Jealousy

A/N: I'm not even going to try and remember how long it's been since I last posted on this story. In this chapter, Sirius knows more than Remus is comfortable with, having some painful and humiliating results for both Severus and Remus.

We grew up way to fast and now there's nothing to believe

And re-runs all become our history

A tired song keeps playing on a tired radio

And I won't tell no one your name

I won't tell em your name

(NAME- Goo goo dolls)

When Remus awoke the morning after his walk with Severus, it was to the sight of Sirius staring at him, dark eyes wide. Gasping in surprise, Remus drew back a little too swiftly, slamming his knees into the solid oak of the desk he sat at. Several of his well organized notes fluttered to the ground while the rest we stained black with the ink Remus had knocked over in his haste to back away from the intently staring eyes of his friend. Sirius straightened himself up and smiled cheekily.

"Morning Sunshine."

He smiled brightly, kneeling down to scoop up the notes that had fallen to the common room floor while Remus muttered a charm to remove the spilled ink from his work and the desk. Shaking his head to clear it of sleep, he turned to his dark haired mate and looked at him quizzically. Obviously he'd fallen asleep studying, but to be woken up by Sirius of all people was not something he'd ever expected to experience.

"What time is it?" he mumbled, rubbing his blurry eyes.

"Six Twenty. Thought you might want to get a bite to eat before classes, am I right mate?" Sirius asked, looking at Remus with an expression somewhere between being over pleased and completely disgusted.

"Er, yeah. I just have to get cleaned up…" Remus trailed off, not trying to comprehend the look his longtime friend was giving him. He backed up slightly as Sirius moved closer to him. Too close. The taller Gryffindor's body was nearly pressed against his, faces close enough to touch. Remus inhaled deeply to speak, but Sirius cut him off before a sound could pass his lips.

"Of course. Clean up. Then come down."

He took a step back, giving Remus the space he needed to pass him. As Sirius walked, he turned again.

"Oh, and hurry. Everyone's waiting for you."

"Yeah, sure. I'll be down soon Sirius…"

The other man nodded and slipped out the portrait hole, leaving Remus alone once more. The blond man sighed, letting out the shuddering breath he hadn't know he'd been holding. What was all that about? Sirius was never really one to invade his privacy, especially his personal space. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Remus gathered his things and made the long climb back to the dorms to get changed. He pulled on a pair of clean robes, the ones he bought after his last run-in with Lucius. The very thought made him shudder in against himself as he walked to the Great Hall.

When he walked in, he was startled to find almost the entire Gryffindor house already present. As he passed, a few of his house-mates shook their heads as if to say they were sorry. James, Remus noted, didn't meet his eyes at all. Confused and a little nervous, he sat next to Peter, wondering where Sirius had gone. Hadn't he said he'd be waiting? As he opened his mouth to ask, the great hall's doors opened again, exposing Sirius strutting in, a small figure in tow behind him. To Remus' horror, he recognized the figure as Severus.

"Oi, look what I found skulking about the portrait entrance!" he exclaimed, followed by a several boos and hisses from the other Gryffindors. Remus rose to his feet, hands planted firmly on the table and Sirius drug the other man closer to the table. That was when James looked at Remus for the first time that morning, hand touching his shorter friends arm. Remus barley glanced at him because it was then he knew. James had known what was going to happen. That's why he hadn't met his eyes earlier. Angered, he jerked his arm away from the contact.

Sirius had successfully dragged Severus to the table by now and released him. Stuffing his hand into his pocket, he pulled out a piece of parchment that looked a little worse for ware. Holding it high in the air, he began speaking a voice loud enough for most of the hall to hear.

"This," he said, holding the parchment higher," is an owl I received from my brother just last night. It says here that Severus Snape has been planning to and made attempts to fuck one of our own house. In fact, it says that the one he plans on fucking is one of my best mates," Sirius snarled, eyes moving from the crowd to Remus, who swallowed hard. When he made no move to deny the letter's claim, Sirius continued.

"It also says that Snape here is not the blushing virgin you see before you," he growled, shoving Severus forward, so that he tripped and fell before the table of judging and accusing eyes.

"It claims that he's fucked a good portion, almost half in fact, of the Slytherin upperclassmen." Sirius turned to the smaller man and in a more private tone spat "fucking slut" at him.

