Chapter 4. Under Cover of Darkness


Snape and Lupin appeared in an alley off the quiet main street of a small town in the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. The sun was just brushing the tops of the mountains with color as it sank towards its well-deserved rest. Rest was also on the minds of the two tired wizards.

Lupin sighed wearily. “Village number three. Whose idea was it to name more than one Romanian mountain village, Targa Lipus, anyway?”

Snape snorted. “The practice occurs worldwide, Lupin. This is hardly something exclusive to Romania. Frankly I find I’m losing some enthusiasm for this little quest of yours. Perhaps it’s time to head back to Hogwarts and call an end to it.”

Lupin frowned at him. “Oh, enthusiasm. Is that what I’ve been seeing from you all day? Funny, you could’ve fooled me. Look, this is the last village…we’re already here, so we might as well check it out. I’m sure there’s somewhere we can get something to eat and a bed for the night. You did promise to help me…”nothing pressing on your calendar”, I believe was how you put it. So what have you got to lose by sticking with me for a few more hours?”

Snape pulled his cloak around him in the frigid air and stated with ill grace, “Oh, all right. I suppose I should finish what I’ve begun. Let’s start by finding some food shall we? If there is anything edible to be found in this backwater.”

The two of them headed for the main street. The few people moving around on it seemed in a powerful hurry to get off it. Everyone was scurrying along as fast as they could, with their heads down, hunched up against the cold.

Snape looked around and pointed down the short street to a narrow building with a hanging sign in front. “That appears to be the local pub. Perhaps we could acquire food and a place to rest there. We might be able to find the information we need as well.”

Lupin nodded. “Sounds good to me. That lingua spell is a big help, too. Makes it much easier to talk to people. Where did you learn it?”

Snape gave him a disgusted look. “Charms class…fifth year…where were you?”

Lupin looked embarrassed. “Well, Charms was never my best class.”

Snape sighed as they set off for the pub. “Neither was Potions, and apparently you didn’t listen in history class either. Really Lupin, was there any class you did pay attention in at school?”

Lupin grinned at him. “Defense Against the Dark Arts, of course. I was also rather fond of Transfiguration.”

Snape grunted noncommittally.

They entered the pub to find it virtually deserted. One old man sat dozing in a corner. The only other people around were a barmaid with a vacant stare, who was leaning against the bar, and a large heavyset man behind the bar polishing glassware.

As they approached, the barman nodded to them and inquired. “What can I do for you gentlemen? Do you need a room for the night…it’s almost dark?”

Snape nodded in return. “Two rooms actually, some dinner, and some information.”

The man shook his head. “Only one room available…two beds.”

Snape glanced at Lupin. “I suppose that will have to do.”

The barman nodded and passed Snape a brass room key. “Top of the stairs.”

Lupin smiled at the man. “Thanks. Do you happen to know a man named Lorca Zgreb? We need to find him rather urgently.”

The man behind the bar shifted nervously, his eyes on the window. “Yes, I know Lorca. He lives on a small farm just outside town on the north side. You couldn’t get there before dark, though. Better stay here.”

Lupin nodded. “Okay. I guess we’ll have some dinner then.”

The man nodded but continued to watch the window. Lupin couldn’t figure out what he was looking at. The view was unexciting to say the least. “You’ll want that in your rooms, I suppose,” the barman said.

Lupin and Snape exchanged puzzled glances. “No. Here will be fine,” stated Snape.

The man shrugged. “You’re sure? It’s almost dark.”

Not at all sure what this had to do with anything, they insisted once again that eating here in the pub dining room would be fine. So shortly they were seated at a small table with bowls of a warm meat soup in front of them, accompanied by plates of crusty bread and two glasses of the local brew.

They were partway through their meal when they both felt a shiver run through them as if a powerful blanket of magic had dropped down from above to cover the entire building. They exchanged glances.

“Did you feel that, Lupin?” Snape turned and cocked an eyebrow at his companion.

Lupin nodded and swallowed hard, he’d felt this disturbing sensation before. Suddenly a whole lot of things made sense. “Uh, Severus…I think we should’ve listened to the bartender and eaten in our rooms.”

Snape frowned. “Why do you say that? And what was that strange sensation?”

Lupin was watching the door intently. “Can you disapparate, Severus?”

