"Severus."
The faint call seemed to drift from a distant place.
He jolted awake from his dream, lifting his head. The clock on the wall showed it was already five in the afternoon.
Outside, the sunset blazed vividly, casting golden rays through the high slats of the Room of Requirement's shutters, illuminating the room within.
Severus Snape instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes from the light.
"It's getting late," Pandora's voice came again. "You overslept. We didn't wake you."
He propped himself up from the armchair.
With a soft thud, Tom's black diary slipped to the floor.
"What's that?" Lily's voice suddenly drew closer.
Snape squinted, making out the silhouettes of Pandora and Lily standing against the light at the long table. He quickly bent down, snatched the diary, and tucked it into his robes.
"Nothing, just an old notebook," he said, shaking his head to dispel the lingering fog of sleep. "How's the Wolfsbane Potion coming along?"
"Not bad," Lily said, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear and gesturing toward the steaming cauldron on the table. "Probably enough for three werewolves. But we think there's room to optimize the brewing process. It could still be improved."
Snape approached the table, leaning over to inspect the misty potion.
"Not bad," he said, straightening up with a yawn. "The recipe and technique can always be refined."
"Let's bottle it up first." Snape drew his wand and tapped the cauldron. The silvery liquid leaped into wide-bellied, short-necked vials as if alive. "I'll find you an assistant—a house-elf."
"Let me try." He cleared his throat. "Dobby, Dobby—"
Nothing happened. Lily and Pandora exchanged puzzled glances.
"Ah, wait," Snape said, shaking his head as if remembering something. "I'll try again outside."
Outside the Room of Requirement, he called the elf's name again. A faint crack split the air, and a house-elf appeared, clad in colorful socks and a red vest.
"Mr. Snape!" Dobby squeaked, his large ears twitching with excitement. "You've finally called for Dobby!"
"Looks like you've adjusted to freedom, Dobby," Snape said, eyeing the elf's new attire—no longer a tattered pillowcase but a neat little outfit.
"Thank you, sir!" Dobby spun around, showing off his clothes. "Dobby bought them in Hogsmeade. Dobby loves new clothes." He stopped abruptly, his large eyes gleaming with determination. "But Dobby also loves to work! How can Dobby serve you, sir?"
"Your clothes are splendid, Dobby," Snape said sincerely.
He turned and knocked on the wall. The door to the Room of Requirement reappeared.
Pushing it open, he led the elf inside.
"Here you go—Dobby, the perfect assistant," he said to the two girls, then looked down at the elf. "Dobby, this is Pandora and Lily."
Dobby bowed deeply. "Dobby is honored to serve such lovely ladies!"
Lily stared at Dobby for a few seconds, her brow furrowing. "Isn't that Professor Malfoy's house-elf? I remember seeing him in Potions."
"Not anymore," Snape said with a wave of his hand. "Don't worry about the details. You should be more interested in Dobby's clothes." He pointed at the elf's vibrant socks. "Look, he's even got socks now."
"He's a free elf?" Pandora asked, astonished.
"Yes!" Dobby puffed out his chest proudly. "Dobby has no master, but Dobby is happy to work for Mr. Snape."
"Severus," Lily said, her eyes widening, "no wonder you've been skipping Professor Malfoy's classes. I thought it was just because you'd beaten him, but I never imagined…" She hesitated. "Are you paying Dobby?"
"I'm not some slave driver," Snape said, rolling his eyes. He turned to Dobby. "Alright, Dobby, from now on, help these two lovely ladies with potion-making. Follow their instructions."
"Yes, sir!" Dobby replied brightly, turning eagerly toward the table's tools and ingredients.
"Alright," Pandora said, pulling Dobby over. She and Lily began explaining what needed to be done. "This is the timer…"
Watching their busy figures, a strange warmth spread through Snape's chest. Under the golden streaks of sunlight, Lily focused on guiding Dobby with the measurements, while Pandora meticulously recorded every adjustment.
