Chapter Text
I sat back in my chair with a belated glance at the microphone I was supposed to be speaking into. Although a great deal more comfortable, I worried that I was too far away to be heard properly so shifted closer again. With a calculatedly harmless smile that was lost on everyone but my interviewer, Rebecca Devonald, I cleared my throat and folded my hands demurely on my lap. “It’s a real pleasure to be here.”
She returned my smile, her own dimpling her pudgy cheeks. “I’d like to introduce you to our listeners here on Book Nook, Mr. Lupin, if I might.” This was obviously rhetorical as she immediately launched into her spiel, “War hero, former Ministry employee, outspoken werewolf rights advocate, and now best selling author of the gripping true crime work, ‘The Potion Master Murders’. Remus Lupin has become a household name in the past three months to rival even the legendary Gilderoy Lockhart, and we are very fortunate to have him with us today. Thank you for speaking with me and my listeners today, Mr. Lupin.”
“Please,” I countered bashfully, “do call me Remus.”
“Well then thank you, Remus. I should like to start out the interview by adding that you not only wrote an amazing book about the all too recent murders, but you were also instrumental in the investigation itself. Not to mention having a very personal hand in stopping the killer.”
“I played my part.” That wasn’t humility in the slightest; to my mind I’d done very little during the investigation. I’d been Watson to Severus’ Holmes and I had no illusions about that. “The true hero of the investigation wasn’t myself or any member of the Ministry, rather Severus Snape. I hope that came across sufficiently in the book.”
“I should say so,” Rebecca reassured me earnestly. “I for one was horrified to read about his mistreatment at the hands of our former Minister, not to mention his false imprisonment. The very thought that justice came far too late in his case has given me more than my fair share of sleepless nights. I can only imagine how you must have felt.”
“Much as you’ve described, horrified, angry, frustrated beyond belief that justice could have been so thwarted in his case. Still, I hope that in some small way I’ve at least helped him to rest a little more easily now that his name has been cleared. Knowing Severus, he would have taken some pleasure out of posthumous vindication…or at least been vaguely amused by it.” My lips quirked again, mostly because I’d heard chapter and verse from Severus on this very subject more often than I cared to remember. “Severus had an…interesting sense of humor.”
“That certainly comes across in the book as well, particularly in chapter five, during your discussions regarding the nature of the killer. I think that’s part of what makes the book so extraordinary in its genre, not only is it intelligent, well paced and brutally honest, but it’s also surprisingly humorous. Given the subject matter that’s quite rare.”
“I wanted to convey the reality of that period, the work we did, and the people we were at the time. It’s important to me that readers have an honest depiction of the events rather than some fictionalized account. What drama there is in the story was inherent in the murders and investigation itself.”
“If I may I’d like to ask you a few questions regarding the actual process of writing ‘The Potion Master Murders’. Prior to this you’d penned a few articles on the subjects of Dark Creatures in general, and lycanthropes in particular, but this is the first major work you’ve ever attempted is that correct?”
I nodded, then chuckled and said aloud, “Yes, that’s right. To be honest, while I’ve always enjoyed writing and hoped some day to have the time and energy to devote it, this was my first real opportunity. Of course beyond that I knew Severus wanted me to write the case up, to be certain the truth was released to the public before someone like, oh, say Rita Skeeter could lay her hands on it.” I smiled again, but there was neither humor nor pleasure in it. From Rebecca’s expression, she both understood and quite agreed with me. “As for the process of writing the book itself, it was surprisingly straightforward. Between my notes and Severus’, which I might add, were astonishingly detailed, the book all but wrote itself.”
“No book writes itself, Remus,” Rebecca corrected me primly. “Even in true life works it’s the skill of the author that makes what might otherwise be a simple laundry list of facts into a compelling narrative. I would like to know whether you feel that your work has been directly responsible for the recent governmental upheavals, particularly the changes in administration in the Ministry and the newer more lenient lycanthropic laws coming up for a vote over the next few weeks?”
“I don’t know that I’d go that far.” Frankly I was a little unsettled by the question. Not that she was wrong, in fact, she was a little to near the mark for my comfort. Scrimgeour was doomed the minute my book hit the stands, and his wasn’t the only head to roll thanks to my accounting of the events surrounding the murder investigation. It was all I could do to make certain Dora’s didn’t join them. Still, the last thing I wanted was to have people connect those changes with a Dark Creature like myself. It would be all too easy to stoke the fires of rampant bigotry and paranoia. A life spent in the single-minded pursuit of obscurity was hard to shake off now that I was a media darling. There was a safety in fitting in, being quietly unnoticed, that I was beginning to miss.
