"I've seen what you're doing, Snivellus."

Snape turned around, feeling his chest tighten up and rage boil to the surface. It took all of his control to not go for his wand. The only thing that stopped him, and it wasn't much at all, was that if Sirius was here, it meant that James and Remus couldn't be far about. The Pettigrew boy he couldn't care less about, but he wasn't going to get in yet another three-on-one fight. Better small things that didn't lead to him going to the Hospital Wing. Instead, he fixed a smirk on his face. "And what would that be, blood traitor?"

"You can't take your eyes of James's arse."

Severus nearly choked. On what, he wasn't sure. The derision in his voice was automatic and, in Black's case, well-deserved. "Excuse me?"

"I saw you, today in Potions. And then again in Transfiguration. And last week in Charms." Sirius leaned against the wall as a gaggle of girls passed by, sneaking glances at him and giggling.

Severus couldn't stand it. His hand was twitching towards his wand. The hex was already forming on his tongue. Half a second and Sirius would look like the preening peacock that he really was. "I think all that hair gel has seeped into what little of brain you once had, Black."

"I could be convinced not to tell James, of course. I don't think he'd like knowing that Snivellus longs to get in his trousers. Don't think I'd much care for it, either. Lily certainly wouldn't like it, would she?"

"Black, it may have escaped your notice, but I don't happen to care much what you or the rest of you think about me." Now, though, was the time to retreat. James and Remus would notice Sirius's absence soon and would come looking.

Sirius advanced on him, a lewd smile on his face. "Tell you what, Snivellus. Suck me off and I won't tell James."

This time Severus did manage to choke on plain air. It only took a second to recover, and then he put the sneer back on. "Not in your wettest dreams, Black."

"Does that mean I do have to tell James you fancy him, then?"

"No!" hissed Severus before he realized the words that had come out of his mouth.

Sirius laughed. "Well, I've made your options pretty clear, haven't I?"

Then James and Remus appeared, Pettigrew in tow. Severus didn't think that he'd ever been so happy to see them.

"Oi, Snivellus!" shouted James, almost as though they were best friends. Then he turned to Sirius. "What are you doing here with him?"

"Just ran into each other. Let's get out of here before he gets his grease on us." James and Remus turned to leave. Before leaving, Sirius looked over his shoulder and grinned. "I'll get it eventually, you know."

"I know," said Severus, almost too softly for it to even travel to his own ears.

Sirius Black always got what he wanted. Always.