Author's Note: This takes place during Severus's first year.
Severus tried to convince himself that he was only nervous because the two boys and the one girl standing outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common room were so much older and taller than him. It had nothing at all to do with the fact that they were Gryffindors while he was a lone Slytherin.
At least that was what Severus kept on repeating to himself in his head.
The three students immediately ended the conversation that they had been having when they spotted him.
Severus tried to ignore the fact that the three Gryffindors were looking at him as if he was something disgusting.
"Are you lost or something, snake?" the taller of the two boys asked. "This is the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. I believe your common room is down in the dungeons."
Severus stood as straight as possible in a poor attempt to make himself look taller. "I know exactly where I am," he drawled as arrogantly as possible, deciding that the best approach was to try to sound like Lucius Malfoy would in this situation (no one, after all, would ever dare to suggest to Lucius that he was lost). "I'm just waiting for Lily Evans, so that I can walk her down to breakfast."
"But you're a Slytherin," the girl spoke. "Why in the world would Lily want to go down to breakfast with you?"
"We're friends," Severus snarled.
The three Gryffindors looked at Severus as if he had completely lost his mind.
"But you're a Slytherin," the girl repeated. "And Lily is a Gryffindor."
"That doesn't matter to Lily," Severus snapped. "Look, I'll just stand over here and mind my own business while I wait for her. And you three can go back to whatever insignificant conversation that you were having."
"Or you could just return to the dungeon that you slithered out of," the taller of the two boys suggested in a tone of voice that made it clear that his words weren't really a suggestion.
Severus knew he stood no chance in a physical fight against the three bigger Gryffindors. For a moment, he considered taking out his wand. He knew some curses that could put quickly put those Gryffindors in their place. But he also knew that Lily wouldn't appreciate him cursing some of her fellow Housemates.
Severus gave the three Gryffindors a sneer, as if it didn't bother him at all that he had practically been threatened to leave the area or else.
Severus then turned around and strutted away. He wouldn't give those Gryffindors the satisfaction of seeing just how much their words had hurt him.