Remus joined his friend at the Gryffindor table for the Start of Term Feast.

He had spent his summer with Muggle relatives, seeing movies and going to concerts. One of his cousins had taken him to see Savage Garden, a really good rock band. Remus enjoyed rock n' roll. One of the songs they performed came unbidden to his mind as he looked across the Great Hall to the Slytherin table.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And we stare each other down like victims in the grind

Probing all the weaknesses and hurt still left behind and we cry

The tears of pearls

We do it. Oh we do it.

Is love really the tragedy the way you might describe?

Or would a thousand lovers still leave you cold inside?

Make you cry . . .

These tears of pearls

All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls

Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world

Your kisses are like pearls, so different and so rare

But anger stole the jewels away and love has left you bare,

Made you cry . . .

These tears of pearls

Well I could be the tired joker pour my heart to get you in

Sacrifice my happiness just so I could win

Maybe cry . . .

These tears of pearls

All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls

Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world

We twist and turn where angels burn

Like fallen soldiers we will learn

That once forgotten, twice removed

Love will be the death . . .

The death of you

All these mixed emotions we keep locked away like stolen pearls

Stolen pearl devotions we keep locked away from all the world

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Watching Severus Snape, Remus' first lover, made his heart break. He still hadn't forgiven Sirius for breaking them up with that cruel "prank." Over the summer he had managed to forgive Severus' his reaction; it was really quite natural for him to panic and run. Remus would have probably done the same if the situation were reversed.

The only problem now was that Remus wanted Severus back. His mind wondered back to the concert and he had an idea. Grabbing a parchment and a quill, Remus scrawled another song from the concert; one that he hoped would make Severus understand.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any time I need to see your face, I just close my eyes

And I am taken to a place where your crystal mind and

Magenta feelings take up shelter in the base of my spine

Sweet like chic-a-cherry cola

I don't need to try and explain; I just hold on tight

And if it happens again, I might move so slightly

To the arms and the lips and the face of the human cannonball

That I need to, I want to

Come stand a little bit closer

Breathe in and get a bit higher

You'll never know what hit you

When I get to you

Ooh, I want you

I don't know if I need you

But, ooh, I'd die to find out

I don't know if I need you

But, ooh, I'd die to find out

I'm the kind of person who endorses a deep commitment

Getting comfy getting perfect is what I live for

But a look, then a smell of perfume

It's like I'm down on the floor

And I don't know what I'm in for

Conversation has a time and a place

In the interaction of a lover and a mate,

But the time of us talking, using symbols, using words

Can be linked to a deep-sea diver who is swimming with a raincoat

Come stand a little bit closer

Breathe in and get a bit higher

You'll never know what hit you

When I get to you

Ooh, I want you

I don't know if I need you

But, ooh, I'd die to find out

I don't know if I need you

But, ooh, I'd die to find out

Any time I need to see your face, I just close my eyes

And I am taken to a place where your crystal mind and

Magenta feelings take up shelter in the base of my spine

Sweet like chic-a-cherry cola

I don't need to try and explain; I just hold on tight

And if it happens again, I might move so slightly

To the arms and the lips and the face of the human cannonball

That I need to, I want to

Ooh, I want you

I don't know if I need you

But, ooh, I'd die to find out

I don't know if I need you

But, ooh, I'd die to find out

So can we find out?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Before he could lose his nerve, Remus strapped the parchment to the leg of his owl and sent the message across the Hall. He watched with bated breath as Severus opened the parchment and read. Severus then pulled out a clean parchment and spent several minutes on his reply. Lucius tried to read over Severus' shoulder, and Remus was relieved when Severus pushed him away. Finally the new letter was on its way back to Remus.

Remus removed the letter, patted his owl, and fed it from his plate. The plate was still full, as Remus had no appetite for anything besides Severus. Shakily unfolding the letter, Remus read:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We stumble in a tangled web, decaying friendships almost dead

And we hide behind a mask of lies,

We twist and turn and we avoid, all hope of salvage now devoid

I see the truth inside your eyes

So take all this noise into your brain and send it back again

I'll bear the cost, shed my skin, call you up and then . . .

