InsaneJournal

Fic: 'Dark Wizards Anonymous' [Adult]
The Snupin Santa 06 reveal is up, so now, as with most of my f-list, I shall post my fic.

Title: Dark Wizards Anonymous
Fandom: HP
Author: thesnapelyone
Pairing: Severus/Remus, references to casual Severus/Lucius and past Remus/Tonks
Word count: 10,365
Recipient: ellid
Rating: NC-17
Warnings: Very light bondage with ribbons.
Summary: Post-War, Severus and Remus are both leading free but unsatisfying lives. A Ministry-run counselling group for Dark Arts Addicts brings them together and gets Severus thinking that it's about time he started enjoying his retirement.
Notes: Beta'd by the ever-wonderful innerslytherin.


“Hello, my name is Remus Lupin, and I'm a Werewolf.”

An elbow caught Severus Snape sharply in the ribs, waking him. He jolted upright in his chair just in time to hear the group welcoming whomever had just spoken in unison, not paying attention to who was speaking because he was too busy glaring at his companion.

Lucius Malfoy stared back at him mildly.

“What did you do that for?” Severus hissed.

“Remus Lupin,” Lucius hissed back, nodding to the front of the room where a small podium stood.

Severus blinked, and stared. It was Remus Lupin. And his wan smile, tired eyes, and shaggy, dirty blonde hair had come with him. Severus hadn't seen Lupin since his trial after the war, when the prat had dared step forward as a character witness for his defence, even though Severus certainly hadn't asked him to.

“I um, don't actually practice much Dark Arts...well, except for once a month.” Remus gave the assembled dozen or so witches and wizards a self-depreciating smile, and there were a few chuckles from the audience. “But, during the war, I spent a lot of time in a werewolf pack, and I did a lot of, em, unleashing my inner monster, so to speak. So I guess I'm, em, here, because of that, I mean...”

Lucius nudged Severus, more gently this time, and he turned his attention back to his friend.

“Looks like he did a lot of unleashing his inner monster,” Lucius muttered sarcastically, and Severus chuckled appreciatively. “What did he do, savage a few tea bags?”

“Or a chew toy,” Severus muttered, earning a laugh from Lucius.

“Looks like he forgot to remove his clothing last time he transformed,” Lucius added, and Severus smirked, turning his head to glance at Lupin again. His clothes were less ragged than he remembered them occasionally being, but they certainly were rags compared to Lucius' wardrobe. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the group leader rising from his metal folding chair, and and rapped his knuckles against Lucius' arm in warning.

“Did you have something to add to Mr Lupin's experiences, Mr Malfoy?” the group leader asked, straightening his glasses with an officious smile. Arthur Weasley had been much less annoying before Severus had to start dealing with him every Thursday night, but apparently he found trying to lead a Ministry-ordered counselling group of Dark Arts addicts more rewarding than his job in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts division of the Ministry.

Severus frowned in sympathy as Lucius rolled his eyes and got up; it was much less painful to make up something than have to listen to Arthur's 'respect for all beings' speech. Lupin left the podium, avoiding looking at Malfoy, Severus noticed, and Lucius took his place.

“Hello,” Lucius snapped, “I'm Lucius Malfoy, and by court order under conditions of my parole, I have to preface this by informing you all that I am a Dark Wizard, though I still stand by the statement made at my trial that the Dark Lord Imperio'd me through the first war and on into the second, until I managed to break free during the last few months of the war, at which time I helped bring about his downfall from the inside.”

Severus noticed the assembled group rolling their eyes or snorting irritably; Lucius made that same little speech every time he was made to talk. No one had bought it the first time he'd said it, and no one was likely to even after two months of hearing it since. His role in Voldemort's downfall had been rather unwitting; he'd been helping Severus without really knowing what Severus was doing. Severus had still testified on his behalf, though, since Lucius was one of his oldest friends.

That, and he was one of the few ex Death Eaters who didn't want to kill Severus.

“Think Malfoy'll be peeved if I sit here?”

Severus blinked, then turned his attention to the seat Lucius had just occupied. Lupin was sitting there instead. “Very likely,” he murmured coolly, wondering what in the world Lupin thought he was doing, sitting down next to Severus as if they were old friends. Merlin, it was like the trial all over again. Lupin was just insinuating himself good-naturedly into the thick of Severus' personal business without so much as a by-your-leave.

“Hmm.” Lupin turned to face front, then glanced at Severus again. “He does look very peeved. What are you doing after this?”

Severus stared in shock. “Getting laid, I hope,” he said flatly, and turned to face front at Remus' startled expression, feeling satisfied with himself.

“I didn't think you'd be that glad to see me,” Lupin said casually.

“Not from you,” Severus screeched.

Metal scraped against wood as every person in the room turned to look at him.

“Is there something you'd like to add to that, Severus?” Arthur asked cheerfully.

Severus sighed and made a big production of getting to his feet.

.:.:.:.


Lucius had ended up having to sit by Rabastan Lestrange, which Severus imagined was no great hardship, because Rabastan was intelligent enough and rather easy on the eyes, even if he did have a habit of staring morosely at nothing and sighing loudly during breaks in his conversations. He'd taken the death of his brother and sister-in-law particularly hard, which everyone in the group was fond of remarking on in sympathetic tones. It even had a few female members of the group wanting to shag him quite badly, though Severus had a feeling that if they knew just how close he'd been to his brother and sister-in-law, they might not be so eager.

Rabastan hadn't turned out to be working for the Light, unwitting or otherwise, but he'd used his remaining wealth to hire the best legal council the Wizarding World had to offer. In the end, despite his previous convictions and his earlier escape from Azkaban in the mass prison break he'd helped orchestrate, he'd only gotten sentenced with probation and court-ordered mental counselling, along with Dark Wizards Anonymous. Severus supposed it didn't really matter; he was about as dangerous as one of Lupin's savaged tea bags, now.

The rest of the meeting, Severus had refused to be drawn into conversation with Lupin, folding his arms and staring straight ahead with such determination that after the meeting ended, Arthur had pulled him aside to praise his sudden enthusiasm. Severus supposed it would look that way to Arthur; his Thursday evening naps were ritual by now. Lucius left straight away because he always went to visit Draco on Thursday evenings after their horrid meetings, but Severus was surprised—and oddly, not unenthused—to discover that Lupin had waited for him.

“Get a coffee?” Lupin asked, falling into step with him.

Severus glanced at him, thinking it would be easier to convince Lupin he didn't want Severus' friendship if he just nipped it in the bud early on. The easiest way to accomplish this was to expose him to Severus' personality right off; then all the memories of their past interactions would come flooding back and send Remus running for safety.

