Author's Note: This is the Snape companion piece to four other one-shot fics that I have, but can be read on it's own. Also, if anyone has read any of my other fics they know I have nothing against Sirius or James, but as this is written from Snape's pov, it shows his own feelings about them. There is slight slash implied in it, so if that's not your thing, please don't read. But if you do read, hope you enjoy, and please review.

"Any fool can love somebody who's perfect; somebody who does everything right. But that doesn't stretch your soul. Your soul only gets stretched when you can still love somebody after they've hurt you." -Anonymous

Unrequited

Severus Snape resisted the urge to curse as he made his way to the front door of Grimmauld Place. Didn't the idiot boy realize he had better things to do with his time than check on his mutt? There were more important things to do for the order than see if that lay about git was still alive. The only reason he was doing as the Potter boy wished was because he knew that Potter seniors genes were going to make themselves known and he'd have to alert the Order to the fact that Potter had gone and done something stupid, hope they got to him before the death eaters did.

Not for the first time he wondered what in Merlin's name Lily could have possibly been thinking when she married Potter, and when she was the one who started the whole fool engagement in the first place. Being with Potter all the time must have knocked some of her brains loose because the Lily he'd known would never have given Potter the time of day. Would never have settled for being second best.

"Black," he called out once he was in the house and past the infernal portrait of Black's mother. Damn woman would never shut up, and while it was amusing to listen to her chew out Black, he'd rather not hear some of her opinions.

No answer came and Severus rolled his eyes, resigning himself to climbing the stairs. He was probably with that dumb animal he was insisting on taking care of.

"Black," he called again once he was upstairs. He heard the sounds of banging coming from one of the rooms before a slightly dirty Black emerged, stuffing an old looking letter into his pocket. Snape eyes' followed the letter curiously before it was out of sight, he thought for a second he might have recognized that handwriting.

"What do you want Snape," Black snarled. No one else but them was around, so Black wasn't going to show him any of the courtesy he was forced to when around others, and Snape certainly wasn't going to be polite either.

"Believe me Black, I wouldn't come here on my own free will, but something's come up. Your idiot of a godchild seems to think that you're being held by the Dark Lord at the Ministry," Snape replied, his voice dripping with disdain.

Black stared at him, "Well fine, you've seen me, so go back and tell him I'm alright." Black went back into his room, and Snape reluctantly followed. The whole room was done in red and gold, and there were pictures of Potter senior and the other two, along with bikini clad muggle girls all over the walls. Snape snorted when he looked at them, they were probably the only girl's Black had ever looked at.

Black turned to glare at him, arms crossed across his chest after he put down the letter he retrieved from his pocket onto the dresser next to the bed. Snape's eyes were drawn to the photograph next to where the letter had been placed. There she was, laughing in the picture as she watched her fool of a husband and son play.

"You're still here," Black said sarcastically.

"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me to," Snape remarked, looking around the room as if he were in a muggle house again, "You don't know your godson very well, do you Black?"

"Oh, and I suppose you do, do you," Black replied. The look on his face suggested he'd like nothing more than to throw Snape out the window into the dumpster's below.

"More than you do. He's more like his arrogant father than I can stand," Snape taunted. He knew Black would rise to the taunt against Potter senior, and if he had to stand being in the mutt's loathsome presence might as well get some satisfaction from it.

Sure enough, Black growled, sounding very much like the dog he turned into, "Don't insult James again Snape, or they won't find any of your body parts. Insult me all you want, but don't insult him."

"I'll insult him all I please Black, after all, it's not hard to," Snape smirked. Black seemed to be barely restraining himself from grabbing him and making sure his face was unrecognizable. After all, Black would resort to muggle means since he didn't have a fitting wand handy.

"Amazing that you don't know your godson well. Guess you can't see past the fact that he looks like your precious James," Snape taunted, unaware of the irony of the statement.

"That's funny coming from you Snape. Can you? See past James' face after all? Or, are you still so angry at Lily, after all, she fell in love with James didn't she. Didn't even give you the time of day anymore. Bet she never even spared you a passing thought," Black growled.

Snape wanted to whip out his wand and silence Black permanently, how dare he say her name, but he resisted the urge. If Black suddenly went missing, there'd be questions, and he didn't think he'd be able to restrain the urge to gloat about the fact that he was the cause.

"And I'm sure you were just as happy that they married, aren't you Black. How did it feel, knowing that he left you for her? But then, he wasn't really yours, was he? Not the way you wanted," Snape snarled back. He had no doubt that this would turn nasty, and he couldn't say he didn't want it to. He loathed the fact that Black knew what he'd kept hidden for years, but he was sure Black loathed even more that Snape knew his feelings for Potter senior had never been platonic.

"At least he loved me, which is more than I can say for you. You destroyed any love Lily had for you a long time before she fell for James, Snape," Black said, eyes glaring at him with so much hate Snape was amazing he wasn't burning.

"Well, I for one had the restraint to hold myself back," Snape hissed, and he gleefully smirked when he saw the sudden realization cross Black's face. Probably didn't know that he had attended the Potter's wedding, or seen Black's little love confession that Potter had, oh so carefully and caringly, rejected. He hoped it still stung after all these years, that James married Lily even after Black had told him the truth, like it still stung for himself, when he thought about Lily in Potter's arms.

No doubt the fight would have continued if the werewolf hadn't banged the door open that moment and spotted him and Sirius. The werewolf looked wearily at the two, and went over to stand near Sirius, to hold him back or to help him Snape wasn't sure.

"Is there something you wanted Severus," Lupin attempted to say pleasantly.

"Just to tell the mutt that the boy was about to do something stupid. I'm sure you'll find him leading some fool crusade at the Department of Mysteries. Better get there before the Death Eaters do," Snape told Lupin, and he felt some inner pleasure at the sudden panic that crossed Black's face, finally realizing just what Snape had meant by the boy being just like his father.

He swayed a little as Black and Lupin hurried past him out the door, and rubbed his shoulder where Black's had collided with his on his way out. His eyes looked once more on Lily's image, glaring at her laughing face.

"This isn't over," he hissed into the empty room, taking one last look at her before leaving.