A/N- Okay, my second Harry Potter Fanfic. This is going to become a slash Fanfic. I think for now I'm going to stay in the 'parent era', back in the Marauder times. Uh…it starts off with a feeling that you're reading from the middle of a Fanfic, but this is how it's suppose to start, so there's no extra Fanfic you have to read first.

Disclaimer- I wish I owned them, but I don't.

Warning- There's going to be slash (homosexual relationships). I'm going to keep this very clean, but if you have a problem with slash, maybe you should find another Fanfic to read…And I may get into some light-dirt scenes, but I'm not ready to write up the full just yet…

Okay, now for the Fanfic!


Chapter One- Understanding

Why do you do this to me?

"You dare tell anyone, and I'll have your head!"

Severus Snape, famous spell weaver of the Slytherin house who came to Hogwarts knowing more dark spells than the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, grunted as he was slammed forcefully into the wall outside the castle. His shoulder hit the stone hard, and there was an audible crack that sounded in his ears. A small moan left his throat without his permission, and if anything it fueled his attackers' bloodlust. A hand settled on his shoulder as the others held him still and pushed it into the wall, and he nearly passed out as his bones rubbed together. He could feel some of the bone chip off and sink into his muscle tissue, a burst of fire and sparks over his eyes, and as that hand continued to push more and more of his arm broke. Perhaps he needed to drink more milk and less butterbeer…

How could you?

Moments later he found himself curled up in a ball of pain upon the dewed grass, holding his shoulder in a futile attempt to protect it from further harm. He couldn't hear their shouts anymore, but every other sense seemed to be working just fine; he could seem some of his blood on the grass, smell the food from the Great Hall- fresh bread and chicken tonight- and of course he could feel every little injury on his body. No one had bothered with spells tonight; this brutality was purely animalistic, beyond magic and beneath reason. Was he going to die?

Didn't I do everything you asked?

"Come on Sirius, stop it. We don't want to get in anymore trouble than we're already in." He closed his eyes tight against the pain, but was relieved when Potter pulled the deranged Black from him. He could feel his heart pound in each and every one of his wounds, and his right arm was draped limply over his stomach and onto the wet lawn. There was an ache from the three horizontal cuts on his cheek, but only his split lip was bleeding now. His blood tasted like the fake coins that candy store by his aunt's house sold…

What did I do to deserve this?

"You better take an oath of silence, Snape," His name was spit up with more loathing than even Severus's father could have come up with, "Or you'll get it." Severus didn't respond, just laid there as still as a corpse. After a few minutes of silence, he could hear their shoes crunching through the morning grass. His eyes were glassed over, or at least the twin slits he allowed to be seen. Potter and Black were walking away, their shoulders still tense from adrenaline, leaving him a beaten, huddling dog on the side of the building. Maybe if he just stared at their retreating shoes he could slip into the darkness and die.

Would you feel guilty?

He couldn't pass out though, no matter how hard he tried. He screwed his eyes shut and wished for death, but the master of darkness would not come. Severus even went far enough as to try and roll over onto his right shoulder, but his body refused to let him hurt himself any more. There was something sticky on his shoulder, and when he looked over part of his shoulder blade was sticking out of his arm and had cut through the fabric. The bone had cut through his skin and muscle, so little clumps of flesh were caught where the bone had splintered. Wasn't the bone supposed to be farther away from the skin?

What had I done wrong?

He stumbled to his feet, swaying back in forth for a moment until he was comfortable with supporting his weight. Delicately using his left hand Severus steered himself along the wall so that he wouldn't fall and tried his hardness not to look at his right arm; if he did he's started throwing up and only injure the arm further. His head was cloudy and though there were thousands of thoughts bouncing off the insides of his head he could not catch one quickly enough to focus on it. He was numb, both physically and emotionally, save for his cheek where the three scratches burned. He moved without thinking, through the doors of the castle and towards the main staircase just in time for students finishing dinner to see him.

Does God hate me?

Hundreds of students came storming through the doors from the Great Hall, at first not seeing him but slowly stopping as though they didn't recognize him. He stared out at them, his black eyes blank from shock and pain, unable to look any one of them in the eye. They stared back with looks of horror and disgust as the teachers tried in vain to push past the unmoving bodies, but no one wanted to move. He could see Potter and Black, their expressions blank as his heart, and shame for being seen like this tore up his heart. He wanted to curse them, to send the demons of hell after them, and at the same time had no will to do it. He wanted to kill them, but he wanted to die more…

Do you want me to die?

