Fic: Play with Me; PG Title: Play with Me Author:shadowycat Rating: PG Word Count: ~4300 Characters: Remus and Severus Summary: Remus discovers that Severus has an unexpected hobby and hopes to turn it to his advantage. Pre-slash. Notes: This is a little piece of fluff that came out of an idea I had when I was bowling. It’s told from Remus’s POV and takes place during his tenure as DADA professor at Hogwarts. It's unbeta'd, so I hope you'll forgive and point out any errors you find. Thanks! :D
Severus Snape had a damned fine arse. I’d always thought so, of course, but I hadn’t had a chance to view it so directly in years. I was a bit surprised to have the chance now, but here I was and here it was, and I certainly wasn’t going to pass up such a golden opportunity. I don’t get that lucky very often.
How often does anyone get to see Severus without his all-enveloping robes anyway? I can’t think of a single time I’ve seen him without them since we left Hogwarts for the adult world. Yet here he was in rolled up shirt sleeves and a remarkably well-fitting pair of trousers. So I accepted my good fortune, stood in the shadows, and ogled to my heart’s content as he bent over and presented me with another stunning view of his backside.
After a smashing finish, Severus slid into a front seat and stretched his long legs out before him while the machinery set things up for another game, and I took the opportunity to quietly slip into a seat in the poorly lit back of the room and look around. Who would have thought that there’d be a bowling alley at Hogwarts? Or that Severus would be the one making use of it? Not me, though if such a place existed, and since I was sitting here, it must, I certainly should have known about it.
Wasn’t I one of the creators of the Marauders’ Map? And wasn’t I the one assigned the thankless task of delving into all the hidden places? Didn’t I crawl through each of the tunnels out of the castle, praying that they wouldn’t collapse on me at any moment? Discover all the quaint little shifting, secret passages? Find all the hidden rooms? Well, maybe not, because clearly I missed finding a bowling alley. You’d think the noise level alone would have drawn my notice, it certainly did today, but for whatever reason, I totally missed discovering its existence until about ten minutes ago. Just goes to show you that no matter how much you think you know about a place or a person, there’s always something more you can learn.
Take Severus for example, and I would dearly love to, but that would mean I’d have to get close enough to actually touch the man, and so far he’s seemed very determined that I shouldn’t get that chance. But I digress.
As I started to say, take Severus… Who would ever imagine that the man knew how to bowl? Or that if he did, that he was so good at it? Well, I have to admit that if he truly cared about doing something, he was always careful to practice enough to become good at it, so that shouldn’t really be a surprise, but who would have predicted that he’d be interested in something that was both so athletic and so…ordinary.
When we were at school, he avoided most physical activity in favor of far more sedentary pursuits. I ought to know, I had similar habits myself, but here he was, tossing that ball around like it was weightless and knocking those bowling pins into a frenzy with every shot he sent down the alley.
As Severus got to his feet once more, I settled back to watch, only to be surprised to hear him address me instead.
“Did you really think I didn’t know you were lurking back there, Lupin? You breathe loud enough to wake the dead.”
I probably was breathing a bit heavier than usual, but that was more his fault than mine, though I wasn’t about to admit that, of course. Since there was no point in remaining in the back of the room, I got to my feet and moved down to join him. At least I’d be getting a better view.
Severus raised an eyebrow, and let me just say that no one on the planet does a sexier job of that than he does, and stared down his nose at me, and that takes talent, too, seeing as I’m the taller man.
“Why are you down here spying on me? I told Albus that hiring you was a mistake. You simply can’t be trusted,” he said, his eyes full of suspicion.
I smiled pleasantly; I could certainly think of a few situations in which I couldn’t be trusted to keep my hands to myself, but in general, he was wrong about that, and I’d give a lot if he would come to trust me, at least a little. It’s damned hard to seduce someone who doesn’t trust you, and seducing Severus was one of my goals for the year, that and eating regularly, sleeping in a real bed, and earning enough money to be able to buy a new set of robes. If I managed to achieve any of them, I’d be happy; if I managed all of them, my life would be complete. I knew that the odds were against me, but I could be ridiculously optimistic at times, so…nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?
