I'm on a roll, and I own nothing.

... Sudden urge to eat cookies.

xxx-xxx

Sirius Black tossed and turned in his sleep. Lily's words still swirling around in his head, days after. The fine line between love and hate, was it so simple to cross? Thinking back on his actions over the summer it seemed obvious. Even in the Gryffindor's dreams the not so greasy, not quite so git-ish Snape appeared. Far from being annoyed, Sirius hungered to see each feature, to trace them in his mind.

He could only wonder what might have happened if Regulus had found those magazines under his mattress sooner, kicked out of the house in fourth year, fifth year. His mark on the family tree scorched to black. Would this have happened? This summer? This feeling?

"James?"

"What is it, Padfoot?" James groaned in a half awake throaty voice.

Sirius shifted on bed to face his friend who was situated on the floor in a sleeping bag.

"I had a thought."

"Out with it, then. I need my beauty sleep."

"I think I like Snape." Sirius said slowly, almost regretting each word as it came out of his mouth.

James sat up. "What?" he asked, looking over at Sirius with a mixed look of disbelief and horror. With a quick wand flourish on James' part, light filled the dark room, momentarilly blinding both young men. "You mean, like..." He trailed off.

Sirius swallowed, "yeah."

After a brief pause, James went off on a tangent. "That's mental! We've had this hate thing going on for years, and now Lily wants us to move on, and you like him? I mean, I only said I'd get along with sourgrapes because I figured she'd forget about it or something."

"James-"

"It's not like I was going to see him after we graduate-"

"James!"

The disgruntled young man paused. A look of near horror was spread across his face as he stared at Sirius.

"I know it's a lot to process, " Sirius sighed. "I've spent most of the summer avoiding the thought myself. Just wanted you to know, as my best friend and all."

"I suppose I am at least a bit happy that I at least already know the bloke. He makes you cry or some shit like that and I'll hex him into the next life." James reasoned, nodding to himself. Having calmed down considerably thanks to the idea of beating Snape up, he said, "you're my best friend, Sirius. I want you to be happy."

"I don't cry," Sirius said, rolling over. "Thanks, Prongs."

xxx-xxx

Sirius woke up in a big furry mess on the floor. To be completely truthful, he woke up halfway through his decent from the bed to the floor, but did it really matter? It hurt.

Nevertheless, he contorted himself into an upright position and snorted. Casting a lazy gaze at James, who was sleeping like a log. Straining his ears, Sirius concentrated on some kind of noise that was coming from downstairs.

Being a big black dog sometimes had advantages. He must have shifted after falling asleep, something that usually happened when he was a bit cold. Thinking nothing of it, Sirius trotted downstairs.

It was unusually dark outside. But if it was night, who could be making such a racket, Sirius wondered. A woman was wailing on the other side of the front door, she sounded familiar, so Sirius barked. She sniffed and asked, "Hello? Olive, Lily, are you there?"

SIrius shifted, thanking Merlin that he wore clothes to bed. With the help of his newly aposable thumbs, he opened the door to greet Mrs. Snape, holding a roughly bandaged individual who was badly beaten.

"Severus?"

"Oh, dear." Snape's old lady whispered, she looked scared. "A- are, can you help, please?"

Sirius nodded. Not saying anything, he took Severus from his mother. Carrying him like a princess or a fragile bird to the living room, close to him. He hoped she would follow. She did.

"I- I'm sorry about this. Should have known everyone would be sleeping... but I couldn't think of anything else to do..."

He placed Severus' passed out form on the couch they had shared with James only days ago. It seemed so long, and time slowed as Sirius brushed a stray hair out of the other young man's face.

"Hey," Sirius muttered, turning to Mrs. Snape. "What happened?"

"I... I don't know. I found him like this in his room." She said, not meeting his eyes, "I couldn't do... I haven't practiced since I got married..."

"He's alive, though." Sirius said. Emptiness filled him, and he looked down at Severus. He was determined to do whatever it took. "Go get the others, they're all upstairs."

Eileen nodded and backed out of the room, glancing back one last time to see Sirius pull out his wand.

xxx-xxx

So... Hey.

I'd apologize again, but really what would that do? We all have lives outside of the internet (at least for the most part), and mine took me away from this story.

This story probably would have been deleted a long time ago if I didn't have your support, so thanks. To the old readers and the new; here's to you.