“If you're buying, I suppose.”

.:.:.:.


“Thought you were getting laid after,” Lupin said once they'd settled into a booth at a coffee house down the road from the place the group met.

Severus was proud that he managed not to cough up the sip he'd just taken. “The night's still young,” he informed Lupin frostily.

“You and Malfoy, huh?”

“How'd you know that?” Severus demanded, narrowing his eyes.

“It was kind of obvious.”

Severus arched a brow, but Lupin didn't offer any further explanation, so he didn't say anything either.

“Bet I'm better in bed.”

“It always annoyed me when you acted like Black.”

“Do you remember how madly we used to shag?” Remus asked wistfully, completely ignoring Severus' remark.

Which annoyed Severus, of course. “I wish you wouldn't bring this up.”

“Why not?” Remus asked, looking wounded.

“We were teenagers, for Merlin's sake. It was twenty years ago. Every time in that twenty years since that you've tried to bring it up, I have told you not to do so.”

“Every time,” Remus scoffed. “And how many times has that been, exactly? All of three?”

“Three too many,” Severus countered, sipping from his paper cup.

“Look, I've said plenty of times during that twenty years that I'm sorry for how things ended! Don't you think you're holding on to grudges a bit too long?”

Severus merely glared at him.

“All right, I know you're quite good at holding grudges...”

“Quite good?” Severus repeated, scoffing. “I've turned it into an art form.”

Remus laughed, surprising Severus. “All right, so you have. But...come on. The war's over, and we won. Voldemort is dead, Harry is alive, the Death Eaters are vanquished. It's a time for renewal for the whole of the Wizarding world, and you still want to hold on to grudges.”

Severus scowled down into his cup. “I'm here, aren't I?”

Remus was silent, so he glanced up, and found the werewolf smiling at him.

“True, pardon me. All right, so perhaps it doesn't have everything to do with grudges. Why don't you want to speak of it?”

“Because it's the past, Lupin. Like you said, it's a time for renewal. I don't want to think about the past.”

Lupin nodded, expression determined. “So is that group part of your parole?”

Severus sat back in his chair and regarded Lupin frankly.

“All right, I should have known you wouldn't willingly go to something like that,” Remus smiled apologetically.

“It's a farce,” Severus muttered angrily. “There's nothing wrong with being a Dark wizard. Do you know how stupid I feel standing up there trying to muster up guilt?”

“Well, you know, most people don't share your opinion on that,” Remus said lightly, making Severus frown.

“Just because some wizards abuse the Dark Arts doesn't mean they shouldn't exist.”

“I'm not arguing with you, Severus.”

“Aren't you? Why were you in that group, Lupin?”

Lupin sighed, frowning, and stared down at his coffee. “Arthur thought it might be good for me. It's hard now to find people willing to even talk to a werewolf, lest they think they're sliding down the slippery slope into the Dark Arts.”

“You see? More of what I was saying.” Severus snorted. Then he blinked. “Hold on. Are you telling me you joined the group to make friends?”

Lupin looked sheepish. “None of them seemed to mind me being a werewolf. And what is wrong with Rabastan Lestrange, anyway? He didn't look that glassy-eyed during his trial.”

“Yes, well, Rodolphus and Bellatrix's remains weren't found till after he got off, are you telling me that you're that desperate for social interaction?” Severus demanded, brows raised. He couldn't believe that the man who was such a rabid goody-two-shoes was actually willing to look amongst ex Death Eaters and Dark Wizards to find company.

“I had a problem with Voldemort, Severus, not the Dark Arts.”

“Could have fooled me,” Severus muttered, thinking back to all the rows they'd had when they'd been together.

“Yes, well, I've changed a bit in twenty years, thank you,” Remus said defensively, frowning. “As I'm sure you have.” He paused, then added, “At least, I hope you have.”

“Thanks,” Severus said sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He drank his coffee vengefully.

“Well, I just mean that I don't really know. This is the most pleasant social interaction we've managed in twenty years.”

It suddenly occurred to Severus that he didn't know what he was doing here. He'd told Lupin that he wanted to forget the past, to move on, and that was true, but he'd spent the evening mocking and then ignoring Lupin, and then suddenly he'd been invited to get a coffee and he'd agreed, with the rationale that he would simply remind Lupin why he didn't like Severus. Only Severus wasn't being nearly as hostile as usual. They were talking and...Severus hadn't hexed him, sworn at him, or insulted his clothing.

Not to mention that he did already have a lover, although it wasn't really as official as that; they were just old friends who occasionally shagged. He wondered if Lupin had a lover. Well, one way to find out.

“Are you still with Tonks?”

Lupin stared at him as if he'd sprouted a second head. “Did you miss the part where she arrested me?”

“Did she?” Severus asked, unable to completely contain his glee.

“This is the most interested you've looked all night; perhaps I've overestimated my conversation skills.” Lupin was frowning at him.

“Back to Tonks arresting you, though, was it terribly heartbreakingly painful for her? Did she cry?”

“You're such a sadist. No she didn't cry. Or at least, not in front of me.”

“Blast. I'd hoped you'd have pictures.”

“Of her crying? Why would I do that?” Remus was looking most alarmed, now.

Severus supposed he was probably overdoing it. He took a moment to calm down, shrugging as if it didn't matter to him either way, then suggested, “Revenge? Wanting to document fond memories?”

“Buggery hell, Severus, do you have pictures of me crying somewhere I'm not aware of?” Remus' expression had shuttered.

“Did you cry?” Severus asked, arching an eyebrow in more subdued interest. “You chucked me.”

Remus glared at him. “Tonks was the one who did the chucking with me, as well.”

“Really?” Severus couldn't completely hide his surprise. “I'd have thought you'd finally just admit to being gayer than a maypole.”

“Shut up, Severus.” Remus sat back in the booth, folding his arms defensively. “I like women, too.”

Severus felt much better for not being the one on the defensive now. “So, had she chucked you before she arrested you, or was it not till after? Why did she arrest you? Was it a terrible betrayal? Did you go feral over her?”

“You are much too interested in other people's suffering,” Remus pointed out flatly. “You don't want to talk about the past, but I have to? I'm not talking about this with you.”

“Did you go feral over her?” Severus demanded, arching a brow.

“Do I look feral to you?” Remus asked, exasperated, and raked a hand through his shaggy hair.

“Yes.” Severus arched an eyebrow.

