Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters, references, etc. belong to the goddess J. K. Rowling.  My limit of ownership is Marie Daladier, Etienne Daladier, Septimius Snape, and Severus' past here.  I do not own Severus himself.  Now that we have that behind us…

Brother Mine

by Saerry Snape

"Hey, Sev!  Owl for you!"

Severus Snape, recently turned fourteen, looked up from his book as the bane of his existence entered his room.  Since the year before, his third year, he had been staying with his late mother's cousins: jovial, happy people who had been shocked by Niniane Snape's death   They had thought her happy with her husband, especially since she had told them of her son's birth thirteen years before.

So now he was staying there, at his cousins manor, sharing a room with the eldest of his cousins, who was really the bane of his existence.  The 'bane' who had run into the room right now was the eleven-year-old sister.

"From who?" asked Severus, not wanting to turn away from his reading.

"I don't know.  Siri told me to tell you."

Severus rolled his eyes and growled, "Probably pulling my leg again, that idiot."

"No," said the girl.  "I saw the owl.  It was scary looking."

"How so?"

"It was all black and had these big, cold silver eyes."

Severus' book fell from his hands.  His dark eyes were wide as his heart hammered against his ribs.  He knew that owl.  It was Cryslbane, his mother's owl.  But how anyone could have sent him a letter using Cryslbane was a mystery.  That great bird had only let him and Ossy…

That was it.  Ossy!

Severus sprang off of his bed, book forgotten, and ran downstairs.

"Wait, Sev!" wailed the girl as she bounded after him.  He forced himself to slow down, allowing her to catch up.  When he reached downstairs, he found the real bane of his existence waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs, holding his letter.

"Give it here," growled Severus.

"Why?" said the fourteen-year-old boy with a smile.  "What's so special about it?"

Severus narrowed his eyes, already feeling his blood beginning to boil, and spat, "Give it here, Black!"

Sirius Black, the one person no one would have ever thought was related to Severus Snape, smirked and said, "No, I think I won't.  What is it, a letter from a girl?"

Severus growled, hands clenched at his sides.

"Give it here, Black."

"Or what?" mocked Sirius.  "You'll hex me?  No magic during hols, you know that."  He started to open the envelope in his hands.

"Black!" bellowed Severus, eyes blazing.

Sirius smirked and continued to open the letter.  Severus, blood rushing to his head, let out a roar of outrage and leapt upon the other boy.  They fell to the floor, wrestling with each other for the letter.

Although Sirius was probably fitter from playing Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, Severus had actual fight experience.  Years in an orphanage in Knockturn Alley had given him this and he had never forgotten it.  Hence the reason he got out of the small fight reasonably unscratched except for a bruise on his leg where Sirius had tried to knee him in another, more tender spot and Sirius had ended up with a black eye that was going to be so very beautiful when it purpled.

Severus rose to his feet triumphantly, clutching the letter in his hand.  He glared at Sirius then turned and ran back upstairs, the little girl following him.

"What is it, Sevi?" she asked as they passed the second floor and went on up to the third.

"I think," said Severus, "I think it's a letter from one of the house-elves at Ashdeir Fierion."

"Could it be from your father?"

Severus snorted and shook his head.

"No, Milly.  My father had his talk with me last year."  The teenager rubbed his left arm as he said this, remembering the pain when his father had broken it.

After Severus' flight from Ashdeir Fierion he had four months of peace at Hogwarts.  Then Septimius Snape had come, demanding to see his son.  Dumbledore had refused, of course.  But Septimius had not been wavered and went in search of Severus.  When he found him, he had given him one of the worst beatings in his life.  And after he had slugs dribbling out his ears thanks to the fiery angel called Lily Evans, who came valiantly to her friend's rescue.  It was wonderful to remember her in that moment, emerald eyes blazing with a fury that matched the Snape temper to its very core.  She was a dangerous person, Lily.  Septimius Snape was dangerous because he didn't care about anyone.  Lily Evans was dangerous because she did and she would do all in her power to keep her friends safe.

Melinda Black, looked up at her cousin (who she thought was a better person than her elder brother) and asked, "Why would a house-elf send you a letter?"

