Three second-year Gryffindor boys snuck down the damp, dimly lit corridor towards the Slytherin common room, hidden beneath a very old and very rare cloak. Two of the boys scurried, hunched over with the weight of the heavy stockpot they carried between them, its lid rattling slightly with their movements.
"Careful with that!" James hissed at Sirius, "Don't let it out!"
The other boy simply rolled his eyes, "It's fine."
"We can't stuff this up," James reminded him.
Sirius grinned, "We won't. I can't wait to the look on Snivellus' face when he sees a Boggart climb out from under his skivvies."
The third boy, who was along to act as a lookout, giggle in a high-pitch tone.
The trio paused in front of a blank space in the dripping stone wall and caught their breath.
James wiped his arm across his forehead, "Lucky everyone's at the Quidditch game. I didn't think we'd ever get a chance to bring this out."
He reached down and patted the lid on the stockpot, which shuddered for a moment before settling.
"Okay," Sirius turned to Peter Pettigrew, "You stay out here and keep an eye out for anyone coming into the common room."
The boy; pudgy, with watery eyes and mouse-brown hair, nodded, "But, why? I mean you said it yourself everyone's at the match."
Sirius sighed, "All three of us can't go inside. Besides, you're not strong enough to help carry the pot."
Peter, looking slightly put out that he couldn't be part of the prank, opened his mouth but then closed it again.
"We'll tell you all about it afterwards," James promised and bent down to pick up the stockpot again.
"What's the password again?" he asked Sirius.
"Purosangue," the other boy announced loudly and the hidden doorway to the Slytherin common room appeared.
"Oh, yeah," James muttered as they carried the stockpot through the doorway and into the green-tinted common room.
James shivered as he peered out from beneath the Invisibility Cloak, "This place give me the creeps. How could anyone feel comfortable living here?"
"Snivellus seems to like it," Sirius commented.
James shrugged, "Let's hurry."
The boys, stepping as lightly as possible, crossed the empty common room and straight to the boys' dormitory.
It took James and Sirius only a few moments to pinpoint their victim's belongings. Severus Snape's bed was unmade- like most of the others in the dormitory- but at the foot of which sat a scuffed, battered trunk that looked as though it had been fished out of the Thames at one point in its life.
Unsurprisingly, the trunk was locked, but James made short work of that. Taking out his wand while still hidden beneath the Cloak- Sirius keeping both hands tightly on the lid of the stockpot- muttered Alohamora under his breath and the padlock snapped open.
James lifted the trunk's lid, smirking at the neatly arranged pile of clothing and school items at the bottom and grabbed one side of the stockpot along with Sirius.
Carefully, the boys lifted the pot and inched the lid open just enough for the Boggart to squeak through. As soon as the creature tumbled into the trunk, James slammed the lid shut and locked it. Stashing the stockpot beneath the bed adjacent to Snivellus', the two Gryffindor pranksters lounged against the opposite wall, hidden beneath James' cloak, to wait for the Slytherins to return to their dormitory.
HP
Remus Lupin, sitting in the back of the stands, a thick textbook in front of his nose, looked up as a triumphant roar rose from the stands opposite. Slytherin had just won the match against Hufflepuff.
His fellow Gryffindors stood up, moving towards the stairs, and he looked around to see if he could find his friends. Normally, he, James, Sirius and Peter all sat together whenever they could; at mealtimes, in class, during Quidditch matches, but this time the other three had decided to place themselves closer to the bottom of the stands, nearer the stairs. Remus was a little hurt by this and also more than a little suspicious.
Standing and tucking his book beneath one arm, Remus pushed himself through the crowd, hoping he would catch Sirius and James before they did something stupid.
HP
Severus Snape looked up at the distant celebratory shout that filtered through the library's leaded windowpanes and smiled slightly. Slytherin had just beaten Hufflepuff. Not that it was any surprise; his House's Quidditch team was the best this year.
Severus returned the book he had been reading, under the librarian, Madam Pince's watchful gaze, and left the library.
The hallways were still deserted, the students who had been outside watching the match had yet to arrive at the school so Severus walked alone towards the dungeons and the hidden Slytherin dormitories.
As the boy walked deeper and deeper beneath the castle, he shivered despite himself. It was only early October but there was a chill in the air, the dampness only exacerbating it. Severus pulled his cloak tighter around his thin shoulders and decided to put a second jumper on over the one he was already wearing to try and keep warm.