“Well, I'm not. Lots of people lost a lot in this war... In fact, come to mention it, you're the first one who looks... better.”

“Excuse me?” Severus asked, wondering if he ought to be insulted.

“You do. You look...healthier. Less desperate. Better dressed. Wealthier. The entire Wizarding World is having to piece itself back together from rubble, and you're looking...good.” Lupin was staring at him with open confusion. “Thriving, actually.”

“Oh, thanks very much, Lupin, that's lovely, don't sound so bloody surprised.” Severus scowled.

“Oh bugger, I didn't mean it like that, Severus! You do look good, I just wondered if you had some good fortune, lately.” Remus looked embarrassed and offered an apologetic smile.

Severus sniffed, watching Remus coolly. “They found Dumbledore's will a few months back.”

“What?” Lupin's confusion had only grown.

“Didn't you hear about that?”

“No, actually, I only got back into the country a few weeks ago...why? Though I'm surprised no one's mentioned it.”

“I'm not.” Severus' smile was frank, but no less pleased. “No one was very happy with what was in it.”

“Oh really? What about you?”

“I was named his sole heir. I got everything.”

“You're not serious!” Lupin was suddenly grinning, which Severus found odd.

“I am,” Severus replied, and now it was his turn to be confused.

“But that's wonderful, Severus!”

Very confused. “It is?” Severus couldn't help but ask; he didn't think he'd even been as excited about the news as Remus was acting.

“Of course it is! You devoted your entire adult life to him, and most people never would believe it...it has to feel good. Aren't you happy about it?”

“Well, it's been useful,” Severus allowed. “I've been able to pay back all my legal fees. And since I'm not exactly employable any longer, I've needed the money. But even though it was validated as a legally binding document, there have been several people who've been trying to contest it.”

“Oh yeah? Have they had any luck?” Lupin asked, expression subduing.

“Not yet, no. It is a bit worrisome, because if it is successfully contested, I will have to give everything back, including what I've already spent...” Severus shrugged. “And if they find me guilty of being the one to create such false documents, I could find myself back in Azkaban. I know that there are still plenty of people who would like to see that happen.”

Remus was silent for a few moments. “D'you ever just want to run off and disappear into the Muggle world?” he asked, as if he might be considering such a move himself.

“Not really,” Severus replied blandly, “but perhaps I should consider it. Wanting to stick with the world I had but change it into a place I liked was how I got myself into two wars in the first place.”

Lupin met Severus' gaze with a small, bitter smile. There wasn't much to say after that.

.:.:.:.


Severus wanted to be able to say that for the next week, he didn't think about Lupin once. Unfortunately for him, this was not true. He thought about Lupin at least once a day from Thursday to Thursday, sometimes dwelling on how passionate they'd been for each other as teenagers, sometimes unable to remember anything except how much they'd argued and fought. When he wasn't thinking about that, he was replaying the conversation they'd had over coffee, dissecting it for meaning into Lupin's comments.

But more than anything, he thought about the last thing he'd said to Lupin before he'd excused himself: that trying to change the world he was in was what had led the direction of his life for so very long. Up until the second war ended, in fact. All that time, he'd always had a cause, something to work towards, something to devote himself to.

And now what did he have? A higher bank balance, property he didn't want to deal with, and an occasional lover who was still grieving over his dead wife. There was no place for him in the rabid anti-Dark society that had sprung up from the rubble of a world almost destroyed by Voldemort. There wasn't even room to eye up a slightly dodgy cookbook in this society. They hadn't given him even a centimetre of ground to fight them on this time; if he so much as sneezed in the direction of a cauldron, the Ministry had leave to revoke his parole.

It was incredibly boring. Severus found himself wanting to try, even if it meant having Aurors on the hunt for him again and running across the entire planet, only one or two steps ahead of them. It was either that, or join Lucius in his garden for days of drinking milky tea and then cognac at night until he passed out, then waking up and doing it again.

By the time the next Thursday evening rolled around, Severus couldn't bear to drag himself to another Dark Wizards Anonymous.

It was utterly depressing sitting in a room full of utterly defeated witches and wizards, having to do what Arthur Weasley said, spending his Thursday evenings napping through it so he didn't think about how dull his life was. He had to do something, or he would go mad.

It was time to enjoy his retirement.

.:.:.:.


Despite his lack of desire to be anywhere near Arthur Weasley and a podium, Severus went to the meeting with a lighter step, a plan brewing in his mind. He hovered as the others assembled, ignoring Lucius' odd looks, and then swooped down when Lupin finally took a seat, sliding into the chair next to him as Lupin had done to him the previous week.

“I need to talk to you,” Severus muttered, and watched Lupin's head swivel around to face him with a look of surprise.

“Severus! What are you...” his eyes trailed past Severus' face. “Bloody hell, I think Malfoy is trying to murder me with his mind.”

“Ignore Lucius. I'm talking to you.”

Remus chuckled. “Yes, Severus.” his voice was much more affectionate than Severus thought it had any right to be, but he didn't have time for that.

“I'm going to rebel.”

“Excuse me?”

Severus met Remus' startled eyes. They were gold. He'd forgotten. “I'm leaving the country.”

“Are you?” Lupin looked puzzled.

“Yes. I'm going to become an outlaw again.”

“What?” Lupin's eyes darted around. He lowered his voice to a whisper and hissed, “Are you certain you want to talk of this here? What--”

“No, I've already decided, there's no time to wait—”

“No time to wait for what?”

Severus glanced up at Lucius, glaring down at him. He stood quickly and pulled Lucius down into the empty chair next to him. “I'm rebelling.”

“You're what?” Lucius gave him a look that said exactly what he thought of Severus' sanity.

“Merlin, neither of you are losing your hearing yet. I don't have time to explain, but I'm going on the run. Do you want to come along?”

“On the run?” Lucius demanded incredulously, eyebrows raising. He lowered his voice to a furious whisper. “You must be bloody joking! I am not winding up in Azkaban again, thank you so much. I told you what passes for a bathroom in that place!”

“I've no intention of getting caught,” Severus murmured. “Just felt like giving the Ministry the old two-fingered salute.”

“You've gone mad,” Lucius hissed. “My life is finally good again! My hair has finally bounced back. I am not doing anything of the sort.”

Severus shrugged. “That's fine.” He turned to Remus. “Fancy coming along?”

“Wait one moment, you're asking him?” Lucius demanded slightly louder than a whisper.

Remus stared at him uncertainly. “I'd like to know a bit more first,” he said, then gestured to Arthur, who was stepping up to the podium. “The meeting's starting.”

