InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "you done bad thing!"

Severus Snape is not amused (severusnape) wrote in the_recruitment,
@ 2012-02-21 22:05:00

Entry tags:

! 02/1977, ! complete, ! thread, char: remus lupin, char: severus snape

Who: Remus & Severus
What: Begrudgingly partnered over a potion and subsequent interactions
Where: Potions classroom
When: Wednesday the 22^nd of February, morning Potions class
Status: Incomplete
Rating: G/PG

Just as every other session before this one, Severus found the assigned potion easy to brew, if not even a little boring. However, being forced to partner one of his least favourite people in the entire bloody school seemed to make the whole class drag on. It was ridiculous having to work with the werewolf that had very nearly ended his life not long ago, and despite his alleged 'kind demeanour' or other such rubbish, he wasn't keen on talking to the other boy if he didn't need to.

As soon as the potion was up on the blackboard, Severus wordlessly bustled about, getting the necessary ingredients from cupboards and drawers. He made it a point to stand as far away from Lupin as possible, rifling through his book to find the annotations that he'd already made to the Euphoria-Enducing Elixir. Muttering to himself about shoddy directions in an equally shoddy book, he pulled a sprig of peppermint from his personal supply within his satchel, which he'd protected from thievery with a flesh-eating hex.

Now prepared with all of the ingredients the pair would need, Severus grudgingly looked up toward his partner, giving him a barely masked look of dislike. "Well, get on with your half of the work. I'll finish it up in case you botch anything."

(Read comments) - (Post a new comment)

severusnape
2012-02-28 12:43 am UTC (link)

Dark eyes swept over Lupin as he spoke, taking in the little details of his face and posture, ticking off all of the little nuances in his mind. He didn't seem to want to give up more details, so Severus took up the reigns and divulged perhaps a bit more than he should be saying as well. As much as he hated to be too near the werewolf, he found himself leaning just a bit closer and lowering his voice to slightly above a whisper.

"Spare me the routine, Lupin. I know what happened, and it isn't as though it's a bloody secret in Slytherin. Malfoy is hardly one to keep his mouth shut about his 'triumphs', you know."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

thewolfen
2012-02-28 12:49 am UTC (link)

"That's not what I'm talking about," he said quickly; a knee-jerk reaction he couldn't help but say in a voice that was a bit harsh for someone like him who rarely raised his tone. But this was Sirius. He couldn't help but be on edge about it.

"I know what Malfoy did to him physically. Everybody knows about that," he said, as much as he wished that wasn't true. But there it was. He'd acknowledged it out loud and it left a horrible taste in his mouth. "But something else happened too. Something's wrong with him and I don't know how to fix it." He was actually closer to being at his wits end about it than he even realized, now that he was actually verbalizing it.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

severusnape
2012-02-28 12:58 am UTC (link)

That was the reaction he was looking for. Severus latched onto it and exploited it for all it was worth; suddenly, it didn't matter that this was about Sirius bloody Black or the cursed werewolf or anything else that he normally loathed. Now it was about his interests and what he might gain. If he inadvertently helped Lupin to understand the situation a little better, he wouldn't care either way.

"I do," he said slowly before straightening up and letting a smirk play on his lips. Holding the power felt good and he wasn't about to let it fizzle out before he'd gotten a firm grip on it. "If you're so worried about your precious mate, you might be hard pressed to find a better way to go about fixing the situation without my help." It was said so confidently that he was even surprised at how good it made him feel to hold this over Black.

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

thewolfen
2012-02-28 01:10 am UTC (link)

Remus shot Severus a look and held it for a few seconds. He knew? If he knew how to help him, then he knew what was wrong, and to know what was wrong meant he knew what Lucius Malfoy did to Sirius. Was he in on it? Remus' mind was racing faster than a hummingbird's wings.

"You know what happened to him?" He asked, trying to keep his composure. His patience, his calm demeanor, were both being put to the test. "Severus, please. I'm already in debt to you for the rest of my life. Do you really need to hold this over me, too?"

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

severusnape
2012-02-28 01:21 am UTC (link)

"I didn't say that I know what happened beyond what I've heard, just that I know how to fix it," Severus snapped, turning away from Lupin and looking down at the progress of their potion. He noticed that throughout the tense conversation, very little was getting done, so he went about drawing things over to his side and working on the steps as though he'd had the directions memorised; likely quite true.

He let Lupin's last question linger in the air, enjoying the crackle of tension that was building, some part of him hoping to see Lupin break under it. Unfortunately, he quickly looked over at his partner to see the strain on his face, and damn it all, he actually felt guilty again. With a long suffering sigh, he turned back to the potion and continued working to mask the deeper meaning of the words that he was about to speak.

"All I can tell you is that you need to bring Black to a secluded area, away from prying eyes, and let me do my work with him. I hate the idea of getting too close to that dunderhead, but if it means that I get to lord this over him, too, then I don't mind that too much."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

thewolfen
2012-02-28 01:36 am UTC (link)

Remus listened, but he was still pretty upset about the whole thing. If Severus didn't know what happened, then how was he going to be able to fix him? And what was this about doing 'work' on Sirius? He didn't know if he could trust the Slytherin, and it was going to take a hell of a lot more than what Severus just offered up for him to be able to convince Sirius to trust him. It would've been hard enough before any of this to convince Sirius to go anywhere alone with Severus, but now?

He shook his head. "No, you've got to tell me more than that. He'll never agree to something like that unless you tell me what you plan to do." Even then, it would be like pulling teeth to get Sirius to agree to letting Snape help him. "Or tell me what it is and I'll learn how to do it. And you can keep holding anything you want over me."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

severusnape
2012-02-28 02:07 am UTC (link)

"I don't have to tell you anything," Severus all but hissed in indignation. He lowered his voice and looked about to make sure that no one was eavesdropping before forcing himself to lean closer again.

"You can't possibly learn what I know; don't make me laugh, Lupin. It's too complex and I don't fancy myself a very good teacher." Eyes narrowed and he spat the next:

"If he doesn't want to find a solution, then tell him to rot in Hades for all I care."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

thewolfen
2012-02-28 04:17 pm UTC (link)

It offended him when Severus called whatever it was he knew to be 'too complex' for him to learn. Remus wasn't one to be prideful, but it was basically common knowledge that he was extraordinarily smart. ...Perhaps just not as naturally when it came to Potions. Nevertheless, even then, he just had to work a little harder to grasp the concept. What could be too complex to learn?

But this wasn't the time to be arrogant. If taking a few insults from Snape meant Sirius could be helped, he'd let the Slytherin mudsling him all day.

"He does want a solution. And if you can help him, whatever your reasons, I would be grateful to you. He.. might be.. too." He shook his head, knowing Sirius was never going to go for this. "But I have to know what it is. After whatever it is he's gone through, I know he won't just trust anyone blindly without knowing what's going to be done to him. At least give me your word that you won't hurt him."

(Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

severusnape
2012-02-29 11:57 am UTC (link)

Standing up a bit at the werewolf's words, he watched him carefully before returning to the potion, stirring carefully according to memory. It turned into a lovely lavender before shifting into a fragrant sky blue.

"I would give you my word if you let me do what I need to. Knowing you and your ilk, you'll likely try to intervene, and that I will not deal with." Severus shot an accusatory look at Lupin quickly before returning to the potion.

"It shouldn't be harmful, in any case. Apparently whatever was already done to him is far worse than anything I might do."

(Reply to this) (Parent)

(Read comments) -