After bidding farewell to the Headmaster, the two of them stepped out of the office, and the oak door closed softly behind them.
Silence fell once again.
When they reached the Entrance Hall, Lupin suddenly spoke.
"Why did you help me?"
"Because I like furry things," said Snape, pausing for a beat before giving him a faint smile.
Lupin looked at him in shock, his grey-green eyes widening.
"Of course, not your kind of furry thing!" Snape quickly added when he saw Lupin freeze in place. "Get those thoughts out of your head, I'm straighter than sunlight!"
Lupin's expression shifted, from shock to confusion, then into a small, helpless laugh.
"All right, Severus. Either way... thank you for the potion." He hesitated, as though debating whether to extend a hand, but eventually gave up. "See you around."
"Let me see how you change, Remus," said Snape, turning to stride toward the castle doors. "And don't expect me to always be this generous."
Stepping outside, the summer breeze greeted him, carrying the scent of damp earth and fresh grass from the grounds.
As Snape walked toward the Forbidden Forest, his hand brushed the inside pocket of his robes. Two vials of Wolfsbane Potion still rested quietly there.
"Severus."
A sharp, squeaky voice called from behind, stopping his steps. He turned around to see Peter Pettigrew trotting toward him from the direction of the castle.
"What is it?" Snape asked coldly.
Pettigrew flinched as though Snape had just lashed him with a whip.
"I... I just wanted to ask," he panted, his round eyes darting nervously, "could I maybe... join your One Mind Society?"
Snape raised an eyebrow, blinking slowly as he digested the absurd request.
"Why, Wormtail?" he asked mockingly, his mouth curling into a cold smile. "Because I'm stronger than your little friends now? Tell me, what could you possibly bring to my group?"
"I..." Pettigrew's Adam's apple bobbed, and sweat gleamed on his forehead. "I thought you'd take anyone who wanted to join..."
"Do your friends know about this?" Snape suddenly interrupted, eyes narrowing on Pettigrew's face.
"No," Pettigrew blurted, then, realizing his mistake, added quickly, "I mean, not yet!"
Snape took a step forward, looming over the small Gryffindor.
"Ordinarily, we'd take in any witch or wizard with potential," he said slowly, watching the flicker of hope light up in Pettigrew's eyes. "But, unfortunately, Wormtail, you're not included."
"Why?" Pettigrew looked up, face full of confusion and hurt.
"Why?" Snape echoed, sneering. "How can you even ask that, Wormtail?
"Let me ask you, would you tell me all of Potter's and Black's secrets, and help me deal with them?"
"No," Pettigrew recoiled as though burned, stepping back. "I won't betray them."
"You won't betray your friends?" Snape's tone turned eerily soft. "Oh, right, you just want my protection, don't you? I might be stronger than your friends now, but I haven't threatened you, and I haven't killed you."
"I don't, don't know what you mean, Severus," Pettigrew mumbled, his eyes flicking about. "Fine, if you won't let me join, then forget it..."
He turned to leave, then hesitated, glancing back nervously. "You... you won't tell James and the others, right?"
"That's your business," said Snape curtly. "Goodbye."
Pettigrew immediately turned and hurried back toward the castle.
Snape stood watching the retreating figure.
"Peter," he called out, his voice carried on the evening breeze, "remember what you said today. I hope you truly never betray your friends."
Pettigrew didn't stop, but Snape saw his shoulders twitch ever so slightly before he broke into a faster run toward the castle.
Snape shook his head and turned toward the Forbidden Forest once more.
The edge of the forest was close now. Tall trees cast long shadows as though welcoming his arrival.
Stepping into the shade, Snape felt a wave of cool relief crawl up his spine.
After about ten minutes of walking deeper, he sensed the magical restriction lift, he had exited the Anti-Apparition Boundary of Hogwarts.
Without hesitation, he spun in place and vanished with a faint crack.
The next moment, he appeared in a clearing deep within the Forbidden Forest, still some distance from the werewolf camp. Straightening his slightly wrinkled robes, he began walking in that direction.
The scene before him was entirely different from the ruined mess he had seen last time.
The werewolf camp had been completely rebuilt.
Tall wooden palisades enclosed a secure area, and several makeshift watchtowers stood at key points. Snape's lips curved upward, Lyka had done even better than he expected.
Two werewolves were chatting on one of the watchtowers.
"Why hasn't the sun set yet today?" a young one asked, scratching his furry arm nervously.
"Yeah," an older one agreed, "it's usually dark by now. Strange."
Hearing footsteps, they both grew alert. The young one raised a rough wooden bow, aiming an arrow toward the sound.
"Who's there?" he barked, his voice sharp with tension.
Before Snape could answer, the older werewolf pressed the bow down.
"Lower it," he said, squinting toward the shadows beyond the fence. "That's our most honored guest."
He called out toward the gate, "Please wait a moment, Mr. Snape, I'm coming down."
Snape watched as the older werewolf climbed down from the tower with surprising agility.
Moments later, he reached the entrance, opened the heavy wooden gate, and bowed deeply.
"You've finally come, Mr. Snape," he said excitedly. "I never got to thank you last time."
"And you are?" Snape asked, studying the scarred face before him.
"I'm the one you saved, the wounded man," the werewolf said, gesturing to his abdomen. "Here, remember? A long gash, you closed it up."
"I remember you," Snape said with a small smile. "You were barely alive. What's your name?"
"Kael Kaufmann," said the werewolf, grinning and showing sharp teeth. "You must be here to see Lyka, right?"
The young sentry had climbed down by then and approached the gate.
"Sorry, Mr. Snape," he said, rubbing his hands nervously. "I wasn't here last time."
"No matter," said Snape. "You did well, stay alert."
