A mission goes wrong
Dumbledore was bent over his Pensieve, going over every detail of the mission as it had been reported by James, Sirius, and other Order members. A frown was etched into his forehead. He tapped his fingers along the edge of the Pensieve as he awaited the report of his spy. "Severus, where are you?" he murmured.
Severus came stumbling out of the Floo and stuffed his wand back into the pocket of his robes as he shook his hair out. He looked up to see Dumbledore frowning at him and not at his desk like normal. His eyes wandered to the Pensieve a moment, then back. "Sir."
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Severus," he said quietly. "How are you?"
"Terrible," Severus said, like usual nowadays, though he was hesitant to take a seat in his usual chair, since Dumbledore was on the other side of the room. He wasn't certain if he was supposed to go over there, though, either.
"Why is that?" Dumbledore asked, watching him.
Severus arched both eyebrows in surprise. Dumbledore never asked why he was terrible, he just accepted it and moved on. He just shrugged. It should've been obvious why he was terrible; he complained enough. "Usual rubbish."
Dumbledore just kept watching him. "What would that be, then?"
Severus watched Dumbledore suspiciously and didn't meet his gaze. "Nothing." If Dumbledore was just going to stand here and talk bollocks, he was going to go home. He was bloody tired, and not to mention hungry.
"Ah. Perhaps you could come look at this and tell me what you think," Dumbledore said. His gaze didn't leave Severus' face.
Severus shrugged and nodded, crossing the room to the Pensieve.
Dumbledore eyed him. "After you," he murmured, gesturing to the Pensieve.
Severus grasped the edges of the bowl, pushing aside his hesitance, and stuck his head into the swirling memories.
Dumbledore followed a moment later, and when he stood next to Severus in the middle of a darkened street, hexes flying past them, he looked troubled, but collected.
Severus thought he was more collected than most when thrust into other people's memories - hoped, anyway - but he hadn't expected to be dropped into the middle of a battle. He jerked as a red hex shot right through him, harmlessly of course, then shook himself and peered around, ignoring the other hexes flying.
He spotted mostly Death Eaters at first, but then saw that there were Order members amongst them, too - just that the Death Eaters outnumbered the Order. Severus frowned, trying to place where they were and when this had happened.
"Do you recognise where we are?" Dumbledore asked, his gaze still on Severus rather than on the action around them.
"No," Severus said slowly, his brow furrowing. He continued to glance around, wondering if he should know, but it didn't look familiar to him at all.
"This was earlier tonight, at Bury St. Edmund's. I sent some Order members to protect Ionis Braxley--you will recall, you thought she was a target, after the way she has been speaking out against Tom's cause. Eight Order members were, I thought, sufficient to protect one pure-blooded lady, no matter how outspoken." Dumbledore's gaze was still fixed on Severus' face. "As it turned out, I was wrong."
"Then Remus is here." Severus turned around, trying to spot him, wondering why in the world Dumbledore had him watch this.
He heard a crack and watched the front door of a house crash in, watched Death Eaters turn and run inside. He remembered hearing about the woman, remembered advising Dumbledore that he had a strong feeling she would be targeted by the Dark Lord. He remembered the plans they had made, Remus mentioning that he was going with them.
"Is he all right? He wasn't injured?" he asked, turning his gaze back on Dumbledore with a worried expression.
"I didn't ask you to watch this because of Remus," Dumbledore said. "As you will see in a moment, Remus took some hexes meant for the woman, but he is fine. He's with Poppy as we speak, though he wasn't badly injured." Dumbledore finally looked away from Severus' face to watch the front of the house. He gestured for Severus to look, as well.
A moment later the Death Eaters dragged the woman out, one of them jeering at the Order members, while another made suggestions about the sort of 'fun' they could have with her. The woman was fighting them, and finally she managed to break away from her captors. She darted away from them, and Remus and Frank Longbottom rushed out to protect her. As soon as she was away from the Death Eaters, both sides began trading hexes and curses again, and Remus swung around to cover the woman's back while Frank hustled her back to the protection of the Order.
"Well then, why am I watching it?" Severus asked, though he hadn't looked away once Dumbledore had directed him towards the action.