After graduation, after the war ends— The thought came unbidden, but he quickly stopped himself, reaching back to scratch as if to pluck invisible flags from his mind and cast them into the void. Such things couldn't be said carelessly.
"I'm going to deliver the Wolfsbane Potion to the volunteers," Snape said. "Are you coming, or…?"
Lily didn't look up. "We're going to try brewing another batch. I think we can do better this time. Dobby, can you pass me the Murtlap tentacles?"
"My honor, miss…"
Snape nodded, leaving them undisturbed as he exited the Room of Requirement.
Downstairs, he realized he had no idea where Remus Lupin was. It dawned on him that he hadn't seen James or his friends in class or out of it for days.
But the bustling crowd in the entrance hall reminded him it was dinnertime. He decided to head to the Great Hall for a meal and then track down Lupin.
The Great Hall hummed with chatter. Snape chose a quiet corner at the Slytherin table.
As he savored a steak and kidney pudding, he caught sight of the Marauders entering the hall.
Aside from Lupin, who looked particularly haggard in his worn robes, the other three seemed in good spirits. James's hair was as messy as ever, but his face bore a satisfied grin. Sirius had an arm around James's shoulders, whispering something that made James laugh loudly. Even Peter, usually timid, walked with his head high.
After finishing his meal, Snape approached the Gryffindor table. He stepped lightly, but his presence still drew attention. When he sat beside Lupin, the table fell silent for a moment.
"Hello," Snape said amicably, ignoring the hostile glances. "Haven't seen you lot around lately."
Bang! Sirius slammed his fist on the table. Heads turned, and whispers rippled through the crowd.
"You're not welcome here," James said, grabbing Sirius's hand to inspect his knuckles before fixing Snape with a cold stare. "Get lost."
"No need to get emotional," Snape said. "Besides, I'm not here for you, so why the fuss?"
James's gesture struck Snape as odd, and a realization clicked. His eyes darted between Sirius and James. Did Sirius already use that love potion? But he hadn't targeted James recently. Strange…
He turned to Lupin, lowering his voice to avoid eavesdroppers. "Remus, do you know about Wolfsbane Potion?"
"I do, but what of it?" Pain flickered in Lupin's eyes, his voice dry and strained.
Lupin knew of Wolfsbane Potion, of course. The first time he'd read about it in The Daily Prophet, the surge of hope had nearly overwhelmed him.
He'd thought his life was on the cusp of a second transformation, like when Fenrir Greyback's bite had plunged his world into gray. This time, perhaps, it could regain some color.
But after contacting Mr. Damocles and learning the potion's cost, he'd fallen into a deeper silence.
James had offered to cover the expense, with repayment after Lupin found work. But he couldn't accept. Even for the wealthy Potter family, a week's worth of Wolfsbane each month wasn't trivial. James couldn't afford it himself, and Lupin wouldn't let him ask Mr. and Mrs. Potter. Besides, he knew he'd likely never repay such a debt.
Later, the eagerly awaited Mastering Practical Potions offered no comfort either—they couldn't even gather the ingredients.
Lupin had resigned himself to living as a werewolf. Let the rumors about the Shrieking Shack persist.
"That makes this easy," Snape said, pulling a large bottle of misty potion from his robes. The silvery liquid flowed slowly within. "Look at this. See that sheen—"
"No, Remus!" Sirius shot up, leaning across the table to grab Snape's collar. "Take your potion and go!"
But Lupin's eyes were locked on the bottle, its silver glow drawing his full attention like a spell.
"Careful, Padfoot," Snape said, his voice calm despite the grip on his collar. "If you break this potion, I doubt you could afford to replace it. The Blacks certainly won't cover it."
"But the Potters would," James said, standing firm and looking at Sirius. "Let him go." He turned to Snape, his voice icy. "Leave."
"Fine." Snape was now certain where that love potion had been used. He leaped from his chair as if it were on fire, eager to escape.
