Chapter 17: Coming To Terms

Snape's Quarters, Slytherin Dungeons, Hogwarts...

Severus Snape awoke with a pounding headache. He had been very fortunate that his quarters had been in the dungeons or the bright light from the looming sun would have been just another added nuisance to him. The Potions Professor had not been pleased when he noted how much his body ached and the scent of herbs and earth filled his nostrils. His mind had been foggy with broken memories and confused questions. Snape blinked so that he could stabilize his blurry vision. He recalled being around Hermione Granger prior to entering his quarters. The scent of jasmine that lingered from her bushy hair had been unmistakable. Upon the recollection of seeing her amber eyes in the dark Snape jolted out of bed. He found that he had been quite naked and that his sheets and covers were ripped to shreds.

He had not understood why such a thing happened but he was glad when there had been no trace of Hermione anywhere in his quarters. He sighed in relief. The idea of possibly hurting the young Gryffindor witch or worse filled his mind and it only served to terrify him all the more. It had only taken him a moment to not the familiar and equally detested scent that flooded his nostrils.

"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Snape in a dangerous growl. "Werewolf."

"I had to make sure that you were okay." said Remus Lupin with a sheepish expression even in the darkness of the dungeon.

"I told you before that I do not need your help." said Snape bitterly.

He had been seemingly unaffected by being naked in the werewolf's presence. The darkness of the room had been more than enough over. Perhaps if he had a chance to monitor his increasingly strange behavior he would have noted that he was never comfortable with showing off his body to anyone, women whom he had taken to bed included.

"Do you really not recall what you did last night?" asked Lupin stunned.

"Since there is no full moon I assume the damage was not significant." said Snape annoyed.

Lupin sighed.

"Severus, I am going to ask you something and I would like a true answer." he said serious.

"What gives you the right to question me?" asked Snape irate. "You shouldn't even be in my rooms."

"Dumbledore sent me to look in on you." said Lupin in his defense. "After last night he basically charged me with ensuring that you understand your new status wither you like it or not."

Snape narrowed his eyes at Lupin though the gesture did little good in the dark.

"Ask your bloody questions then and get out of my rooms." said the still irate Potions Professor.

"Severus, when was the last time you've had sex?" asked Lupin.

Snape arched an eyebrow at this but again the gesture was lost.

"That is none of your business." hissed the Slytherin.

"It is if it means I have to keep constant vigilance on you when it comes to..." said Lupin.

"When it comes to what?" asked Snape curious as to what The Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor was getting at.

"When it comes to Hermione." said Lupin getting to his feet. "You're hormone levels are through the roof Severus...and all that sexual aggression is focused on a very young and inexperienced witch."

"What the hell are you talking about?" asked Snape annoyed. "As if I would ever have any person interest in a child...especially a Gryffindor know-it-all chit like Granger."

Lupin sighed.

"Severus, you as a man may have little to no interest in Hermione Granger, but the wolf that resides within you is obsessed with her." he said trying to use reason.

"Just what in the hell are you implying?" asked Snape in a dangerous tone.

"If you do not find a way to curb your sexual aggression, you may well end up taking the girl by force." said Lupin. "I know you don't want to have to deal with this and that it's horrifying to know that you no longer have any form of control over your own life...but Severus you don't."

Snape had been stunned by what he was hearing. He made his way back toward his bed and sat down unable to function.

"What did I do?" he asked in a quiet tone that seemed to unnerve Lupin.

"You broke into Gryffindor Tower and..." started the sheepish Professor.

"Did...Did I hurt anyone?" asked Snape cutting him off.

"No." replied Lupin. "But you gave the girls a good scare before Hermione was able to calm you down."

"Is she...?" started Snape unsure if he wanted to hear anymore.

"She's fine." replied Lupin. "She's untouched."

Snape sighed in relief.

"I-I don't understand any of this." he admitted out loud. "There was no full moon...how?"

It was Lupin's turn to sigh.

"Severus, you are not like any of the other werewolves that I have ever known." he explained. "Even Greyback is different from you."