It wasn't as though he didn't know what a battle looked like. He watched Remus take a hit on the arm, angry at Dumbledore for showing him this, but not reacting outwardly.
"Pay close attention," Dumbledore said, his voice rather sharp. He was watching the Death Eaters, who--though not outnumbered--were slowly being picked off by Order members. Especially now that Braxley had added her own hexes to the mix.
"Sod this!" someone cried from behind a mask. "There weren't supposed to be this many of them! Let's go."
"The Dark Lord said Braxley must be silenced!" snapped a voice that could only be Lucius Malfoy.
"We're getting slaughtered," someone else said, "and they're getting away. Our information was wrong." There was a crack! as someone Disapparated, and then suddenly a loud displacement of air, which announced that the Order had departed, taking their rescued activist with them.
Dumbledore turned his gaze back to Severus' face.
Our information was wrong. Severus stared in shock as the memory ended and pulled his head out of the stone basin, blinking a moment as Dumbledore's office re-formed around them.
He reigned in his surprise when the pieces began to click together. Dumbledore had shown him that instead of telling him for a reason. His gaze snapped to Dumbledore's. "You think it was me."
Dumbledore's expression was unreadable. "I thought perhaps you would have some thoughts on the matter," he said.
"If you didn't think it was me, you would have just told me instead of showing me," Severus countered angrily. "You want my thoughts on the matter? I want to see Remus!"
"Remus is fine," Dumbledore said again. "I wanted you to draw your own conclusions, Severus." He paced slowly from the Pensieve to his desk, seating himself behind it and waving his hand at the tea set. A fresh burst of steam rose from the pot. "Did you know anything about this raid, Severus?"
Severus folded his arms and stayed where he was. "Yes, we had an entire conversation about it. You were there," he reminded Dumbledore snarkily.
"Come sit down," Dumbledore suggested. "Why don't we go over what you told me about this raid."
Severus took in a deep breath and told himself that storming from the office would not help matters. He marched himself over to Dumbledore's desk and dropped stiffly into a chair. "You said you were going to send a few Order members to Braxley's home to escort her to an Order safe house," he said with forced calm.
"After you told me you thought she was a target," Dumbledore agreed. "Did I ever tell you whom I planned to send?"
"No," Severus said, "And I didn't ask. Remus talked about it though."
Dumbledore nodded. "I had originally planned to send only four. James expressed concern over the number, so I sent four additional members at the last minute." He steepled his fingers and watched Severus. "Of course, what concerns me is that the Death Eaters knew there would be Order members there, and came prepared. I have watched this scene play out many times, Severus. There are thirteen Death Eaters here to kill one woman. A bit excessive, wouldn't you say?"
"Yes probably," Severus said, anger slipping into his tone. Of course he would know how many Death Eaters the Dark Lord usually sent to dispatch a person, considering the number of times he'd been among them.
The Headmaster's gaze fixed on Severus'. "Severus, do you have any idea how Tom might have learned of the Order's plans to rescue Miss Braxley?"
Severus raised both eyebrows. "No."
Dumbledore held his gaze for a long moment, then finally nodded. "Ionis Braxley is, for the moment, safe," he said, looking down to pour himself some tea. "I have asked Remus to speak with her, once Poppy is finished with them. I wish to learn if she had any inkling that the Death Eaters would be coming for her tonight."
Severus stared sullenly down at the floor. He was angry with Dumbledore and he wanted to see Remus. He also wanted something to eat. And he didn't particularly care about Ionis Braxley at the moment.
"Am I right in thinking that one of those Death Eaters was Lucius Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked. "Can you identify any of the others?"
"Yes, Lucius was there," Severus muttered. "And I would bank on Augustus Rookwood, he has a very distinctive voice."
Dumbledore nodded. "See what you can learn of the raid from the other Death Eaters," he said. "And we must know if there are further plans to work against Ionis."
Severus nodded. "I'm supposed to visit the Malfoys tomorrow," he said, though he had no desire to talk with Lucius any more than he had to. Lucius had clearly been in on the plan, however. Oh Merlin, but he didn't want to be alone with Lucius Malfoy.
"Thank you, Severus. Do you have anything new to report? Is there anything I should know?"