"She was my mother's house-elf.  Ossy went with her when she married my father.  Mum loved Ossy, treated her like a daughter.  She even taught her to write."

"Really?" said Melinda, blue eyes bright.

"Yep," said Severus, smiling slightly down at the brown-haired girl.  He entered his and Sirius' room when he reached it and down back down on his bed, pushing the forgotten book aside.  Melinda hopped up beside him, bouncing and falling back on the bed with a giggle.

Severus reached back and tickled her side before he turned all attention to the letter, which had been half torn open in the scuffle with Sirius.  He opened it all the way and pulled out the letter, unfolding it.

"Its not from Ossy!" he exclaimed, as he read the name sighed at the bottom.  "Its from Etienne!"

"Who?" said Melinda, sitting up.

"My half-brother," explained Severus, reading the letter.

Sev,

It's been horrid since you left.  Father…father had been in very bad moods ever since he went to Hogwarts to get you.  Do you know why there were slugs coming out of his ears?

I talk to Ossy, like you said to.  She's great.  And the other elves are really nice.  They're all the company I have sometimes.  It makes me miss having you around.

And now Mother says I can't go to Hogwarts!  She says Father won't permit it!  Sev, what am I going to do?  Father is going to send me to Durmstrang.  I don't want to go there!  I want to go to Hogwarts and be with you!

Hon belts. 'n uffernol 'n annheg , Ddeuda. 'i jyst – chyfrgolla , 'i yn blino!

You said you knew Welsh, right?  I'm afraid Mother would read my letter and get me for cursing.

What am I going to do, Sev?

Eti

Severus reread the letter, easily reading the Welsh, which his mother had taught him along with her brief Parseltongue lessons.  He then growled under his breath so Melinda couldn't hear, "Damn you, Father."

"Sevi?" said Melinda, pulling on his arm.  "Sevi, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Milly.  Nothing."

"But you looked so mad."

"Did I?" said Severus, holding the letter and stuffing it in the pocket of his jeans.

Melinda nodded and Severus looked down at the girl beside him, wrapping an arm about her shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Milly.  Its just that that letter was from my half-brother."

"I didn't know you had a half-brother."

Neither did I till a year ago, said Severus to himself then nodded.  "Well, I do," he said.  "And don't tell Black and your parents about it."

"It's a secret?" said Melinda, her blue eyes bright with the mischievous twinkle Severus saw all too often in Sirius' eyes.

"Yes."

Melinda nodded and said, "I can keep a secret."

Severus looked at her in an almost disbelieving fashion and she gave him a shove, very nearly throwing him off of the bed.

"Stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?"

"Like you look at Siri when he's up to something!"

Severus laughed and said, "Black is always up to something!"

"True," said Melinda.  "I wish he was nicer to you."

"Why?"

"Because you're nice.  And you're family.  That should count for something, shouldn't it?"

Severus laughed and replied, "Not with Black!"  He ruffled her hair and added, "But you're right.  It should count for something."

Melinda nodded vigorously then frowned.  Severus arched an eyebrow at her and said, "What?"

"What did your brother say to make you so angry?"

"Oh, it wasn't him, trust me," said Severus, his expression turning stony.  "You remember why I'm staying with you?"

Melinda nodded and said softly, "Your father."

"Correct."

"Siri said he beat you up."  The young girl shook her head and continued, "Why would anyone do that?"

"Black does it."

"That's to you."

"Oh, so it doesn't matter?"

"Of course it does!" exclaimed Melinda, looking outraged.  "But why would your father do something like that?"

Severus sighed and closed his eyes for a moment.  When he opened them again, he focused not on the young girl beside him but on his school trunk.  Most particularly, he focused on the latch, which had the Snape crest engraved in the metal.

"My father is not a good man, Milly.  He is not a man to love nor to love anyone else."

"Is he a bad man?"

Severus nodded solemnly and murmured, "A very bad man."  Louder, he said, "He is a very bad man, Milly.  Only a man who cared nothing for anyone but himself would leave his only child in an orphanage.  Let's not really think of him as a man.  Think of him as – as a demon, a monster that should not exist yet does and only does so to do evil, to do harm."

