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It had been years since they had first met each other.
It had been for just about that long that Remus liked Severus. Remus could see a fighter based on looks alone. He knew that Severus would be a fighter from the way he stood protectively in front of Lily and declared boldly that he wanted to be a Slytherin.
Sure, things were quite bumpy during their schooling years and even a few years after. Now, however, Valentine's Day was approaching, and Remus intended to take his chance. It may have been during the school year and highly inappropriate, but the werewolf needed an excuse to send off the box of chocolates (which he may or may not have painstakingly crafted over the months).
Of course, as the time approached, Remus began to lose his courage. He had backed out of sending some form of gift to Severus several times in the past, but this year had to be different. He couldn't back out because he needed to get this one thing off his chest before the worst happened.
Remus had paced the floor for a very long time before suddenly being hit with the brilliant (albeit cowardly) idea of sending off the chocolates by owl. He'd use an owl from Hogwarts and have the owl deliver the chocolates. Nodding to himself, Remus headed off to the owlery with his box of chocolates as dawn was breaking over the horizon. He basically sprinted through the halls and trudged through the snow to make it to the owlery before the owls delivered their morning mail.
Just as he got to the top, someone came strolling out.
Remus yelped loudly as he fumbled with his box of chocolates.
Tragically, the boxed variety of chocolates fell to the ground and scattered all down the stairs.
Remus silently swept for his loss before looking up at the one who had startled him.
Severus stood there with a raised eyebrow.
If Remus could have spontaneously combusted on the spot, he would have. His face turned a tomato-red hue, and he quickly averted his eyes to the chocolates that spilled. He felt embarrassed, like he was five and caught stealing a cookie from the jar. The poor man was spared from his spiraling thoughts by the man in front of him.
“Have a Valentine's, Remus?” Severus asked in his usual drawl.
“No,” Remus blurted out before biting back a cringe. As he stood there under the doubtful gaze of Severus, he desperately wished for the earth to swallow him whole.
Severus gave a hum that was dripping with sarcasm.
Remus groaned as he knelt down and began to pick up the scattered chocolates. “It's… not exactly mutual.”
“Oh?” The Slytherin asked in a manner that indicated slight interest.
Remus sighed heavily as his emotions finally seemed to calm down. “I doubt it'll ever be, with me being – well – you know.”
The other man knelt down and began helping to pick up the chocolates. “Do they know about your condition?”
“Yes,” Remus answered, “Which is why–”
“If they can't accept you because of your particularities, they don't deserve you,” Severus interrupted, causing Remus to look up at the other in surprise. The resident potions master was looking down at the ground with his usual even expression.
Remus bit back a grimace as he turned his gaze back down to the ground and finished picking up the last of the chocolates. He placed them haphazardly into the box and allowed Severus to do the same.
The man then suggested, “Next time, I'd suggest wrapping the box with a ribbon beforehand.”
Remus flushed deeply as he watched Severus take his leave from the owlery. After he realized he was staring rather rudely, he returned his gaze to the box of chocolates he really should have wrapped. He then sighed heavily before heading down to dispose of the now ruined box and its contents. He ended up back in his private quarters, lamenting how this year would be no different than the last. He tossed the box into the rubbish bin and changed to his daily wizarding robes. Remus headed out to the Great Hall, putting on his usual smile.
Severus was sitting in his usual seat, looking as stoic as always in front of the children.
Remus paused then because there was only one seat left at the staffing table. He hesitated for a mere moment before continuing on forward to the seat in-between Minerva and Severus. He sat down, pretending that everything was normal and that he wasn't right next to the man he liked.
As more students came in, the owls began to deliver their mail.
Remus watched as cutesy mail was delivered to the various students from their Valentine's, and he mentally made a note that he really should have delivered his chocolates in person instead of hiding behind an owl. At least then, his chocolates would have remained in more stable hands (or so he fantasized).
“Your tea is getting cold,” Minerva said, interrupting Remus from his mindless fantasies of handing Severus the chocolates by hand.
“Right,” Remus said as he flushed and went about preparing his morning tea.
“Who were you daydreaming about?” Minerva asked with a sly smirk, knowing full-well what her former student was daydreaming about.
Remus flushed deeply as he replied, “It's not important right now.”
“Oh?” Minerva pressed.
“It's not,” Remus said sternly, his face radiating a heat that could rival the sun’s.
“That's not what your tea says,” the woman said with a small chuckle.
Remus quickly stopped adding sugar to his tea and grimaced at just how sweet the drink had surely become. He waved his wand, dismissing the overly-sweet tea to someplace else. He watched as more tea filled his cup, courtesy of the house-elves. He then prepared his tea properly before contemplating if he should have merely tried his hand at making a card.
“Remus, your food won't eat itself,” Minerva chided gently.
The man checked the time before deciding that he should really stop daydreaming about the man he fancied. Merlin, fancied ? He sounded like he was eleven all over again.
There was a loud snickering that snapped him from his thoughts.
Remus glanced up, only to smile fondly at the way a boy loudly professed his undying love for his girlfriend. He remembered when Sirius did that every school year (typically with a different girl, but the point stands). At the thought of Sirius, Remus’s smile dimmed a bit before he glanced over at Harry.
Harry, as per usual, was in good spirits with his two friends.
