Maybe That Is Why
Title: Maybe That Is Why Summary: Random writing exercise with Omni to get us both un-stuck. Prompt was fall, leaves and wind. Because I fail I'm posting this nine months after I wrote it. Opps? Pairings: Snape/Lupin pre-slash 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 Author: azure_rosa
Remus never expected this to happen. He’d never dreamed that after the war Severus would be as tired of holding a decades old grudge as he was. He’d never believed Severus and he could get past all of the nastiness of their shared childhood. He’d wished and hoped, but never truly thought it likely. Remus blamed himself for that, Severus had no reason to trust him after all.
Each time he had the opportunity to prove himself to Severus he had frozen, stumbled and on one particularly painful occasion thrown the opportunity back in Severus’ face. He didn’t mean to, it wasn’t vicious as Severus had implied over the years, but it kept happening. Still, when he came back to work at Hogwarts Severus had pulled him aside his first day and informed him that he was done feuding with him and that he just wanted to be left in peace. Remus of course readily agreed to these terms as he never wished to have a feud with Severus in the first place.
It had been a gradual process, migrating from nodding politely to each other in the halls to griping at each other over meals about some of the less brilliant things their students had done, in class or out. Eventually they took to chatting with each other as they did their grading in the Teacher’s Lounge during the winter. Severus’ office and rooms were far too frigid to be in for longer than necessary and Remus had always been a social creature.
One day the new Transfiguration professor invaded the Teacher’s Lounge during their regularly scheduled “grading and gossip” as Pomona had dubbed it. After being deliberately obnoxious for some twenty or so minutes in retribution for having been stuck listening to him drone on and on about himself, how skilled he was and his subject matter for nearly all of the last meeting they left together trying not to snicker to themselves over the expression of dreadful temper restrained by the delusion of gentility he projected.
That was the first time they did their grading in Remus’ rooms and if he had to say when they had become friends instead of merely colleagues Remus unhesitatingly pointed to that day. Since then they had been each other’s unwavering companion. They were an odd pair by all accounts, but they got along swimmingly most of the time. Remus greatly enjoyed trying to startle Severus into laughter, almost as much as Severus liked trying to maintain his composure.
So here they were, three years after the war ended, walking side by side down the path connecting Hogwarts to Hogsmeade after having chaperoned the older students as they shopped for gifts for friends and family alike. The leaves danced along the path in the crisp evening breeze as they chatted and smiled at each other.
Fall would soon give way to winter judging by the nip the wind held as it blew through the mostly leafless trees. Remus was never sure what happened then that was different than all the times they had walked this path companionably before, all he knew is that looking at Severus smirking and trying desperately not to laugh at the most recent surprising thing he had said he had never seen a more beautiful sight.
Maybe that is why he kissed him. Maybe that is why he was kissed back.