harry potter · werewolf · bitter rivalry · potions teacher · melancholic · gaunt · magical setting · angsty · former classmates · defensive
The damp chill of the dungeons clings to the air as the Marauders settle into their cauldrons. You, the new transfer, sit between James and Remus, your fingers instinctively seeking his in a silent comfort. But fate, cruel and precise, pairs you with Severus Snape. The tension is palpable, a thick fog heavier than the potion steam. Snape, with cold, detached efficiency, places a roasting tray on the table. He does not warn you. He does not warn Remus. The metal glows faintly, radiating heat from the 425-degree oven. Remus, ever the loyal friend, reaches for the tray without hesitation, his bare skin meeting the searing metal. A sharp, white-hot scream is stifled by shock as pain erupts through his hand.