Author's Note: Written for…

Who, What, Where Competition. Prompt: Peter pinches Severus in the Hog's Head.

PayDay Challenge. Prompt: Severus/Narcissa

Another Day in Hogsmeade

"This is unacceptable," Sirius moaned, his nose pressed against the window of the Hog's Head. James and Remus pulled him away roughly as Hogsmeade residents stared on in distaste.

"It's not that bad," James said soothingly, keeping a firm hand on his friend's shoulder to keep him in place.

"'Not that bad?' This from the man who spent five years complaining nonstop about how Snivellus was wrong for Lily? He's in there with my cousin, James. They're snogging!"

"It was one little peck on the cheek," Remus corrected.

Peter came barreling at them with his arms full of sweets from his latest excursion into Honeydukes. James' invisibility cloak was half-stuffed into his shoulder bag.

"Blimey, Peter, be more careful with that, will you?" James said, pulling the fabric out and folding it neatly over his arm while Remus accepted his share of the chocolate. Sirius was still too distressed to think about eating, which was saying a lot.

"Why's Sirius look like someone ran over his tail?" Peter asked curiously, waving a package of Sirius' favorite lime sweets in front of the boy's face to no reaction.

"He just saw Narcissa go into the Hog's Head with Snape," Remus explained around a mouthful of chocolate.

"What's the big deal? You hate them both…"

"I do not hate my cousin!" Sirius huffed, to which he was met with three doubtful stares. "Okay, fine, Narcissa and I may not be on the best terms at the moment, but that doesn't mean I want her to end up with the greasy git. Can you imagine if they get married? I can't be related to that … thing." He shuddered.

James slung an arm over Sirius' shoulders, leading him away from the pub.

"Come on, mate, let's go have some fun. We could spy on the girls, or maybe play a little joke on Frank. He's at Puddifoot's with Alice."

Sirius shoved him off, grabbing the cloak from his friend's arm as he did. "I have a better idea: I'll go in there and break them up!"

James scowled. "I was just suggesting smashing teacakes into Frank's hair or something. I don't want them to break up."

"Not them; Narcissa and Snape! I'm gonna go in there invisibly and ruin their little date." The shaggy-haired boy smiled proudly.

"You're not going in there," James argued. "You're too emotional right now. You'll mess up."

"I'll do it," Peter offered, trading the bag of sweets for the cloak. "But you have to promise to get me a date with Hestia later."

Sirius pretended to think it over for a moment before shaking Peter's hand. "I promise. Now go in there and ruin that little creep's day."

Peter draped the cloak over himself, disappearing from view.

:-:

The Hog's Head was packed, but not enough that Peter couldn't move around easily without bumping into anyone. He reached the farthest booth from the door, where his school nemesis sat with his date. Peter glanced back uncertainly and found all three of his friends with their noses pressed against the glass.

He took out his wand momentarily, contemplating what he was going to do. He hadn't thought it all through before offering to help Sirius; he just really needed a way to get a date with Hestia.

After some serious thinking, he stowed his wand away again and tip-toed closer to the table, kneeling down so he was as close as possible to Snape without sitting in the booth himself.

With a very deliberate and experienced movement, he slipped a hand out from underneath the cloak and slowly inched it toward Snape's leg under the table, where he prayed no one could see.

He took a deep and silent breath, then placed his thumb and index finger on the Slytherin's leg and squeezed as hard as he could. The aforementioned Slytherin, in the process of taking a sip of his ale, yelped loudly and spilled the drink down the front of his robes.

Peter snatched his hand away just in time as Snape's own came down to rub at the leg.

"Severus, are you alright?" Narcissa said.

"Something just bit me," he said angrily. Peter had to cover his mouth to keep from snickering.

The Gryffindor turned around quickly and went as fast as he could toward the exit without tripping over the cloak once.

The rest of the Marauders were ducked below the windowsill, laughing their heads off. Peter plopped down beside Sirius and whipped the cloak off, dropping it in James' lap.

"Peter, you're my hero," Sirius said breathlessly, draping an arm over his friend's shoulder.