“All right everyone, I'd like to start the meeting now with some announcements—yes Severus?”

Severus had stood immediately. All eyes were on him as he folded his arms. “I'd like to speak.”

Arthur's smile was benign, but just twinged with the slightest bit of irritation. “I was going to do some announcements first, Severus.”

“Yes I know, but,” I don't really care about that at all, you great buggery git, “it's important.”

“Well...” Arthur looked torn a moment, but finally shrugged. “All right. I'm pleased that you want to share something, Severus.”

Severus glanced down at Lucius and Lupin, who were both staring at him as if they couldn't quite suss him out, and then stepped from the rows of chairs to approach the podium. He turned to face the room and looked over the rows of tired, washed up men and women, then to Arthur's overeager, bright face which he just wanted to smack in the gob, and then to Lucius and Lupin. Lucius looked as though Severus was mad, but Lupin was now looking—interested?

“Hello, I'm Severus Snape, and I'm a Dark Wizard.”

“Hello, Severus,” the room droned in chorus.

“And I don't see any problem with that,” Severus went on vehemently. “I like being a Dark Wizard. I don't think I have any sort of problem, and if I am addicted to the Dark Arts, so bloody what? Everyone's addicted to magic, no one could stop using it tomorrow and not have any problems,” he added vehemently, then stabbed a finger at Arthur, “and anyone who says that it's not the same thing can piss off.”

It wasn't as eloquent as he would've liked, and it came out a bit rushed, but the room was stunned silent and that was a satisfactory reaction. “The Ministry means bollocks. I'm tired of being told what a bloody good job I did for the war effort one minute and then being denied my basic rights as a wizard the next—the right to study and practice magic. I will brew a potion if I bloody feel like it, and none of those Ministry prats can say otherwise. This is the last meeting you'll see me at, so farewell and piss off, the lot of you. Oh, and Arthur—I hate you. Good day.”

With that, Severus flicked his first two fingers up, sneering, and Apparated out of the room. He didn't care what they thought, or what they did, or if they even spoke of it again. The look of having swallowed a poison that was eating away at his insides on Weasley's face was enough for him.

He waited. He'd give Lupin or Lucius exactly five minutes, and then he'd leave for good without either of them.

Lupin burst out of the door to the men's toilets three minutes and forty-one seconds later. Severus spied him down the hall, frowning in puzzlement, and then met his gaze. Lupin lit up and ran down the corridor, catching up to him several seconds later.

“Do I want to know?”

“I've been in a few different rooms, looking for you,” Remus explained, frowning. “You didn't exactly tell me where to look.”

“Why would I have been in the toilets?”

“I don't know, why not? Merlin, this is mad, I'm standing here thinking about running off with a man who's just announced that he sees nothing wrong with being a Dark Wizard...”

“You're a Dark Creature. I'd say it fits.”

“Yes, but I don't...I mean...”

“Look, Lupin. I'm not about to start burning villages, terrorizing Muggles, eating babies or subverting the government. I just think I ought to be able to brew a bloody Strengthening Solution if I bloody feel like it! They awarded me an Order of Merlin and then informed me that going into an Apothecary violated my parole. My life as a spy may have been unpleasant, rough, and rife with danger, but that's a damn sight better than sitting around going bloody mad from boredom all day.”

Remus smiled. “I like a man with a rebellious streak.”

.:.:.:.


Severus watched Remus stare dubiously down at the badge affixed to his robes and felt a small wash of anxiety that he didn't bother Occluding against—it was all part of the experience, he thought. They stepped out of the golden lifts and into a wide corridor, Severus keeping an eye out for other people. He'd had to bluff his way through the Ministry building before on Order business, but too many people knew who he was now, and he'd never attempted it on this level, though he'd been up to the Minister's office before.

Remus was glancing around like a wide-eyed tourist, though Severus couldn't imagine why, because he'd been in the Ministry building at least twice before, most recently when giving testimony at Severus' trial and before that at the Department of Mysteries battle. Perhaps he'd just never seen the administrative offices. “Where are these plaques, again? I didn't know they kept them.”

“Yes, I've seen them a few times. They're just down the hall. Don't talk about it, you'll draw attention. If you look as though you have somewhere important to be, people tend to just let you be on your way. Just smile and walk very swiftly past anyone you see,” Severus insisted.

“And pretend our badges don't say 'Thief', you mean?”

“Yes, don't draw attention to that, certainly.”

“How long do you reckon that security fellow will be asleep for?” Remus asked. “You really think no one will question us this late at night?”

“Long enough to let us get in and out before he can tell someone the coffee's been tampered with, I hope,” Severus said. “It's not that late. Some people in the building are still working.” He had his eyes on the walls they were rapidly passing by, then abruptly stopped at the glint of brass and grabbed Remus' arm to drag him farther, speeding up as they approached.

“Here.” The entire length of the rest of the hallway was lined with them in every available centimetre of space available from floor to ceiling, listing the names of witches or wizards, their Order of Merlin and what class, the date awarded, and a brief synopsis of why. Each piece of brass was mounted on a tasteful setting of dark hardwood. They both stopped in their tracks, taking it all in. It would've been almost impressive if Severus didn't imagine that half of the plaques had been awarded to people who simply donated vast sums of money to the Ministry.

“I didn't get one of these for myself,” Severus explained. “It's a shame; I think it would've looked good hanging above all my empty cauldrons,” he added bitterly.

“No doubt,” Remus agreed, not sounding the least bit sympathetic as he peered around, which Severus appreciated. “Merlin, this is a lot of people. More than you'd think.”

Severus nodded, distracted already as he prowled the length of the hall. “You keep lookout, tell me if anyone's coming. I have no idea where mine is.”

“Hello, life of crime,” Remus muttered pleasantly. Severus glanced back to see him pretending to study a plaque while his eyes darted around the hall quickly to the various doorways they'd passed. The werewolf had aged better than he'd thought, and he was still handsome. Perhaps more so now, because Severus had always appreciated a maturity in his lovers.

Then he reminded himself that he was supposed to be finding his plaque, and shook himself quickly, missing the little smile that quirked over Remus' lips as he turned away.

Severus searched as quickly as possible, breezing past any names that didn't begin with 'S' and avoiding temptation to read the inscriptions. Footsteps urged his search on faster; he could only hope that it was a very dim fellow who hadn't bothered to look both ways when leaving his office and was walking away from them—they were Ministry officials, after all. They hadn't noticed Voldemort right under their very noses for that first year after his return, so Severus reckoned he had a chance.

