"The potion that gave us a second chance"
CHAPTER 1
Sirius had to give it to Dumbledore. The old man had a unique ability to make you agree to do almost anything he wanted. He didn't think anyone had ever uttered the word "no" to him, and Sirius of course was no exception. That's how he found himself engaging in a staring contest with none other than Severus Snape. They were sitting across each other with a vial of truth serum in front of them, thankfully it wasn't as strong as the one used by aurors, meaning it didn't turn you into a mindless zombie willing to spill your guts. Thank Merlin for small mercies. No man showed any sigh of moving. Sirius could swear the veritaserum was taunting him. After they stayed like that for what it felt like a year, Sirius decided to make the first step.
"Let's get it over with. I have more important things to do." He took a sip and gave the rest to Snape.
"Like what?" His voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Scratch your ears? Chase your tail? Oh I know... hunt rats for dinner. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!".
The pleased smile on Snape's face really got on his nerves. The slimy git always knew how to get under his skin. Anger made a brief appearance on his face, before it was quickly covered by a smirk Snape knew all too well. Two could play this game. "I was actually thinking about taking a bath, not that you would be familiar with the concept." Before Snape had a chance to respond, Black continued. "Just drink the damn potion!"
They both waited for a few seconds for the potion to take effect, or for the earth to shallow them whole. The latter much better scenario than the first. A few more seconds passed before Snape broke the silence.
"Did you betray the Potters to the Dark Lord?"
Straight to the point then. That was good. "No."
"Who was their secret keeper?"
"Peter Pettigrew."
Snape took a while before he asked his next question, mostly because he wasn't sure he could handle the answer. He waited for years for an explanation, for some kind of reason behind Black's actions... The time had finally come, but was he ready for it? He had no idea… He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and asked.
"Why did you try to kill me?"
Sirius looked at him like he had gown a second head, which was just as scowling as the first one, by the way. "What are you talking about? I never tried to kill you. Although the same can't be said about you. Dementor's kiss, ring any bells?"
"The hell you didn't!" He stood up abruptly, fury written all over his face. "You sent me to that shack knowing very well there was a werewolf on the other side of the door.
A puzzled look came over his face "Is this a joke?"
"I assure you the experience was nothing but. You lied to me. You played me like a fucking violin, you made me believe you actually cared and then you tried to turn me into a werewolf's dinner… and for what? So you and your pathetic friends could have some laughs at the expense of poor little Snivellus?" He took a couple of breaths trying to calm himself before he continued "So I am asking you again. Why?"
A stunned look came over Sirius's face. "What are you on about? There is no one around, Snape, so drop the act. Quit playing the innocent victim, because we both know I never told you how to get through the willow."
Snape kept staring at him waiting for the punch line. He could not understand what Black was playing at. He knew he could not be lying, he had made that potion with his own hands. He was a fucking potion master for crying out loud, he could make this thing in his sleep. Had black lost his mind in azkaban and actually believed that had nothing to do with that so called prank? No, that could not be the case. He had no trouble admitting it last year in front of potter and his stupid friends. He had actually sounded quite proud of himself... Bastard.. So what the hell was going on?
"None of us can lie."
Black snorted. "No shit, Sherlock. I thought you had more confident in your potion skills. Or your talents are limited to terrorizing poor innocent students?"
He didn't pay any attention to Sirius's comment, he remained silent, as if he was trying to decide his next move
"Ask me about the shack."
"What?"
"Ask me how I knew about the passage."
Sirius crossed his arms and frowned. He didn't understand what Snape was trying to prove, but went on with it. "How did you know how to get through the willow?"
"You told me.. You asked me to meet you there at the night of the full moon."
"No, I didn't!"
"Yes, you did."
'None of us can lie'. The words started playing on repeat in his head. Ok, now he was sure the veritaserum was taunting him. He kept staring at it, like it was holding all the answers in the world. And then his mind decided, against his will, to take a little trip back to that night, that damn night that had haunted him for years.
He could still remember like it was yesterday the moment Severus -yes, it was Severus back then- came out of the shack, screaming at Sirius, accusing him of trying to kill him, and then demanding that Sirius would be expelled.. He could not understand what was going on. Why would Severus make up such a lie, they had been together for months, they were supposed to love each other for fuck's sake.. What was he playing at? Until it hit him.. Snape didn't love him, it was all an act.. A sick joke. That had probably been the plan all along. Get close to him, find information and then use it against him. The relationship, the decelerations of love, all part of his twisted little plan to hurt him for all the stupid jokes he and his friend had played on him over the years. What a brilliant plan! So many feelings had come crushing at him at once.. Anger, betrayal, hate, despair. And then all that was left was numbness..
In the end Sirius had just taken the blame for the prank.. It was better this way.. Let his friends think he hated the slytherin git so much he was willing to feed him to a werewolf.. It was better than admitting that, not only he had been played, but had been left broken hearten, by non other than Severus fucking Snape. The next day he went back to hating him.. or at least that was what he kept telling himself.. He thought if he said that enough times he would believe it eventually. Oh, how naive he was.. Because at the end of the day Severus Snape was the first man he had ever loved, and if he was honest with himself, he was the last one too..
He didn't know how long he had stayed there, trapped inside his painful memories, but suddenly, feeling quite determined he stood up from the chair, took a pensive from Dumbledore's office and placed it in front of Snape. "Show me the memory", he said in a voice that left no room for argument, "show me what happened that night!"