Staring at his trainers, scuffed, nearly coming apart at the seams and wondering he could fix them with his wand, it took Severus a moment to realize that he was not alone in the corridor that led to the Slytherin common room.
Looking up quickly, he spotted the fat, irritating boy who hung around with Potter, Black and Lupin all the time. Noticing that Severus was at the far end of the hallway, Pettigrew let out a squeak and ducked around the corner but it was too late, he'd been spotted.
Severus frowned, suddenly wary. Pettigrew never went far without the other three Gryffindors whose sole purpose in life seemed only to torment him. He had done absolutely nothing to Potter or Black- he'd just tried to keep his head down, his nose clean and get on with his studies, but they had locked onto him their very first day at Hogwarts and bullied him every chance they got.
Walking quickly, Severus made it to the hidden patch of bare wall, which hid the door to the Slytherin common room and whispering the password, slipped inside.
Inside the safety of the common room, Severus let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He brushed his black hair out of his eyes and leaned against the wall, just for a moment.
Gathering his composure, Severus crossed the common room and headed towards the boys' dormitory.
HP
"I think he's coming!" Sirius hissed excitedly to James, elbowing him in the side.
"Shhh!" James warned, but he was grinning.
Just as his friend had predicted, moments later, Snivellus slouched into the dormitory and made his way to his bed.
James and Sirius covered their mouths with their hands to keep from giggling and giving themselves away.
They watched with bated breath as Snivellus knelt down in front of his trunk, unlocked it and opened it.
HP
"What have they done now?" Remus asked Peter who was bouncing from one foot to the other, an look of unbridled joy on his chubby face.
"They told me not to tell you," Peter told him, "They knew you wouldn't like it."
"It's not dangerous, is it?" Remus asked and the other boy shook his head before letting out a high-pitched giggle.
Remus sighed and rolled his eyes.
"What's the password?" he asked.
"What are you going to do? Don't ruin it!" Peter protested.
"I'm not going to do anything," Remus lied.
Peter shook his head.
"If you tell me, I'll do your Potions essay for you," Remus bargained.
Peter stopped his excited jig, thinking hard.
"Do my Potions essay and my Transfiguration essay," he countered, peering at Remus in a sidelong glance.
"Fine," Remus agreed, "Now what's the password."
Peter told him and Remus entered the Slytherin common room.
HP
Reaching inside the trunk for a jumper, Severus froze when a large, white hand rose from beneath his clothing and gripped the edge of the trunk. A second hand quickly followed the first and the boy scrambled back, startled.
A head of greasy, dark brown hair appeared between the two hands and the face attached to the head caused Severus to back away even further, hitting the foot of the bed opposite his and nearly knocking into James and Sirius hidden beneath the cloak.
"D-Dad!" Severus stuttered as Tobias Snape stepped out of the trunk and towered over his son.
HP
James and Sirius stared at the tall figure looming over Snivellus, unable to take their eyes off it. This wasn't what either had expected when they imagined the Boggart turning into what the Slytherin boy feared most of all.
James leaned forward; as though he were about to go to the boy, but Sirius wrapped a hand around his wrist, stopping him.
HP
"What are you doing?" Tobias Snape asked, leering down at his son.
"I- I-" Severus stammered, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes widened at the sight of the looped leather belt in his father's hand.
"Can't even spit out a word!" the Boggart crowed, "You're still a freak! Just like your mother!"
Tears filled Severus' eyes and he shook his head, "I'm not!"
Tobias Snape's expression darkened, "Talking back to me, are you?"
He lifted the hand holding the belt and Snape covered his head with his arms, waiting for the blow.
HP
Remus easily found the Slytherin boys' dormitory and hurried inside. He didn't know what James and Sirius were planning to do but he hoped to stop them before whatever prank they were pulling went to far. Entering the dormitory from a short corridor, Remus froze in his tracks, stunned by the sight that greeted him.
HP
James pulled his arm out of Sirius' grip just as Remus appeared in the doorway.
Seeing the confusion on his friend's face, he cried out one word:
"Boggart!"
Recognition flooded into Remus' features and he whipped out his wand, gaze locked onto the man threatening Severus.
"Riddikulus!"
