare him completely, to gasp as Remus raked nails across his pail skin, searing it, then speak words of praise.
Severus felt his face flush, this time with embarrassment rather than arousal. "I'm not," he denied, even though the words caused him to shiver from the husky undertones in Remus' voice. "I'm not at... Oh...."
The denial stilled on Severus' lips as he watched, eyes molten with need as Remus took him in. No one had ever given him as much as Remus did, no one had ever wanted him as much as Remus seemed to, and that knowledge was almost more ecstatic than the sensations of delight which threatened to overwhelm him entirely.
Avidly Severus watched, his breath coming in sharp pants and soft gasps. Their gazes locked, and once again Severus opened his mind to Remus, almost unable to stop himself, wanting Remus to see, to know just how much Remus meant to him, how much bliss each caress made him feel. Although Severus couldn't speak the words, could barely even think them, the emotions he felt for Remus were there as well, the blend of want-need-cherish-love which underlay all the pleasure, and was the source of all his fears.
"Remus," he murmured, letting that one word speak for everything his lover had come to mean to him. Then, as though that were a trigger, Severus shattered, the name becoming a sibilant exhalation of joy, his fingers tangled in Remus' hair as he shared everything with Remus, returning all the ecstasy Remus gave him in full measure.
Once more, Remus found himself drowning in Severus' eyes, but this time, it wasn't a surprise, and he fell willingly, basking in the reflected ecstasy; he rode out the waves with Severus, pleased to know he had given Severus such pleasure and warmed down to his soul by the desire and affection he sensed underlying it. There was a thread of fear as well, which Remus could well understand given everything they had just been through, but perhaps one day, it would fade, leaving only unfettered joy in its place.
Licking his lips, he crawled back up Severus' body, bending his head to bestow little kisses and nips along the way, and stretched out atop him, reaching up to stroke Severus' cheek gently. "Feeling better?" he asked.
"Yes," Severus replied, his voice husky with satiation, and he wound his arms around Remus, stroking his hands over Remus' back. "But I know a way I could feel even better."
"Oh, really?" Remus raised his eyebrows, his too-innocent expression belied by the smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "And what might that way be?"
Severus answered Remus' smirk with one of his own. He felt better, restored, at least for the moment, and even though he wasn't a giving man, he wanted to give back to Remus, grateful for Remus' feelings for him, and for the fact that Remus had been willing to push to get what he wanted, considering Severus worth the effort.
Leaning closer, he pressed small kisses to the corners of Remus' mouth, nipping and licking at Remus' lips teasingly. He pulled Remus' shirt out of his trousers, sliding his hands first up the warm, smooth expanse of Remus' back, then down, dragging his nails over Remus' skin. When he reached the waistband of Remus' trousers he pushed his hands beneath it, keeping contact with skin as he moulded his palms against the curve of Remus' arse.
Moving his head, Severus placed his lips against Remus' ear, and let his voice fall into a seductive purr. "I would feel much better if I were hearing you scream in pleasure," he said, then drew the lobe of Remus' ear between his lips and bit down sharply.
The rich, deep sound of Severus' voice caused a shiver to ripple down Remus' spine, and the moan that rose in his throat in response shifted to a hiss of pleasure at the feel of Severus' teeth on his ear. Although he was reluctant to untangle himself from Severus' embrace, he hoisted himself upright and sat back, a gleam of desire in his eyes as he gazed down at Severus.
"I imagine I might scream with pleasure if I were shagging you senseless," he growled as he yanked off his shoes and began stripping off his clothes as quickly as possible.
Severus' smirk widened at Remus' reaction, and he lifted up as Remus did, helping to pull the clothing from Remus' body, his dark eyes hungrily mapping each inch as it was exposed to his gaze. "I can guarantee it," he drawled, brushing the back of his fingers over the bare skin of Remus' chest, before giving into temptation and swooping down to swipe his tongue over one dusky nipple, humming in pleasure as it drew into a peak.