“Actually, I wasn’t spying on you, Severus. I was on my way to the kitchen for a little snack before turning in, when I heard this crashing sound. It alarmed me. So I followed the sound to a flight of steps I’d never seen, and they led me here. I didn’t want to interrupt you, but I was curious, so I sat down to watch. I had no idea there was a bowling alley in the castle.”
“I’m sure there are a lot of things about Hogwarts that you don’t know, Lupin,” sneered Severus.
Merlin, I had it bad, I always wanted to kiss him when he curled his lip that way.
I kept my smile firmly in place. “You’d be surprised how much I know about Hogwarts, but I certainly didn’t know about this place. Has it been here long?” I knew that the castle could alter itself with reason; I just couldn’t see why it would want to alter itself to provide a bowling alley.
“It’s been here as long as Albus Dumbledore has been Headmaster.”
“Really?” That would mean that it was here when we were at school, and I definitely missed it when I did my mapping expeditions, which made me wonder what else I might have missed. And I thought I did a pretty thorough job, too. Oh, well.
“I’d have thought someone who loves chocolate as much as you do would eat Chocolate Frogs,” said Severus with a haughty look on his face. No one does haughty as well as Severus. Well, maybe Lucius Malfoy, but I’ve never been partial to blonds.
Now I was confused. “Chocolate Frogs? What do Chocolate Frogs have to do with the fact that there’s a bowling alley in the castle?”
Severus rolled his eyes, and I had to admit that’s not one of his more flattering expressions. Still no one can be attractive all the time.
“Have you ever read the back of Albus’s Chocolate Frog card?” he asked.
“No, I don’t believe I have.” I was never much for collecting things, and Chocolate Frogs cost money. The only time I ever got one back in my school days was when Sirius or James were passing some around and neither of them were chocolate lovers so it was a rare occurrence. As an adult, I almost never ate one. The chocolate wasn’t really that good, and I was definitely past being impressed by the jumping charm.
Severus spread his arms and my mouth watered to see the fabric of his shirt mold itself to his chest. I clamped my lips together and tried not to drool.
“This is the Headmaster’s space. It can become anything that the Headmaster of Hogwarts wishes it to be, and it’s only open when the Headmaster, or one he trusts with the password, enters and uses it. Albus loves ten-pin bowling, as you would know if you’d ever read the description on the back of his card, hence this space…”
“… is usually a bowling alley. I see. So what brings you down here? Is this one of your long time hobbies, too?”
He shrugged. “Long enough. Albus brought me down here not long after I joined the staff. He thought I might enjoy the stress relieving aspects of the game.”
“I’ve never thought of it as a stress relieving sort of game.” I admitted.
His lip curled up again and my heart skipped a beat. “Why am I not surprised that you failed to see past the obvious once again?” he asked, clearly not expecting an answer. He raised one hand and pointed down the alley.
I tore my eyes away from his elegant fingers and looked at the pins that were waiting patiently for the start of another game, and suddenly I understood. “Ah, well, I can certainly see what you mean. I have to say that’s a very creative use for bowling pins. Was the idea yours or Albus’s?”
“Albus suggested visualization. I decided it might be more gratifying to be a bit more literal,” said Severus with a definite air of satisfaction in his voice.
I never would have noticed anything from the back of the room, but now that I was so much closer, I could see that each pin was shaped like a miniature person with a slightly outsized head and a very recognizable face. I noted that Harry’s face currently decorated the head pin, flanked by Ron Weasley and Neville Longbottom. My own face was much further back in line occupying the position of the seven pin in the far corner.
I tried but failed to suppress a smile. “I’m surprised I’m so far back.”
“Oh, you’ve had your moment front and center, never fear. I adjust the line up to match my mood.”