Severus took a deep breath, sitting up and shaking Malfoy from his thoughts. It had to be done, if only to prove to Dumbledore that he was serious about his position and hadn't become a double agent. "Er, report? No. Nothing. I was brewing potions all day."
"Very well." Dumbledore was stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Thank you, Severus, for indulging an old man's whims. If you would like, you are welcome to sit with me until Remus returns from speaking with Ionis Braxley. I have ginger biscuits and chocolate digestive biscuits, if you are hungry."
Severus thought about that. He wanted to wait for Remus, but not here. He was hungry, but there was food at home.
Merlin, he didn't want to see Lucius Malfoy tomorrow.
And he reminded himself that Dumbledore didn't really want him to stay, anyway. "No, that's all right," he said, standing up and making his way to the fire.
"If you're certain," Dumbledore said, his voice sounding rather sad.
"Yes, I am quite certain," Severus snapped. The old git had not twenty minutes ago accused Severus of giving the Dark Lord information on the Order. Even if he was being sincere - which Severus was sure he wasn't - he was a prat who did not appreciate Severus nearly as much as he should.
"Very well. Be careful, Severus. I shall see you on Friday."
Severus didn't respond, only tossed in his Floo powder, announced his destination, and plunged into the green flames.
When Remus arrived home he was still a bit floaty from pain potions, as well as exhaustion. His watch told him it was nearly three in the morning, and he supposed Severus would be asleep by now, but he wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and have Severus wrap his arms around him. As soon as he arrived in the front room he tugged his shirt over his head and pushed his shoes off.
Severus came out of the kitchen in the dark, his eyes adjusted from sitting there for hours with the lights off, and wrapped his arms around Remus.
"You're still awake," Remus said, surprised. He melted against Severus, winding his arms around Severus' waist and nuzzling his neck. "Is everything all right?"
"Yeah," Severus said, even though it hadn't been. It would be now. "I was just waiting for you."
"Mmm, I love you," Remus said. He sighed heavily and tightened his arms. "We nearly didn't get Ionis out of there tonight. There were more Death Eaters than we were expecting. That's partly why I'm so late getting home. I'm sorry."
"I know, Dumbledore told me," Severus said, tightening his embrace. "He said you took hexes meant for her but that you were all right."
"I was shielding her instead of myself," Remus said. "Clumsy, I could have shielded us both, and I just wasn't thinking." He nuzzled Severus again. "It was nothing serious, though. I had a bit of pain potion and there was no real damage." He kissed Severus' neck. "Come to bed with me?"
"Yeah, of course," Severus said, leading Remus gently upstairs. "You must be exhausted."
"Mmhmm," Remus agreed, lacing his fingers with Severus'. He was so glad Severus was still awake. It was the height of comfort to settle into bed with one's lover and be held. When they reached the bedroom, he dropped his shirt in the hamper and finished undressing, ignoring the raw spots on his arm and back from the still-healing hexes.
Severus got undressed as well, crawling into bed and making room for Remus.
Remus got under the covers and snuggled up as close as he could get to Severus. "God, I love you so much," he murmured, one hand splayed across Severus' back. "Hold me."
Wrapping his arms around Remus once more, Severus settled in with him. "Love you too," he murmured, stroking Remus' hair.
"Mmm. This makes everything better," Remus sighed.
"I'm glad," Severus said. He closed his eyes, thinking maybe finally he could sleep.
"How was your evening?" Remus asked, realising guiltily that he'd forgotten to earlier.
Severus did not want to talk about it now, when Remus was tired and hurt. "Fine."
"Did you get your brewing done?" Remus traced his fingers in idle circles against Severus' back.
"Yeah," Severus replied, enjoying Remus' touch. He stroked his hair again.
"I'm glad." Remus closed his eyes, breathing in Severus' scent. He felt so much better just from being here.
"I'm glad you're all right," Severus said.
"Mmm, yes. I shall remember proper shielding spells in future," Remus promised.
"Very good," Severus said, yawning. "That's important."
Remus caught that yawn and buried his face against Severus' chest. "Love you," he murmured.
"Love you."
Remus' only answer was a contented sigh. Within minutes he was asleep.
Despite the calming effect of his lover, Severus fell into a fitful sleep. The next morning, he woke with a start from a disturbing dream, his breathing uneven, and immediately burrowed closer to Remus, whom he had moved away from in the night.