“I believe you’re selling yourself short, Remus. If not your work what would you attribute the recent changes to?”
“I dunno’,” I averred with a vague wave of my hand, “I mean I’d like to think that public opinion isn’t quite that easily swayed but I suppose I’ve always been a little naïve. At least that’s what Severus was fond of telling me.”
“The two of you really managed to create and bond during the case. It’s interesting when you take into consideration the history between the two of you, particularly during your school days.”
“I’d like to think we created a real friendship by the end, certainly.” Well, I told myself, ‘friendship’ was one word for what existed between the two of us. “I think I’d earned a certain degree of trust and…well, even forgiveness for the things that went on between us back in Hogwarts and after the war.”
“Do you see yourself working on a future investigation in either an official or unofficial capacity?”
I laughed again. “I rather doubt it. My inclusion on this case was a once in a lifetime event, the right alignment of circumstances at the right time. However, I think I’ve rather burned my bridges at the Ministry. Understandably so, wouldn’t you say?”
“Just one last question, if I might, Remus. If you had to sum up your experience working with Severus Snape in one word…”
My lips twitched and I paused just long enough to add a hint of drama to the response, “Productive.”
--
“’Productive’?” A warm, familiar body slid under the covers behind me, slender, cool hands sliding over my arm and under my neck. “You are such a twat.”
“Well honestly,” I grumbled, wriggling back against Severus’ bony pelvis, “would you have preferred that I describe my time with you as ‘homosexually enlightening’?”
That surprised a soft chuff of laughter from him. “Yes, actually, I would but only if I could be in the same room with Minerva and your darling ex-wife as they listened to the interview.” His hardening erection bumped less than casually against my ass. “It’s the little pleasures in life, you know.”
I ground myself back against him, once again realizing that Severus was simply full to bursting with the best ideas. Gazing at him impishly over my shoulder I said, “I wouldn’t exactly call that a ‘little pleasure’, my dear.”
“Ah, at last, definitive proof that you are a size queen.”
“If I am you’ve only yourself to blame.”
There was more than just a touch of satisfaction in his answering grin. “Flattery will get you everywhere, you know.”
“So long as it gets me laid.” I moaned softly as he nibbled my throat and tweaked my left nipple, sending sharp sparks of pleasure straight down to my toes. “I do have my…priorities after all.”
“Have I mentioned recently just how much I approve of your current priorities?”
His hands were doing obscenely wonderful things to my lower belly as he spoke. I wondered fleetingly whether his ability to multi-task was what made him so brilliant at potions. Well, I amended silently, one of the traits that contributed to his brilliance at least. “What did you think of the interview?” I asked breathlessly.
“Quite…adequate.” Each word was punctuated by a delicate kiss and nibble to my shoulder and throat.
“Adequate, hmm?” I tried to roll over but he held me firmly in place. Sighing with a combination of frustration and resignation, I reached back to knead his ass cheek as best I could. Somehow he always managed to maintain control in bed. At first I’d welcomed it, following his lead like an eager child. The problem was the more experienced I became the more I wanted to make use of what I’d learned. Not, mind you, that I wasn’t enjoying myself, far from it. Severus was an accomplished and surprisingly thoughtful lover. Still, something about his continued need for absolute control in bed was beginning to grate on me a little.
“Well,” he murmured against my skin, “if I had to choose just one word to describe it…”
“Git,” I returned, but there was no heat in it. “Where’d you listen to it?”
“The Three Broomsticks.”
I tensed immediately, and not in a good way. “Severus that was dangerous! What if you’d been recognized?”
“Give me a bit of credit, will you?” he sighed, grasping my cock and rather effectively distracting me from an all too familiar argument. “I am still quite capable of brewing a perfectly serviceable Polyjuice.”
“Still,” I moaned as we began to move together in a flawless rhythm, “too dangerous.”
“I can…look after myself,” he panted.
I always promised myself I’d ask him how he managed to be so slick and perfect when I’d rarely ever seen him resort to lubrication of any kind. Of course I never remembered to do so after the fact, and even if I had it was doubtful he’d give me an honest answer on the subject. He liked his little secrets, particularly where sex was concerned.
Altogether too soon I lost myself to his clever hands, one holding me steady while the other engaged in the most wonderfully maddening manipulation of my cock. The movement reminded me rather absurdly of casting Wingardium Leviosa and I could almost hear Professor Flitwick’s tinny voice intoning, “Swish and flick!” I know that should’ve put me off a bit, but it only made me giddy with suppressed laughter.