"How can this be?" asked Snape confused.

The flashes of the strange place with rivers of blood and golden fields of wheat and gentle breezes came back to him. The image of a beast-like creature with piercing black eyes and a stag's head that walked on two legs like that of a man as he wielded a spear came to him.

"The Father." said Snape as if in a trance.

Lupin studied him curiously.

"Severus?" he asked curious as the man grew silent.

"I-I've seen The Father." said Snape still in a trance like state.

"The Father of Man-Beasts." said Lupin understanding. "Lord Hircine himself has chosen you to be one of his legendary Blood Hounds."

Snape seemed to come back to himself at those words.

"But that's merely a legend." he said caught off guard. "The Hounds of Hircine were...destroyers..."

Lupin had not been at all surprised that even Snape had known of the legends of Werewolves.

"You seem well informed." he said.

Snape narrowed his obsidian eyes at him still a fruitless gesture but one made out of habit.

"One should always know their enemy, especially if that enemy has tried to eat you on more than one occasion." said The Potions Master with a hint of bitterness.

Lupin rolled his eyes. He knew it would be a matter of time before Snape brought up the incident from when they were children attending Hogwarts.

"I need a drink." said Snape.

"You and me both." replied Lupin.

Snape got to his feet and then realization dawned on him that he had been naked in Lupin's presence. His only saving grace had been due to the darkness that took up his bedroom.

"Get out." said Snape not wishing to draw attention to his realization.

He had been humiliated in front of the werewolf quite enough in the past.

Lupin shuffled out of the dour wizard's bedroom. He figured that he would need a moment to himself, but he made it a point to wait in the front room.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Snape's Front Room, Slytherin Dungeons, Hogwarts...

Snape had not been surprised when he emerged from his bedroom in his usual attire to find that Lupin had been sitting in his arm chair near the fireplace patiently awaiting his arrival. The Potions Professor made his way over toward his fire whiskey stash. He downed a bit of the vile liquid and sighed. If Dumbledore had been worried enough to ensure that Lupin entered his quarters then what he did must have caused real worry.

"Alright, werewolf." said Snape. "Speak."

Lupin turned his attention to Snape once more.

"I know that being a werewolf is new to you." he said.

"Really, because I thought that morphing into a man-eating psychopath was something I've been doing for years." said Snape annoyed.

"Severus be serious." said Lupin.

"Not in a thousand years." said The Potions Professor.

Lupin rolled his eyes.

"The point that I was trying to make Slytherin git, is that your wolf side has become the opposite of how you are as a man." he said. "Meaning if you've lead a sexless, submissive existence then by contrast the wolf in you will want sex and be aggressive to boot."

Snape had been afraid of this.

"So what you are telling me is that I have no self-control?" he said serious at last.

"Which means a good deal of danger for all around you." said Lupin pleased that he was finally getting through to Snape. "Mainly Harry and Hermione Granger."

Snape sighed.

"Why would Potter be in danger?" asked the dour wizard confused.

"You...sort of see him as a romantic rival for Hermione's affections." said Lupin rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Great." said Snape downing his fire whiskey and pouring another glass. "I get to be hormonally imbalanced and obsessed with a teenage girl I can't legally nor do I want to actually touch and Potter is my competition...it's like 1977 all over again."

"Not true." said The Defense Against The Dark Arts Professor. "You actually wanted to bed Lily..."

Snape glared murderously at him.

"I should be going." said Lupin.

"That would be wise, dog." said Snape annoyed.

Lupin gave him a sheepish grin.

"I would suggest you take care of the sexual part of your urges...lest you find yourself taking a certain young Gryffindor witch by force." he said serious. "Knockturn alley is a good place to start should you find yourself in urgent need of release."

"Duly noted." said Snape still annoyed. "You can leave now, dog."

With a sigh Lupin took his leave of the Potions Professor. Snape busied himself with another round of fire whiskey. It was bad enough that he was a werewolf to begin with but knowing of his obsessive attraction to Hermione Granger...it was all worse than he realized.

Especially if he was taking advice from Remus Lupin of all people.