"I just want this match to be behind me already," Regulus groaned. He was determined to beat Potter this time and he had practiced ceaselessly. "Don't worry, you'll be brilliant," Severus said with alarming confidence.
"What did you do?"
"Nothing. I am simply relying on your newfound skill. You'll be able to tell if he is bluffing right away."
"I'm not that good at it yet," Regulus sulked, "and I hadn't even thought to do that."
"And you call yourself a Slytherin. Well, good luck out there today," Severus said with a smile.
"Just don't do anything stupid to Potter, please."
"I won't," Severus promised, and he was not lying.
Indeed, he seemed thoroughly and hopelessly bored by the match. He checked the time every five minutes, and he only perked up when it seemed like somebody was about to catch the Snitch and they could all finally go back to their common rooms. Don't do anything stupid to Potter, please , Regulus had made him promise. Oh well. "My former brother and James Potter both spotted the Snitch and they are flying toward it, Regulus Black looking as graceful as a ferret, as usual, and James looking like he is about to catch it, putting Gryffindor in the lead for the cup as well as in the lead for most obnoxious house… huh?" All of his usual bravado had left him. The crowd roared with laughter. Regulus was used to his brother's commentary at this point, but James was caught completely by surprise and it was all he could do to remain airborne. Regulus caught the Snitch and Slytherin won.
The match was over. The Slytherins roared with applause. Sirius's magically magnified voice was heard across the pitch, as he meekly explained to a furious McGonagall that he must have been Confunded.
Severus hastened to join the mass of celebrating Slytehrins before James and Sirius could catch up with him. He knew he would not be able to evade them forever, he knew that an audience had never bothered them before, but that did not mean he was going to sit there and wait. He was hardly surprised, however, when a violent hand caught and pulled him, isolating him from the pack. He kept his wand in his robe - he did not want to look like he saw this coming. "You've Confunded me," Sirius accused him with his fisted hand on his wand. "You're a dead man, Snivellus."
"It's not worth the trouble to Confund someone as thick as you are," Severus snapped back.
"You did it to get to me , to get in my head, you've realized you can't get us expelled so you are trying to hurt me!" Potter said, very obviously trying to not shout. Severus rolled his eyes.
"Hurt the man who saved my life? I would never."
Potter looked stunned, but he regained his composure quickly. "Shouldn't have," he mumbled. "I don't care about this stupid game enough to interfere with the score, Potter, so try to get it in your thick skull that somebody other than me around here might not like you."
Sirius intervened again - "So you did do it to hurt me, then, you disgusting, filthy-"
"Why would I want to hurt you ? You certainly did not do anything to me that I did not have coming, did you?"
Severus knew what he had just said amounted to a full and signed confession, and that it was inadmissible, and Sirius realized this as well. He seethed. "We'll get you for this, you wait…"
Regulus finally extricated himself from the rest of the team and watched. Severus prayed that he would not get involved, no matter what.
"The teachers are here," he said, loud enough so that both brothers could hear him, and Regulus seemed to acknowledge this discretely and left - "so if you must attack me when I have done nothing, by all means do it now." Nothing happened. "Thought so," Severus smirked and watched as James put his hand on Sirius's shoulder and hissed: "Let's go. Don't worry, I believe you, Padfoot." James glared at him, and Severus did not look away. Yes, walk away, you and your stupid nicknames.
He showed his face in the common room to celebrate with everyone, and secretly waited for a chance to celebrate in private with Regulus - after all, he had as much to do with this victory as any other member of the team, and both of them knew it.
Severus had never been more popular among his housemates - even though he had refused to take credit for it, everyone praised him for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Everyone but Regulus, that is.
"I could have won, I did not need your help, nor did I want it."
"No, you really could not have, and besides, I did not do anything to Potter. He was supposed to be focusing on the game, not listening to the commentary."
"I do not want-"
"I did not even break any official rule, and it doesn't even matter to me! I was trying to do something nice for you!"
"If this is your idea of nice, don't. They will definitely retaliate. You were being really stupid. If you can't understand why, I don't know what to say."
Regulus left the room. Nice as it was to finally be accepted by the Slytherins as one of their own, he wished he could have taken that Confundus back.
It soon turned out that Regulus was right - of course, Severus knew that going in, but he also knew James and Sirius were not above attacking without provocation. What he had failed to take into account was how much they cared about Quidditch, and before long, they had ambushed him and landed him in the hospital wing yet again. He had not expected to find himself back there so fast, but even worse was the fact that he did not expect Regulus to turn up any time soon. He fell asleep in a pitiful mood.
He thought he heard something and stirred awake. In the very dim light, it looked like Regulus, standing over his bed. Severus smiled, and then - a punch, a knee to the groin - no - he had somehow turned Regulus against him, like he always knew he would - until he spoke: "This is for whatever it is you're doing to my brother, you slimy poof," and what turned out to be Sirius spat in his face and disappeared, not left, but disappeared, vanished into thin air.
"Help!" Severus shouted hoarsely, and Pomfrey rushed in - "Sirius, he's here, he was just here, and now he is gone-"
"Shush." She put her hand on his forehead. "No fever. Must be a bad dream. Try to go back to sleep."
He watched her turn her back to him and leave…
A voice without a body whispered in his ear: "Thought you'd try to tell on me again, didn't you?"
An invisible hand that felt like it was holding some kind of cool, smooth fabric went over Severus's mouth and he thrashed in horror, but only once, and then he lay still as the other hand continued to pummel him, and waited for Sirius to wear himself out.
Severus had learned long ago that it was best to remain still, to not scream, cry, or protest, when dealing with the type of person who could beat his own child, or indeed, attack somebody he had already put in the hospital wing. It did not help that he could not see where the next blow was coming from.
Absurdly, his mind went to the dirty river back in Spinner's End. Eventually, Sirius got bored and left.
At least, Severus hoped he was gone, but he did not dare to move or make a sound for the rest of the night - best that he think you're unconscious , he told himself.
Tense and frozen, Severus realized two things: First, Regulus did not come. Second, Sirius could turn invisible. This definitely went a long way toward explaining how they had always managed to outmaneuver him, but it also meant he had no idea how he could ever relax again. How, how did he do it?
