"Severus."
The hazy call seemed to come from far away.
He woke from his dream with a start and lifted his head. The clock on the wall showed that it was already five in the afternoon.
Outside the window, the evening sun blazed brilliantly, sending golden rays through the slats of the Room of Requirement's tall blinds, spilling into the room.
Snape instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes from the light.
"It's getting late," Pandora's voice sounded again. "You overslept. We didn't wake you."
He pushed himself up from the armchair with one hand.
With a soft "pop," Tom's black diary fell to the floor.
"What's that?" Lily's voice came suddenly closer.
Snape squinted, seeing Pandora and Lily's figures standing against the light by the long table. Quickly, he bent down to pick up the diary and tucked it into his robes.
"Nothing, just an old notebook." He shook his head, trying to dispel the remnants of drowsiness. "How's the brewing of the Wolfsbane Potion coming along?"
"Not bad," said Lily, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear and pointing toward the cauldron billowing with smoke on the long table. "Enough for about three werewolves to take. But we think the process can still be optimized, it can definitely be improved further later on."
Snape walked up to the long table, bending down to observe the steaming potion.
"Good," he said, straightening up and yawning. "Both the formula and the process can always be iterated."
"Let's bottle the potion first." Snape drew his wand and tapped the cauldron. The silvery liquid leapt into the short-necked, round-bellied bottles as if alive. "I'll find you an assistant, a house-elf."
"Let me try," he said, clearing his throat. "Dobby, Dobby-"
Nothing happened. Lily and Pandora exchanged puzzled looks.
"Ah, wait," Snape shook his head, as if remembering something. "I'll try it outside."
Outside the Room of Requirement, he called the elf's name again. A faint crack sounded in the air, and a house-elf wearing mismatched patterned socks and a red waistcoat appeared before him.
"Professor Snape!" Dobby squeaked excitedly, his long ears trembling. "You finally called Dobby!"
"Seems you've adjusted well to freedom, Dobby." Snape examined the elf's new outfit, no longer a ragged pillowcase, but a neat, freshly tailored garment.
"Thank you, sir!" Dobby spun in a small circle to show off his clothes. "Dobby bought them in Hogsmeade. Dobby likes new clothes." He suddenly stopped, his large eyes glowing with determination. "Of course, Dobby also likes to work! What can Dobby do for you, sir?"
"Your clothes are very nice, Dobby," Snape said sincerely.
He turned and tapped the wall. The door to the Room of Requirement reappeared.
When he opened it, he led the elf back into the room.
"See? A house-elf, Dobby, the perfect little 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 beautiful ladies!"
Lily stared at him for several seconds, frowning. "Isn't this Professor Malfoy's house-elf? I remember seeing him during Potions class."
"Not anymore." Snape waved his hand. "Don't mind the details, you should pay more attention to his clothes." He pointed to the elf's colorful socks. "See? He even wears socks now."
"He's a free elf?" Pandora asked in surprise.
"Yes!" Dobby puffed out his chest proudly. "Dobby has no master, but Dobby is willing to work for Professor Snape!"
"Severus," Lily's eyes widened. "No wonder you don't attend Professor Malfoy's class anymore. I thought it was just because you defeated him. I never expected..." She hesitated. "Will you pay Dobby wages?"
"I'm not a slave owner," Snape rolled his eyes. He turned to Dobby. "Alright then, Dobby, from now on, help these two beautiful ladies with their potion work. Just follow their instructions."
"Yes, sir!" Dobby replied brightly, turning eagerly toward the equipment and ingredients on the table.
"Alright," Pandora said, pulling Dobby closer and showing him what to do together with Lily. "This is a timer..."
Watching them work, a strange warmth spread through Snape's chest. Under the golden stripes cast by the sunset, Lily was carefully guiding Dobby on how to weigh the ingredients, while Pandora meticulously recorded every adjustment in the process.
After graduation, when the war is over,
The thought barely formed before he forced himself to stop, reaching behind him as if to pluck invisible flags out of the air and toss them into the void. Such words shouldn't even be thought.
"I'm going to deliver the Wolfsbane Potion to the volunteer," Snape said. "Would you like to come along?"