The footsteps sped up, got closer, and then stopped. Severus felt a lead weight drop into his stomach and breezed through another row.

“Why hello there, miss,” Remus began, and Severus knew they were doomed.

“Remus Lupin. I never would have expected this. Who's that with you? Why, that looks to be Severus Snape,” the woman added with a rather over-abundance of nonchalance, and Severus suddenly recognized the voice. He turned his head and took in the bushy head of Hermione Granger. The rest of her was in light blue business robes. Buggery hell, he'd heard she was a Junior Minister, but she was the last person he'd expected to see.

She gave him a tight smile. Severus just arched his eyebrows and went back to his search.

“Hallo, Hermione,” Remus greeted cheerfully, making Severus want to smack him. “Working late, I see.”

“Yes, well, I just wanted to get some things done that I didn't want to leave for the next day. What are you doing up here?”

“Having a bit of a look at the plaques,” Remus said. “I didn't believe Severus that he'd got an Order of Merlin because he said that they didn't actually give him anything for it, so we nipped up here to see. I've got a Galleon that says he's lying.”

Severus risked another glance at Hermione to see if she'd accepted Remus' bluff. Her sceptical gaze was enough; he hadn't thought it would work.

“You're going to owe him a Galleon,” Hermione admitted. “Not a very good way to go about this bet, however, Prof—Mr Lupin.”

She still had trouble with that. Severus smirked grimly.

“Remus, please, Hermione.” Remus smiled affably.

“People don't go settling bets late at night on the first level of the Ministry of Magic building,” Hermione pointed out. “You could be arrested just for being up here if some overzealous Auror found you, and I don't like any reasons I can come up with of why you would be.” Her lips pressed together in disapproval, and Severus was reminded of what an irritating little Prefect she'd been.

“We are actually just looking for Severus' Order of Merlin,” Remus said, shrugging and continuing to smile, as if they were having a nice visit.

Hermione sighed, gave them both long, dark looks, and marched down the hall past Severus, stopping several rows away from where he'd been and pointing to a plaque down near the bottom.

“Shunted me off to the corner,” Severus grumbled, then moved to where she was pointing. There it was, and he felt an odd thrill of some undefined emotion pass through him.

Order of Merlin, third class
Awarded to Severus Snape
on 12 December 2000
for Services to the Ministry
Aiding in the Defeat of Lord Voldemort


He'd always wanted one. It had been such a hollow victory, to finally have it but under such unfortunate circumstances. The day he'd been informed of it, he'd expected to feel exultant, but ever since the war had ended, he'd just felt...tired.

Severus had never expected to actually want to even see the plaque. All he could think of was that night on the lightning-struck tower and the Final Battle between Potter and the Dark Lord.

Severus straightened up, drew his wand, and pried the plaque from the wall with a spell. Next to him, Hermione gasped and grabbed for it, but Severus got it into his hands before she could.

“What are you doing?” she demanded, looking worried.

“Taking it with me, of course. The Ministry owes me something, and since I can't get a personal apology from every employee who's pissed me off in the past twenty years, a bloody plaque is the least they can do.”

Hermione stared at Severus for a long moment. He wondered if he ought to be running.

“All right,” she said with a sigh. “Look, I happen to agree with you to an extent, I mean, what they did was really unfair-”

“I don't want your sympathy,” Severus said testily.

Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Fine, but at least Obliviate me so I can't be implicated.”

Remus stepped over to them, hands in his pockets. “Can't we get in trouble for Obliviating a Junior Minister?”

Hermione just stared at him. “You can get in trouble for every part of this.”

Remus nodded. “Life of crime coming along quite well then, wouldn't you say, Severus?”

Severus nodded slowly and glanced at Hermione dubiously. Their expressions matched perfectly. He turned back to Remus. “Ready to begin a life on the run?”

“Absolutely,” Remus said cheerfully.

“Fabulous,” Severus said dryly, then turned to Hermione. “Obliviate.”

Hermione's expression blanked. Severus watched her for a moment. “All right, let's get out of here.” He frowned, then gingerly turned her to face the opposite wall.

When she didn't do anything else, Remus laughed and Severus turned away, heading quickly down the hall. Remus followed at his side and jabbed the button on the lifts, then pulled Severus inside when the golden doors opened.

Severus blinked at Remus' bright smile. “All right, Lupin?”

“Sorry, yes, fine.” Remus forced his smile down and hit the button for the Atrium.

The doors slid closed and the lift began descending. Severus met Remus' gaze and wondered (for the first time all night) what Remus' coming along with him meant. He hadn't planned on asking Lupin to come along, though now he wondered if he should have. After all, the entire idea had been spawned by an oddly not-unpleasant conversation with Lupin and all the subsequent thinking of their past together. But what did Lupin think? Why had he agreed to come along? Did he...expect certain things of a romantic nature? Severus wasn't certain if he wanted Lupin to expect those things or not.

He had a feeling he did.

“What are you thinking about, Severus?” Lupin's voice was low and relaxed, and Severus felt the instinctive urge to bristle as that tone tugged and coaxed at his defences.

“Wondering what it means that Malfoy stayed and you came along,” Severus managed, shocked at himself for actually just saying what he meant there.

“Probably that Malfoy can live without you, but I can't.”

Severus stared at him, tensing as his eyes grew wide.

Remus looked amused. “I'm sorry, Severus, I didn't mean to shock you. ...All right, so I did, actually. But I didn't mean to give you heart failure. Don't die.”

Severus coughed and remembered how to breathe, forcing his eyes to resume normal size and even narrow a bit, but he couldn't manage to keep his shoulders from climbing up near his ears.

“Look, I know there's likely still a lot that needs said between us, and that we haven't spoken properly except for that bit last week for a good many years, and I'd like to remedy that,” Lupin said, shaking his hair out of his face. It was obviously an unconscious gesture, but Severus was struck, again, by how handsome he was, and even got a small whiff of pleasant-smelling aftershave. He liked that. “I'm just not sure now's the time.”

“No...agreed...” Severus managed, still having difficulty breathing normally. “We'll talk later.”

“Where are we going, by the way?” Lupin asked, but just then the lift binged and the doors opened.

Severus peered out the doors, but didn't see anyone. Of course, if anyone was about, they'd heard the lift, but Severus didn't want to continue talking in case he missed hearing anything.

All was still. He crept out of the lift, Remus just behind him. No voices or footsteps or anything besides the sound of their own movements.

They got through the gates just fine, but discovered something that didn't entirely bode well.

The 'security fellow' was no longer where they'd left him, asleep from his drugged coffee.