Moaning, Remus arched his back, pushing against Severus' mouth, and rested his hand lightly on the back of Severus' head, stroking his hair gently. "Feels good," he murmured, wanting Severus to know how much he welcomed Severus' touch.
Moving away with reluctance, he shifted so he could pull off Severus' shoes and socks and tug his trousers and underpants the rest of the way down and off. Once that was done and their clothes were in an untidy heap on the floor, he leaned over the side of the sofa and groped for his wand.
Tapping Severus' hip, Remus spoke the charms to prepare him, and then he tossed his wand aside. "You were saying something about screaming with pleasure?" he asked, a growling undercurrent in his voice as he gazed at Severus with the wolf rising in his eyes.
Severus' breath caught in his throat at the sight of the wolf, and he bit back a moan, feeling his arousal rekindling at the sight. He knew Remus let the wolf out only for him, and it gave him a fierce satisfaction to know that there was a part of Remus that belonged to him alone, that no one else before had been allowed to see or touch. It was greedy and selfish, but Severus didn't give a damn; the wolf was his, and he had no desire to share it, not ever.
Still, it was his turn to drive Remus wild, and so he lay back against the cushions, placing his hands over his head and crossing his wrists before arching his back in a gesture of submission, one he was sure would appeal to the wolf. "Perhaps we'll both scream," he drawled, licking his lips. "If you're very, very good. Or very, very bad, as the case may be."
The wolf surged up within Remus, growling a demand; Severus' submissive posture spoke to it loud and clear, and it wanted to take what Severus offered and claim its mate. Mine! For once, Remus was in whole-hearted agreement with it.
"Mine," he whispered as he ran his splayed hands down Severus' torso possessively, and then he swooped down to cover Severus again and fastened his teeth on Severus' throat, biting and sucking a mark on that pale, tempting skin.
An incoherent moan of pleasure escaped Severus at the feeling of Remus' teeth on his throat, a sensation every bit as satisfying as the possessive word and the feeling of Remus' hands on his skin.
"Yours," he gasped, moving his hands to Remus' hips, pulling him closer as though he could merge their bodies into a single entity, never again to be parted. "All yours, my wolf."
Settling between Severus' thighs, Remus knelt and lifted Severus' hips, and he positioned himself, easing into Severus; he wanted to prolong the exquisite pleasure of joining for them both, and he closed his eyes, letting his head fall back as he filled Severus at a torturously slow pace, a deep, heart-felt moan escaping him.
"Nothing is better than this." He leaned forward and grasped Severus' wrists, pinning them as he gazed down at Severus. "No one feels better than you," he growled as he began to move, pushing deep and holding still, wanting to just feel and enjoy the moment.
"Yesssss!" The word was drawn out into a hiss of pleasure as Remus took him, claiming his body as slowly and yet thoroughly as he had claimed Severus' heart. Remus was right - there was nothing better than this, than the connection between the two of them, expressed in the union of their bodies as they moved together in the most primal dance of all.
Only with Remus could Severus abandon himself, letting down all his carefully honed defenses, free to simply be in a way he hadn't been in years. Knowing he was safe with Remus, Severus gave himself up completely to Remus' pleasure, urging him on with gasps and moans, arching against him. He responded naturally to the slow, seductive pace Remus set, eager to prolong their joining and give Remus as much pleasure as he was receiving in return.
With Severus moaning and arching beneath him and Severus' long legs wrapped around him, Remus thought he might well die from the exquisite pleasure, the sense of connection he felt between them. As a man, he wanted to make their joining last forever, but the wolf was urging him on, and he began to move faster as he unleashed the wolf, safe in the knowledge that Severus wanted that aspect of him too. Growling, he tightened his fingers around Severus' wrists, pinning Severus with the weight of his body, and he let Severus see the wolf's need as he claimed Severus with deep, pounding thrusts.