It erupted without warning, sending thousands of thunderbolts through his already weakened form, and he screamed. Feeling suddenly returned to his numbed form, exploding from his injured shoulder and traveling to his bruise stomach and tired legs. Severus surrendered to it, rode it through, because there was no way to think past the pain and no way he could ignore it. His cries echoed across the stone of the castle, loud enough that the ghosts in the highest towers would hear it, and every student shook at each scream.

Does God want me to die?

And then Severus collapsed onto his side, curling back up into his whimpering ball of pain and suffering, far beyond caring that he had the eyes of the entire school on him. He barely noticed the teachers huddling around him in a tight circle, trying to talk to him, until he was pulled onto a floating stretcher. As the rest of his body cooled into yet another deaden state, the pains remained behind his eyes; haunting him. He knew that pain was death, and he gave in; Severus had no choice.

Am I forsaken?


When he awoke, there was someone snoring very loudly in his ear- very loudly. On any other occasion he would have leapt from the bed in a fit of rage for anyone invading his space or fear that someone had seen him so vulnerable, but he had to settle with weakly opening his eyes and looking over. In a pile of platinum blond locks Lucius Malfoy's head rested right next to his hip, the usually suave and sophisticated face of the Slytherin Sex God soft and peaceful. Lucius was always cute when he slept, and he was the only one Severus didn't mind sleeping next to him.

With a gentle touch of his left hand, Severus shook the only person he'd ever call a friend awake, and those pale blue eyes opened slowly. The tall blond yawned loudly, and stretched like a cat waking from its nap, and groaned as the sunlight assaulted his eyes. His shirt was ruffled, green and silver tie undone a bit, and even Severus could see the naughty little tangles weaving themselves into his hair. Of course, he would never ever point Malfoy's lack of elegance out loud…

"Now what would all your admirers say if they knew you snored?"

"Nothing. For no one shall tell them, or they will find out about Mr. Ryo and wouldn't that just destroy someone's reputation." Blue battled Black, and of course Severus lost the glaring contest- he'd have to work on that. Lucius was always so much better than him at that…As though on cue the tall blond pulled out a stuffed snake that had been a gift from him when they were just six, and after a quick glance around Severus grabbed at it. "So, anyway, how would you like the go about getting revenge?"

"Revenge?"

God darn it, did he need to work on beating Lucius's smirk too!

"And how did you guess?" Severus asked carefully, the skeptical look on his face seeming to be very amusing to the young Malfoy quite a bit, even if Severus was in no mood for amusement. Then, when did Lucius not know everything going on at Hogwarts and was determined to laugh at it all? Severus, having been his best friend since he was four years old and Lucius was seven, had yet to see the day. It probably had a part in why the Malfoys were so good at getting away with things.

"Potter broke down and told Dumbledore everything. Last I heard, they were being 'scolded' up in the Headmaster's office. He'll be calling on you later for some questioning." Severus groaned unhappily, definitely not fancying a talk with the headmaster who seemed determined to expel him. As though he hadn't heart Severus' complaint, Lucius began searching frantically through his bag beside the chair, and pulled out something. It was a box, wrapped in pale blue wrapping paper and no bigger than the size of the blonde's hands- of course, Lucius did had big strong hands, but that was totally beside the point. "Since I already gave you your birthday gift, I can't take credit for it. Someone's owl tried to deliver it to you this morning, so I grabbed it before the nurse could steal it away."

Severus took it cautiously, waiting for it to explode, and was amazed how soft that wrapping paper was under his fingers- spelled not to make noise? After an anxious look from Lucius, he gently pulled back the wrapping paper carefully, ignoring the Malfoy's protest as he took the time to neatly wrap the paper and set it on the bedside table. The box was black, just plain cardboard (he had learned the muggle word in the halls, and Lucius later explained what it was to him). Still expecting for it to attack him, he lifted the lid.

He was nearly blinded by the silver and green light that washed over his face as the room's light hit whatever was in the box. Turning it slightly so that the reflection was behind him, he looked again. It sat innocently on a raised piece of velvet covered cardboard, smiling up at him like a little child. It fluttered its wings, before coming to rest once more. Its claws clung to the gem it rested on, and its eyes glimmered with the red of blood. It looked off place next to the cheap cardboard…

"That's a….!"


A/N- Mwahahahahahahaha! cough cough Sorry. Anyhow, I leave you with your imaginations (aren't I evil?)

Choose the events-

I tell you what was in the box, or leave you to suffer.

Sev goes to talk with Dumbledore, and they decide the punishment of James and Sirius

I tell you why the three fought (like you haven't guessed already…)

And who sent Sev this gift?