Without looking up, Lily answered, "We'll try brewing another batch. I feel we can do better this time. Dobby, could you hand me the Murtlap tentacles?"
"My pleasure, miss..."
Snape nodded and left them without disturbing their work, walking out of the Room of Requirement alone.
Once downstairs, he suddenly realized that he had no idea where Remus Lupin was. He also remembered that he hadn't seen James and his friends in or out of class these past few days.
But the bustling crowd in the Entrance Hall reminded him that it was dinner time. He decided to eat first and then ask around about Lupin's whereabouts.
The Great Hall was buzzing with voices. He chose a quiet corner at the Slytherin table and sat down.
While enjoying a serving of steak and kidney pudding, he noticed, quite by accident, the four Marauders entering the hall.
Apart from Lupin, who looked particularly gaunt in his old robes, the other three seemed to be in good spirits. James's hair was as messy as ever, but his face bore a satisfied grin; Sirius had an arm slung around James's shoulder, whispering things in his ear that made James burst into laughter; even timid Peter walked with his chin up.
After finishing his meal, Snape stood and made his way toward the Gryffindor table. He deliberately softened his steps but still drew attention. When he sat down beside Lupin, the table fell briefly silent.
"Hello there," Snape said pleasantly, ignoring the hostile stares directed his way. "Haven't seen you all around lately."
"Bang!" Sirius slammed his fist onto the table. Heads turned their way, and a murmur spread among the onlookers.
"You're not welcome here," said James, grabbing Sirius's wrist, inspecting his knuckles, then glaring coldly at Snape. "Stay away from us."
"Don't say such hurtful things. Besides, I didn't come for you, what are you so nervous about?"
James's behavior struck Snape as strange, and suddenly he understood something. His eyes flicked between Sirius and James. Could it be that Sirius had used that potion already? But he hadn't provoked James recently, how odd...
He turned toward Lupin and lowered his voice so others couldn't hear. "Remus, do you know what the Wolfsbane Potion is?"
"I do. But what of it?" Lupin's eyes flashed with pain, his voice dry.
Of course Lupin knew of the Wolfsbane Potion. The first time he saw its description in the Daily Prophet, the joy had nearly suffocated him.
He thought his life was about to undergo a second transformation, just as the first had plunged his world into grey when Fenrir Greyback bit him, this time his world might regain some color.
But later, after contacting Mr. Damocles and learning the price of Wolfsbane Potion, he fell into even deeper silence.
James had offered to pay the cost and let him repay it after finding work, but he couldn't accept. Even for the wealthy Potter family, seven days' worth of Wolfsbane Potion every month was no small expense.
James himself couldn't afford it, and Lupin wouldn't let him ask Mr. and Mrs. Potter. He knew he could likely never repay that debt.
Later still, the eagerly awaited Practical Potions Mastery hadn't brought comfort either, they couldn't even gather the full list of ingredients.
Lupin had thought: perhaps he was simply meant to live as a werewolf, and the Shrieking Shack's legend should just continue as it was.
"Well, that makes things easier," Snape said, pulling a large bottle of swirling potion from his robes. The silvery liquid within flowed slowly, like mist and mercury. "See this? Look at that color, "
"No, Remus!" Sirius sprang up as if triggered, leaning across the table to grab Snape by the collar. "Take your potion away!"
But Lupin's eyes couldn't leave the bottle in Snape's hand. The silvery gleam seemed almost magical, drawing all his attention.
"Careful, Padfoot," Snape said calmly, despite Sirius clutching his collar. "If you break this, I doubt you could afford to pay for it, the Black family won't cover your losses."
"But the Potter family will," James stood, looking Sirius squarely in the eye. "Let him go." Then he turned to Snape, voice turning icy. "Leave."
"Fine." Snape was now certain about where that bottle of Amortentia had ended up. He jumped from his seat as if his robes were aflame, eager to get away.
After shaking off Sirius's grip, he stepped back and looked at Lupin. "Remus, Professor Dumbledore asked me to bring this to you. If you don't believe me, come with me to see him, how about that?"
