Chapter 4

During the next two weeks, Severus concentrated solely on his NEWT subjects, particularly his restricted potion, and all but forgot about Regulus Black and Voldemort. He had managed to put all thoughts unrelated to his studies out of his mind for the moment.

At least, almost all other thoughts…James Potter had begun to prey intently on his mind, and Severus couldn't quite suppress the visions of revenge he was having, payback for the previous week's humiliation. Potter could twist the loss of five house points into a major victory, and over the last couple of weeks unpopular Severus had faced scorn from both Gryffindors and the rest of the school.

It infuriated him - Potter and Black had lost far more than five pathetic points over battles with Snape, not least after the prank Sirius Black had pulled on him in their fifth year, almost ending his life; but Dumbledore, ignoring the injustice of it, decreed that everything be hushed up to protect Remus Lupin's werewolf identity, and to Severus' amazement no one had so much as questioned the dramatic loss of points Gryffindor had suffered that year. To add lasting insult to injury, James Potter had won all Sirius' lost points back in the next couple of Quidditch matches. It made Severus feel truly sick.

Perhaps Potter could sense it too, the level of intensity of Severus' hate towards him, because it seemed that over the past week he had been going out of his way to steer clear of Severus, even on occasion doubling back the way he had come to avoid passing him in the corridors.

It was beginning to drive Severus mad.

He craved conflict. His hands itched, so badly did he want to wrap them around his wand, or preferably, James Potter's neck. Curses rushed to the forefront of his mind, the words on the tip of his tongue, but every time he came within range Potter would vanish, mingling with the crowds or simply disappearing down some secret passageway.

It was beginning to frustrate him beyond all belief by the second half of the week, but it was only after a particularly trying transfiguration lesson on Thursday afternoon (involving the turning of water into wine) that Severus finally snapped, and in the process learned the truth about why Potter had been avoiding him.

The lesson was a shared Slytherin and Gryffindor class, and normally Severus would have been studiously ignoring Potter and his gang whilst Sirius Black flicked ink bombs at him and Potter sent casual jibes his way. However, this lesson the Marauders had been unusually quiet and studious, and their out-of-character behaviour, far from appeasing him, had grated continually on Severus' nerves. He had felt so on edge that he was only just short of standing up to curse Potter into oblivion across the classroom. Thankfully, he managed to control himself by concentrating on the extremely advanced incantation that was required to turn his glass of water into wine, and made it through the lesson under Professor McGonagall's watchful eye.

Still, this time, there was no letting Potter get away - as soon as the bell for the end of the lesson went, he packed up as quickly as possible and headed straight for the door, past Potter and his friends. In the corridor, he pressed himself inconspicuously against the wall next to the open door, waiting as the other students poured out behind him, mingling with the crowds from other classes.

Severus was counting on Potter's gang being the last out as usual, and he was right. As the crowds thinned, the Marauders came strolling out

"- Steak and kidney pudding tonight," Pettigrew was saying cheerfully.

Sirius snorted.

"D'you ever think about anything except dinner, Wormtail?" he asked, flicking his hair out of his eyes.

"Course he does, Padfoot," Potter said, grinning. "He thinks about lunch and breakfast a lot too," And the two of them burst out laughing, while Pettigrew flushed deeply, and turned his gaze away.

Lupin gave him a concerned look and shot a reproving glare at James and Sirius.

"Sorry, Peter," James said quickly, and he did look genuinely sorry. "We are, honestly. We didn't mean to make fun of y -" But the rest of his apology was cut off as a loud crack split the air and he flew against the wall, cracking his head against the stone. A moment later, Severus held him pinned there, one hand gripping Potter's robes at his neck, the other pointing his wand at the Head Boy's throat.

"Well well," He snarled, aware of the groups of people staring open-mouthed at this brazen attack. "Perfect Potter, treats even his friends like dirt and thinks he can just charm his way out of it!"