“I see. Tough day in Potions class?”
Severus glowered at me, “Everyday spent trying to teach those dunderheads is a tough day.”
I decided to take a chance. After all, when would I ever get a better one? So I removed my robe, tossed it over a chair and began to roll up my shirt sleeves. “My day hasn’t been the best either. Care for a game?”
Severus smirked, which was most definitely one of my favorite expressions! His eyes glittered so beautifully when he was enjoying himself. “Do you even know how to bowl?”
“Well, I haven’t done it in years, but I think I remember how,” I said as I stretched a kink out of my shoulder and almost fell over as Severus’s eyes followed my movement with a spark of interest in their depths. Thinking I must have imagined it, I casually lifted my foot, placed it on the side of the ball return and leaned forward to stretch out my thigh muscle. And there was that assessing look again, and it didn’t stop at my thigh. He was definitely checking out my arse, too. Well, well, things were looking up.
I stood up and faced him. “Well? Are you game?”
“I suppose so. We’ll use different lanes, though.”
“Whatever you say.” Since I really had no desire to mow down little images of my colleagues and students, bowling side by side was fine by me. “Where can I get some shoes and a ball?”
I could see a glint of amusement in Severus’s eyes as he pulled his wand from a pocket and tapped it on the side of the scoring console. Immediately a house-elf appeared by his side.
“Yes, Master Snape? Is there something you require?”
“Professor Lupin has decided to join me. Fetch him some shoes, would you? The regular ones will do and provide a selection of balls. Thank you, Rooty.”
Rooty vanished with a pop and returned a scant moment later clutching a pair of shoes. Having seen Severus’s look of amusement, I knew that whatever I was about to be given wouldn’t be to my liking, but the shoes in the house-elf’s hands were absolutely the ugliest pair of bowling shoes I’d ever seen. Half of each shoe was an orangey red with yellow stars that flashed annoyingly and the other half was a watery greenish blue with ever popping bubbles, complete with sound effects. I took them reluctantly and glanced at Severus’s feet which were impeccably shod in tasteful black bowling shoes. Then the elf pointed to one side of the room where there now stood a rack of incredibly garish bowling balls with large numbers on their sides to indicate their weight.
“Are these the only shoes you have?” I asked. Not that I expected any answer but yes. Clearly Severus found the idea of me clad in these monstrosities while he wore something elegant, quite amusing, and I decided I was willing to let him smirk at me as long as I got the chance to see him do it. It was a fair trade.
Rooty bowed. “These are the standard shoes that Professor Dumbledore has for guests,” explained the elf. “They will fit any foot, just put them on and they’ll adjust, sir.”
“Okay,” I smiled at the elf, who bowed to me and turned back to Severus. “Will there be anything else, Professor Snape, sir?”
“No, Rooty, thank you. That will be all.” With another bow, the elf vanished.
I took a seat and exchanged my regular shoes for the horrible bowling shoes which turned out to be supremely comfortable. Then I turned to the balls. Once again I saw no point in quibbling about the selection. What was here was what I had to use, so I selected one of the correct weight in a fiery red with ghastly olive green highlights and set it down next to Severus’s black ball which was shot through with swirls of silver and emerald.
“Shall we make this interesting?” I asked.
He smirked at me in my outlandish shoes and cocked an eyebrow. A double delight! I could hardly believe my luck, and I know I smiled before I caught myself.
“What on earth do you have in mind?” he said. “You can’t be suggesting we bet on the outcome. I bowl every week, you said you haven’t thrown a ball in years. Surely you don’t have so much extra cash lying around that you can afford to toss it away on a bet you haven’t a prayer of winning. If you did, you’d be far better dressed.”
“Who said anything about money?” I asked and watched suspicion slip back into his eyes.
“Then what do you want to wager?” he asked cautiously.
“We could play strip bowling. Whoever loses each frame has to remove an item of clothing.”
