"There's no need to glare at me like that. It's not like I want to be here." Black said indignantly from where he leaned with crossed arms against the shabby cabinetry of Severus' kitchen.

"Then why, pray tell," Severus spoke through gritted teeth, "didn't you say as much to Dumbledore so that we could avoid all this…" he could not find a word to describe the abhorrent situation he found himself in. Sirius Black was in his kitchen with tousled hair, a five o'clock shadow, and a mix of defiance and loathing on his thin face. It irked Snape, how casual he looked, lording about his kitchen as if it was his own. He was arrogant as ever, and even his stint in Azkaban had not seemed to rid him of the way he looked at Severus as if he were someone utterly beneath him, something utterly repugnant. Severus returned the sentiment, and made it clear with his tone of voice. Black visibly bristled, and for a moment Severus thought he might be transforming, but the voice that growled a reply was distinctly, though unfortunately, human.

"You think I didn't try? I even explained what a slimy git you are and he still sent me here."

"I'm a git, am I?" Anger flared in Severus' chest, though a part of him knew he was being just as juvenile as the other man by responding to such an insult.

"At least I'm not cowering in someone else's house while better witches and wizards risk their lives." He snapped, hoping to cow the other at least a bit. He thought he saw Black flinch, but he barked a reply without missing a beat.

"At least I'm not a grown man bullying a child for looking like the man who stole his childhood crush."

Severus flushed with fury. To be accused of taking out his old anger at James on the boy, to hear his love for Lily so nonchalantly cheapened, it made him angrier than he had felt in a long time.

"Don't you dare bring Lily into this—" Severus snarled.

He was brandishing his wand, though he could not recall taking it out of his robes.

"My, my. He's barely been here ten minutes." Dumbledore admonished mildly as he returned from the restroom.

Severus lowered his wand, embarrassed to have been caught losing his temper. He did not take his eyes from Black, however. He, too, had lowered his wand, though he still clutched it so tightly his knuckles were white. Severus took a deep breath and did his best to empty his mind of all emotion before speaking in a careful, quiet voice.

"I will not have this man under my roof, Dumbledore."

The piercing blue eyes appraised him for a moment, and Severus felt distinctly uncomfortable. Something about those eyes always made him feel as if his mind was being slowly dissected, skilled occlumens or not. Then the moment was over, and Dumbledore smiled.

"Which is exactly why he'll stay here as a dog."

Severus clenched his teeth and returned his gaze to Black, who still glared at him.

"I'll bite you." Black muttered darkly.

"I'll have you neutered." Hissed Severus with such hatred that the other man took a step back.

"The only thing either of you will do is act like adults." Dumbledore interrupted loudly.

"Sirius, now would be a good time to transform."

Severus had been sitting in his small office for who knew how long. It had grown dark long ago, but he had neither noticed nor turned on a light. He was not working.

He was thinking.

How much of what Black had said was true? It was certainly not the first time these thoughts had invaded his mind, though it was the first time he had heard them voiced by someone else. Was he misinterpreting the boy's motives? Projecting on him the cruelty he had seen in his father, cruelty that this time did not exist? Harry Potter was dreadful in his own right, surely. He had spent the past four years doing everything possible to get on Severus' nerves. He showed an utter lack of respect for authority and his only talent seemed to be getting himself and others into trouble. But…how often had the trouble come from outside sources? And even if it was all the boy's fault, he was—after all—only a teenager. Severus had made far worse decisions in those days, he had little right to judge. Decisions that had endangered people, decisions that had killed people.

He had killed people.

His left forearm prickled, but he resisted the urge to look at the mark there. It was already far too late. Too late for Lily, too late for Severus, too late to dwell the hatred that stared him down from behind those all too familiar green eyes.

Something scratched on the other side of the locked door. Then a bark shattered the silence and made him start. He had forgotten about Bla—Snuffles. He unlocked and opened the door with an irritable wave of his wand.

"What?" he demanded, just as irritably, as the large black dog trotted in.

Snuffles whined softly and stared at him expectantly. Severus was nonplussed.

"I'm afraid I'm not versed in annoying dog, so you'll have to be more plain." He snapped.

Snuffles rolled his eyes and licked his chops pointedly, then whined again. Severus was just about to order the dog out and tell him to solve his own bloody problems, when he became aware of the gnawing hunger in his stomach. It grumbled audibly and Snuffles nodded in assent before turning and heading off, presumably, to the kitchen.

Severus scoured the cabinets. There was not much there, and he realized that he could not remember when he had last eaten, let alone cooked. The milk in the fridge had gone off ages ago, and most of the other items were unrecognizable remnants of takeout or packets of ketchup. The dog whined again, and Severus glanced down at him. Their eyes met, and Severus glimpsed something other than hunger in the dark eyes.

"I… I've been away recently." He muttered evasively, gingerly opening a box of white rice with the consistency of cement. He was not sure why Snuffles was looking at him with such concern, or why he cared enough about what the dog thought to lie.

After disposing of everything in the refrigerator, he found a few packets of ramen. He had tossed the noodles into a small cauldron of boiling water—he had been too hungry to bother finding where his pots had gone—when a thought struck him. He eyed Snuffles uncertainly.

"Do dogs," he paused and faltered, "do you eat ramen?"

Snuffles wagged his tail.

They ate in silence, though not as uncomfortable a silence as Severus had expected. It was surprisingly nice not to be alone in the cramped, silent house. And there was something endearing about the dog version of Black. Perhaps he was less infuriating on four legs, perhaps it was merely difficult to despise a dog.

Severus sent the empty bowls floating into the sink, where they began to wash themselves. Snuffles rested his head between his paws, looking sleepy and content. Severus almost smiled.

"You're much less insufferable when you can't say anything stupid." He mused.

Snuffles growled, but there was not much malice in the sound.

Severus's mattress bounced gently as another weight settled on it. He was on his back, staring up at the crack in the plaster that he always forgot to mend, but did not need to turn his head to deduce who was shaking the mattress.

"You may look like a mangy dog, Black, but you're still the last man on earth I'd let into my bed, so sod off." Severus grumbled, silently cursed himself for the childish insult. Black always brought out the worst in him. It did the trick, though. Something in his tone made the dog get off the bed immediately and return to the nest of cushions on the floor.

"Therapy dog." Severus snorted and turned over so his back was to the place where the animagus slept.