Raised voices attracted Severus' attention as he strode through the cold hallways of Hogwarts' second floor. Normally he would have either ignored the argument or taken points off, depending on his mood and the people involved, but he recognized these voices as belonging to two of the nuisances of his life, Black and Potter. He would have had trouble subtracting points from either party. Black, despite how much Severus would love to give him a suitable punishment for his misdeeds and general idiocy, was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher; he had somehow managed to defy the curse and return for a second year without losing his life, his questionable sanity, or any visible appendages (Severus lived in hope, but it had, so far, yet to be fulfilled). Potter, while a student and a sixth year, was also a difficult one to punish due to the fact that he was a Ravenclaw.
Actually, to be honest, Potter's house hadn't been a detriment to Severus' punishments until Filius Flitwick had convinced him to be fair with the judicious use of reason, logic, and a threat of disembowelment. Severus hadn't found Filius to be particularly terrifying until that rather momentous day; thankfully, Filius was also the only one to know why Professor Snape had suddenly ceased to be quite as cruel two months into Potter's first year, although Albus probably suspected.
Knowing that he wouldn't take off points but yet unable to ignore the argument, Severus crept nearer to the origin of the voices. He quickly discovered that it was about some sort of social event, in which he of course had no interest, and continued to listen.
"Come on, Sirius, I just want to get some butterbeer," Potter wheedled. "You can even come with me. I just need you to take that ward down."
"Harry," Black sighed exasperatedly. "You aren't even supposed to know there is a ward. I only told you so you wouldn't get killed or given detention because of it."
"Those are obviously in order of increasing magnitude," Potter said dryly. "Oh, no, detention, whatever shall I do. My life has no purpose now that I have to clean things for a couple of hours."
"Don't be sarky, Harry, I'm trying to be all responsible here and you're not helping."
"'Trying' being the operative word there, Padfoot," Potter pointed out. Severus sneered in silent agreement and Potter continued blithely. "But don't worry, I'm sure you'll be plenty responsible whilst chaperoning an excursion to Hogsmeade."
Severus snorted audibly. That was almost a Slytherin move, though he'd never admit it anywhere other than the most private section of his mind.
Hearing the noise, Potter and Black whipped their heads around to seek Severus' form out of the shadows. The younger gulped visibly when he recognized the menacing shape and the elder braced his shoulders and threw his head up defiantly, as if preparing to do battle with invisible antlers on his dark-haired head. Severus ignored Black's little display entirely and focused on the weaker victi- er, on Potter.
"I'm certain someone as bright as Mr. Potter would never be so unwise as to host an illicit carousal," he stated softly. Potter muttered, "No, sir," when prompted.
"Good," Severus said, nearly smiling. This proved to be the end of Black's temper.
"Harry's more responsible than I am, Snape, don't you start accusing him of anything!" Black declared hotly.
Severus took this opportunity to gleefully state, "It isn't very difficult to be more responsible than you, Black."
Black nearly pulled his wand on Severus, but Potter gave him a nudge to the ribs that probably wouldn't have hurt very much if the boy's elbows weren't sharp enough to be considered lethal weapons in some counties. Severus decided to savour Black's gasps of pain in his Pensieve later and drew this cheery little conversation to a close.
"If you brats do decide to have one of your little parties," he sneered. "I'm sure one of you will be intelligent enough to make sure no professors are aware of it." He threw a baleful look that could have been construed as a significant glance to Potter before he whirled around and stalked off.
X
Both Sirius and Harry stared at the intimidating man's retreating cloak in silence. Sirius' face was gobsmacked, Harry's was rapidly approaching elation.
"Wow," Sirius said eventually. "For Snivellus, that was practically a declaration of eternal adoration. I can't believe it."
"I told you he liked me," Harry replied smugly, glancing back at Sirius and smirking suddenly. "Pay up," he added airily.
"I can't believe it," Sirius repeated woodenly. Harry rolled his eyes impatiently and sighed, tapping his foot.
"Repeating that won't keep you from owing me a broom, Padfoot," he insisted. He stuck his hands out and made a greedy motion with both of them. "Gimme gimme."
Sirius shook himself out of his shock and gave Harry a reproachful glare he had picked up from his cousin (the sane one), Andromeda. "I don't carry brooms in my pockets, Harry, it'd be a little hard to fit. I thiught you were supposed to be clever."
Harry rolled his eyes again. "I thought you were supposed to be a wizard," he pointed out. "Shrinking Charms exist, you know."
Sirius looked sheepish. "I don't do Shrinking Charms. Last time I tried, I got Reducio and Reducto confused and, well, it wasn't pretty."
Harry laughed and retrieved the Marauder's Map from his pocket, where he had stuffed it when he saw Snape's dot coming toward them.
"That was well done, though," Sirius admitted, examining the map over Harry's shoulder. "Very clever plan. Why exactly are you not in Slytherin?"
"I asked not to be," Harry said absently, still scouring the map with his eyes.
"You asked not to be?" Sirius snorted. "And you didn't get stuffed into Gryffindor after that?"
"Ah. Well." Harry winced at the memory of his Sorting and the school's reactions. "I might have gone off into a bit of a rant, actually. I think my exact words were 'No glorified personality test- no matter how magical- has the right to judge an eleven-year-old's partially-developed personality and make a decision that affects the rest of his life!'"
Sirius laughed wildly. "That's brilliant. So you think you proved to it you're a proper Ravenclaw with that little speech?"
Harry shrugged. "I always thought it was something of a revenge, myself- mess with the Sorting Hat and get stuck in the House of the nerds?- but yeah, proving myself a Ravenclaw works too." Sirius grinned, then brought up something he was rather curious about now.
"Are you really holding a party or was that just a ruse for Snape?" Sirius asked curiously. Harry grinned at him.
"Even if I were, I couldn't tell you," he said mischievously. "You heard Professor Snape, Professor Black. Don't tell any teachers, he said."
"Harry!" Sirius whined, but Harry Potter only laughed.