I'll say the words out loud

You could resurrect a thousand words to deceive me more and more

A thousand words will give you the reasons why I don't need you anymore

Time manipulates your heart, preconceptions torn apart

Begin to doubt my state of mind

But I won't go down on what I said

I won't retract convictions read

I may perplex, but I'm not blind

So take all this noise into your brain and send it back again

I'll bear the cost, shed my skin, call you up and then . . .

I'll say the words out loud

You could resurrect a thousand words to deceive me more and more

A thousand words will give you the reasons why I don't need you anymore

I'll say the words out loud. I'll say a thousand words or more.

Manipulation. Fabrication. Conversation. Annihilation.

I'll say a thousand words or more

Damnation. Frustration. Elevation. Procreation.

I'll say a thousand words or more

You could resurrect a thousand words to deceive me more and more

A thousand words will give you the reasons why I don't need you anymore

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ouch! Remus never knew that Severus was a Savage Garden fan, as well. Fortunately, after the concert Remus had bought one of the albums and his cousin had given him a CD player to listen to it on. Another song popped into his head and he hastily began to write:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If there's a way that you could be everything you want to be,

Would you complain that it came to easy?

Just like the games with you and me

A resolution hard to see,

But that's okay 'cause I don't see things that are plain to see

I've got a dream to take you over

Exploding like a supernova

I'm gonna crash into your world

And that's no lie

You want to give ecstasy delivered with certainty

But you're afraid that the pleasure won't be needed

In a way, we're the same two people looking out to sea

For a wave that would carry all our fantasies

If there's a way to infiltrate you

Sway your mind and complicate you

I'm gonna crash into your world

And that's no lie

Let your body move into the doorway

To the disco inside your head (violet)

Wear a color that you want to cling to

The color inside your head (violet)

Contemplate jealousy intermixed with urgency

A million things take a damned good shot at you and me

If there's a way to infiltrate you

Sway your mind and complicate you

I'm gonna crash into your world

And that's no lie

Let your body move into the doorway

To the disco inside your head (violet)

Wear a color that you want to cling to

The color inside your head (violet)

I'm gonna take you

I'll do my best to break you

I'm gonna take you higher

And that's no lie

Common sense is a game many people don't like to play

But give it in and the moment takes you either way

I've got a dream to take you over

Exploding like a supernova

I'm gonna crash into your world

And that's no lie

Let your body move into the doorway

To the disco inside your head (violet)

Wear a color that you want to cling to

The color inside your head (violet)

If there's a way that you could be everything you want to be,

Would you complain that it came to easy?

In a way, we're the same two people looking out to sea

For a wave that would carry all our fantasies

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The owl flew back over to Severus. Severus ignored him at first, but the owl was persistent. After being pecked relentlessly, Severus gave in and took the note. He read it, shaking his head disbelievingly. He shot Remus a look of frustration and bent over another parchment to write his reply.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I never thought I'd change my opinion again

But you moved me in a way that I've never known

You moved me in a way that I've never known

But straight away you just moved into position again

You abused me in a way that I've never known

You abused me in a way that I've never known

So break me shake me hate me take me over

When the madness stops then you will be alone

Just break me shake me hate me take me over

When the madness stops then you will be alone

So you're the kind that deals with games in the mind

Well you confuse me in a way that I've never known

You confuse me in a way that I've never known

So break me shake me hate me take me over

When the madness stops then you will be alone

Just break me shake me hate me take me over

When the madness stops then you will be alone

He says, "I can help you, but what do you say?"

But it's not free baby, you'll have to pay

You just keep contemplating that your soul is slowly fading

God don't you know that I live with a ton of regret?