Snape opened his mouth to question, but Lupin cut him off. “Just try!”

Snape did. His eyes widening in surprise as he looked back at Lupin, who sighed. “I was afraid of that. Just follow my lead, Severus. Everything will be okay if you just do what I say. Don’t argue for once. Just do what I say! We should go upstairs…now.”

Snape frowned at Lupin, took note of his intensely serious expression, and nodded, but before they could move there was another shiver of magic. Suddenly the room was filled with silent figures.

“Too late,” muttered Lupin under his breath. “Just follow my lead, and we’ll be all right.”

Snape glanced around at the thin pale figures that stood silently around the room staring at them. Suddenly it all made sense to him, too. Horrible sense.

Three of the figures, a man and two women, approached their table and circled it with rather ghastly smiles on their pale faces. One of the women stopped next to Snape but focused her attention on Lupin.

“We don’t see much of your kind around here, Wolf. What brings you our way?”

Lupin shrugged casually, but he never took his eyes off her. “Just passing through. We won’t get in your way.”

The woman had a full mane of thick curly raven hair. Her face was unlined but was narrow and angular with huge blue eyes that glittered unpleasantly against her very pale skin. She smiled nastily revealing razor sharp teeth. “See that you don’t, Wolf. This is our territory, and we don’t like to share.” She dropped her eyes to Snape and smiled greedily. “Exceptions can be made, of course.”

Snape swallowed nervously and glanced at Lupin.

Lupin’s eyes took on a yellowish feral gleam, and he smiled, revealing rather sharp teeth of his own. He leaned over and draped his right arm possessively around Snape’s shoulder. Then he planted his left hand, fingers splayed, in the center of Snape’s chest, leaned closer and growled at the woman in a low menacing voice. “Mine!”

Snape felt his heart begin to race. At the moment, he wasn’t sure which of them he feared the most. Talk about being between a rock and a hard place! He felt rather like a prime cut of beef at the local butcher’s shop.

The woman laughed at Lupin’s comment and licked her lips. “You travel with prey? How thoughtful.”

Lupin growled again and tightened his grip on Snape. “Who says he’s prey?”

The woman laughed once more. Then she extended a long skinny finger with a razor sharp nail and slipped it under the edge of Snape’s hair. She gently pushed his hair back and secured it behind his ear. Then she leaned over and ran her tongue around the curved edge of his ear. She chuckled when she felt him shudder, and he felt her warm fetid breath on his neck. “Sweet,” she murmured.

Lupin stood up and pulled the extremely rigid Snape away from her. “What don’t you understand about the word mine?” he growled menacingly. Snape swore that Lupin looked bigger and much more savage than usual. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part. Any edge would be appreciated; he couldn’t help but notice how outnumbered they were.

The vampire woman laughed in amusement and snapped her fingers. The barmaid with the vacant expression came over and stood next to her, swaying slightly and staring adoringly at her. She smiled at the girl then turned back to Lupin. “I offer you a trade, Wolf. My pretty girl for Sweetmeat here.”

Lupin had a hard time not bursting into laughter at her term for Snape. He could see Snape’s eyes getting huge and sweat breaking out on his forehead. The Potions Master, normally in control of most situations, was feeling way out of his depth here. Lupin couldn’t help but tease Snape a little by pretending to consider the woman’s offer. He could smell the fear rolling off Snape in waves. It was a rare occasion when Lupin had the upper hand in any situation with Snape, and he intended to make the most of it.

As Lupin appeared to hesitate, Snape kicked him hard in the ankle. Lupin jumped and locked eyes with Snape. Slowly he grinned a lupine grin revealing those sharp teeth again. He extended his free hand and gently caressed Snape’s cheek with the back of a clawed finger, chuckling to himself as he felt Snape stiffen even more.

He turned his attention back to the woman. “Sorry, she’s not my type. I’ll keep mine, and you keep yours.” He pulled Snape up out of the chair, and the two of them began to back towards the staircase.

Lupin spoke again. “We won’t get in your way.”

The woman laughed nastily. “Okay, Wolf. I feel generous tonight. You take Sweetmeat and go hide in your room for the night. But if I catch him alone…he’s mine…understand?”

They both nodded and fled up the stairs to the accompaniment of mocking laughter, to lock themselves in their room until daylight.
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