"A bad man," murmured Melinda, leaning into Severus' embrace.  He looked from the crest on the latch now and turned his face down towards her, arm tightening about her slim shoulders.  When September came, she would be on the train to Hogwarts.

But his brother wouldn't.

*~*~*~*~*

Eti,

I don't know what I could do to help you.  I really don't.  I'm here at the Black's and I can't do a damned thing to help you.  Durmstrang won't be that bad though.  I've heard it's a very good school.  Just remember to pack warmly.  Its cold up there!

Remember what I said when we met, little brother.  Our father is not a man to love.  You and I, we are nothing in his eyes, only pawns to be used in a larger game of chess.  And your mother is only a beautiful thing he may use until its use is no longer needed.  That was what happened to my mother.  Don't let it happen to yours, Eti.  Don't let him take her from you.  You have the chance to stop him.  It is a chance I never had.

Never trust Father.  Never allow him to turn you to the Dark for that is where his allegiance lies.  In the depths of the darkest hole is where that man lives.  I learned that and I remember it.  So should you.

We'll see each other again, brother.  I swear to you, we will.

Sev

Severus reread the letter twice before he folded it up, put it into an envelope, and headed downstairs.  Walking into the kitchen, he went over to where one of the Black's two owls sat.  The older, larger bird, Amrys, was off delivering a birthday gift to some nephew of Claudius Black or something of that sort.  Tiwwy, on the other hand, was sleeping.  The tiny owl was perfect for what Severus needed.

He gently prodded the sleeping creature, hooting softly as he used to do with Cryslbane.  The tiny owl lifted its head and blinked its wide amber eyes at him.  He found the creature comical, as it was only a tiny ball of fluff with wings and those bright amber eyes that very nearly took up his head.

"I have a job for you," he said to the little owl, offering the bird the side of his hand.  Tiwwy hopped onto it, hooting softly and ruffling his feathers.  He stretched his beak in what might have been a parody of a yawn and hooted again, louder this time.

Severus tied the letter to the owl's leg then carried him over to the kitchen window.  Pushing one pane open, he said, "Go to Etienne Daladier and only to him.  Understand?"

Tiwwy hooted and Severus gave the little owl a toss into the air, watching as the tiny fluff of feathers whizzed about before taking off in the general direction of Ireland and Ashdeir Fierion.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Severus turned to face Sirius, who was standing in the doorway leading from the dining room.  The black eye Severus had given him earlier had purpled nicely.

"Sending a letter," said Severus casually.

"With Mel's owl?"

"She said I could."

"You leave my sister alone, Snape," spat Sirius, eyes blazing.

"Black, she's my cousin.  Can I help it is she likes me better than you?"

"Why you..."

Sirius started to lunge at Severus, hands twisted into claws, but was interrupted.  His mother, Jules Black, came up from the basement at that moment, her tawny hair featuring cobwebs, dust, and a rather large tarantula.  Severus had learned three days after his arrival at Black Manor that the spiders were Jules' second love and that the tarantula (called Spike) was one of her many pets.  The two elder Black children tended to ignore the creatures as they crawled about the house freely but the youngest, four year-old Amadeus, adored them as much as his mother and tended to crawl after them.  At one point he had even followed them up the walls with the help of his mother's wand.

Jules looked between the two boys and got an expression on her face reminiscent of Molly Weasley with her young sons.  She planted her hands on her hips, fixed the two of them with a cool, blue-eyed stare, and asked, "What are you two doing now?"  The stance would have been more intimidating if Spike was not perched on her forehead.

"Sirius," she continued, eying her son.  She noticed the black eye and asked, "What in Merlin's name happened?"

"Snape punched me!"

"He had a letter of mine," defended Severus in a calm tone.

"Sirius," said Jules warningly.  "I told you to leave whatever you have against Severus at Hogwarts."

"But Mum…"

"Sirius."

Sirius hung his head and muttered, "Yes, Mum."

Jules nodded curtly then looked at Severus, saying, "Who was the letter from, Severus?  Your father?"

"Someone from school," said Severus, causing Sirius to snort in disbelief.  Jules gave her son the Evil Eye then smiled at her cousin's son.

