Rated T for violence

Sirius glanced over at the small black figure sitting in the corner of the classroom. Snivellus may have acted mysterious, but his interests were far from opaque. He knew (or at least he suspected) why Snivellus had a book on magical curses open on his lap beneath the desk. Lupin was gone today, as it was only last night when the moon was full. Professor Binns droned on and on, something about failed attempts to use trolls as solders in war. The clock ticked, and Sirius resumed staring at Snivellus. Suddenly, an idea latched itself into his mind, and he stared at his open History of Magic book to consider it. Yes, it could work; the only problems were Snivellus not trusting his word, and possible detention when (when, not if, he knew Snivellus would tattle at the first possible moment) the prank was traced to him. But it could work. And it'd be one of the greatest pranks of the year, possibly the decade, if he could pull it off. The bell toned and class was finished; most of the students crammed their textbooks into their bags and evacuated the classroom as quickly as possible. Severus was among these, and Sirius nearly had to jog to catch up with the fleeing black-clad Slytherin.

"Oy! Snivellus! Wait up!" Severus heard from behind him. He tried to walk faster, but was blocked by a slow-moving group of giggling second year girls. This was precisely what he had been trying to avoid: being cornered and subsequently humiliated by Black, who no doubt had backup arriving shortly. He rounded on a grinning Black, scowled deeply and spat, "What, Black?" His tone and expression did nothing to dampen Black's enthusiasm, but Black did lower his voice while keeping the ridiculous toothy grin. "Well, it's just this thing about Lupin. Thought you'd want to know," he offered, knowing victory was near. Snape maintained a disinterested and sour expression and didn't let his interest show. "I was thinking, since you're interested in where Lupin goes every month, you'd like to know. 'Cause it's no secret you don't have any Slytherin friends, I figured you could use some other people to wipe your nose on." Snape's expression twisted in rage, but Black continued: "Anyway, all you have to do is get to the Whomping Willow. There's this knot, near the base, kinda square-looking, and if you prod it with a stick or something, the tree freezes up and you can get between its roots to a tunnel. Just follow the tunnel, and voila! No more secrets about Lupin. Oh, and I'd kind of like it if you could keep this between just us; Lupin's a bit, well, private about where he goes, and if this gets out, then there goes your chances of friends. Just sayin'," he added as an afterthought. Snape's scowl was gone, and just his disinterested façade remained. "If that's all, Black, I have another class to attend…" Black held up a finger, then whispered conspiratorially, "He only leaves once a month. Next time is on the thirteenth." Snape whirled around and found Potter not three feet behind him, hemming him in. "Excuse me," he muttered as he tried to sidestep the Quidditch player. "Not a chance, Snivellus. Where're you going, anyway? A date? Oh, I forgot, nobody would go with you anyway." Potter smirked lazily and drew out his wand. "Padfoot, why don't we teach Snivellus a lesson he won't forget?" Black slowly spread a smirk across his face too, then tilted his head in a dog-like manner and said, "You know, Prongs, I think he'll remember a different lesson even better. I've got this one, all right? As he said, he needs to get to class- just let him go stick that greasy nose in another book. That is, if he can read the print from yesterday's grease." Both laughed, and Severus slipped away and jogged to Potions. He arrived just before the bell chimed, earning a curious look from Slughorn. He had quite a bit to think about.

James Potter was slightly confused. He didn't want to admit it, what with the infallible confidence and all, but Padfoot really got him this time. It wasn't typical of him, to keep a prank a secret from the ringleader of the Marauders, but he figured it was worth it. He did say that it was for Snivellus, and anything concerning that particular recipient made it worth the wait. Lily was worth the wait; remove the competition, take your time, set yourself up right, and capture the Snitch. He didn't truly hate Snivellus, just a deep dislike. Snape consorted with Slytherins! Death Eaters! For all they knew, he was already a branded Death Eater. And he gave the Marauders such a hard time, like he truly hated them. If Padfoot's prank taught Snivellus the lesson to stay away from them and Lily, well, then, the saying went "all's fair in love and war." His curiosity was definitely worth ignorance for a little while.