He actually laughed. Now Severus almost never laughed outright, and he really should because it lit up his whole face and the sound was like warm chocolate, smooth and rich and overwhelmingly sexy. I mentally filed both the sight and sound of him away for later examination during less Severus rich times of my life.
Once he’d recovered himself, he raised an eyebrow again, and I was almost giddy. It had been so long since I’d spent so much time in his presence that I was suffering a bit of sensory overload and was beginning to feel a bit reckless, as if I’d had one too many firewhiskeys at The Three Broomsticks.
“Lupin, you must be joking.” He paused and when I didn’t say anything, he continued with a faintly speculative look in his eyes. “Well, then you must be every bit the idiot I always thought you to be. For one thing, you know I’ll win most of the frames, if not all, and you aren’t wearing enough clothes at the moment to make it all the way through one game before you’d be left without even the shoes on your feet, which you need to play, I might add. For another, I have no desire at all to see you naked, so that is hardly an inducement to wager.”
“None at all?” I asked because I wanted to look in his eyes when he reiterated his lack of interest, not because I expected his answer to be any different.
“No, none at all,” he said firmly, and then his eyes slid away from mine and the color in his cheeks went from the palest ivory to the faintest rose, and I knew he was lying. It was all I could do to hold myself back, so great was my desire to simply grab him and wrestle him to the floor. Despite what he thinks, however, I am not that big an idiot. I was aiming for more than a single kiss and a quick grope…a lot more.
“All right, then I suggest that the winner should get to select the next game we play.”
“You’re assuming I’m willing to play another game with you.” He crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side.
“Well, yes, I suppose I am, but why not? I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to occasionally do something with my evenings other than grade papers and make up tests or sit around the staff room drinking tea and listening to Filius expound on the virtues of cheering charms. So what do you say? You know you’re going to win, so the choice will be yours as to what we do next.”
Severus narrowed his eyes speculatively. “You’ll play anything I choose?”
“Certainly, provided you’ll do the same if, despite all the odds, I win this game.”
I could practically see the wheels turning around in that clever brain of his as he tried to decide if there was any way he could possibly come out the loser. I was pretty sure he’d agree so I just stood and waited quietly while he made up his mind. I wouldn’t have been so sure if I hadn’t seen him flush at the thought of seeing me naked, but knowing that he wasn’t anywhere near as repulsed by that thought as he wanted me to believe tipped the odds in favor of him agreeing to more games in the future. With luck, I might even win one of them and get to choose what we do next. I’m thinking strip poker might be fun. I’m a much better card player than I am a bowler.
“Very well, I accept your terms,” said Severus, and I had a difficult time keeping my glee to myself.
“Excellent, so how do we get started?” I asked.
“Allow me,” said Severus, and he reached over and tapped a control on the console. The alley next to his lit up and a rack of pins settled gently into place. Then to my delight, he smirked at me and waved his wand at his set of pins. Suddenly every one of them was wearing my face.
That sexy eyebrow went up once more. “I suppose you’d like to put my face on your pins?”
Actually I rather liked his face right where it was, though I certainly wouldn’t object if it was placed a bit closer to mine now and then…maybe close enough to kiss. Ah, well, one step at a time.
“No thanks,” I said amiably. “I think I’ll leave the pins just as they are. I find the faces to be a bit distracting.”
“Suit yourself.” He tapped the console again, and my name appeared on the overhead board flashing on and off in a rather unattractive shade of puce. “You can start any time.”
“Thanks,” I said as I picked up my ball and stepped into position.
I took a moment to try to recall the best place to hit the set of pins to bring them all down in one shot, then I had to smile at the absurdity of thinking that even if I remembered where that spot was, that I’d actually be able to get the ball to hit it. So I just took a few steps forward and threw it as close to the middle as I could.