Freeing himself from Sirius's grip, he stepped back and looked at Lupin. "Remus, this is from Professor Dumbledore. If you don't trust me, come with me to see him. How about it?"
"Don't trust him, Remus!" Sirius said, his expression complex as he glared at Snape.
"But he can trust Professor Dumbledore," Snape said, pursing his lips in annoyance. He couldn't help but think: Why is Sirius acting like this? Shouldn't he be thanking me? He couldn't brew a love potion of that quality.
"Come on, Remus," Snape said, tucking the bottle away and heading toward the entrance hall. "Let's find the headmaster."
"Don't go," Sirius called softly to Lupin, his voice pleading. "He's not trustworthy."
Lupin hesitated for a long moment before whispering something to Sirius. Sirius nodded reluctantly, then shot a venomous look at Snape.
"No tricks, Snape," he said. "Or I won't let you off."
Seeing Lupin approach, Snape gave a soft hum, ignoring Sirius's threat.
They walked to the entrance hall in silence, James's soothing voice and Sirius's grudging mutters fading behind them.
"Did you brew this yourself?" Lupin asked suddenly as they walked down the corridor.
"Yes, Remus," Snape said with a nod. "Ever since I read that article, I've been thinking of you. As soon as it was ready, I came to find you."
Lupin looked at Snape without responding, neither nodding nor agreeing.
But in his eyes, Snape saw the answer—a deep yearning tempered by cautious restraint.
"Look," Snape sighed, "you lot should start seeing me as one of the good guys."
"Was it you who gave Sirius the love potion?" Lupin asked bluntly.
"You—" Snape turned to him. "You know?"
"When you wake up one day," Lupin said, his face weary, "and one roommate is desperately in love with another, lashing out when the rest of us try to stop him, even though he clearly had a crush on a girl before."
"Then why come with me?" Snape asked, curious.
"Because you don't know what it's like to be a werewolf," Lupin said softly.
"I don't," Snape admitted as he called out to the gargoyle guarding the headmaster's office. "But it must be awful."
"Think about it," he continued as the spiral staircase rose. "Could things get any worse? Your two best friends, your closest mates, able to stay together forever. Isn't that a good thing?"
Lupin didn't answer, only stepped forward to knock on the brass knocker of the oak door.
"Come in," Dumbledore's voice called from within.
Snape pulled out the Wolfsbane Potion and followed Lupin into the headmaster's office.
"What's this?" Dumbledore looked up from a stack of papers, his gaze settling on the bottle Snape held aloft. "You've succeeded, Severus?"
"Yes, Professor," Snape said with a bright smile. "I'm honored to present it to you." He stepped forward and placed the bottle on the desk.
Dumbledore glanced at Lupin's eyes and the way he clutched his hands tightly. The headmaster picked up the bottle, examining the potion's mist and liquid, then uncorked it and sniffed gently.
"Rest assured, Remus," he said kindly. "This Wolfsbane Potion is perfectly fine."
With a wave of his wand, a goblet materialized. Dumbledore poured a seventh of the potion into it and handed the faintly steaming cup to Lupin.
"Go ahead."
Lupin took the goblet, his fingers trembling slightly. He took a deep breath, downed the potion in one gulp, and shuddered for a long moment.
"Bring the potion to me each month, Severus," Dumbledore said. "You can come collect it as needed, Remus."
It was a while before Lupin could speak. "Th-thank you, Professor… and Severus. How… how much is it?"
"Free," Snape said simply. Seeing Lupin's shocked expression, he added, "The ingredients were mostly provided by the professor, and my friends and I handled the brewing."
"If you insist on giving something back, then promise me one thing: take the potion regularly, especially the final dose on the full moon."
"Oh, and one more thing," he paused. "If you ever want to marry and have children, with the Wolfsbane Potion's help, I hope you'll choose someone your own age, not a girl young enough to be your daughter. I've heard some werewolves have that inclination."
"Really?" Lupin frowned, puzzled. "Well, alright. Thank you, Severus. I don't think that'll be an issue."
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