The Boggart masquerading as Tobias Snape paused and turned to look at him, turning rapidly from Severus' father into a giant, foaming werewolf, blood dripping from its mouth.
"Riddikulus!" Remus shouted and Fenrir Greyback's teeth fell out, leaving him defenseless.
"Riddikulus!" Severus cried from his position on the floor and the Boggart staggered backwards.
"Riddikulus!" Remus took a step towards the Boggart, forcing it back even more.
"Riddikulus!" Severus heaved himself to his feet and snarled at the Boggart.
Confused, the creature let out a wail of frustration before vanishing in a puff of black smoke.
HP
"Are you okay?" Remus asked Severus, putting his wand back into his pocket.
For a moment, Severus said nothing, still shaking from seeing the form of his father climb out of his school trunk.
"I'm fine," he ground out a moment later.
"You sure?" Remus tried again.
Severus, still holding onto his wand, pointed it at the Gryffindor.
"What do you want?"
Remus held up his hands, "That was pretty scary. I just want to make sure you're alright."
Severus held his wand where it was for a moment longer before lowering it.
"That… that your father?" Remus asked tentatively.
Snape glared at him for a moment before answering.
"Yeah," he muttered.
"I'm sorry," Remus muttered. He looked at Severus, really looked at him for what seemed like the first time since they'd met a year ago.
The Slytherin boy was tall and gangly for his age, his skin pale, his black hair greasy, and his nose too big for his face, his dark eyes suspicious. His clothing was threadbare and worn, several sizes too small for him. Everything he seemed to own, even his textbooks were second-hand, nothing was new and in disrepair.
Severus stared at Remus, clearly not sure how to respond.
"Have you… have you started Professor Sprout's assignment?" Remus asked.
Severus shook his head, "Not yet."
Remus gave a small smile, "Would you like to work on it together?"
"Really? No joke?" Severus asked and Remus shook his head.
"No joke. I still have to work on it and I know James and Sirius won't want to do it with me."
Cautiously, Severus nodded, "Okay."
Remus grinned, "What do you say we get started now?"
"Sure," Severus approached his trunk and carefully, as though he thought the Boggart was going to jump out at him again, gathered his Herbology text, parchment, a quill and ink.
Together, he and Remus exited the dormitory, discussing the benefits and dangers of using Amanita phalloides in potions to cure boils.
HP
James ripped his Invisibility Cloak off, standing up in the middle of the Slytherin boys' dormitory.
"What was that?" he asked Sirius.
"I think Remus just found a new study buddy," his friend commented, amused.
"Not that, Sirius," James shook his head, "The Boggart."
"Oh yeah… that," Sirius answered in an offhand manner.
"That wasn't supposed to happen," James raked a hand through his black, unkempt hair, messing it up even more.
"Why? It worked exactly as it was supposed to," Sirius told him, "The Boggart turned into what Snivellus is afraid of. The look on his face, James, I thought he was gonna cry!"
"It was his Dad!" James exclaimed, "His Dad, Sirius!"
The other boy shrugged, "Not everyone's parents are saints, James."
"That's not what I mean," James countered.
"I don't like my parents," Sirius told him, "It's quite common."
"Yeah? But do your parents beat you?"
Sirius paused, "Well, no, but-"
James shook his head. He hadn't expected to feel like this. His face burned with shame at what he'd done to Severus, for every mean name, for every taunt, he felt like a horrible person.
"I didn't even stop to think," James muttered to himself.
"What?" Sirius asked.
"No wonder his clothes are practically falling apart," James spoke louder now, addressing his friend, "No wonder he never has any new books."
"Oh, c'mon, you're not having a change of heart," Sirius asked, "I mean, this is Snivellus we're talking about."
James shook his head.
"James? James, what are you thinking?"
He didn't answer Sirius. Instead he threw his cloak over himself.
"Are you coming?" he asked Sirius.
"What are you going to do?" his friend asked.
"I'm going to try and put things right," James told him, "And hope I'm not too late."
Sirius hesitated.
"Don't be a tosspot," James twitched the cloak, "Come with me."
"Okay, okay," Sirius slipped beneath the Invisibility Cloak and followed James out of the Slytherin common room and down the hallway to the library to where they were sure Remus and Severus had gone.
Author's Note:
This is my first time writing about the Marauders, so please, be gentle in the reviews.