'Cause I used to move you in a way that you've never known

But then I accused you in a way that you've never known

But you hurt me in a way that I've never known . . .

Break me shake me hate me take me over

When the madness stops then you will be alone

Just break me shake me hate me take me over

When the madness stops then you will be alone

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus smiled slightly - this was progress. Sort of. One last song, and maybe, just maybe he'd be able to convince his mate, his love, that they deserved another chance. Getting out a new piece of parchment he wrote out the song that made Savage Garden his favorite band.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'll be your dream

I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy

I'll be your hope I'll be you love

Be everything that you need

I'll love you more with every breath

Truly, madly, deeply do

I will be strong I will be faithful 'cause I'm counting on

A new beginning

A reason for living

A deeper meaning

I want to stand with you on a mountain

I want to bathe with you in the sea

I want to lay like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

And when the stars are shinning brightly in the velvet sky,

I'll make a wish to send it to Heaven

Then make you want to cry

The tears of joy for all the pleasure and the certainty

That we're surrounded by the comfort and protection of

The highest powers

In lonely hours

The tears devour you

I want to stand with you on a mountain

I want to bathe with you in the sea

I want to lay like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

Oh can you see it baby?

You don't have to close your eyes

'Cause it's standing right here before you

And all that you need will surely come

I'll be your dream

I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy

I'll be your hope I'll be you love

Be everything that you need

I'll love you more with every breath

Truly, madly, deeply do

I want to stand with you on a mountain

I want to bathe with you in the sea

I want to lay like this forever

Until the sky falls down on me

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Severus read the last letter, Remus thought he saw tears in his lover's eyes. He hoped they were tears of joy. He'd hate to cause his love any more pain, but he knew he had to try anything to get Severus back. Severus finished his latest letter and sent the tired owl back to it's Master.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well don't you know I need a little indulgence?

Listen to the hunter becoming hunted

Every day there's a million advances

Don't be too forceful you'll ruin your chances

Well don't you know that time is a broken glass

That splinters against the wall?

But the picture is coming back now baby,

And I want to take it all

Don't go making all these promises you know you cannot keep

There's a time to play a king and a time to be a thief

'Cause if you're making all these promises you know you cannot keep

You know time will be the thief and your fallen king will end up alone

So let your body move a little bit closer

Silent like the sound proceeding a cyclone

Don't' you know that powerful thinking

Can be a force you don't want to relinquish?

Well, don't you know that,

They say that hanging on will justify the wait?

But patience and elated wisdom don't share a common phrase

Don't go making all these promises you know you cannot keep

There's a time to play a king and a time to be a thief

'Cause if you're making all these promises you know you cannot keep

You know time will be the thief and your fallen king will end up alone

Well, I'm only hanging on for what goes down

I'm floating high and my feet don't touch the ground

I'd take advantage but I can't see through this charade

So don't you, don't go make it harder than Hell

'Cause when it comes down to the making

You'd better be damned sure you can take it

Hey baby

Well don't go making all these promises you know you cannot keep

There's a time to play a king and a time to be a thief

'Cause if you're making all these promises you know you cannot keep

You know time will be the thief and your fallen king will end up alone

Time will be the thief and your fallen king will end up . . .

A fool, a fool, a lonely sorry fool

Oh baby, 'cause I told you baby

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Remus sent the owl off to the owlery to rest up. He rose from his chair, food still untouched, and crossed the Hall. Reaching Severus, he pulled the taller man out of his seat and caressed his face. Standing on tiptoes, he kissed his lover passionately and whispered in his ear, "I don't make promises I can't keep."

Remus took Severus by the hand and they headed off together to their favorite spot, a shady tree near the Quidditch pitch. Siri looked relieved, James and Peter elated, and Lucius furious. The lovers didn't notice.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**All songs are property of Savage Garden. In order, they are:

Tears of Pearls

I Want You

A Thousand Words

Violet

Break Me Shake Me

Truly Madly Deeply

Promises**