When he entered me with one swift, practiced thrust I keened softly, feeling even more heady. I met each of his thrusts and actually squealed aloud as he quickened the exquisite pace of his hand. I couldn’t last, didn’t want to really, and came with the most decadent selfishness. That, at least, was the one benefit of Severus’ exclusive topping.
He shuddered and pulsed within me, his hot breath on my shoulder. As his body melted even further into mine I sighed happily, “Definitely not a ‘little pleasure’.”
Severus merely chuckled, his hooked nose tracing a fine line along the back of my neck.
“Can you stay tonight?” I hated how needy I sounded, yet I couldn’t resist asking. I was becoming decidedly greedy in my old age. I wanted to wake up draped in warm, slender limbs and then to share some utterly decadent breakfast in bed; perhaps waffles covered in strawberries and whipping cream.
He tensed slightly, and then sighed against my shoulder blade. “I shouldn’t.”
“Yes you should,” I actually whined. Rolling over with some little difficulty to face him, I grumbled, “Severus it’s perfectly safe here. No one comes to visit and even if they did I’ve enough wards up to give Gringott’s a run for its money…so to speak. I’m just asking for one complete night, one actual morning together. It’s a little tiring to always wake up and find you’ve gone.”
“It’s…safer…”
I cut him off with an annoyed huff. “Safer for whom? Just where in the hell do you go when you leave here, hmm? Are you…I mean, is there someone else?”
He lifted himself up on one elbow, his eyebrows rising nearly to his hairline. “You’re not seriously…Merlin’s sagging balls! You are, you’re jealous!” Collapsing on his back he threw an arm over his eyes and nearly bawled with laughter.
“Git,” I muttered smacking him on the shoulder. “It’s a perfectly reasonable question under the circumstances. Sometimes it seems as if you can’t wait to leave my bed as quickly as possible. I mean honestly you take ridiculous risks every single day with your safety and you expect me to believe…”
“I expect you to believe,” he cut in with complete seriousness, “that I’m not willing to take those risks with your life. If I get caught at the Three Broomsticks it’s my head on the block and I’ll happily pay for my error in judgment.” Reaching over to run his thumb along what he still insisted on referring to as my ‘ridiculous excuse for a moustache’, he sighed, “You have a life now, fame, respect, even a modicum of wealth. What do you suppose would happen to all of that if I were found here with you?”
I started to tell him I didn’t care but somehow I couldn’t voice the words aloud. Perhaps it was because, as much as I wished such a statement were the simple truth of the matter, it wasn’t. I was enjoying my new life, it was comfortable and secure in a way I hadn’t known since I was a young child. And if it came to it, if I had to choose between that serenity and Severus, well I didn’t care to dwell on the thought for too long.
He merely grunted as though well aware of the decidedly worn path my mind was currently following. I took some small comfort in the fact that I’d never lied to him, never told him pretty words that weren’t a true reflection of my heart. Not that it would have done me any good to attempt deception, not with Severus Snape former master spy turned amateur sleuth and now fugitive.
And that didn’t even take into consideration his Legilimency skills which were, in a word, formidable. “I’ll stay a while longer.” There was a hint of finality in his tone.
I sighed dramatically and reached out to run a hand possessively over the hollow of his abdomen. “Fine.”
“After all,” his lips quirked and his voice rumbled with humor, “I can’t keep the remainder of my harem waiting forever. They’re apt to start squabbling amongst themselves.” I cut him off momentarily with a pillow to the face. “I should like to point out that none of my other lovers resorts to violence.”
“I find that very difficult to believe.”
“No, no, I assure you they’re all charming, passive little doe-eyed boys who live only to pleasure me. And you wonder why I race off each night to their arms.”
“’Boys’, hmm? Letcher,” I muttered a little more fondly than I’d intended.
“Yes, well you don’t imagine I spent all those years at Hogwarts simply for my health, do you?” I gave him a shocked look to which he replied with a chuckle, “As if you didn’t enjoy the scenery as well. And don’t think I didn’t notice you ogling Oliver Wood’s ass, either.”
“He was just a child!” I protested weakly.
“Mmm, a child possessed of a singularly exquisite ass.”
“I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about.” So he had noticed my rather sudden and indecently avid interest in Quidditch during my brief tenure at Hogwarts. Well a man couldn’t be blamed for looking, and that was as far as it would ever have gone. “At any rate I prefer my asses a bit more pale and skinny. Not to mention attached to someone well above the age of consent.”
“You’d better.”
I smirked down at him, then crawled closer to drape myself over his body. Resting my head on his shoulder I mumbled into his myrrh scented skin, “The boys can have you later, for a few more hours you’re mine.”
“I’m yours,” he sighed with weary indulgence; smoothing my hair back with long, gentle strokes. “I’m yours.”