Severus sat at his desk in his dorm, working on homework. It Sunday the eighth; it had been twenty-three days since Black and Potter had stopped him outside of History class. His Potions essay was nearly complete; it had taken him very little time to finish, it was so easy. His Defense and History of Magic essays were already done. Binns hadn't even noticed Severus copying down the main points during class. He scanned the text in his Potions book to find some evidence to use to support his last argument in the essay. The dinner bell chimed, and he quickly copied down the facts he had spotted. He wrapped up the argument, and carefully scratched his name at the top of the roll of parchment, blew on it to dry it, and rolled it up and stuck it in a cubby in his desk. He grabbed his cloak, and headed down to dinner. Halfway through the shepherd's pie, he spotted the Marauders and Lily sitting at the Gryffindor table. Remus was with them, but he seemed nervous. Much like Pettigrew. He stabbed a stack of boiled carrots, considering what Black had said. If he could finish all of his homework by that afternoon, he would have all of Saturday and Sunday free. But free for what? He hoped he wouldn't have all weekend open for detentions. Open for researching Potions. That sounded nicer. The smears of pie disappeared off his plate, and the usual piles of pie and cake magically appeared on the table before him. Sweets had always been denied him during childhood, and he still did not partake of dessert. He rose and left the table, heading back to his dorm to read (and think). The rest of his housemates were still at dinner, so he was quite alone in the common room. Not that it bothered him. He sank into an armchair near the fire with a Defense book, but his mind was elsewhere. It flitted between the logistics of a certain upcoming prank and the beauty of a certain red-haired Gryffindor. Perhaps if he pulled off the prank right, he could sully the fake glamour of the Marauders, revealing their true colors and winning Lily's heart in the process. He would finish his homework by that evening, then find a place upstairs where he could watch Lupin go to the Willow and disappear; The third floor would be fine. There were plenty of tapestry-covered windows which faced that side of the grounds. After Lupin was gone and the coast was clear, he would follow. He would have his wand with him, he would be just fine. And when Lupin was exposed and his rule-breaking established, Dumbledore would hear of it and the Marauders would never dare to cross his path again.

Friday rolled around; it was the big day. Severus practically sprinted to the library to complete his homework after his last class. He had split his attention in all of his classes, taking current notes while working on his homework assignment from the previous hour. His Herbology was finished, Potions was mostly done, as was Defense and History. He just had a little Charms and Transfiguration. He flew through the Charms assignment and placed the finishing touches on his Potions and History assignments. Defense took five minutes, and Transfiguration took eight. His assignments complete, he glanced at his watch: four fifty-three, eight minutes before dinner. What if Lupin was already there and he didn't know it? He crammed his books into his bag, gently pushed in the rolled homework, and headed for the dungeons. His bag was tossed near his desk, and he wove his way against the crowd heading to dinner. On the third floor, he located a suitably-positioned tapestry-covered window and hid behind it. Not ten minutes later, he saw Madam Pomfrey and Remus Lupin jogging across the grass, heading for the Whomping Willow. The knotted root was pressed, and Lupin disappeared beneath the roots. Pomfrey waited until the branches swayed again, then headed back to the castle. Severus knew it was time to go, so he snuck down the flights of stairs, passed the doors to the Great Hall, and exited through the large doors of the castle. The Willow tried to bludgeon him, but he levitated a twig and prodded the knot, freezing the attacking branches. He disappeared between the roots, crouched double in the tunnel. There were some crates near a door at the end of the tunnel, and he quietly unlatched the bolts and opened the door. To his surprise, Lupin was alone in a room which looked suspiciously like it was in the Shrieking Shack.

Lupin's stomach was sinking. It had been sinking all last week: time for the full moon, again. He wished he could take just one month off. Like a vacation. But his curse was relentless. He sat on the filthy floorboards of the Shack, waiting for the transformation to boil his blood, when the door slowly creaked open, revealing a surprised… Snape? What was he doing here? Especially now? "No! Get out! No no no-" he started saying, but the icy moon rays sliced into his skin from the moon rising on the horizon. His blood boiled, his bones stretched, hair sprouted everywhere but he was still yelling, "no, no, oh, ooooo, oooooo;" The vowels turned into unintelligible wolf whimpers. The door slammed, and the werewolf raised its head and howled a long, cold howl to end the echoing protests of the weak human he used to be. Tonight was the night.