Severus grabbed Remus' arm and headed for the nearest Departures fireplace.

“Munch, that you?” a voice called, but Severus didn't even stop to wonder where it was coming from, just grabbed a bucket of Floo powder and, flinging a handful of the powder into the fireplace, announced his destination, and pushed Lupin into the green flames. Lupin's wide-eyed gaze was comical as he disappeared. Severus pulled the plaque close to his chest, ignoring the sound of running feet behind him, tucked his elbows in, announced the destination once more, and then stepped into the flames just before they died.

The normal warm, rushing feeling overtook him, and Severus shut his eyes; he'd never been able to brave Floo travel with his eyes open, for some reason. He opened them again as he was spat out, however, and stumbled right into Lupin's back.

“Severus! Where are we?” Lupin turned to steady him, and Severus straightened up to discover he was only a hand's breadth away from Lupin's face.

It was hardly the time to worry about that, however. “We've got to get out of here quickly in case they heard the destination and try to follow. I'm going to Side-Along Apparate us because you don't know where you're going.”

Remus nodded quickly, and then they were gone with a crack.

.:.:.:.


It was pitch dark when they arrived at their destination. Remus cast Lumos before Severus had even let go of him—and then he did quite quickly. “Where are we?”

“This is a house in Germany that was once owned by my mother's parents. They outlived all their children, so when they passed on, it was handed down to the second-oldest grandchild.”

Remus glanced around, then flicked his wrist and the entire room was illuminated. It was quite a large room, tastefully decorated in rich colours, with a few sofas placed around a wide, low table and a tall fireplace against one wall. The walls were bare, but lighter patches of wallpaper showed where portraits once hanged. “Why second-oldest?”

“Because I'm the oldest grandchild, and they'd never approved of my mother marrying a Muggle. It went to my cousin instead.”

“Ah. So your cousin lives here?”

“He holidays with his family here,” Severus corrected. “No one should be here now. At least, I hope not.”

“Not fond of your cousin?” Remus asked, and received an arch look. “All right, I suppose that was a stupid question. Are you fond of anyone, I wonder?”

Severus rolled his eyes and moved through the room. “There should be...guest bedrooms on this floor,” he said as he opened the door, suddenly uncertain and telling himself that he shouldn't be. One person to a room, it just made sense, but he'd hesitated and he wondered if Lupin would notice.

“Probably not cold enough for me to pull a line about needing to huddle together for warmth, eh?” Remus asked.

Severus stopped and turned to stare at him in the dark hallway, the only light coming from the room they'd just exited because he hadn't thought to do the spell. “Not nearly cold enough.”

“Blast,” Remus said lightly. “Well, what if I promise to only snuggle you a bit after the fantastic sex and then sleep in my own bed?”

Severus found himself at a loss for words again. It was so much easier to handle advances he was absolutely certain he didn't want. He found himself doing exactly what he'd told Lupin he didn't intend to do (again)--remembering how it was when they were young and it didn't seem so impossible to think that a Dark wizard and a Dark creature might get over childhood animosity for some really good shags.

He debated a moment longer, then said, “I can't remember who gets tied up anymore.”

Remus laughed, his eyes glinting in the low light. “I'll volunteer.”



They found two empty guest rooms, but the beds didn't have sheets or blankets, so those had to be transfigured. Severus thought about exploring the rest of the house, but he didn't feel like doing so tonight, and decided to leave it for the morning. Remus kept shooting him hungry looks as they investigated the two rooms, and all Severus wanted to do was claim a bed and find out if they still had the same amount of chemistry together they'd produced when they were young.

He was eager but incredibly nervous when Remus backed him into a bedroom and shut the door, but it didn't take Severus long to remember that despite his many hangups, he was not the virginal sort. He pulled Remus into the room and leaned forward until their lips met, holding his breath and worrying that he wouldn't feel anything at all.

He shouldn't have worried. It was like coming back to somewhere familiar after being in unstable territory for a long time, or waking up from a disturbing dream that hadn't wanted to end. It was so familiar in a way he hadn't expected to remember, and when Remus' lips parted, Severus mimicked him, exploring Remus' mouth and letting his own be explored with a hunger that surprised him.

When Remus broke the kiss—several minutes later—they were both pleasantly breathless and panting quietly, and at some point their bodies had come together and Severus could feel Remus' erection through his clothes. “There's something I want to say first.”

“I don't think talking would be well-advised,” Severus said hesitantly, not wanting to risk breaking the odd spell on the room with words.

“I—I just want to say that I'm sorry,” Remus insisted. “I've said it before—several times, and in several different ways—but I want to say it now, to make certain you know that I still mean it. I'm sorry that I left you, and I know that it was twenty years ago, and I'm sorry for that year we taught together, but you rather got me back for that one, and I'm sorry for not contacting you after your trial, and I'm sorry for anything else that I should apologize for but haven't, and I just—want you to know.”

“Good, can we shag now?” Severus asked, disliking the sudden emotional element to the charged tension in the room.

“Do you accept my apology?” Remus asked, gripping Severus' shoulders tightly.

Severus sighed. “Yes, all right?”

“All right.” Remus smiled, and the irritation that had been creeping into Severus' mood fled.

“Good.” Severus blinked, and glanced down at himself; his arms were curled up between them, and he still had the plaque in one hand.

“Sorry, I'm just a bit eager.” Remus laughed. “Here, we should hang it up.”

Severus let him take the plaque out of his grasp, and Remus climbed up onto the bed to place it against the wall over the headboard. He attached it to the wall with a spell and sat down, gazing up at it. “There.”

Severus felt foolish to have it hanging up over the bed like that, though he supposed it didn't matter for now. He knelt on the bed and made his way over to Remus, sitting just shy of brushing against his arm and thigh. “Now I suppose I can't use my 'Order of Moron' jokes any longer.”

Remus barked a dry laugh and turned enough to kiss him again.

Now the familiarity felt strange, and the fact that it didn't make sense irritated Severus. He remembered this so well, with just a few kisses, and yet...they were so different now. Barely more than strangers despite how close they'd been.

Severus decided that the only thing for it was to charge onward. He wasn't about to get all girly and start analysing emotions when he could be having a shag. “Too many layers,” he murmured, tugging on the hem of Remus' blue jumper.

Remus chuckled. “Yes, I certainly can’t argue with you on that point.” He pulled away just enough to let Severus lift his jumper over his head.