The young werewolf nodded quickly.
"Eren," said Kael, glancing at him, "call the chief, oh, no." He changed his mind. "I'll take you in myself, Mr. Snape. Come see our new home."
He gestured warmly for Snape to follow.
Snape stepped inside the camp, eyes widening slightly at what he saw.
Except for a collapsed hut and a torn tent left standing as memorials, the camp was thriving.
Neatly built wooden cabins lined the perimeter. A bonfire burned in the central clearing, where young werewolves chased each other in play.
Most striking was the solid stone building near the ruins.
Seeing Snape's curious gaze, Kael explained, "Thanks to your wand, Mr. Snape, we're living far better now.
"All of this," he said proudly, lifting his bow and pointing at the fence, "was made bit by bit with Lyka's Transfiguration magic.
"That stone house," he continued, eyes glowing with gratitude, "is where we all stay before the full moon. Isn't it great? No more wrecking our homes during the change."
"No need for thanks," Snape chuckled. "I brought you something even better this time."
"Thank you so much!" Kael's eyes lit up. "Come, Lyka's tending to some volunteers' wounds."
He led Snape briskly across the camp.
Along the way, werewolves of all ages greeted him, men, women, young, old. Snape couldn't remember many faces, though a few looked familiar. He nodded politely, acknowledging their greetings.
Despite Kael's insistence that "Mr. Snape has urgent business with Chief Lyka," they still wanted to shake his hand. One young girl even handed him a bunch of wildflowers.
"It's fine, it's fine," Snape said warmly, smiling more than he ever did at school. "Seeing you all living well puts me at ease. Things will only get better from here."
He pulled several supplies from his bag, medicine, food, wine, even packets of sweets. They had been meant as his reserves, but he was more than happy to share them now.
Finally, they reached a tent.
"Lyka," Kael called, clearing his throat as he drew back the flap, "we have an honored guest."
"What is it, Uncle Kael? Why's it so noisy outside?" came a clear young voice from within.
"See for yourself," said Kael mysteriously.
As Snape entered the tent, Kael tactfully let the flap fall shut and stood guard outside.
Inside, Lyka was tending to two volunteers. Her back was turned, wand in hand, murmuring healing spells over their wounds.
Hearing movement, she turned around, her pointed wolf ears perked up, and her amber eyes lit instantly when she saw Snape.
"Mr. Snape!" she exclaimed, hurrying to meet him, setting aside her work.
Lyka looked far better than last time, her chestnut hair was sleek and glossy now instead of dry and tangled. Only the blood-red fang necklace on her pale chest remained unchanged, swaying lightly as she moved.
"Are you well?" she asked, her joyful expression fading into guilt. "I'm sorry... I still haven't succeeded with the transformation experiments. Rebuilding the camp took so much time..."
"No rush," said Snape, waving a hand. "You deserve a proper life too." His gaze swept over the injured volunteers watching him in awe. "Besides, it hasn't been that long, I didn't expect success so soon."
"However," he added, reaching into his robe and taking out a crystal bottle filled with silvery potion, "I did bring some good news."
"What is it?" Lyka asked, her nose twitching as she tried to catch the scent.
"Wolfsbane Potion, two doses," said Snape, holding it out to her. "It lets a werewolf stay conscious during transformation."
"This is what you mentioned before..." Lyka's voice lowered, though her eyes never left the bottle.
"Yes," Snape frowned slightly. "What are you waiting for, Lyka? Take it."
"It's too precious," she hesitated, fingers flexing nervously at her sides. "We..."
"What's wrong?" Snape said with a faint note of irritation. "Didn't you swear last time you'd obey my orders? Is this simple one beyond you?"
Lyka took a deep breath and finally accepted the potion.
"Thank you, Mr. Snape," she said softly. "I don't know how I can ever repay you..."
"Don't worry about that," Snape said, his tone softening. "This is our first successful batch of Wolfsbane Potion, try it out and see how it works. Start tonight, drink it for seven days straight until the full moon. No sugar, remember." He paused. "Later, I'll have Dobby, the house-elf you met, deliver more."
"You won't come again yourself?" Lyka asked quietly, her ears twitching uneasily.
"Not usually," said Snape. "If you need anything, tell Dobby, he'll contact me."
"Would you like to look around the camp?" Lyka asked eagerly. "We built all this thanks to the wand you gave me."
"No need," Snape waved dismissively. "Kael already filled me in."
"All right..." Lyka lowered her head, her pointed ears drooping. "Would you at least stay for dinner? We just hunted a deer..."
"I've already eaten," Snape said, patting his stomach. "You go ahead."
"Okay..." Lyka murmured, then suddenly brightened. She hurried to a wooden crate at the edge of the tent and carefully pulled out a bundle of long, silky white hair.
Running back, she held it out to him with both hands.
"Mr. Snape," she said, eyes shining, "this is for you, unicorn tail hair. They sometimes get caught on branches in the forest; we collect them when we find them."
Snape took the shimmering, pearl-like strands and tucked them into his inner pocket.
"Thank you, Lyka," he said sincerely. "This is worth quite a bit."
"No, we should thank you," Lyka said, blushing as her tail swayed gently behind her.
"All right, I have to go," Snape said, checking the time.
"I'll see you off," Lyka said at once, holding open the tent flap for him.
The sunset bathed the camp in golden warmth. Werewolves gathered in small groups around the bonfire, preparing dinner.
Lyka followed Snape all the way to the camp's edge, her reluctance plain to see.
"This is far enough," Snape said, waving. "Goodbye."
He turned and walked into the shadow of the trees.
After a few steps, he looked back, Lyka was still standing at the gate.
He lifted his hand again in a brief wave, then vanished into the forest shade.