"Don't trust him, Remus!" Sirius said, his expression conflicted as he glared at Snape.
"But he can trust Professor Dumbledore." Snape pursed his lips, displeased. He couldn't help but think: how dare Sirius act so hostile? He should be grateful! It wasn't as though Sirius could brew such high-quality Amortentia himself.
"Come on, Remus," Snape said, pocketing the large bottle and heading toward the Entrance Hall. "We'll go see the Headmaster."
"Don't go," Sirius called softly after Lupin, his tone pleading. "He can't be trusted."
Lupin hesitated for a long moment, then finally lowered his head and said something to Sirius. Sirius, clearly unwilling, nodded at last, then glared furiously at Snape.
"Don't try anything, Snape," he said. "Or I'll make you regret it."
As Lupin rose to follow, Snape gave a quiet hum and ignored the threat.
They walked in silence toward the Entrance Hall, with James's low voice soothing Sirius behind them, and Sirius muttering complaints in reply.
"Did you brew this yourself?" Lupin asked suddenly as they walked down the corridor.
"Yes, Remus," Snape nodded. "Ever since I read that article, I've been thinking of you. As soon as I finished brewing it, I came looking for you."
Lupin looked at Snape without nodding, without agreeing, without any expression at all.
But in his eyes, Snape saw it, that deep, fragile longing, that fear of hope itself.
"Ah," Snape sighed. "You lot really ought to learn to change your perspective, try seeing me as a good person."
"Was it you who gave Sirius the Amortentia?" Lupin asked flatly.
"You-" Snape turned to him. "You know?"
"When you wake up," Lupin said, looking weary, "and one of your roommates is passionately in love with another, attacking the rest of us when we try to stop him, when just days ago he fancied a girl, well, it isn't hard to guess."
"Then why did you still come with me?" Snape asked, curious.
"Because you don't understand what it feels like to be a werewolf," Lupin said quietly.
"I don't," Snape admitted, calling to the stone gargoyle, which sprang aside. "But it must be awful."
"Think about it," he continued as they rose on the spiral staircase. "Do you really think things have gotten worse? Two best friends, the closest of companions, now bound to be inseparable for the rest of their days. Isn't that... a good thing?"
Lupin said nothing, only reached out and knocked on the brass knocker of the oak door.
"Come in," Dumbledore's voice called from within.
Snape took out the Wolfsbane Potion and followed Lupin into the Headmaster's office.
"What's this?" Dumbledore looked up from a pile of papers, his eyes falling on the potion in Snape's raised hand. "You've succeeded, Severus?"
"Yes, Professor." Snape smiled brightly. "It's my honor to deliver it to you." He stepped forward and set the bottle on the desk.
Dumbledore looked briefly into Lupin's eyes and at his clenched hand.
The Headmaster picked up the bottle, examining the motion of the potion and the faint mist within. He removed the stopper and inhaled lightly.
"Don't worry, Remus," he said kindly. "This Wolfsbane Potion is perfectly fine."
He waved his wand, and a tall goblet appeared out of thin air. Pouring in one-seventh of the potion, he handed the faintly smoking cup to Lupin.
"Go on."
Lupin took the goblet, his fingers trembling slightly. He took a deep breath and drained it in one gulp, shuddering afterward.
"From now on," Dumbledore said, "you'll deliver the potion to me each month, Severus. You can collect it here as scheduled, Remus."
It took Lupin quite a while to regain his voice. "Th-thank you, Professor... and you, Severus. How much... does this cost?"
"Free," Snape replied crisply. Seeing Lupin's astonishment, he added, "The materials were mostly sponsored by the Professor, and the brewing was done by me and my friends.
"If you must repay something, then promise me one thing: drink it on schedule, especially don't miss the final dose on the night of the full moon."
"Oh, and one more thing." He paused. "If you ever plan to marry and have children, with the help of the Wolfsbane Potion, I'd suggest you find someone your own age, not a girl a full generation younger. I've heard some werewolves tend to... prefer that."
"Really?" Lupin frowned, puzzled. "Oh. Well, in any case, thank you, Severus. I think that won't be a problem."