He wrapped his arms around his lover and tried to remember if Remus had said he had to work.
Remus made a muffled noise, waking slowly. He finally shifted against Severus and got an arm around him. "Morning," he muttered sleepily.
"Morning," Severus said, shivering, and kissed Remus' neck. "D'you work?"
"Not until later," Remus said, humming and arching his neck.
"Mm, s'good," Severus uttered, planting a few more kisses there since Remus gave him the room. "Have plans later too."
"Yeah?" Remus growled softly in pleasure at the kisses.
"Mmhmm." Severus wasn't going to say what when Remus was growling like that, though. He sucked on Remus' neck lightly, nibbling with his teeth.
"Love waking up with you," Remus said, burying his fingers in Severus' hair. Especially when Severus woke him up like this.
"Yeah me too," Severus paused to say, then nipped at the spot he usually bit.
Remus gasped and arched his head further back, his breathing suddenly unsteady. "God, Severus."
"Mmm you always make me feel better," Severus murmured, licking the spot and teething at it.
"Unh! Could say--same of you," Remus managed, tugging lightly on Severus' hair.
"Good," Severus gasped, stroking Remus' skin. He wanted to distract himself from his bad dreams, from Dumbledore's accusations, and from the thought of having to chat Lucius up later.
Remus growled again and surged up against Severus, kissing him more passionately now he was more awake.
Severus groaned into the kiss, pressing their bodies together.
"Love you," Remus murmured, stroking his hand down Severus' back.
"Love you," Severus echoed, feeling better already. "'M so glad you're not hurt."
"Mm." That brought back to Remus' thoughts the mission last night, but he pushed it away and concentrated on kissing Severus again. His hand wandered lower.
"Dumbledore had me up to his office last night," Severus said, kissing Remus again. "He told me you got hurt, but he wouldn't let me see you."
"Wouldn't let you?" Remus said, instantly indignant. "Whyever not?" He nipped at Severus' jaw.
"Because he was too busy accusing me of giving information on the Order to the Dark Lord," Severus answered between kisses.
Remus pulled away and stared at Severus. "What?"
"When the Death Eaters retreated, one of them said something about their information being wrong and that there weren't supposed to be so many Order members," Severus uttered, keeping a hand on Remus' arm. "He thought I told them."
"What the fuck!" Remus said, outraged. "Why would he think that? Why would he ever bloody think that? You wouldn't!" He kissed Severus hard.
Severus wrapped his arms around Remus tightly, returning the kiss.
"I know you wouldn't," Remus said. "How could he doubt you? You're my lover--my mate! You wouldn't ever betray me. What's he going to do next, start doubting me?" He pressed against Severus.
Severus held Remus a few moments, taking comfort, then kissed him again. "I love you."
"I love you, too," Remus murmured. "So much. I trust you with my life. With everything. Don't worry, Severus, I'll never doubt you." He kissed him.
Severus gave Remus an unsteady smile, kissing him again. "I know that. You're the only one, but you're all I need."
"He shouldn't doubt you. He should trust you with his life, too." Remus stroked Severus' hair, growling unconsciously.
"I don't know what to do to make him trust me," Severus murmured, enjoying Remus' soothing gesture as well as his growls.
"I don't know either," Remus said unhappily. "But eventually he'll have to trust you. You've been spying for the Order for nearly a year now. You'd think that would earn more trust than this." He nuzzled Severus' ear.
"Yeah," Severus agreed, enjoying being held. "He wants me to talk to the Death Eaters who were there and try to find out how they did find out. I'm going to the Malfoy's later so hopefully I'll be able to learn something."
"Yeah, I thought I heard Malfoy there," Remus muttered, "the bloody arse. Be careful, Severus. I live in fear that he'll suspect something." He kissed Severus.
As much as Severus knew he had to go, he almost wished Remus was still jealous enough to give him an excuse not to talk to Malfoy. Lucius had been in his dreams last night, and he wasn't looking forward to speaking with him.
Severus kissed him back. "I will," he sighed.
"I wish you didn't have to," Remus murmured. "I wish you didn't have to do this at all. My poor Severus." He held him closer, stroking his hair again.