"That's lovely.  A pretty girl, I presume?"

"Maybe," said Severus cryptically, wondering when indeed he might get a letter from Lily.

Jules smiled knowingly then said to her son, "Next summer leave whatever grudge you have with Severus at Hogwarts or I will beat it out of you, young man.  Understood?"

Sirius nodded.

"Yes, Mum.  What about this summer?"

"Do something again and I'll beat it out of you."

"Mum…"

"Sirius."

Sirius looked at his mother's expression and decided to leave the subject where it was.

"Okay."

"Good," said Jules.  "Now do try not to seriously injure each other while I'm gone…"  She headed towards the bathroom, Spike still crawling about her head.

Sirius looked at Severus and grinned mischievously.  Severus frowned and said, "Whatever you're planning, Black, I hope it's worth a second black eye."

"Oh, don't worry, Snape," purred Sirius, a twinkle in his eyes.  "It will be."

*~*~*~*~*

A week later…

"Sirius!  James is here!"

Jules strode into the entranceway and opened the door wide, beaming at her son's best friend and his elder sister Calissa Potter.

"Hello, James, Cali."

"Hello, Mrs. Black," said James, chocolate colored eyes bright behind his glasses.  Calissa gave a tired smile and shoved her younger brother forward.

Jules smiled knowingly at her and said, "Is he being a handful again?"

Calissa rolled her own chocolate colored eyes and blew a lock of errant black hair out of her face.

"When isn't he?"

"Oy!" exclaimed James.  "I'm not always."

Calissa laughed at that and said, "Yeah.  Riiiiight."

Sirius suddenly came bounding downstairs, followed by Melinda, who was carrying a giggling Amadeus.  The young girl set the four year-old down on the floor then waved at her elder brother's friend.

"Hello, Jamie."

"Hello, Mel."  James looked at Sirius and grinned in the same mischievous fashion as the other boy.  "Padfoot."

"Prongs," said Sirius with a smirk.  "Ready for some fun?"

"When aren't I?  So what's this surprise you said you had?"

Melinda frowned at her brother and said, "Siri, you didn't."

"Didn't what?" asked James in confusion.

"I didn't do a thing, Mel," said Sirius innocently.  Too innocently.

"Oh," said Melinda, arching her eyebrows.  "So you didn't just call Jamie over because Sev is here?"

"Sev?"  James looked at Sirius and said, "Please don't tell me…"

"Hello, Potter."

James let out a moan as he saw Severus standing on the first landing, one hip leaning against the banister.

"What?" said Severus.  "No kiss, no hug?  Why, Potter, I'm hurt."

"That's just gross," remarked James, looking a bit green.

Severus smirked.

"That was the point."

James stared incredulously at the Slytherin for a moment then turned to Sirius and hissed under his breath, "This is your surprise, Padfoot?"

"Yep," replied Sirius.

"I should have known.  What's he doing here?"

"He's our cousin," said Melinda, who had exceptionally sharp ears from listening to her brother's plot scheme's (he tended to talk aloud in his room) so she could stay out of them.  "And Mum's already told Siri to leave him alone."  She glared at her older brother here, showing how very well the Black's were related to the Snape's.

Sirius looked up at Severus and snarled, "You've warped my sister, you snake!"

Severus laughed and said, "I?  Black, you could have done that on your own.  I'd daresay she'd be a bit more – how shall I say this? – like you?"

"If she's a Slytherin I'll kill you."

"Siri!" exclaimed Melinda, kicking her brother in the shin.

"Ow!  Mel!"

"You deserved that," snapped the girl, turning and bounding up the steps to where Severus stood.  "C'mon, Sev," she said, glaring at her brother and grabbing her cousins hand.  "Let's go somewhere where the famous Marauders can't mess with us."

Severus shrugged at his two year mates and said, "Sorry, boys.  Looks like Snape-bashing is off the menu for today."  He allowed himself to be dragged away by Melinda, leaving Sirius to glare after him.

"You okay?" asked James after the two had vanished up onto the third floor.

"Yeah," growled Sirius, rubbing his bruised shin.  "I've already got a black eye thanks to that bugger.  Now my shin hurts."