Severus tossed Remus’ jumper onto a nearby chair and slid his hands over Remus’ torso immediately. He wanted all of Remus naked, but that skin was just too tempting. Remus was so warm and strange and he needed to relearn everything about his body that had been forgotten. He traced what scars there were, trying to decide if each one had been present years ago or had been made in the time they'd spent apart.

“Mmm, that’s lovely,” Remus murmured, working at Severus’ buttons. “Your hands are cold.”

“That’s why I’m warming them up,” Severus said, and then began helping Remus with his buttons, because they were rather daunting.

Remus laughed and leaned in; Severus kissed him while they worked.

Finally the miles of buttons were undone, and Severus shrugged out of his outer robes and let them fall on the floor, and started in on his shirt buttons.

“I hope you know how much I want you,” Remus whispered between kisses.

“I do,” Severus said, because Remus had mentioned sex enough recently that that was one thing, at least, he could be certain of. He dropped his shirt on top of his robes and shed his trousers quickly, impatient with how long a process undressing suddenly seemed.

Remus smiled and mouthed at Severus’ jawline, stroking his hands down Severus’ back to slide inside his waistband. Severus pulled him close again and sucked on his neck, running his nails up Remus’ back.

“Severus!” Remus groaned, and shivered. “Yes, that’s brilliant!” He wrapped arms around Severus again, pressing against him. “Hold on, need to get trousers off.”

Severus sighed in over exaggerated exasperation, but let Remus pull away so he could shift out of the rest of his clothing. Once they were both completely naked, Severus leaned in to run his hands over Remus' thighs. He examined them as he had Remus' torso, enjoying the quiet, appreciative noises Remus made, and almost missed the, “Have me,” the werewolf whispered.

Merlin, those words – there was no better aphrodisiac. “You did volunteer for tying up.”

Remus smirked at him and glanced around the room once. “How are you planning to work that out, then?”

“Magic,” Severus said dryly, revealing that he'd kept his wand when he'd discarded his clothing, and a simple flick of the wrist had a black satin ribbon slithering out of the tip of his wand. It fell to Remus' leg, moving in smooth, serpentine movements. The ribbon wound around Remus' thigh, spiralling upwards. Severus smirked at Remus' expression, which was one of wary amusement as the ribbon sneaked higher. It moved from Remus' leg to his hips, eliciting a gasp from the werewolf as it wound itself gently around his cock and balls, undulating as ribbons were never meant to do for a few moments.

Remus' eyes lowered, and Severus' smirk grew wider. “Tell me how it feels.”

“Oh, oh...good!” Remus gasped, which was not really as detailed an answer as Severus had in mind, but Remus' enjoyment was so palpable he decided not to press the issue. Finally the ribbon's end came loose and jumped to one of Remus' wrists, wrapping around it securely. Remus wasn't even fazed, his expression clearly conveying that his thoughts were definitely focused inward. The ribbon slowly released Remus' arousal and wrapped around his other wrists, then cinched itself together quickly, leaving his wrists tied together in front of him.

“You kinky bastard,” Remus exclaimed breathlessly, grinning.

“I try,” Severus said with a casual eyebrow flick, then imitated the serpentine movements of his ribbon and surged forward to trail kisses up Remus’ chest to his throat, where he attached his lips once more. One hand balanced him upright and the other pinched and rolled a nipple between his fingers.

Remus let out an incoherent noise of pleasure, arching up to meet Severus. “Yes,” he breathed, head falling back.

Severus was utterly enamoured of Remus’ skin, and set out to properly appreciate it. He wanted to be thorough in his taking, to touch Remus everywhere, to experience all of him, before he got round to the actual shagging. Mostly because he remembered from their younger days that being inside Remus felt so incredible that he tended to get rather stupid and lost all coherent thought.

He kissed his way back down Remus’ throat, paused to bathe the hollow in his collar bone, and then went exploring, sucking and licking Remus’ shoulders, his pectorals, nipples, ribs. He spent some time at Remus’ navel, teasing there, utterly enrapt in the process.

“Oh, God!” Remus murmured, his fingers curling into Severus' hair as his head bumped his tied hands. “Mmm, delightful.” He stretched out as though offering himself, and Severus paused to study Remus like that, looking so relaxed and inviting.

He smirked wickedly, then mapped out Remus’ hips and thighs, nipping lightly and then sucking on the sensitive skin on his inner thighs while he caressed the outer with his fingertips, and made his way down to give the same treatment to the backs of his knees.

Remus gasped at Severus’ mouth on his thighs, then yelped and twisted at the tickling sensation behind his knees. “Merlin!” he gasped.

Severus pressed his mouth against a calf, watching Remus with rare, obvious amusement, and then when he got his expression under control, ventured, “Ticklish?” innocuously.

“No!” Remus gasped desperately. It was an obvious lie. He reached down, trying to move Severus’ fingers away from his knees, but Severus, cruel bastard that he was, resisted Remus’ hands and crooked his fingers pointedly into the spot that had sent Remus thrashing before.

“Oh, Merlin, stop!” Remus gasped. He sounded as though he were trying valiantly not to laugh, but couldn't quite manage to keep the noises back. “Please!”

Severus decided that since driving Remus mad wasn’t actually his main objective just now (not from tickling anyway), he would be benevolent and remove his offending hand, though he silently vowed to do it again some other time. “Since you said please,” he murmured, and then licked back up Remus’ thigh until it met with Remus’ balls, and then he gave those a lick.

“Ahh!” Remus groaned. His fingers found Severus’ hair and caressed it again. “Merlin, Severus!”

Severus sucked first one into his mouth, rolling it gently on his tongue, and then repeated the process with the other. He was gratified by Remus’ response, his hips jerked against the mattress before he could contain himself entirely.

“God, yes!” Remus bit out, his fingers tangling in black hair. “Ahh! Going to kill me!”

Oh yes, that was a brilliant response. “I suppose we can’t have that,” Severus lamented, shifting up away from Remus’ groin and just managing not to smile at the hand still in his hair.

“Please, Severus,” Remus whispered, “please take me. I can’t wait any longer.”

Severus’ breath deserted him for a few moments, eyes darting up to take in Remus’ face and then dropping to the body underneath him. He slid a hand down past Remus’ balls, feeling for his opening, and muttered the charms to prepare him while he guided himself into place.

Remus’ ragged breathing quickened still more. “Yes, yes,” he breathed, his fingers tightening in Severus’ hair. He bore down against Severus' hand and their gazes met, open with lust.