Severus sighed, pressing closer and wishing they hadn't gone from heating up to cooling down and missing the sex in between. "It's my own fault."
"That doesn't make it any easier," Remus said, "and it doesn't stop me wishing you didn't have to go through this." He nuzzled Severus again. "I love you so much. I hate seeing you in this situation."
"So glad I have you," Severus murmured, kissing him.
Remus stroked a hand over Severus' skin. "Yes, me too," he agreed, and kissed him again, more thoroughly.
Severus made a pleased noise into the kiss, stroking a hand down Remus' back.
"Want to touch you all over," Remus murmured between kisses. "Love you so much."
"Love how you touch me," Severus uttered, squeezing Remus' arse.
"Mmm." Remus moved then, rolling them over so he could lean over Severus and spend some time exploring the thin chest with his mouth.
Severus gasped, arching under Remus' mouth and tangling fingers into his hair. "Remus."
Remus growled softly. "Want you," he murmured, his teeth grazing a nipple.
"Ah!" Severus shifted and got Remus between his legs. "Yes."
"Mmm." Remus stroked one hand down Severus' stomach to grasp his arousal lightly. "So bloody sexy."
"Oh God, Remus," Severus gasped, reaching up to tweak one of Remus' nipples.
Remus growled at him and lowered his head to nip sharply at Severus' throat. "Mine."
"Yours," Severus gasped, pleased, arching his hips up into Remus' hand. He stroked Remus' chest and brushed his fingertips over his throat.
Remus' only response to that was more growling, though he sucked at the reddened spot on Severus' throat as he slid his hand down further to tease at Severus' entrance.
Severus gasped, bending his legs to give Remus more room and tugging Remus' hair when pleasure lanced through him from the spot Remus was worrying at.
Groaning at the tug on his hair, Remus nipped again, though much gentler than before. He did the spells nonverbally and slid his finger inside, seeking out the sweet spot.
Severus whimpered, arching and wanting more. "Oh, good!"
Smirking in satisfaction, Remus worked his finger in and out several times, eventually adding a second one. He nipped at Severus' throat.
"Remus, more," Severus gasped, pinching the nipple he'd had in his fingers.
"Yes," Remus growled, shifting and pulling out his fingers, positioning his cock to take their place. He growled again and pushed inside.
Severus groaned, wrapping his legs around Remus' waist and clutching at him.
"Need you," Remus murmured, not pausing before he began to thrust, feeling a sudden energy that coupled with his desire for Severus and threw his rhythm off almost before it had begun.
"Oh yeah, Remus, God," Severus gasped, digging his nails into Remus' shoulders.
"Fuck, love you!" Remus replied, responding to the flare of pain in his shoulders by thrusting harder. He lowered his mouth to kiss Severus hungrily, nipping at his mouth.
Severus returned the kiss with passion, rocking to meet Remus' thrusts. He loved the way Remus fucked him, so possessively.
Growling, Remus curled his hand around Severus' cock again, trying to match his strokes to the rhythm of his thrusts.
Severus cried out and clung to Remus as pleasure spiralled through him, out of control.
"Love you," Remus growled. "Need you." He could feel himself losing what little control he had. He lowered his mouth to bite Severus hard, feeling the blood flow over his tongue.
"Oh, Remus!" Severus gasped, dragging his nails down Remus' back as the bite, being claimed, Remus' trust in him despite Dumbledore's lack, all threw him over the edge into climax.
Remus growled and bucked under Severus' nails, loving that feeling. A few more thrusts was all it took for him to cross that barrier, as well. He howled as he came, his movements slowing and then stopping, and finally collapsed on top of Severus, panting.
Severus still held Remus tightly when they were both still except for their heaving lungs, pressing an uncoordinated kiss to his cheek. "Love you!"
"Oh, God, love you so much," Remus gasped. He could barely move, but he couldn't stop nuzzling and burrowing his face against Severus' neck and cheek and chest. "Need you, love you."
"Mm." Severus stroked Remus' hair, closing his eyes. He felt ready to fall back to sleep now.
Finally Remus managed to calm down enough to relax and close his eyes, matching his breathing to Severus'. Within a short time, they were both asleep.