The Lions and the Snake

Disclaimer: All belongs to JKR except the plot

A/N: This story is being written for the 'Marauders Challenge' for the lovely Puffer's aren't Duffers and the idea and the start of chapter one are all theirs.

Let's go

"Hey, wait up!"

Severus jerked at the sound of footsteps following him; four pairs of footsteps, he'd bet, echoing off the walls of the hall. He half considered bolting, spurred by the thought of a second trip to the hospital wing in one week, but it would do nothing but ruin his composure. So he turned around, shoulders hunched defensively, and glowered at the boys running towards him. It was as he had expected; all day the Marauders had been following him like demonic shadows. They grinned, cat-like, as they approached.

"What do you want, Potter?" He sneered. His most despised enemy stopped a few feet away with, as usual, his cronies: half-ogre Black, the nerd Lupin, and simpering Pettigrew. Tossing Sev a smile that many called charming but he knew to be sickening, Potter said, "Hello, Severus."

Something about the greeting struck Sev as ominous, despite it having Potter's normal cheer and arrogance. 'Severus.' Potter had called him by name.

'A slip-up, nothing more,' he tried to reassure himself, yet his gut twisted uneasily. "I don't have time to waste on this, Potter," he snapped.

"No time on the weekend?" Black whistled. "You really do have to lighten up. We're second years, have some fun."

"I'm sure your idea of fun wouldn't quite agree with my intelligence," Sev drawled. Casually enough that it might not be noticed, at least by these dim-wits, he backed up. He didn't at all like this. The "Marauders", as they liked to call themselves, preferred to catch their victim when they had a crowd, and didn't spare time on niceties.

He drew his wand and kept backing up. "I believe I'll be taking my leave. I for one do not enjoy standing in drafty corridors."

"No, Sev, wait. We came here to congratulate you."

"Congratulate me?" Sev put as much condescending dryness in that as possible, but his heart beat a little faster. 'Here it comes, then.'

"Yep," Black chirped, striding forwards and trying to clap him on the back. (Severus side-stepped it and backed up faster.) "Congrats on becoming our fifth member!"

"What?" The incredulous question slipped out without leave.

"You're our fifth member!" Potter repeated. "Welcome to the Marauders."

Severus blinked. He blinked again. And then he tore off gracelessly down the hall.

Potter's sigh bounced off the walls. "Oh bugger. Black, fetch him."

(This is all mine now)

Severus ran, along the corridors, down the stairs and then eventually burst out the doors of the great hall. The idea was absurd. Him, one of Potter's sidekicks? A part of the infamous group who had made themselves known in first year by causing nothing but trouble for the professors? A slightly deranged laugh escaped his lips earning him some slightly odd looks, which he ignored.

Just then, a slightly breathless looking Sirius Black came running up to him.

"Sev," he panted, trying to catch his breath. "Just, I know we were assholes to you last year and-,"

"Too right you were," interrupted Severus, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah but just…" Black sighed resignedly. "Consider it okay?"

Severus's eyebrows shot up even further. "You weren't joking." This wasn't a question, but a statement, confirmed by Black's brief nod of his head.

"See you around Severus," he said, and walked away, leaving Sev wondering if he had failed to wake up that morning and was now having a very odd dream. He pinched himself, hard, until he was certain that this was, in fact, reality. It was in that moment that he made a choice. To this day, he would never know what caused him to make such an impetuous decision. Perhaps it was his lack of close friends or his inability to ever have fun or enjoy himself (He had never cared for Potter's somewhat frivolous behaviour).

"Hey, Black, wait up!"

Black turned around. "Yes?" He replied, smirking as if this was expected (which, Sev reminded himself, it probably had been).

"I-," Severus lost all his composure and mumbled, "I want to join,"

Black put a mocking hand to his ear and grinned widely.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"I think," Sev said with significantly more confidence than the first time, "That I would like to join your group of friends Potter decided it would be a good idea to call 'The Marauders'."

"Hey!" Black retorted, trying and failing to hide a smile, "I like that name!"

"You know it literally means thieves?"

Sirius gasped in fake hurt. "What're you accusing us of, Sev?"

"Of course, only you would name your group of pranksters without even knowing what the name meant." Sev sighed in exasperation. "How did you even think of the name if you don't know what it was?"

"Oh," Sirius grinned sheepishly, "I guess it kind of makes sense now; McGonagall called us that when she caught us raiding Slughorn's potions cupboard," without letting Severus reply, he hastily added, "But that's for another time- now, time to meet the other Marauders!"

And with that, he grabbed Sev's wrist and dragged him through the main doors, leaving Severus trying to tell him that he did actually know the other marauders due to the fact they'd spent the most part of first-year constantly bugging him.

A thought occurred to him and he tugged on Sirius's wrist, forcing him to stop. "Black."

"What?" Sirius huffed impatiently.

"Why do you suddenly want me in your little gang? You hated me last year- what's in it for you?"

Sirius looked at him as if he was assessing him, and then looked him straight in the eye and said, "Prongs thought he sensed your inner prankster."

Sev snorted- actually snorted- and replied, "If you'd told me I had an 'inner prankster' six months ago, I would be absolutely horrified."

But after that he let Black drag him up the stairs- willingly this time.

A/N: Did you love it? Hate it? All reviews are welcome, pleaseeeee tell me if you like it or not and what you think should happen in the next chapters.

Cat Xx