The little boy stood with blood on his hands, a smear of scarlet across his
cheek. His mouth hung open, the muscles in his jaw slack. His breath was
ragged and all the heard was the rhythmic thud making his chest pound.
He was a very bad boy.
And it made him feel very, very good.
Severus awoke more refreshed than he had in weeks. He didn't remember his dream, and he supposed that was probably a good thing, as all of his previous dreams were not so congenial. But he felt, however, that there was something hidden in the back of his mind.
He put a quick brush through his hair, ran his fingers through it and let it fall again into his face. He stared into the eyes of his reflection for a moment, trying to see the hidden enigma within him, trying to remember. When he heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs he quickly grabbed a book and left the dorm.
Breakfast was appealing. Lucius had a black eye, and Severus found it worthy of noting Lucius's friends ogling over the swollen bruised eye and Lucius' refusal to impart the truth. The occasional glare in his direction made him grin.
Potter and his friends didn't throw anything at him either. Severus wasn't sure why; he almost wanted them to hassle him today. He had a sudden predilection for revenge, and couldn't shake it off.
After not-eating breakfast, Severus took his book outside and sat near the lake. A breeze windswept his hair, so he pulled it into a loose ponytail so he could keep it out of his face while he read.
He finished his book and he sat tranquilly, enjoying the sight of the picturesque scene ahead of him. He heard soft footsteps behind him and pretended to ignore it, but secretly counted the steps toward him. The footsteps were gentle, reminding him of a wolf about to catch it's prey.
"...Oy."
Severus recognized the voice being that of Remus Lupin. Severus drew in a breath and caught it in his throat silently.
"Yes?"
For a fair moment Lupin didn't speak.
"Can I ask you a question."
"Why?"
Lupin seemed to hesitate.
Severus glanced brusquely at the werewolf, unnerved.
"Lucius Malfoy," Lupin said slowly.
"What about him?"
"He has a black eye."
Severus looked out across the lake again.
"Yes?"
Lupin sighed softly.
"So, I heard - well, James heard - that - was it you?"
"He was bothering me. As such, it was my right to hit him," Severus said, leaning back onto his palms.
There was silence for a moment and Lupin sat next to Severus.
"Good job."
Severus glanced at Lupin.
"Thanks."
Lupin smiled very slightly.
"I'm impressed."
Severus nodded.
"Look, um, another thing."
"Hmm?"
"About my mates..." Lupin said softly.
Severus cleared his throat.
"They don't mean it. They don't hate you, they just -"
"No need to apologize for them," Severus said, standing.
"I mean it. They think you're in cahoots with - You-Know-Who."
Severus seized up. He felt his nostrils widen. He stared down at Lupin, his good feelings for the day fading.
"Don't assume things about me, half-breed."
Lupin opened his mouth to speak, but Severus interrupted.
"You're worse than the Death Eaters, so don't try to make me admit -"
"I'm not -"
"Shut up," Severus hissed, and stormed off.
Remus Lupin sat in shock.
That didn't go as planned.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey, hey, hey, Moony, what happened, where you been, mate Peter said, hopping from his chair over to Remus.
Remus laughed softly.
"Snape said he did it."
"Huh? What? Did what?" James said, looking up from his Quidditch magazine. Sirius also looked up, interested.
"Give Malfoy that black eye," Remus said, plopping down onto a big cushy chair. "I asked him. He said Lucius was bothering him, so he hit him."
"Whoa, really?" James inquired forcefully.
"Really," Remus sighed, pulling a book out of his bag.
Peter stared at Remus with wide eyes.
"You talked to him? And, was he mean to you?" Peter asked, tapping his palm against his other hand which was balled into a fist.
Lupin grabbed Peter's hand to stop his unremitting tapping. Peter blushed and looked down, his annoying fidgets ceasing for the time being.
"At first he wasn't, but then he called me a half-breed and said I was worse than any Death Eater, so -"
"He's got a bug up his arse, anyhow so." Sirius trailed off, seeing Remus looking troubled.
"Moony? What's up, mate?" James asked, sitting at Remus' feet.
"It's nothing, really."
Peter's face showed concern as he said, "Is it because he called you a half- breed? You're not."
"I'm a werewolf, Pete, it's the same thing," Remus said softly.
"No it's not; it's not half-breed technically -"
"Well in a way it is. But that's no reason for you to get upset, mate! He's a slimeball, anyway," James reassured.
"Yeah. You're right, I suppose."
"You guys wanna sneak down to the kitchens and swipe some snacks from the House Elves?" Sirius said suddenly.
Remus shook his head.
"Not hungry."
"Me neither," Peter said nodding.
"Alright, more for us, then," James said, standing up. "Chin up, Remmie," he said, touching Remus' chin and smiling. Remus smiled insincerely, nodded and watched as James and Sirius walked away.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Severus' good mood concluded rapidly. After the meeting with the werewolf, he had gone back to the common room and met up with none other than Lucius Malfoy himself.
"Severus Snape, glad you could drop by," Lucius said sneeringly.
"This is my common room too, Lucius," Severus sighed, his mood becoming very sour.
"I'd like to have a little chat if you don't mind."
"Chat? About what?" Severus spoke dully.
"Yesterday. Listen, about it. I wasn't trying to bother you. I know that I don't know your situation exactly, but I know how it can be helped," Lucius said softly, enticement heavy in his voice.
"Alright. Tell me then. I'm listening."
"I can't say it here. Come with me."
Severus stared at Lucius uneasily. Lucius eyes were a deep gunmetal grey, under good light a blue sheen. They were, although one slightly puffy and still bruised; gazing at Severus with a feeling of need, and Severus perceived an impression of fear. Fear of what?