"Could be worse."

"How?"

"Could have been Lily."

Sirius paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful, and said, "Well, there is that…"

James chuckled and said, "She'd have hexed you by now.  No magic rules or not."

"Y'know, sometimes I get the feeling that Snape is warping her."

James scoffed.

"Please.  You know, Lil.  The Snakes call her the Red Slytherin."

"You're joking."

"Nope.  Moony told me."

"That's a new one.  So how long are you here?"

James grinned as he replied, "Two months."

Sirius burst out laughing and clapped his friend on the shoulder, pushing him towards the stairs.

"Great!  With the two of us I know we can slip some tricks past my Mum.  She's determined not to let Snape and me fight."

"What about Mel?"

"You saw her!  She thinks he's niiice."

"Hey, she is your sister.  She's bound to be a bit loopy."

Sirius promptly whacked James in the back of the head and got an elbow in his ribs for it.

In the entranceway Jules and Calissa watched the four children, the younger woman shaking her head.  She then said, "Watch him, will you?  He'll be right in the thick of mischief."

"Trust me, I know," said Jules, watching her son and his best friend head upstairs.  "I'm worried about Severus."

"Severus Snape?"

"You know him?"

"Yeah, he's in James' year.  He doesn't seem to like him."

"Neither does Sirius," sighed Jules.  "Even though they are cousins.  Melinda loves him though.  And so does Amadeus.  I just don't understand what Sirius has against him.  Has James ever said anything?"

Calissa shook her head then looked down at her wristwatch.

"Oh, fudge, I'm late.  Samuel's going to be furious."  She looked at Jules and asked, "Can you handle him for two months?"

"If I can handle my son and Severus in the same house, I can certainly handle James.  Don't you worry."

"I'm not," admitted Calissa with a smile.  "My parents are."

Jules laughed and lifted her hand in a farewell as Calissa walked down the pathway from the front door a little then Apparated away.  As she shut the door, she heard an explosion from upstairs, accompanied by Severus' voice bellowing out a made-up curse and Melinda's giggling.  She shook her head and walked over to her four-year-old son, who was crawling after one of her spiders, his dark blue eyes wide upon it.  Picking him up, she tapped his nose, making him giggle.

"Let's go see what your sister and Severus are up to, shall we?"

Amadeus threw up his arms in response and yelled, "Swev!  Swisi!"

Jules laughed and headed up the stairs towards the third floor.

*~*~*~*~*

Two months later…

"So you were stuck with Snape all summer?" said Peter in shock.

Sirius nodded and the shorter boy shook his head.

"Is he still alive?" asked Remus, gray eyes serious as they generally always were.

"Unfortunately," grumbled Sirius.  "Mum wouldn't let me kill him."

"Well of course not," said Remus.  "His father already tried that.  Or didn't you hear?"

"Yeah, I heard.  Don't really care…"

"Sirius Black, if you say that again, I'll deck you," growled Lily Evans.  She had been passing by the boy's cab when she'd heard Sirius' remark and stopped, fixing him with a cold, emerald gaze.

Sirius held up his hands and said, "Okay.  I won't."

Lily narrowed her eyes and said, "Your fingers are crossed."

Sirius looked at his hands in surprise and laughed.

"Well imagine that…  They must have moved on their own."

Lily snorted, an odd sound coming from any other girl but not her.

"The day you can fool me, Sirius, will be the day you can have a civil conversation with Severus."

"Even longer than that!" yelled Sirius after her as she headed off down the car to where Severus was exiting a cab behind a group of frightened first years, who took off down the car and ran on into the next one.  The Slytherin smirked appreciatively at his work then bowed to Lily as she approached, holding one nimble-fingered hand out towards the cab.

"Your seat, madam."

"Thank you, kind sir," said Lily with a smile, entering the cab.  A young girl with Sirius' coloring sat by the window, turning towards her as she entered.

"Hi!" said the girl cheerfully.  She held out a hand that was half covered by an extremely long sleeve, making Lily believe the shirt she was wearing belong to someone much bigger than her.  "I'm Melinda Black."