James, who had initially looked fairly dazed from the bash his head had received, now seemed slightly more alert. He stared at Snape, then scowled and made to push him off, but Severus' wand was still hovering dangerously close to him and he stopped struggling. Instead, he looked scornfully down at him.

"You're an idiot, Snape. A complete, vicious idiot. All you are is an unpleasant reminder that there are other people in the world like you. And to top it all off, you can't take a joke."

The gathering crowd laughed, and Severus knew it was at his expense. Still, he was the one with the wand pressed at Potter's throat, and it's threatening presence was the only thing stopping Sirius Black charging at him. He didn't flinch, but instead pressed his wand right into Potter's neck.

"You joke too much, Potter" He said menacingly, but James continued brazenly as though he hadn't heard him, even raising his voice.

"And don't think you can get at me through Peter, because-"

"But he's right!" The cry came from nowhere. Even Severus whipped around to stare.

Peter Pettigrew, his face red and crumpled, was clutching his bag close to him and facing James with a look of surprising determination.

"For once, he's right! You do joke too much, James! You're always doing it, taking the mick…" He swallowed, looking as though he was about to stamp his foot on the ground. "You and Sirius, you think you can just swan around saying whatever you like because you can apologise afterwards! That's why Lily got so angry with you about Snape the other week! That's why she told you to lay off him, remember? It's like you don't care at all!"

There was a long silence. Pettigrew paused, getting his breath back. He stared around him, at the shocked faces staring back at him.

"Peter," James began weakly, but Pettigrew was already shaking his head and walking away.

"So that's it," Severus said in an icy whisper. He could spare no sympathy towards Pettigrew - although he agreed with him, he could feel nothing but contempt for someone so pathetic. Severus was vaguely aware this made him something of a hypocrite, but right now he was concentrating much more on the issue at hand.

"That's why you've been avoiding me - because your little mudblood girlfriend told you to," Something inside Severus felt like it was near breaking point, a harsh pain welling up in his chest. Somehow, this piece of knowledge made it all so much worse. But he didn't have time to dwell on the matter - Potter's attention had swung back to him as soon as the word 'mudblood' left his lips.

"Don't call her that!" He roared, bringing both arms up so quickly that Severus did not have time to defend himself, and was flung backwards against the opposite wall

"How dare you!" Potter was standing over him now, their positions reversed. His fist was drawn back, eyes full of rage, but there was a sudden silence deeper than before, and Severus' eyes slid past James and met - hers.

Lily Evans was standing behind James, her arms folded, her expression icy. James followed Severus' gaze and whirling, dropped his fist to side.

"Lily," He said, numbly. He opened his mouth to continue, but his girlfriend silenced him with a look.

"I told you, James. I said if you didn't lay off him I'd finish with you. So now you know," She said. James' jaw dropped.

"But he attacked me," He argued, pointing limply at Severus, who was still pressed against the wall. "That little sod was the one who started it all! Padfoot, Moony, you were there! Tell her!"

Both Sirius and Remus opened their mouths to agree, but Lily was already shaking her head.

"You didn't have to retaliate! You could've walked away," She said, her tone almost sad.

"But he called you a -" James began hotly, but Lily interrupted firmly

"I don't care what he said about me; I asked you to leave him alone and you just couldn't -"

"When will you learn to mind your own business, Evans?" Severus spat suddenly, eyeing her with a look of utmost dislike, and humiliation. "Stop trying to give me your divine protection! Why can't you leave me the hell alone?" Furious with her, himself, and above all, James bloody Potter, Severus stormed through the circle of onlookers, intolerably aware that all eyes were on him, scathing, scornful.

It was only inside the Slytherin common room that he became suddenly aware that someone was following him. Whirling around, he came face to face with a nervously smirking Regulus Black. There was a long moment of uncomfortable, tense silence, but at the last second when Regulus made to disappear, Severus collared him and yanked him closer.

"Next week. Friday. I'll come, ok? I want to see…To see what it's like," He whispered in a voice ragged with strain. "I'll be there,"

And then he flung Regulus away from him and fled to the refuge of his dorm