"It's secret," Lucius whispered.
So, diffidently, Severus went with him.
He was a very bad boy.
And it made him feel very, very good.
Severus awoke more refreshed than he had in weeks. He didn't remember his dream, and he supposed that was probably a good thing, as all of his previous dreams were not so congenial. But he felt, however, that there was something hidden in the back of his mind.
He put a quick brush through his hair, ran his fingers through it and let it fall again into his face. He stared into the eyes of his reflection for a moment, trying to see the hidden enigma within him, trying to remember. When he heard loud footsteps coming up the stairs he quickly grabbed a book and left the dorm.
Breakfast was appealing. Lucius had a black eye, and Severus found it worthy of noting Lucius's friends ogling over the swollen bruised eye and Lucius' refusal to impart the truth. The occasional glare in his direction made him grin.
Potter and his friends didn't throw anything at him either. Severus wasn't sure why; he almost wanted them to hassle him today. He had a sudden predilection for revenge, and couldn't shake it off.
After not-eating breakfast, Severus took his book outside and sat near the lake. A breeze windswept his hair, so he pulled it into a loose ponytail so he could keep it out of his face while he read.
He finished his book and he sat tranquilly, enjoying the sight of the picturesque scene ahead of him. He heard soft footsteps behind him and pretended to ignore it, but secretly counted the steps toward him. The footsteps were gentle, reminding him of a wolf about to catch it's prey.
"...Oy."
Severus recognized the voice being that of Remus Lupin. Severus drew in a breath and caught it in his throat silently.
"Yes?"
For a fair moment Lupin didn't speak.
"Can I ask you a question."
"Why?"
Lupin seemed to hesitate.
Severus glanced brusquely at the werewolf, unnerved.
"Lucius Malfoy," Lupin said slowly.
"What about him?"
"He has a black eye."
Severus looked out across the lake again.
"Yes?"
Lupin sighed softly.
"So, I heard - well, James heard - that - was it you?"
"He was bothering me. As such, it was my right to hit him," Severus said, leaning back onto his palms.
There was silence for a moment and Lupin sat next to Severus.
"Good job."
Severus glanced at Lupin.
"Thanks."
Lupin smiled very slightly.
"I'm impressed."
Severus nodded.
"Look, um, another thing."
"Hmm?"
"About my mates..." Lupin said softly.
Severus cleared his throat.
"They don't mean it. They don't hate you, they just -"
"No need to apologize for them," Severus said, standing.
"I mean it. They think you're in cahoots with - You-Know-Who."
Severus seized up. He felt his nostrils widen. He stared down at Lupin, his good feelings for the day fading.
"Don't assume things about me, half-breed."
Lupin opened his mouth to speak, but Severus interrupted.
"You're worse than the Death Eaters, so don't try to make me admit -"
"I'm not -"
"Shut up," Severus hissed, and stormed off.
Remus Lupin sat in shock.
That didn't go as planned.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
"Hey, hey, hey, Moony, what happened, where you been, mate Peter said, hopping from his chair over to Remus.
Remus laughed softly.
"Snape said he did it."
"Huh? What? Did what?" James said, looking up from his Quidditch magazine. Sirius also looked up, interested.
"Give Malfoy that black eye," Remus said, plopping down onto a big cushy chair. "I asked him. He said Lucius was bothering him, so he hit him."
"Whoa, really?" James inquired forcefully.
"Really," Remus sighed, pulling a book out of his bag.
Peter stared at Remus with wide eyes.
"You talked to him? And, was he mean to you?" Peter asked, tapping his palm against his other hand which was balled into a fist.
Lupin grabbed Peter's hand to stop his unremitting tapping. Peter blushed and looked down, his annoying fidgets ceasing for the time being.
"At first he wasn't, but then he called me a half-breed and said I was worse than any Death Eater, so -"
"He's got a bug up his arse, anyhow so." Sirius trailed off, seeing Remus looking troubled.
"Moony? What's up, mate?" James asked, sitting at Remus' feet.
"It's nothing, really."
Peter's face showed concern as he said, "Is it because he called you a half- breed? You're not."
"I'm a werewolf, Pete, it's the same thing," Remus said softly.
"No it's not; it's not half-breed technically -"
"Well in a way it is. But that's no reason for you to get upset, mate! He's a slimeball, anyway," James reassured.
"Yeah. You're right, I suppose."
"You guys wanna sneak down to the kitchens and swipe some snacks from the House Elves?" Sirius said suddenly.
Remus shook his head.
"Not hungry."
"Me neither," Peter said nodding.
"Alright, more for us, then," James said, standing up. "Chin up, Remmie," he said, touching Remus' chin and smiling. Remus smiled insincerely, nodded and watched as James and Sirius walked away.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Severus' good mood concluded rapidly. After the meeting with the werewolf, he had gone back to the common room and met up with none other than Lucius Malfoy himself.
"Severus Snape, glad you could drop by," Lucius said sneeringly.
"This is my common room too, Lucius," Severus sighed, his mood becoming very sour.
"I'd like to have a little chat if you don't mind."
"Chat? About what?" Severus spoke dully.
"Yesterday. Listen, about it. I wasn't trying to bother you. I know that I don't know your situation exactly, but I know how it can be helped," Lucius said softly, enticement heavy in his voice.
"Alright. Tell me then. I'm listening."
"I can't say it here. Come with me."
Severus stared at Lucius uneasily. Lucius eyes were a deep gunmetal grey, under good light a blue sheen. They were, although one slightly puffy and still bruised; gazing at Severus with a feeling of need, and Severus perceived an impression of fear. Fear of what?
"It's secret," Lucius whispered.
So, diffidently, Severus went with him.
