It was Halloween night, and Severus Snape was skulking down a dungeon passageway towards Slytherin common room. Halloween celebrations bored him; they always seemed so tacky and commercialised, and he definitely wasn't one for dressing up. In fact, he thought the whole night was one pathetic, worthless carnival that he wished to take no part in. Lost in these vehement thoughts, Severus was caught completely off-guard by the ambush.
As he rounded a dark corner, he heard a collective shout of mirth as four figures jumped out at him. They were all dressed in elaborate costumes, but even behind their masks, Severus knew instantly who they were. The first figure – it had to be Potter, of course, stepped forward and Severus felt his schoolbag flung to one side as he began to rise up in the air. He groaned, wondering what stupidity the Marauders had in store for him.
"Trick or treat, Snape," laughed a boy in a pirate costume, who he immediately knew to be Black.
"Sod off, you morons," Severus spat, struggling as Potter levitated him higher and higher. They jeered at his response.
"That isn't a valid answer, Snivellus," Potter said, mockingly.
"I don't care, let me down!"
"Now now, Snape. If you're not going to co-operate, then it had better be…trick," laughed Black.
Immediately, Severus felt something hot and sticky trickle down his face, across his lips, and over his eyelids. Furious, humiliated, he hit the floor to another chorus of laughter. Not knowing what they had done to him, and not much wanting to find out, either, Severus streaked off in the opposite direction without even stopping to pick up his schoolbag. His instinct for self-preservation told him to get away as quickly as possible, and he only stopped running once he had reached a bathroom. Feeling a twinge of dread in his stomach, Severus approached the mirror to find his face covered in…
Makeup.
Yes, those bastards' idea of a Halloween prank had been to cover him in a full face of makeup. Blushing furiously, Severus ran the tap and attempted to scrub the stuff off. If only it were that simple.
Whatever accursed cosmetics they had covered him in were ridiculously hard to remove. It took a few improvised spells and much elbow grease to peel back the clown-like complexion that they had given him, and by the end of it even his pallid face had a scrubbed-pink colour to it. He swore to get them back as he stalked out of the bathroom. And for the second time that night, he ran into someone unexpected.
Standing outside the bathroom, with an awkward expression on his face, was Remus Lupin. For the first time, Severus got a good look at his costume. He snorted with derisive laugher. Lupin had dressed up as a werewolf – albeit a very Red Riding Hood-esque, fairytale wolf.
"How ironic," Severus sneered.
Lupin's embarrassment seemed to deepen.
"I thought it would be funny…" He trailed off. "Anyway, I – er, I came to give you this."
He held out Severus' schoolbag, which Severus snatched back without a word.
"Look, Severus, I'm sorry for what we did to you back there. It was way out of order."
Severus surveyed him wordlessly, his eyes glittering with dislike.
"If you want to get me back, then feel free," Lupin said, earnestly.
Severus narrowed his eyes. Confronted with such an easy opportunity for revenge, he was unable to think of anything horrible enough. Then, suddenly, an idea came to him.
He leaned closer to Lupin, who seemed worried that Severus had actually decided to take him up on the offer. Lupin shut his eyes, dreading what Severus would do to him…only to find a savage, clumsy kiss planted upon him. Their mouths clashed for a few brief seconds, before they broke apart; Lupin's eyes wide with surprise, a satisfied smirk upon Severus' lips.
"You weren't expecting that, were you?" Severus breathed. "Consider yourself tricked."
Severus walked away, leaving Lupin rooted to the spot, wordlessly trying to comprehend what had just occurred.