Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Harry Potter Universe. J.K. Rowling, much to my chagrin, created all the wonderful characters in this story, apart from perhaps a few minor ones I decided to create along the way for experimentation and/or to fill plot holes. That's right, plot holes, fore there will be many. But fear not, this story will go somewhere! I just haven't figured out where, exactly.

Enjoy.

"You know fine well I can't."

"And you're not even going to try?"

"Nope."

"Well why not?"

Severus looked Lucius in the eye and sighed. He sometimes wondered why he even bothered talknig to him about this kind of stuff. Well, Lucius already had a bloody girlfriend, didn't he?

"It doesn't matter, Lucius."

"Have you actually ever TRIED asking her out?" Malfoy ventured. "Or talking to her? Or even entering her field of vision?"

"YES!"

He regretted raising his voice the moment that word passed his lips and, even though the glare he recieved from Madam Pince by rights SHOULD have sent him hurtling back into oblivion, he certainly got a fright.

Normal fifteen year olds would have just talked about this stuff in their dormitaries, but with brainless apes such as Crabbe and Goyle blabbing secrets that they should have never really heard in the first place to anyone who would listen - or, rather, eavesdrop - they had to do it somewhere else. Granted, the Library wasn't exactly the most private place in the castle - they could think of much more secretive hideouts - it was almost empty, and the two Slytherins were quite sure that the three First Year Ravenclaws on the other side of the room didn't give a flying toss about what they were whispering about.

"Then what's your problem?" Lucius asked, blatently ignoring the elder witch's warning.

"She's sort of out of my league, don't you think?"

"Er, no, really, I don't. I mean you got Narcissa to fancy you for a bit, didn't you? And I had a bloody hard time trying to get her to even TALK to me."

"Yeah, but - this one isn't even in Slytherin."

"A fact that has sort of got me worrying for your sanity, yes, but I still don't think that - "

"Oh, look, Prongs!"

"Aw, fuck..."

"If it isn't little SNIVELLUS - "

"Mr. Black! Keep your voice down!"

"Sorry, Ma'am."

"I suggest you leave us alone, Black," Lucius snarled.

"And what are you gonna do about it?"

"I'm not sure if you've noticed, BLACK, I'm rather larger than you."

"Oh, yes, that's right," Potter butted in. "Because brave little Severus Snape can't hang out with anyone his own age. Is it a condition, Snivelly, or are you just so cowardly that you have to keep your bodyguards this close at all times?"

"Look, Potter, I don't particularly give a SHIT about what age my friends are - "

"Ooh, look, Padfoot! He's getting angry. We musn't get too close, we might contract something."

"RIGHT, POTTER!" Lucius yelled.

"Mr. Malfoy!"

"Shut up, Pince!"

"Well, I never - "

"If you disgusting Gryffindors would like to TAKE - YOUR - LEAVE, and go back to your Mudblood-loving Common Room, then so NOW, or I'll hex you into the next life!"

Severus didn't really like the use of the term "Mudblood", whatever people said about him. But he couldn't object to it in front of Potter and Black a) because Lucius would think him weak and, of sorts, a traitor, and the two vexing Marauders would see a weak side to him. Well, that's what he thought; he didn't think that perhaps they would see a slightly more likeable and, Heaven forbid, slightly more respectful side.

"What on Earth is going on here?"

The divine intervention of Professor Minerva McGonagall stopped things JUST in time.

Twenty points were deducted from each house, all four students were banned from the Library by Madam Pince for two weeks despite the need to study, and they barely escaped an encounter with Filch in detention.

And Severus Snape said nothing.

As another memory dripped into the Penseive, he sighed. Something he never did with company and rarely did when alone, but its reasoning was just: he HATED using the Penseive. It was vulnerable to prying eyes, and those curious (and stupid) enough to venture in saw him at his weakest.

He could think of a certain incident the other year in which that exact situation had occured.

But, on the other hand, he hated having those memories pounce upon him during the most inconvenient of times.

Neither of those options were attractive, but the Penseive was, he thought, the easiest of the two. This was an exception of most cases, because Severus Snape was a man that hardly EVER took the easy option.