Author's Note: This is just a thought I had at four o'clock in the morning. What if Severus's version of the Whomping Willow incident had been right?
Loyalty
"Sirius," James said, in that half-whiny, half-seductive way of his, "I don't like this."
Sirius frowned, turning to face the boy beside him. "Don't like what?" he asked, though he suspected that he knew.
"I don't like all this time you're spending with Snivellus."
"Severus," Sirius whispered, without thinking.
"What did you say?" James's tone was innocent enough, but his hazel eyes flashed with anger. James did not like being contradicted.
"Nothing," said Sirius quickly.
"Good." James's shoulders relaxed. "I was worried that you were going to leave me."
"I won't leave you," Sirius said earnestly.
"Do you promise?" James asked, leaning closer.
Sirius nodded. "I promise."
"Then prove it to me," James whispered, his lips brushing against Sirius's ear.
"Prove it?" Sirius shivered. "How…?"
"At the next full moon," James said softly, caressing Sirius's cheek, "we are going to have a little fun with Snivellus. You are going to tell him where Remus goes every month. That would be a prank with some interesting results, I daresay…" James snickered. When Sirius did not reply, James pouted slightly. "It'll be brilliant; you know it will," he said seductively. "Come on, Padfoot, it'll be fun. I love you…" he added, when Sirius still did not answer.
"I love you, too," Sirius said.
"Of course you do," said James with a smirk. "So you'll do it, then?"
What else could he do? He nodded.
James's face broke into a satisfied smile. "That's what I like about you, Padfoot," he said, lightly tracing circles on Sirius's chest. "I always know where your loyalties lie."