Chanting Remus' name, Severus urged him on, wanting to feel and see and be with Remus, to welcome the wolf with every fiber of his being, to accept all of Remus just as Remus had accept all of him.
Eyes locked on Remus', Severus opened his mind again, drawing the wolf out and into himself, wanting to feel the feral need, to let it wash over him and claim him. "Mine," he said. "Come to me, my wolf. Take your pleasure in me."
Howling with fierce joy, the wolf surged up, filling Remus' mind and spilling over into Severus with its simple, primal instincts - mine want need take mine. Caught up in the maelstrom, Remus let go and gave himself over to the wolf and to Severus, echoing the wolf's howl as he was swept over the edge with a force and intensity that wracked his entire body.
Sated, the wolf retreated, and Remus gazed down at Severus, glassy-eyed and panting as he returned to himself. He was bathed in sweat, and he felt as if every bone in his body had melted away; all he wanted to do was curl up beside Severus and bask in the quiet lassitude stealing over him for as long as he could.
"Mmm..." His eyes were half-lidded as he smiled at Severus, his voice raspy and lazy with satiation. "Not a scream, but a howl. I hope that will suffice to make you feel better."
A primitive thrill went through Severus as the desires of both Remus and the wolf filled him, overwhelming him with their intensity. He didn't struggle against it - he embraced it, letting it sweep him along in the throes of ecstasy, experiencing Remus' as eagerly as he had his own release.
It gave him no small amount of smug satisfaction to know that he was making Remus feel this way, that he was responsible for the intensity of feeling that had Remus trembling in his arms. He ran his hands over the wet skin of Remus' back, purring with complacency, urging Remus down upon him and reveling in the feeling of Remus pressing him down into the cushions.
"A howl is an adequate substitute," Severus replied, his husky, replete tone belying the haughty words. "I will admit to a certain contentment... at least for the moment. Although I shall expect repeat performances as required."
"Whenever you like," Remus replied as he settled comfortably in Severus' embrace, savoring the delicious tangle of limbs. He pressed his nose against Severus' throat and closed his eyes. "I don't want to see you like that again. Not because of us."
Severus sobered slightly, but he continued to stroke Remus' back, not wanting Remus to move, to loose the connection between them in this moment of peace.
He was not a man who shared his emotion, and even with the depth of feeling he had for Remus, he had a hard time articulating the doubts which assailed him, the worries about the future. Perhaps now wasn't the time for that, but he felt the need to say something, to make a statement against the greatest fear which had beset him through these last few days, making each moment a nightmare.
"I refuse to do that again... I cannot do it," he said, voice low and harsh. He tightened his arms around Remus. "I will not be the cause of pain, and bloody well not of your death. I don't care if it means we lose the war, or if it means that I die. I won't do it again, so don't you ever, ever ask it of me."
"You hurt me to save me, you know," Remus said quietly. "I know it was unbearable for you, but it would have been worse if you hadn't done it. Either Greyback would have killed me, or we would both be exposed as spies. Either way, we wouldn't be lying here now like this. You might have been mourning my death instead."
He knew the words were cold comfort in the face of the agony Severus had suffered over the ordeal, and he nuzzled Severus' ear and stroked his chest tenderly. "It was all my fault. I sabotaged the mission and brought it on myself. I'm sorry I put you through all that, and I promise I won't do it again."
It was an easy enough promise to make, he thought, since he doubted Voldemort would be sending him on any more missions after his failure. He could return to the relative safety of anonymity once more.
The caresses and nuzzling were comforting, but not nearly as much as Remus' promise. Just so that Remus understood where Severus was drawing the line in the future, no matter what the circumstances which lead to it.
"Very well," he replied, relaxing into the embrace, suddenly to fatigued to move. His hands continued their slow slide over Remus' skin, almost as though to reassure himself that Remus was here and safe in his arms. With a sigh he let himself relax completely, drowsily content, for the moment, just to be with Remus, in the small moment of safety they had before the real world tore them apart once again.