Day 20 Where is the Wolf - Snape/Lupin
Title: Where is the Wolf? Pairing: Snape/Lupin Word Count: 708 Rating: PG-13 Warnings: Unbeta'd. Challenge: Day 20 May Madness, moonblink, crimson Author's Notes: 20 Day, Adjunct to It's Just Lust…currently stalled at part 16...which is what happens when you start with absolutely no plan! Sirius appears again and I'm going to have to put this all in order when I'm done. Sorry.
Severus sprinted across the grounds of Hogwarts, his robes flapped wildly behind him. He looked like the great bat that he had been frequently compared to. The wards and magic around the castle faded and he apparated immediately. He stalked briskly across the street in front of number twelve. It was apparent that the gauntlet had been thrown down and he dared anyone to run him down or stop him.
The door banged as he strode through it.
"Black! Where are you?" Severus bellowed. "Black!"
A disheveled Sirius Black appeared at the top of the first flight of stairs. "Are you daft, Snape?"
"I'm not the one who appears to be wearing crimson rouge." Severus drawled.
"I just…well…why the bloody hell are you shouting in my house?"
"Lupin hasn't come back yet." Severus stated.
Sirius' face showed his concern. "Moon set was hours ago."
"I know. This is precisely why I’m here."
Sirius skipped the stairs and slid down the balustrade. "Did you speak with Albus?"
"Yes. I know where he was last night." Severus paused. "I need backup just in case…"
"And you thought of me?" Sirius looked taken aback.
"You're a Gryffindor, brave, reckless, fairly powerful and good in a fight. Plus you care about Remus."
"Let's go." Sirius urged.
"You may want shoes." Severus drawled.
"Right." Sirius summoned his boots.
Severus pulled out a map and unrolled it on the entry table. "We're going here and there is a building here which he probably stayed in, but there is another over here. I'm concerned that he may have been kidnapped in his vulnerable state when he changed back."
They discussed various strategies before they stepped outside to apparate.
Cautiously, they entered the building that Remus was reported to have occupied. They did a room to room search. Sirius spotted him first. From a second floor window they could see him sitting upright and naked against a tree with his eyes closed.
They looked at each other and then back at Remus. The werewolf hadn't moved.
"Do you think…" Sirius began.
"Shut it! We'll just go look." Severus cut him off firmly.
They ran down the stairs and made a cursory check of the area as they stepped out the door. Then it was a full out run to where Remus was seated. They weren't quiet, but neither called out Remus' name. Suddenly, when they were with a few meters they both dropped to the ground.
"Who is there?" Remus asked.
"Remus?" Sirius responded.
"Lupin, what's going on?" Severus queried.
"Thank Merlin! Let me drop that shield." Was Remus' relieved response.
"Wandless magic? Nice." Sirius said as they stepped closer.
"So what's the meaning of this?" Severus asked.
"I woke up and couldn't see anything." Remus started.
"Start from the last thing you remember before you went to sleep." Severus requested.
"Besides bloodlust and chasing rabbits?"
Sirius guffawed.
"Can we please be serious?" Severus demanded.
"Well I can." Sirius answered.
"Lupin. Please be the voice of reason. Before I have to kill him."
"Sorry Severus. I'd been out on the grounds here and when I got tired I didn't go back to the house. It seemed stuffy in there to me last night. So I decided to take a nap out here. So I slept until moonset and then I changed back. Unfortunately, it was then I discovered I couldn't see." Remus related his story.
"Did you sleep directly in the moonlight?" Severus asked.
"Yes. I was lucky enough to run into this tree after…"
"I think you may be suffering from moonblink. I've never heard of a werewolf with it, but anything is possible."
"Moonblink?!" Remus and Sirius asked in unison.
"Let's get you to Poppy. She should be able to help or make another diagnosis."
"Could one of you please get my clothes? They're in the house."
"Where?" Sirius asked.
"Under the kitchen sink." Remus replied.
Sirius shook his head and walked quickly towards the house.
"Gods, Lupin you scared the hell out of me!"
"I'd say kiss me, but I don't think we want this particular audience." Remus smiled.
"That's probably for the best. However, Black would not be one to talk. He came out of his bedroom wearing crimson coloured rouge."