Remus assured himself that Harry was fine before sparing a glance toward Severus, who had finished his meal and was sipping his morning tea. The man quickly averted his gaze and began to eat his breakfast. As he was drinking his tea, Severus stood and began to head off. Remus watched the man leave, his black robes fluttering in a way that exuded confidence and-
“Assessing his assets, Remus?” Minerva teased as she poked the werewolf.
Remus promptly spat out his tea and began choking on his own saliva.
“Goodness, Remus, are you alright?” Minerva asked as she looked at Remus with a smirk that could only be described as shit-eating.
“I'm quite fine,” Remus lied as his face was covered in that warmth he was slowly growing to despise that Valentine's Day.
“Leave the poor man alone, Minerva,” Pomona scolded down the table.
“I have to look out for my lions,” Minerva replied.
“I believe I'm old enough to look out for myself,” Remus interjected as he stood up. “I will be heading to my office now.” With that, he quickly walked off, ignoring how the entire Great Hall seemed to stare at his form. As he briskly walked through the corridors, he ran his hands down his face.
The entire morning seemed to drag on.
Remus dreaded the thought of going to lunch, so he decided that he would skip the meal. He didn't need three meals a day to survive, so he would be fine. With that though, he stayed huddled in his office while grading some essays, most of which had some form of doodles on them pertaining to hearts and love. Just as he finished and was allowing his mind to drift out to his own love, a knock came at the door. “Come in.”
To his surprise, Severus entered the room.
Remus’s surprise quickly died as he saw Severus carry in a beaker of Wolfsbane Potion.
“I have to meet with a complete and utter dunderhead after dinner,” Severus said, answering an unspoken question.
Remus smiled warmly at the word usage. “Oh?”
The Head of Slytherin frowned a bit as he placed the beaker down on Remus’s desk. “Indeed.”
Remus’s smile became a bit forced before a horrific idea sprang to mind. “It isn't Minerva, is it?” He blurted out quickly.
Severus raised a dark eyebrow.
Remus groaned as he hung his head and buried his face in his hands. He even felt his ears turn red as he grumbled, “That woman will be the death of me with her meddling.” He looked up at Severus and asked, “Did she say anything?” Before the other man could even open his mouth, the werewolf said, “Of course, she did. Why wouldn't she? I–”
“Remus, my meeting is with Dumbledore,” Severus interrupted.
The scarred man took a long moment to process those words before blurting out a simple, but effective, “ Fuck .”
“Language,” Severus scolded automatically.
“Right, sorry,” Remus apologized right away.
Severus rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms. “What's so bad about Minerva speaking to me?”
Remus hesitated for a long moment before finally sighing. He looked up at Snape with a look that could be described as defeated. “I like you.”
“You’re not exactly unpleasant,” Severus replied.
“Merlin, help me,” Remus muttered under his breath before straightening up. “Severus, I like the way that you are deep down.”
“The way that I am deep down,” Severus repeated almost incredulously.
Remus cringed at his own words before trying a third time. “I – I fancy you, and I–”
Severus raised a hand, silencing the werewolf.
At once, Remus felt like jumping out the window to his death from the sheer amount of embarrassment he felt.
Then, Severus lowered his hand and said, “You ramble when you're nervous.”
“I know,” Remus admitted.
“I don't know why you fancy me–”
“Why wouldn't I?” Remus questioned.
Severus raised an eyebrow at the one who used to bully him insistently.
Remus flushed deeply before the man sighed heavily. He looked weathered at that moment as he said, “I know you hate me because of what I've done – what I allowed them to do. I never should have gone along with it, but I –” Remus hesitated for a long moment before looking at the other with desperation. “I really do love you.”
“You don't know everything I've done,” Severus said with a frown. “You don't even know the basics–”
Immediately, Remus frowned. “Your favorite color is a silver-gray that seems like a cold storm approaching. You aspire to teach D.A.D.A. not because you are well-acquainted with the Dark Arts, but because you truly want to protect children from its influence. You're a survivor, one that has had to claw his way throughout every step of life just to be given an even worse hand. I know the basics, Severus–”
“Do you know why I began to display my so-called hatred of you, Remus?” The potions master interrupted.
“The combination of my – my friends and my condition–”
“Incorrect,” Severus cut off at once. “It's because you were a coward. I have grown, however, as a person. I know now you just wanted acceptance, even if it meant doing things you were ashamed of. I understand that.”
Remus flushed a bit before saying slowly, “I – I don't think I've grown that much as a person.”
“You’ve finally confessed your feelings after Merlin only knows how many years, haven't you?” Severus asked with a raised brow.
Immediately, Remus's face turned red. “You knew?”
“It was hard to miss,” Severus admitted.
As Remus buried his face in his hands, the bell signaling the end of lunch came.
“I have to go teach more dunderheads now,” Severus noted with false disdain in his voice.
Remus gave a chuckle as he stood up. “Please, let me walk you to the door.”
Severus walked to the door with Remus in tow. Before Severus opened the door, however, he leaned over and gave a surprisingly tender kiss to Remus’s cheek. “Just so you know, I like dark chocolate.” With that, the Slytherin left the office behind, his black robes billowing behind him.
As Remus internally screamed like a girl at a boy-band concert, he knew the future may be challenging, but he had the courage to face it with Severus by his side.