Remus pulled himself from the table and stalked towards his friend, eyes burning, face hot. What did he think he was doing? What right did he have to expose Severus in such a manner? And why weren't Severus' housemates helping him? Turning to the Slytherin table, he saw the few faces there, smiling amongst themselves, watching Severus' torment but not raising a finger to assist him. Anger…no, rage, blossomed in Remus' chest as he pushed past his own house to face Sirius.

"What are you doing?"

"Just warning everyone that this one's not safe to be left alone near them."

"Sirius, stop it. Let him go."

"No."

At that simple word, Remus felt something in him change. He'd been hoping to end this as quickly as he could, but Sirius seemed possessed by some madness that made it all but impossible to reason with him. A small sound drew Remus from his thoughts and he looked down to see Severus still kneeling on the floor. Quickly, Remus fell to his knees to help the other boy up. But before he could touch him, Sirius had grabbed him by the back of his robe and drug him to his feet again. Being smaller in both height and weight, Severus looked utterly helpless in Sirius's grasp. Rising to his feet, Remus moved so that he was nearly touching noses with Sirius. His hand raised, finding his friends firm hold against Severus' robes, he closed his fingers around Sirius'.

"Please. Stop it Sirius. You're acting mad. Just let him alone" he whispered so that only he, Sirius, and Severus could make out the words that slipped past his mouth. Sirius looked at him, eyes penetrating him as deep as any knife could. Finally, the grip under Remus' hand loosened and let Severus fall once again to the floor. Sirius never broke eye contact with Remus, even as he backed away. Finally, turning on his heel, he strode out, crumpling up his brother's owl and throwing it down as he left.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Remus snarled over his shoulder at the remaining observers who'd been too stupid to leave when Sirius did. "What the fuck are you looking at? Show's over."

Slowly, he kneeled next to Severus and helped gather his partner's fallen possession. His hand stopped over a piece of parchment that had the same curse scrawled on his that Remus had looked up the counter-curse to only yesterday. Quickly, he pocketed it and helped Severus to his feet.

"You alright?" he whispered, face very near the other boys so that no one else could hear. Gently, he tucked a stray lock of black hair behind the frailer man's ear and led him out of the Great Hall.

It seemed strange to him that during the whole ordeal, Severus had never once spoken or raised a hand to his own defense. Remus worried over the idea that he might be bespelled and tried to ask Severus if this was the case. The smaller man only shook his head and looked away, not meeting his tender lover's gaze. Feeling dejected and hurt, Remus led Severus to the lavatory they had come to the first time he'd learned about the hex. Blessedly, it was empty and Remus set his companion's books on a nearby shelf. Glancing behind him, he saw Severus running water over a towel as he slipped his disfigured arm out of the robe. Remus stared, taken aback. The book was right. The curse was spreading. Not it was covering not just the arm, but part of the shoulder, chest, and was creeping towards the neck.

"Merlin, are you alright?" he hadn't even thought about Sirius' abuse of the arms and he pulled and threw Severus around.

The long haired man nodded and placed the towel over the wound to cool the pain that must have burned there. Remus watched him nurse his wounds for a few more minutes in silence before taking out the scribbled note he'd found and held it out for Severus to see.

"Where did you get this?" he questioned, trying to keep his voice for taking on the accusing tone he knew it would have.

"Lucius," Severus answered simply, still running the cloth over his arm.

"Severus….did he hurt you?" Remus asked, almost afraid to know the answer

"No," Severus replied softly. He jerked back slightly when Remus touched him.

"Don't worry. I'll manage the counter-curse. I swear it."

By resolve in his voice, Remus hoped Severus believed him. Hoped that at least one of them did. To his dismay, Severus looked at him with question in his eyes. Skeptical, cold, and unbearably sad. Unsure if it was to comfort himself of Severus, Remus leaned forward to kiss his slender lover, only to he hurt when Severus ducked away, averting his eyes.

"I have to go… I'll see you in class," Severus murmured, gathering his things in his one good arm and hurrying away before Remus could stop him.

The blond wrapped his arms around himself, feeling very cold all of a sudden. A wave of nausea rolled over him, making him shudder despite the fact he'd eaten nothing since the previous night.