Sirius didn't think it could get much better than this. He had only sacrificed one meal, and had hidden himself behind some large crates near the end of the tunnel. Once foolish Snivellus was inside, he slammed the door and bolted it, top and bottom, and rushed away down toward the Whomping Willow. James would hear of this! His prank was truly successful, not a hitch, and would go down as the best prank they had ever pulled. He was willing to share credit with the Marauders. His pace slowed as a helpless, terrified scream pierced the air then stopped without warning. He kept on running, prodding the knot and racing to the Great Hall for the last of dinner.

Lily was at dinner, but her mind was elsewhere. James tried to get her attention by crowing about the last Quidditch victory and foreshadowing the next inevitable victory, but it hardly distracted her. Remus was gone again, but so was Sirius. That was definitely unusual. Black wouldn't miss a meal for the world. She scanned the Slytherin table, searching for the greasy jet-black locks and sallow complexion of her best friend, but, oddly, he was missing. She hoped Black's, Lupin's, and Snape's absences were not related.

The wolf finished its joyous howl and sat back on its haunches. Its prey was trapped, the door closed, nowhere to go. Its senses were much more sensitive than a human's, honed for hunting. Killing. The trembling boots reverberated the terror of their owner across the filthy floorboards into the pads of its feet, it could smell the sweat trickling down the creased brow, and it could hear the fast breathing and thumping of the prey's heart. Its attempts to open the door were useless. One swipe of the wolf's claws tore the black clothes from the prey's back; the figure was flung into the wall. It screamed in terror, helpless, and the wolf found itself annoyed from the high-pitched noise. It bit the neck of its prey to stop the offending noise. The prey punched the wolf across the nose, but the wolf caught the fist in its mouth, chomped down, enjoying the satisfying crunches, and shook its head once, breaking its prey's bony arm like a toy. Not much meat there. It bit its victim's neck once more, then again and again, relishing the feeling of flesh in its teeth. The prey had stopped moving. Fearing the loss of such an amusing companion, the wolf sat on the prey's torso and pawed at its face, leaving red lines from temple to neck. It was rewarded with a gasp, and the wolf sadistically bit the prey on the face, from nose to jaw. Beneath its paws, the wolf could feel the throbbing of its prey's heart; it was so close, such a reward. A few swipes of the razor-sharp claws mangled the clothes of its prey, leaving the chest exposed. Unfortunately, the prey's ribcage stopped rising and falling. It bit deep into one of the shoulders to make the breathing start again. One swipe at the chest, another, another, another, until the wolf could tell it was mere inches away from its prize; just a little further, then the ribs, then the heart. It would have continued ripping away if the door had not banged open and the wolf had not found itself flung against an opposite wall, trapped by a conjured cage with thick silver bars. Too thick to bend, too high to jump over, too dense to slip through, and too firmly implanted in the floor to wriggle under, the wolf howled in frustration.

James Potter was in shock. Sirius had just missed dessert, and had met them in the hallway after dinner was over. He was grinning, but starving, so they ambled down to the kitchens to grab some leftovers. They were in the hallway, walking back, when Sirius burst out, "The prank, Prongs! Totally amazing! You'll never believe what I got for Snivellus!" James was excited at the beginning, but as Sirius explained his accomplishment, James' amusement turned to shock and anger when he realized that Snape was in real danger. "Padfoot! Are you nuts? Do you have ANY idea what a werewolf, a fully grown rabid feral werewolf could do to Snape? I don't care that he's our enemy! He could die!" And James found himself sprinting up to McGonagall's office, leaving a confused Sirius behind. He burst into the classroom and started banging on the door to her office. A meek second-year serving detention opened the door, and he charged in and shouted, "Professor! The Whomping Willow! Snape! Right now! You've got to go down and get him out! Help him! Not kidding! Please!" McGonagall had never looked so surprised. She dismissed the detained student, who happily scampered off away from the unbalanced fifth year, and they swept out of the office with James trailing behind. "Sirius told me. Snape's down there, with Remus, and it's tonight for him and Sirius said the door was bolted and Snape's trapped and we've to get him out of there!" he spluttered all in one breath. McGonagall led him to the Headmaster's office, where a grave-looking Dumbledore ordered him to stay with McGonagall. He tossed some floo in his fireplace, then shouted, "Pomfrey! Emergency! Meet me at the Willow!" before sweeping out of his office. The silence between Potter and his Head of House was deafening.