The ball flew down the alley and took out the center section of pins, my aim was better than I thought. Unfortunately it left the ones at either side of the back row standing untouched; clearly dead center was not the right spot to go for. This was not an auspicious beginning. I heard Severus snicker from behind me and I had to say it was nowhere near as welcome a sound as his laugh. My total score for the first frame was an eight as I didn’t manage to hit either of the remaining pins on my second try, but at least I made Severus smile again, so it wasn’t a total loss.
Now Severus stepped up to take his shot, and I made sure that I was in the perfect position to watch him take it. He stared down the alley for a moment, holding the ball in front of him, and then, when he was ready, he moved smoothly forward, bent down and released the ball. His form was really, really nice, and here I was, about to get to sit and watch him bend over at least ten and probably several more times. What a great evening this had turned out to be!
His ball smashed into the waiting pins much more forcefully than mine did. Clearly Severus knew exactly where to hit them to send them all flying, and he had no difficulty at all putting his ball where it needed to go. When they were hit, the little Lupin pins reacted a tiny bit differently than my more ordinary set of pins had. They all screamed...loud and long.
Severus turned and walked back toward me with a smirk and a swagger. I had never seen him swagger before, but let me tell you, it was even better than the laugh and at least ten times sexier than the eyebrow. My cock twitched rather forcefully, and I had to cross my legs and lean forward for a few moments before I got up because getting up any sooner definitely would not have been prudent. Enveloping robes do have their uses.
“Your turn, Lupin,” he said, still smirking as he slid into the seat next to mine.
By this time I’d managed to get myself under control and as I got to my feet I said, “You know if you really want to make me scream, there are other ways you could do it that would be a lot more fun.”
The smirk dropped off his face as if it had never been, and I noticed as I went to retrieve my ball, that it was replaced by another speculative look. He’d crossed his legs rather hurriedly, too.
The game progressed much as I expected. He won handily, though his score did fall off a bit at the end. I’d like to think my nearness was beginning to get to him, but more likely he was just getting tired. He’d worked a full day as I had, and this wasn’t the first game he’d bowled. At any rate, the final score was 116 to 233. So, to use a metaphor from a completely different sport, the ball was now in his court.
We both removed our shoes and replaced our robes. I was interested to see that he put his shoes and ball into a special bag that was then stored in a cabinet on the wall. My shoes and ball went onto the ball rack and with a tap of Severus’s wand, disappeared back into the ether. Good riddance. I blamed the distraction of the shoes for taking a good six or maybe even seven points off my score.
Severus smirked rather broadly when he won, to my delight, but he didn’t say much of anything once we were both dressed in our everyday robes again. I assumed he was figuring out what game we should play next, but since he didn’t offer any comment, I came right out and asked him. What did I have to lose?
“Thanks for the game, Severus. I never had any doubt you’d win, of course, but it was fun nevertheless. So, what do you want to play next? One-on-One Quidditch? Gobstones? Cards? Wrestling? I’m up for anything.”
“Are you?” He was definitely eyeing me speculatively now, though I wasn’t sure that the speculation was the kind I was hoping for. It sort of reminded me of the way the Big Bad Wolf always eyed Little Red Riding Hood in the storybooks I had as a child. Of course, I’m rather intimately acquainted with the Big Bad Wolf, so I can’t say the look bothered me too much.
“As long as we do it together, absolutely.” I waited patiently to see just what I’d got myself into.
“Very well, we’ll play chess. Be in my quarters at 8 pm on Friday evening. Don’t be late. I hate to be kept waiting.” Having made his pronouncement, he turned in a flurry of black and headed for the stairs.
As I trailed in his wake, I wondered how he made his robes billow in such an impressive and eye catching manner. Ordinary fabric simply doesn’t do that as a rule. It was yet one more of the fascinating mysteries that made up Severus Snape, and I was hoping to unravel as many of them as possible during this year. He was in for a bit of a surprise if he thought I’d do as badly at chess as I did at bowling. It was one of my favorite pastimes. So as I followed Severus up the stairs back into the castle, I was already anticipating a good time on Friday night. Perhaps I could even talk him into playing strip chess. Hey, you never know…