DARKNESS

Peter had always suspected that Remus was stronger than he appeared, but hiding in the shadows, he'd witnessed something that frightened him almost as much as it fascinated. He had been slinking past the Slytherin dungeon entrance, when he'd heard shouting and laughing. It sounded like Lucius and his sycophants had someone new to play with. Curious, Peter had snuck inside, following the noise. He'd come all the way to the empty Potions classroom where he could clearly see Remus on his knees in front of Lucius, Sirius' personal nemesis. A smile curled his lips, because for once, it wasn't him getting beat up. Snape seemed to be less than amused though. He was grimacing helplessly, wincing with each blow Lucius rained on the unresisting form of Remus. Peter could barely believe it when Remus looked up, an eerie smile on his face. He looked straight through Lucius, right at Snape, who appeared even more pale than usual.

"I'm sorry." Whispered the black haired boy, but he didn't move to stop the next punch. It landed solidly on Remus' temple, and Peter was amazed that he looked as though he'd barely noticed it. He just kept staring at Snape, until the other boy backed warily into a desk, nearly toppling over backwards.

"Fuck you Severus, I'll beat the friendship right out of you both! Don't be such a fool! You never belonged consorting with Gryffindor freaks, and now he has to pay. You'll pay too, you slut. No one goes behind my back."

Peter listened to every word. He was confused, but slowly putting together what had happened. He'd seen Snape and Remus working together more than once to finish an extra-credit project for Potions. Lucius must have found out about the late night meetings. Apparently he hadn't been too pleased. Usually the Slytherins only went after Remus because it was guaranteed to piss off Sirius, who Lucius loathed above all Gryffindors.

"Don't even think about talking to him again, Severus, or I might kill him for you instead."

"Lucius… please…"

"Shut up, you stupid whore! You should have thought about the consequences before you got so attached."

"Lucius…" Severus didn't even try to stand up for himself, just accepted it. "He, we… we didn't do anything. It was homework. I swear it Lucius. I'd never betray you! I… I love you."

That seemed to diffuse Lucius enough to turn away from Remus, if only for a moment. That was all it took. With an inhuman snarl, Remus leapt on Lucius, slamming his head against the ground viciously. Peter noticed for the first time the group that had been lurking in the back of the classroom, giving Lucius his space. Their shadowy figures came into the sparse torchlight, trying to hold Remus down, or at least restrain him until they could assess the damage he'd done to Lucius. Remus wasn't about to give in this time. He held nothing back, snarling and baring his teeth savagely, lashing out with a desperation that surprised the slower, more massive Slytherins. Remus slipped out from between two vaguely Rosier and Crabbe shaped shadows and shot out of the door, bruises already blossoming across his face. Peter watched Remus pelting up the stairs leading to the Gryffindor tower and decided that it was time for him to disappear as well. He had a lot to think about. First and foremost being: WHAT THE BLOODY HELL!? How could one undernourished bookworm take on that many of Lucius' sycophants and get out alive? And why hadn't he done it sooner?

Peter decided then that the look on Remus face had been the singular most terrifying thing he had ever seen. There had been so much anger, and pain; overwhelming soul-deep pain. So much it almost hurt to see it.

"My god, Remus! Come here! What happened to you?" Sirius gasped, his face twisting up in immediate rageful protectiveness.

"Save your pity, Black. I'm going to bed."

"Oh no you're not! You're going to the hospital wing right now. Don't even try to argue with me."

"Leave me alone. I can't go to the hospital wing. You're an idiot Black. I'm not explaining this to any teacher! My track record isn't exactly clean, you know," he bit out accusingly. Sirius flinched. That was mostly his fault; Sirius had gotten them into trouble on numerous occasions.

"If it's not gone by tomorrow morning, I'll just stay in bed. No big deal. Leave me alone."

"And how is that supposed to magically heal itself by morning?"

"Oh, that would be the real secret, Black. Goodnight." He smiled without any humour and turned to go, just barely catching a glimpse of Peter staring at him intensely. Unnerved, he continued on his way upstairs.

"What was that about?" asked James, coming up behind his friend.

"He… god Jamie, he looks horrible. If he really can make all that go away by tomorrow, I'll be extremely impressed. There's one thing for sure, no one heals that fast, and I really want to know who did that to him, because I really really want to kill someone right now, and whoever did that would be a good place to start, I think."

"Calm down Sirius. I didn't get to see what he looks like, I just came in, but I'm sure he can take care of it if he says so. Trust him a little, why don't you?"

"Speaking of you just coming in, where were you all day? Seems to me like I saw you heading off with a certain red-haired girl. Not to name any names, cough Lily. Huh?" He prodded his best friend, laughing when he saw him turn beet red. He had effectively changed the subject.

"Sirius…" he groaned. "Could you have said that any louder, you prat?"

"Of course!" He obligingly stood on a table and shouted to the entire common room, "Oi! Everyone! James was out snogging Lily Evans all day!" There was scattered applause, but generally everyone ignored Sirius' outbursts. They were used to them by now.

"Git." said James hopelessly. "I hate you."

