Some answers and thanks to my beloved reviewers:
Chess – Well, I reckon Sirius is a bit of jerk by nature. Don't get me wrong; I love him more than any other of the Harry Potter characters. He's just very protective of Remus, and has a very hard time understanding how Remus could ever want to help Snape.
Tmh – Thank you!!! Well, I don't know, I guess because I read a lot of J K Rowling it effects my writing.
Fate Bringer – Thanks! I thought that would be typical Remus, to keep his friends from too much trouble in a discreet kind of way.
Cez – Well, if you mean THAT prank… *smiles*, maybe, maybe not, I did come to my mind though, it would fit perfectly, wouldn't it?
Emily – I'm not trying to defend myself against every bit of constructive criticism I get, but as for the Severus' insults thing, I must say I don't picture Severus being a total brat just yet. He's pretty much just a lost sixteen-year-old who's working hard to keep his guard up. And I'm sorry to disappoint you, but this story contains only the events of Remus and Severus' complicated relationship, there for – this is the plot.
Rosaline – Thank you darling! That means a lot to me.
Narcissa – Hey, aren't we all perfectionists? *beams* It's okay, those errors bugs my ass as well, I'll try and fix them for you!
Bosquoito mosquoito – Ahh, I'm working, I'm working! Thanks for cheering me up!
Sugoi Neko Chan – Right now, I barely care either which… We'll see how it all turns out. Thank you for reviewing!
Ogre at seven am – hehe… I dig your nickname. We'll see about the slash though, maybe I'll keep it friendly, but hey, it depends on how many people convince me. *hint*
Note: As you remember from Snape's worst memory in book five, they had just finished off an exam in Defence Against Dark Arts. I decided that it took place on a Thursday, there for, these three first chapters took place on that Thursay and this chapter is Friday. They are still in the middle of the exams, except today I decided they would have a break and spend Friday in normal lessons and continue exams on Monday.
The potions master had left the classrooms for the storage one floor above, and for once, this didn't bother young Severus Snape as much as it usually did. The potions teacher was head of Slytherin, and she often found great pleasure in telling the Gryffindors off for nothing, which was highly appreciated by Severus, but now as the class was left unsupervised he was able to glare as much as he wanted at the werewolf sitting in front of him.
He wasn't really sure on why he found this to be such a comfortable activity, he only knew his hate against this disgusting half-breed was slowly beginning to change into confusion. And frustration. He wanted to know why Lupin, of all people, had been acting nicer to him than anyone had ever done so far during his years in Hogwarts.
Unfortunately, the only one who seemed to notice Severus staring was Sirius Black, who was constantly throwing back glares at the Slytherin from their table.
Severus got up and headed for the front to collect some more frog-fingers. As he passed the Potter-gang's table he noticed their potion was hissing dangerously while turning a darker shade of green. Remus Lupin was leaning over it looking both bewildered and quite concerned. Severus swallowed a biting remark and settled himself with an evil smile. Poor fools, the potion was supposed to be light blue and thick, obviously too many of the eagle feathers had been added before the boiling.
Severus snapped back to reality as he forcefully bumped into Lily Evans.
"Out of my way, mudblood." He muttered and continued up to the front desk. As he turned around with another bowl of frog-fingers he saw Lily staring at him, looking both hurt and furious, and Potter, looking just furious.
Severus smelled the trouble, but decided to keep a low profile since they were in potions class; he wouldn't want to risk lowering his grade three days before the exam. Their potions master surely would be back soon, and there for Severus retreated to his desk and continued his work as if no one had reacted on his insult.
But James Potter didn't seem to think in the same lines.
"Hey, Snivellus!" The whole class silenced. Severus looked up from his cauldron slowly, sending the Potter-gang a death-glare. Sirius glared back. James was on his feet in no time.
"I said hey, SNIVELLUS! What makes you think you can go around insulting people you don't even compare to, huh?"
Severus continued to glare at him for a moment and then returned to work as if nothing.
"Are you deaf or something?!" James yelled, and then he picked up one of the small knifes used for chopping and threw it straight at him. "I'M TALKING TO YOU!"
Severus barely ducked it, and the blade left a thin cut along his jawbone, spraying blood over his face and robes.
Now the students closest to Severus and those sitting in the line of fire scrambled to their feet and backed off, looking terrified. Oral arguments were daily ritual between Potter and Snape in potions class, but this seemed to be going further.
Severus silently touched his cheek with his pale fingers and watched the blood drip from them. The thickheaded idiot was going to regret that…
Severus jumped to his feet, withdrew his wand and hit Potter before he could react.
"Expelliarmus!" James flew backwards into the black board and hit the floor with an echoing thud. Sirius lunged at Severus and made him drop the wand. They both fell on top of the table, and before Severus knew it Sirius was holding his hand firmly in the almost boiling-hot potion in his caldron. Severus screamed in pure agony and tried to withdraw his hand, but Sirius had an iron-grip on his arm and he couldn't fight it.
"You'll pay for that!" Sirius growled, pushing Severus' hand deeper down into the potion. Severus struggled and gasped for breath as tears of pain was streaming down his face. "When I'm finished you won't be able to hold a wand properly enough to pass a single exam!" The pain was so fierce Severus' vision was starting to flutter, and his struggling slowly grew weaker.
Suddenly, someone attacked Sirius from behind, someone who was screaming something…
"STOP! Sirius let go!" Remus tugged at Sirius' shoulders and threw him off Severus with almost unnatural force. He then yanked Severus' hand out of the cauldron tried desperately to dry the potion off his hand with his sleeve.
"Somebody get Pomfrey down here!"
Severus panted, looking up into the auburn eyes of his once again saviour.
"He's passing out!" Remus growled while also trying to stop the blood-flow coming from his jaw.
"What?" Sirius called out in disbelief, and then things went quiet for Severus.
As he woke up at the hospital-wing, bandages soaked in ice-cold water was covering his right hand, and a trickling feeling was stinging across the left side of his face. He looked around and saw Remus, gathered around Potters bed along with Black and Peter Pettigrew. James was sitting up on his bed, and bag of ice pressed against his back head but otherwise looking quite alive. The four of them was in fact laughing and joking around about something, and James said something about heading down for dinner before Pomfrey got back to check on him. Sirius agreed and they all got up to leave.
As Remus was moving his chair back against the opposite wall he caught eye of Severus stirring in his bed.
"Oh look, Snivellus is coming around, the poor bastard. He really does look awful Sirius, I'm surprised he didn't fall into a coma!" As James said this to Sirius, the other black-haired animagus snarled.
"Ah come off it, Prongs, he got what he deserved, although if Remus hadn't stopped me I'm sure I would've killed the bloody git. Now let's go."
They both strolled out the doors and Pettigrew was going to follow when Remus grabbed his shoulder.
"Peter," he whispered. "I'm going to stay and talk to Snape about something, tell them I'll be on my way down in no time, okay?" Peter looked at him as if he were crazy.
"You're… staying to talk to Snape…?"
"Yes, no go on." Remus gave him a push out the door and closed it firmly behind him.
Turning around, he saw Severus forcing himself to sit up, and his dark eyes glowed with tension as they took a moment to stare at each other from across the floor.
A/n: AAHHHHH, MY FINGERS!!!! You'll have to wait another day or two for now, and while I go and drown my fingers in an ice bucket, why don't leave my a nice review?
(Don't forget to write your e-mail address if you want to know when I update!)