Madam Pomfrey jogged behind the Headmaster down the tunnel to the Shrieking Shack. Dumbledore unbolted the door and flung it open, blasted the werewolf against the far wall, and caged it in. They were met by a gruesome sight: Snape had indeed been trapped with a werewolf, just as Potter had said. That is, if the figure on the floor could be positively identified as Snape. The robes were torn and mangled, missing in parts; any exposed skin was stained vermillion by open wounds. Pomfrey conjured a stretcher for the body, levitated Snape onto it, and conjured a white sheet to cover the gory remains of the student. Dumbledore cast a strengthening spell upon the silver cage, and then a duration charm to maintain the prison until the moon was set. Pomfrey was already levitating the stretcher down the tunnel, and Dumbledore shut the door and bolted it, twice, against the frustrated and howling werewolf. Once the three of them were on the lawn, Dumbledore went ahead of the mediwitch to clear the hallways of students, to maintain Snape's privacy. Pomfrey brought him to the Infirmary and placed him in the last bed in the corner, drawing the screens closed. An incantation popped an enchanted quill and parchment into existence, and they hovered near the bed to record the results of the diagnostic spells she cast. The quill zipped across the surface of the parchment, and when it was finally finished, she snatched it out of the air, cancelling the spell and vanishing the quill. She read the list of ailments, and her face paled she progressed down the page; at the bottom of the parchment, she read a word which made her sit in the nearest chair: Lycanthropy. Poor Snape. That boy's life would never be the same. She felt Dumbledore gently tug the parchment from her hands to read it silently. What to fix first: various lacerations, puncture wounds, and bruises: those wouldn't heal like regular cuts, because of the Lycanthropy. She would set the broken bones first, then do her best to heal the cuts and spell the torn tendons and ligaments back. She started on her tasks, and did not notice Dumbledore duplicate the parchment, set the original on the table, and leave the ward.

McGonagall sat in one of the chairs in the Headmaster's office, waiting. Potter sat across from her, nervously waiting. The door opened, and the Headmaster serenely swept into the office, sitting at his desk. He began, "Mr. Potter. I must thank you for your quick action and disregard for rivalry; it may have saved Mr. Snape's life. Would you care to tell me everything you know about the so-called prank involving Mr. Lupin and Mr. Snape?" James swallowed. He started at the beginning, about a month ago, when Black and he had cornered Snape outside of History class. Sirius had refused to tell him the details, so his ignorance was hardly his fault. Dumbledore's face grew more and more concerned with each detail James said, and he looked generally grave when James ended his tale. With a sigh, he said, "Mr. Potter, I cannot thank you enough for bringing this matter to attention. Fifty points to Gryffindor House. You are in no trouble for this, so you may leave. As it is now after curfew, I suggest you go to your common room without delay. Thank you and good night." After James was on the spiral staircase, Dumbledore pulled the copy of the diagnosis out from his robes. "Mr. Snape is in the infirmary. I believe he will recover, but he is gravely ill tonight. I copied Poppy's diagnosis parchment." He slid the paper across the desk and McGonagall leaned forward to read it. Like Madam Pomfrey's, her face paled. Her eyes sought out the Headmaster's, but he continued. "I believe I will meet with Mr. Black tomorrow morning." He scratched an invitation to said student, then gave it for McGonagall to deliver during breakfast. "I believe I need to be releasing Mr. Lupin from his bonds shortly," he stated while standing. McGonagall stood as well, speechless. She followed him to the infirmary, and eyed the curtains around the last bed. Pomfrey came out of her office and met Dumbledore, and they left to release Lupin from the cage. McGonagall knew she should have left to retire for the night, but she couldn't help gently pulling the curtains aside to step in. She would have hardly recognized the figure on the cot if she had not been told it was Snape. He definitely would not be attending classes for a good week, as appearances went. The swollen face was plastered in bandages, the exposed skin between the dressings mottled by bruises. His top half was bandaged, and his arm looked like it had been broken. McGonagall thought it would be a good time to leave. Yes, Mr. Black was in deep trouble.