"Any relation to Sirius Black?" asked Lily as she sat down, noting that her trunk was already in the cab.  Severus' doing no doubt…

"Yep," said Melinda.  "He's my brother.  I, however, make no claim on him."

"Which is the reason you are a much better cousin than he is," said Severus as he entered the cab, having gone into the next cab to have a small talk with a few Slytherins who had thrown out two Gryffindors.

"I didn't know you and Sirius were cousins," said Lily as the Slytherin flopped down beside her.

"Not many do," remarked Severus with a smirk.  "Aye, Milly?"

"They will soon."

"Oh that'll put a bee in Sirius' bonnet," joked Lily, her eyes twinkling.  "He must be appalled."

"He is," said Severus and Melinda at the same time.

Lily chuckled then grinned as Melinda pulled out a pack of Exploding Snap cards.

"Want to play?"

"Yes, but let's get Black in here," said Severus.  "I want to see cards explode in his face."

"Why?" asked Lily as Melinda fiddled with the cards.

"Because he and Potter managed to make two months with them in the same house a nightmare," grumbled Severus.  "Give me those cards, Milly.  We're going to play those so-called Marauders.  What do you say, Lil?"

"I say we go for it.  I'd like to see a few cards blow up in James' face.  He sent me a letter that turned my hair green for a month."

"Oh, now he's done it," said Severus.  "Let's go, chop, chop, up-and-at-'em, forward march!"

He ushered the two girls out of the cab and down the car to where the Marauders were located.  Opening the door, he leaned in and said, "Black, you are a total wuss and can't hit a Bludger to save your life."

"Why you…" growled Sirius, half-rising from his seat only to have a pack of Exploding Snap cards thrust in his face.  He blinked and stared at Snape over them.  "What…?"

"Now that I have insulted your oh-so-fragile pride, you want to hurt me.  Since we want no bloodshed on the train and certainly no untimely deaths, we shall play you."

"We?" said Peter.

Melinda poked her head under Severus' arm and Lily came into view, leaning against the side of the doorframe.

"We," she confirmed.  "Get ready to lose, boys!"

Sirius grinned at James and said, "C'mon!"

"Okay.  Remy, Peter?"

Remus sighed and said, "Alright.  But I feel this is going to end badly for us."

Peter swallowed hard at that remark and stuttered, "O-okay."

"That's settled then," said Severus as he sat down.  "Let's play."

*~*~*~*~*

BOOM!

"Ow," said Sirius as yet another stack of cards exploded in his face.  Severus smirked at his cousin's now almost black face.

"Now you actually match your last name, Black.  Keep that look."

"Shut up," growled Sirius, slapping down a card.  It immediately exploded underneath his fingertips and he cursed violently, stuffing the burnt fingers in his mouth.

Lily laughed at that and put down a card, smiling at James, as it was his turn.  His cheeks flushed slightly, James put down a card, only to have every card on the makeshift table explode.

"We win!" yelled Melinda.

"Why?" moaned Sirius as Peter tried to rub the soot off his face.

Remus simply smiled, having managed to keep cards from exploding on himself.

*~*~*~*~*

When the train finally reached Hogwarts and all the students filed off, the three Marauders had managed to get themselves back to an almost respectable appearance.  No one, however, told Sirius that he had missed a bit of soot on his nose, which made for several laughs on the trip up to the castle.

Melinda had scurried off to the boats with the rest of the first years, ironically ending up with the set of girls Severus had sent running for their lives.

The Marauders had piled into the first carriage they found, leaving Severus and Lily to find their own ride.

"Snape!"

Severus turned his head to see Lucius Malfoy waving at him from his slowly starting to move carriage.  The longhaired blond was hanging out the door, Narcissa Wandrey and Evan Rosier both attempting to pull him inside to keep him from killing himself.

"Do we have to?" whined Lily as Severus took her arm and began to pull her towards the moving carriage.

"All of the rest are leaving."

"But Malfoy…"

"I know," said Severus.  "I'll make him be civil."

"And if he's not?"

"Oh, he will be," growled Severus with a dangerous glint in his eyes.  He picked up his pace, pulling Lily after him as he jogged over to the slowly speeding up carriage.

