Winter break was over, and with the second half of the school year came blustery winds and towers of snow, encircling and muffling the whole first floor of the castle. Hogsmeade weekends and Quidditch games were cancelled and the student body at Hogwarts spent weekends bored and restless.

The first Saturday of February saw Remus and James playing a fierce battle of chess in the Gryffindor common room, which was packed with similarly bored students flipping through magazines or playing gobstones in the center of the room. The blazing fire had drawn a group of pretty girls, including Lily, and James kept stealing glances.

Remus laughed almost wickedly and James whirled to see his queen being run through by one of Remus' knights. "And to think, I gave you the advantage!" Remus laughed. "After all, I'm down a piece."

James rubbed his hand down his face and groaned. "I've not lost yet!"

Beside them, Peter was writing a piece for Defense against the Dark Arts entitled 'Should The Dark Arts be taught In Schools' with his tongue between his teeth. Sirius lounged on a large pillow on the floor, his arms crossed under his head. He was just beginning to doze off when James nudged him with his foot.

"You should go skivv us up some snacks," James whispered. "I know I could beat ol' Moony on a full stomach."

Sirius doubted it- Remus never lost- but he assured his friend, with a wink to Remus, that he was sure that was the case and he would do his best to snap up a plate or two from the house-elves in the kitchen.

Munching happily on a treacle tart, Sirius meandered back to the common room, taking a less frequented way so that he could avoid nosy professors and mooching students alike. He was feeling good, fantastically good- which should have been the first warning that trouble was lurking around the corner.

Lurking it was, and in no less than the form of Severus Snape. Sirius came up short, his blood going cold. He had almost managed to forget about Snape, to forget all the…things…that had occurred between them.

"Sirius," Snape said genially with a slight incline of his head. They met each others' eyes, both aware of the uncomfortable energy that crackled between them. Sirius kept silent, and so Snape went on: "I've been meaning to talk to you."

Clearing his throat, Snape watched a painting of a group of children dancing in a circle, enjoying the first day of spring. "Your plan. Did you succeed?"

"Yes," Sirius mumbled. He didn't care much to think of that afternoon in the store room with Evangeline. People had pestered him at first about their separation after break, and he had been fairly successful at hiding his discomfort…but he had a hard time hiding things from Snape. At was as if the younger boy could see right through him, into the darkest and most awful secrets of his heart.

Snape nodded. "I thought so. She hates you now, it seems. But James? How does he feel about it?"

If there was anything Sirius didn't want to discuss with Snape, it was James. "He seems better for it. He's not been bothering Lily," he added pointedly.

"No, he hasn't." Snape mused on this for a moment. "But I have no doubt that he will make a pass at her again soon enough. What else are you planning?"

"Wasn't that enough?" Sirius lost his composure, slamming the plates he'd gotten from the kitchen down on an overhanging ledge. "You know, it's not like you've got very much to dangle over me anymore! Anything you can say about me, I can say about you too."

Snape seemed taken aback. His face screwed up into a scowl. "But you wouldn't dare."

"Try me," Sirius spat, and he was surprised to see Snape's hand go for his pocket…

Sirius was too fast for him. He wasn't ill this time, nor was he heartbroken or even very frightened. He felt like himself at last, and he had always been stronger and faster than Snape. His wand was pressed to Snape's chest, Snape's wand hand hanging impotent and empty. "I'm done with this, Severus," Sirius hissed, a rush of adrenaline making him feel incredible, invincible. "Done. You've been hanging over me like a dark cloud all school year and I won't have it anymore. Do you understand?"

Snape's eyes were hard. "I know all your secrets, Sirius, you can't just-"

"My secrets are your secrets." Sirius pressed his wand in harder, and Snape winced. "You don't want anyone to know about that part of yourself any more than I do. I'm not afraid of you anymore. So leave me alone." He made to move away but Snape caught his hand and pulled him back.

Suddenly, shockingly, they were kissing, both boys rough and shaking with anger and hatred and want. Snape pressed Sirius against the wall, holding both of Sirius' hands in one of his, letting his other hand trail low, down his chest, stroking his stomach-

"Oi!"

The boys broke apart, gasping. A curse flew down the hallway and hit a suit of armor, making it clatter to the floor.

"Unhand my friend, you greasy git!" James rounded the corner, the Maurader's Map in one hand, his wand outstretched in the other. His face was contorted with such rage that Snape took one look at him and ran, pounding down the hall, his robe billowing around him. James gave chase, roaring obscenities. Peter ran after them, squeaking in excitement, and Lupin sidled up next to Sirius, panting.

"You were taking awhile," he huffed. "James started getting nervous, I guess he was remembering you collapsing last fall. He checked the Map." Remus wiped his hand across his head. The days after the full moon always wore on him. "When we saw Snape moving down the hall toward you, we started coming downstairs. It seemed like you guys were talking, and it looked like you had the upper hand so we weren't too worried. But then when we saw Snape throw you against the wall…well, James started running and shouting and throwing curses, you know how he is."

Sirius thought he would melt with relief. "So…so you all thought he was attacking me?"

"Well, we were right, weren't we?" Remus shook his head and took Sirius' arm. "Come on, we'd better find out what's happening."

Sirius and Remus ran for some minutes, but they couldn't find James or the others. At last they heard shouting out in one of the courtyards and pressed their faces to the window, wiping away their fog after every breath.

James was plainly pummeling Snape. Peter stood to the side, shivering, occasionally trying to pull James away, but it was no use. Snape's face was a mess of blood, but James kept punching, shouting a different slur with every blow.

"No!" Sirius couldn't help himself; the sight horrified him. He flew down the hall and burst out into the cold, forcing his way through the thick and crunchy snow. He leapt on to James' back and pulled with all his weight, causing both boys to topple over. James tried to get away for a moment, but finally it seemed the rage went out of him and he slumped back against Sirius, breathing hard. Snape was moaning terribly, clutching his face. The snow around him was splashed with crimson.

Remus approached Snape carefully. "Don't hit me," he warned. "I'm trying to help you." To Peter he added, "Come over here and help me lift him." Peter did as was asked, and with one stern look back at James, Remus began to move back toward the castle slowly, pulling Snape along beside him.

When they were gone James put his face in his hands. "I don't know what got into me," he said tearfully. Sirius laid his head on James' shoulder and held him. He didn't know what else to do or say, but it seemed like enough, and they sat that way until the sky began to turn gray and their limbs had gone numb with cold.