McGonagall delivered Mr. Black's summons during breakfast. Sirius paled, then left the hall after verifying that Dumbledore was not at the staff table. Lily looked at James for explanation, and he muttered, "later," to escape Pettigrew's questioning stare. Lily glanced over at the Slytherin table, but just like last night, Severus was not there.

Black felt quite confused. Potter had tattled on him? For Snivellus? On Padfoot, his best friend? How twisted could fate get? He made his way to the Headmaster's office. He told the truth. Yes, he had planned the prank. Yes, he knew the consequences. No, he did not tell anyone. No, he did not consider mercy for the slimeball, the greasy git, Snivellus. He saw that the Headmaster look sad. Sad! Dumbledore felt pity for that rotten Slytherin. The Headmaster said the fateful words: "Mr. Black, because of your attempts to seriously injure or kill another student, you are hereby expelled. Please pack your belongings and meet Mr. Hagrid at the doors in an hour to be transported home." Sirius stalked up to Gryffindor tower and started throwing the contents of his closet in his trunk. His books sailed on top of the robes, clunking against the trunk walls. Greasy git! Good-for-nothing Slytherin. Death Eater! Well, maybe not. Who cares, anyway? Never should have told them anyway. Finish the job… "Sirius?" Sirius realized he had been ranting aloud instead of silently. "What, Potter?" he snapped, disregarding James' concern. "What's going on? Where are you going?" James asked. "Expelled. Going home." He scoffed suddenly. "Why do you care? Isn't this what you wanted, anyway? You're obviously in Snivellus' camp now. What did you expect, when you ran to tattle on me?" "Hang on. I didn't tell to get you expelled! Come on, mate, you're my best friend! I just wanted Snape to live! Nobody deserves to die! Think about Lily. You know how attached she is to him. If he died, it'd be Remus' fault. And yours. You wouldn't tell me until it was too late! It's not a laugh when someone almost dies!" Sirius' expression was hard. "You obviously don't understand. It was just a laugh. Just that, nothing more. Maybe you can ask Dumbledore to re-sort you into Slytherin. Good-bye, Potter," he spat with venom as he dragged his trunk towards the door. The case thunked down every step, and James could hear the common room grow silent as he exited through the portrait hole.

Lily was relaxing in the common room when shouting could be heard from the boys' dorms. A strange thunking came down the stairs, and Sirius suddenly appeared, dragging his trunk. He left out through the Fat Lady, and James came and stood on the last stair, watching his retreating back through the crack in the door jamb. She looked at James, a thousand questions in her eyes. He tipped his head, beckoning her to follow him out of the portrait hole. She held up a book, ran to put it away in her dorm, then followed him out to the corridor. "What is up with him? He moving out or something?" she asked; James' face fell. "He got expelled. Had to do with Lupin. You know it was the full moon last night?" he started. She nodded. "Well, Sirius told Snape how to get to the Willow's tunnel, to Remus. Snape followed Lupin, and Sirius locked him in. I don't know what happened- but I can imagine. Sirius bragged about it to me, called it a prank, so I ran to McGonagall and she told Dumbledore and I guess he expelled Sirius. I don't know if Snape is ok or not." Lily's eyes were the size of dessert plates at the end. "He wasn't at dinner last night! Or breakfast this morning! Is he in the infirmary? I'm going to visit him. Thanks, James!" and she sprinted off. When she reached the infirmary, however, Pomfrey told her that Severus would be sleeping for at least the next twenty-four hours. She was instructed to not touch him at all, or attempt to wake him, that she could only look. Pomfrey drew the curtains aside enough for her to walk through, and she saw a figure in bed. It looked like a mummy, except it had long jet-black hair. She could hardly believe it was Severus. He had bandages everywhere. He was still asleep, and she knew better than to prod him, so she turned her attention to a parchment lying on his bedside table. It looked like the diagnostic record, so she read it: "Various bruises: back of head, face, neck, collar, chest, back, left shoulder, right arm, right wrist, right hand. Various lacerations: face, jaw, chest, back. Various puncture wounds: face, neck, shoulder. Broken bones: nose, fractured ribs, broken radius right, broken ulna right, broken wrist bones right, broken hand bones right, broken finger bones right. Broken and strained tendons and ligaments: neck, left shoulder, chest, right arm, right wrist, right hand. Punctured lung left, internal bleeding neck, internal bleeding left shoulder, internal bleeding chest. Lycanthropy."