Severus pushed inside him slowly, inch by inch, until he was fully seated inside. He let out a groan and then leaned in to capture Remus’ mouth in a demanding kiss. Remus parted his lips immediately, sucking on Severus' tongue as soon as it entered his mouth. Severus groaned into the kiss and began to move slowly, grasping Remus’ hips as he pulled out almost completely and then pushed back in, each thrust coming a little easier than the last. He relished the feeling of Remus around him, so tight and warm and just exactly right.

Severus only ended the kiss when he was forced to, because he was breathless already and he could no longer take in enough air through his nose. He was enjoying the slow pace he had set, rocking into Remus and having Remus meet each thrust, and continued on like that until the building pleasure finally demanded he push things faster, and then he reached between them to wrap a hand around Remus’ cock, stroking him on every other thrust in.

“Oh, God, Severus!” Remus gasped, losing the rhythm as his hips jerked automatically at the attention to his cock. “Brilliant! So perfect!” He slid the circle of his arms around Severus' head, his bound wrists resting at Severus' neck.

Pleased by Remus’ praise, Severus pushed his pace as well as the intensity of his thrusts, looking to find release for them both.

“Yes, yes,” Remus whispered over and over, his breath shuddering into Severus' ear.

Severus could only think that he ought to have taken Remus up on his offer sooner as he chased down his climax and soared into it with a long groan, tensing and finishing with just a few long, hard thrusts. He squeezed Remus' cock and felt the other man shudder underneath him, then a sticky warmth flood between them.

The room was silent but for their heavy breathing. Severus wondered if he should pull away but couldn't physically make himself; his muscles just would not respond to the orders his brain was sending out. He just held on and continued to breathe, feeling as if he might shake apart at any moment.

“Perfect,” Remus whispered when their breathing had steadied out, petting Severus' hair awkwardly. “Utterly perfect.”

Severus took one last deep breath and decided that he needed to move, if only because his weight had to be annoying by now. He slid out of Remus slowly, then did cleaning charms and shifted from between his legs, then flopped over next to him, their arms still touching. It was the best he could muster. A sudden unease washed over him, because he didn't think he'd managed to last very long, but then he supposed Remus didn't seem to mind.

Remus, in fact, rolled over so they were almost touching and pressed an uncoordinated kiss against Severus' ear, then pulled back and grinned lazily at him. He raised his wrists between them and arched a brow. The ribbon unravelled in a wandless charm, and Remus immediately threw an arm around him, closing his eyes.

Severus watched his face, noticing the tired lines erased when Remus relaxed. “L-Remus?” he began, suddenly feeling awkward.

Soft snores met him.

Well, that made awkwardness a bit unnecessary. “I'm going to mock you for this in the morning,” Severus assured him, before closing his eyes and drifting off himself.

.:.:.:.


There wasn't anything to eat or drink in the house, but Remus had managed to produce a few tea bags from his pockets for breakfast (a point Severus was enjoying mocking him for), and they'd found a collection of ceramic mugs with little sayings printed on them in German and used a spell to heat up their water, so at least they had tea.

“Too bad we don't have a copy of the Prophet,” Remus commented as they sat at Severus' cousin's ridiculously sized breakfast table and sipped tea across from each other, wearing the same robes they'd been in yesterday. “I wonder if we'd be in it. Small little blurb on page six down in one corner. 'Severus Snape Steals Own Order of Merlin Plaque from Ministry Building with Dead Sexy Accomplice, Remus Lupin'.”

Severus snorted over his mug. “I doubt anyone would truly care about that point. It'd be something more like 'Severus Snape Attacks Beloved War Hero Hermione Granger; Public Demands Death Sentence'.”

“'But Only Parole for Dead Sexy Accomplice, Remus Lupin'.” Remus grinned.

Severus rolled his eyes, but smirked into his mug.

The morning had not, surprisingly, been awkward. Severus had awoken to an empty bed, which had been a relief, and he'd come downstairs hoping his cousin might have forgotten a canister of tea only to find Remus beaming sunnily at him and announcing the only thing in the cupboards was tinned asparagus.

Severus had no idea why that was such a cheerful thought, but he didn't question it. He was not a morning person, even when he'd slept in, and he'd been in danger of being in quite a strop, until Remus had produced tea.

Now, however, things were quite pleasant. Aside from being chipper, Remus wasn't talkative and obnoxious about his wakefulness, which Severus appreciated. He really wasn't awful company.

“So what's next for our life on the run?” Remus asked, eyes twinkling mischievously.

Remus' chipperness was almost alarming. He'd looked so tired when he'd first appeared at Dark Wizards Anonymous. Was he really that happy to just dump his life in a span of five minutes and run off with Severus without even bothering to worry about a spare set of clothes?

“You do realize that we've just left England with only the clothes on our backs.”

“You have a plan,” Remus said certainly.

“How do you know that?” Severus demanded, scowling and wishing he did have the Prophet, just so he could hide behind it and shake out the pages from time to time to properly convey his irritation.

“Because you always have a plan. And I trust you.”

“Stupid werewolf,” Severus muttered, scowling down at his tea.

“Don't you have a plan?” Remus still didn't sound very doubtful.

“Well yes of course, but that's beside the point,” Severus groused.

Remus grinned. “I'm sorry, Severus. I'll try to be less pleasant. It's just hard to manage a strop just now.”

Severus made an annoyed noise, though he found that he wasn't really all that annoyed. He was amazed at how relaxed Lupin seemed with him...at how relaxed he felt with Lupin. One shag, and they'd fallen into old patterns. Severus decided it wasn't something worth complaining about.

“I've always wanted to see the world,” he began instead, studying his almost empty mug. “Now that I've got more money that I even know what to do with, I figured there was nothing left stopping me. It would just be...rather boring, alone.”

Silence. Severus felt a sudden apprehension, but he forced himself to look up at Remus.

He instantly felt foolish; the werewolf was grinning like an idiot. “I quite like your plans.”

“It won't always be just a holiday. There are other factors, like your Wolfsbane, and I would like to maintain a certain level of anonymity, and I have no interest in staying at resorts, but...”

Remus nodded. “Of course. You know, Malfoy would have hated this.”

“I didn't expect him to agree. Merlin, it would have been horrid to have Lucius along,” Severus said, studying his tea again.

“But you really wanted me along?” Remus asked.

Severus glanced up at him uncertainly for a moment. “Yes.”

Remus beamed at him.

“Don't think this means you have leave to turn into a completely obnoxious prat. I won't think twice about leaving you somewhere,” Severus threatened.

It was clear from Remus' stupid smile that he didn't believe a word of that. “Yes, Severus.”

Severus allowed his expression to relax into something like approval. It was a brilliant start to his retirement.