At the sight of Lily, Lucius sneered and snapped, "You must be joking."

Severus grabbed the open door of the carriage and pulled Lily in close, letting go of her arm and wrapping an arm about her slim waist.

"Just shut up and catch her, Malfoy."

Lucius looked like he was about to revolt but nodded and held out his hand.  Severus lifted Lily off of her feet and slung her up into the other Slytherin's arms.  Gray eyes met emerald for a half second before Lucius shoved Lily into the carriage then held his hand out for Severus.  The dark-haired teenager shook his head and said, "Get back inside, you sod!"

Lucius scowled and didn't move.  Severus glared at him as he got a better grip on the carriage door.  He leapt off the ground, clinging to the door so it swung inward.  Lucius scrambled back as the door slammed shut, sending Severus sprawling, his head landing in Lily's lap.

"Hello there," he said with a cheeky grin, peering at her upside down.

Lily snorted in response and said, "Hello."

Severus lay there for a moment then sat up, careful not to crack his forehead on Lily's chin.  He looked up at Lucius and Evan, who were both looking at him in disdain.

"What?"

"Nothing," said Lucius in a tone that didn't quite convince Severus.  But as long as the blond wasn't troubling Lily, Severus was fine with leaving him be.  It wasn't as if Lily didn't know just as many hexes as Malfoy…it was that Malfoy was the most ruthless person Severus had ever met (quite nearly beating his father) and would probably have thrown the redhead out of the carriage.  If Severus was not there, of course.

Severus sighed and pulled himself up onto his feet, lifting Lily up into the seat while leaning towards Lucius.  He whispered to his Housemate, "Let's not do anything stupid, shall we?  I wouldn't want to have to seriously injure a fellow Slytherin."

Lucius snorted and waved a hand at him to sit down.  Severus complied, easing down between Lily and Narcissa.  He looked at Lily but kept one eye and ear focused upon his Housemates.  Not every Slytherin accepted Lily as an almost honorary member of their House.

Especially not Lucius Malfoy.

*~*~*~*~*

Going up the steps into Hogwarts, Severus felt like he was returning home.  Ashdeir Fierion had never felt like home and certainly Black Manor wasn't.  And the orphanage he had grown up in could never be called anything that wasn't crude.  No place in the whole of the world held his heart more than the castle, which was where most of his best memories were.  It was where he had met Lily, the brilliant Charms student who had been so very abysmal at Potions before he'd been set to tutoring her after Christmas of their first year.  And, Merlin help him, he thought fondly of his meeting with the Marauders.  Certainly they weren't friends, but they were good entertainment.

"Thinking deep thoughts?" purred Narcissa, her breath tickling his ear.  Her mouth was far too close to his ear for comfort.

"Perhaps," said Severus cryptically, surreptitiously shifting away from her.  This move put him closer to Lily.  Close enough to smell the willowy scent of her hair, which sent all sorts of wild thoughts through his head.  He gave a little shake and attempted to concentrate on something else besides Narcissa's unwanted advances and the alluring presence of Lily.

As they entered the Great Hall, Lily separated from them, sending Severus a short glance and a smile before she was off to join Potter and his friends.  Severus, Lucius, Evan, and a surly Narcissa moved towards their own table, sitting down moments before the Sorting started.  Severus, as usual, applauded for no one except for one person.

"Black, Melinda!"

Several groans went up about the Hall as everyone learned that Sirius Black's sister had come to Hogwarts.

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Melinda hopped down off the stool and peered over the heads of her peers towards the Slytherin table, obviously trying to spot Severus.  When she did, she shrugged at him and he gave her a smile.  Returning the smile, she ran down the Gryffindor table to join her elated brother and his friends.

"What was that about?" asked Lucius as the next student was called.

"Nothing for you to worry about, Lucius.  Nothing for you to worry about at all."

A/N: I'm just taking a guess at how Exploding Snap is played…  Beyond that, what do you think?

Hon belts. 'n uffernol 'n annheg , Ddeuda. 'i jyst – chyfrgolla , 'i yn blino! – This blows.  Hellishly unfair, I say.  Its just – damn, its annoying!