Severus realized that he was in a bed. He did not remember how he got there, but he knew he hurt. Where? He asked himself. Nose. Face. Neck. Left Shoulder. Collar. Chest. Right arm. Right Hand. Shoulder blades. Back. Oh, he groaned to himself. How did this happen to me? Then he remembered. Black told him of Lupin. He went to the Willow, the tunnel, the door… the repeated no turning into that feral howl. Lupin… the werewolf. Transforming. Slashed on the back, he screamed and it bit him and- then what? He couldn't recall. He tried to open his eyes but they were glued shut by what seemed to be bandages. He tried to groan but his jaw was spelled shut. He heard Pomfrey bustling near him, and he kicked a leg to let her know he was awake; it cost him dearly, as the jerk upset his bandaged back. "Ah! You're awake, I see. You should be well enough to see now, but no talking! Your poor throat." He felt the plasters being peeled off his eyelids, and he blinked to clear his eyes. "Ms. Evans has been here all yesterday and today, waiting for you to wake up!" He saw a swish of red hair above him, and his angel was there. He suddenly remembered something from during his mauling: that the last thing he thought of, before blacking out, was that he hoped Lily would remain safe… and she had. She wasn't in a half body cast. He knew she was safe, and that was all he wished for; then he blacked out again.

It was Wednesday when he was finally released from the infirmary. Lupin was a frequent visitor, but Lily hardly left his side. Lupin had apologized numerous times, but Severus tried to convince him that he was at no fault. Lily was his main companion, however, as he worked through the realization that he would never lead a normal life. His face sported the vicious scars, as did his neck, shoulder, upper and middle chest, and back. One day, shortly after being released, he was in the hall walking to his Transfiguration class when he realized he could never fulfill his dream of being a Potions Master. The Ministry-run academy would never accept a werewolf. He staggered into the classroom and sat at the farthest desk. Lily was in his next class, so he would talk with her later. He scribbled a note to her, then started taking notes, trying to ignore the stares of his classmates. Most of them believed the story Dumbledore gave to Slughorn: that he had been injured while wandering in the Forbidden Forest and had learned his lesson. He had the scars to prove it, too. Severus slipped Lily the note when he came to Potions later. Lily, I need to talk to you later. Meet after class? –HBP Lily nodded at him. After their Potions class, they strolled out to the edge of the Lake. "What's up, Sev?" Lily prompted lightly. Severus' face fell. "I have so much on my mind. Having Lycanthropy only adds to them. I realized, today…" he took a breath and swallowed, "that I can never be a Potions Master. The Ministry considers me dangerous, I can never attend their Potions academy." Lily watched him struggle with another thing. "And there's this other thing. I, um, kind of was hoping you'd go to Hogsmeade with me. But how could I ever be friends with you, now that I'm like this?" Lily reached out her hand and placed it on his jaw, covering the tender pink lines healing there. "Severus, don't worry about that. I will never leave you. I will never leave you." The relief shone in his eyes.

Over the next months, Lily and Severus grew closer than they could have imagined. Lupin and Severus became easy acquaintances, almost friends, since they spent their time together once a month. Lily asked Severus to be her boyfriend; at the end of seventh year, Severus asked Lily to be his wife. They were married shortly after graduation, and they found a small cottage in remote Scotland to live. Far from prying Muggle and Ministry eyes, Severus could deal with his transformation without worrying about Lily's safety. She simply Apparated to Hogsmeade or London or to her parents' house for the time being. As for Severus' dream of being a Potions Master, the Ministry's last rejection of his fourth attempt to enroll in the Potions academy convinced him to pursue other options. He was employed by Hogwarts as Potions Professor, and Apparated to their home every evening. In spite of Sirius' blunder, Severus' life was not as ruined as he thought.