"Oh, come on now Jamie. That sounded mighty half-hearted. I think maybe you just wanted everyone to know that you've got a girlfriend. Oh yeah, and good for you mate, you've been drooling over her all year, I was wondering how long it'd take."

"You are an unbelievable prat, Sirius Black, and I loath you."

"Sure, sure," Sirius said, unconcernedly waving his hand in the air. "Though if you want my opinion; you're the idiot. She's been staring at you all year too, and part of last, for that matter."

"It sounds like you've got an awful interest in my girlfriend…" said James, laughing finally, slightly embarrassed, but at least Sirius had made up for it with that last statement.

"Oho! So you two are going out! I knew it."

"Yeah, we've been together for… five hours, twenty-seven minutes." said James proudly, looking at his watch.

"Don't you think that's a little sad, James?"

"What, she's a dream, and I'm really happy with her. And by the way, we weren't actually snogging all day, we talked for a while too. Unlike you, I have more than a one track mind."

"Sticks and stones, Jamie." said Sirius, feeling better than he had all week. He was truly happy for James. It wasn't often two people were so obviously meant for each other. Unlike two other people he knew. Sighing he decided to not bother Remus any more about his injuries. It wasn't like he could do anything, and it certainly wasn't like Remus would let him.

"Come on James, we should go to bed, and I'm really tired."

"Then go to bed. You don't need me to hold your hand, do you?" Sirius gave James a pleading look. "Alright, I know you don't want to face him. I guess I'll tag along and try to be damage control for whatever you might say, you bloody idiot."

Sirius looked so pathetically relieved that he felt unjustifiably cruel for calling him names. "Just let me get my stuff." He said in a gentler voice.

Tell me exactly what am I supposed to do

Now that I have allowed you to beat me

I kind of like the misery you put me through

Do you think that we could play another game?

Maybe I could win this time

Severus Snape had never much liked being controlled, but Lucius had never given him a chance to have second thoughts. Before now.

Was everything he'd done for the other boy out of fear? Why was it that love made him so weak to do anything for himself? Because it was either love or fear that drove him to these lengths. He'd always tried to believe that it was love, but seeing Lucius beating Remus up just for being a decent person, made him doubt everything he'd thought he was sure of. Snape clutched his arm protectively. It felt like it was broken, but he daren't go to Madame Pomfrey.

Lucius had twisted that arm up behind him and slammed him against the wall. He hadn't been able to see through the pain, but Lucius hadn't stopped there. He realized with a jolt that he was sore in other places too. In fact, it felt like Lucius had finished his business even though Severus had passed out halfway. He felt sick. His stomach hurt, and he vaguely remembered Lucius kicking him there. He rolled over and saw that he was completely naked, and lying in a heap on the floor of an empty classroom. Severus was intensely glad that he'd woken up before anyone had come in. Trying not to wince he gathered up his nearly shredded clothing, courtesy of Lucius, and hoped to hell that everyone was asleep by now. Pulling on his robe he stuffed everything else in one of the garbage cans the house elves cleaned every night. None of it was worth saving, and he could hardly bear to look at it anyways.

Cradling his arm the whole way, but refusing to look at it, even when he was in proper light, he made his way back to the Slytherin common room. Each step sent a slice of white hot pain through his abdomen. When he stumbled into the tapestry that hid the door, he almost didn't realize it, the pain was so intense. Numbly he spoke the password, and holding his head high, just in case anyone saw him, he crossed the common room. Luckily it was empty of the usual late night studiers. He paled when he saw the stairs leading downward to the boys' dormitory. With each step shooting agony through his veins, he doubted his ability to make it that far. In order to get all the way to the fifth landing, he was forced to grip the railing for his life, clinging to the stone when he could. Everything felt like it was on fire.

The door to the fifth landing was locked as usual, and password guarded. Slytherins valued privacy above all else. They were suspicious of even their own ranks. Severus didn't blame them for it. Most Slytherins were decent, but there was a group of them that existed to feed off of other people's suffering. They were conniving, cruel and deliberate. Much like Lucius.

Speaking the password firmly, he entered the dark, narrow passage lined with dormitory doors. The seventh room on the left was Severus'. He shared it with Rosier, Zabini, and one of Lucius' many cousins; Dirk Malfoy. Strangely enough, the only one he really got along with was Lucius' quiet, studious relative. He was nice enough, and he never seemed to question what Severus said. He was also better at Astronomy and Divination than Severus would ever be. He had heard Dumbledore call Dirk a Seer before. He believed it. Dirk frequently had nightmares and dreams that came true. And he was always accidentally reading people's fortunes in their tea leaves and coffee dregs. He was more of a dreamer than Severus was used to getting along with, but he was okay for a Slytherin. Lucius considered him a disgrace to the Malfoy name, which earned him extra points in Severus' view. He was also the only other person besides Remus who had never asked Severus why he didn't leave Lucius. They both knew. Sometimes it was better sticking with the pain that was familiar than the pain that was anticipated. That way he could still keep his fantasies.

Finally he made it to his room, and once he had unlocked the door and whispered the password, he sunk gratefully into his green canopied bed and tried not to wince when even the way the fabric pulled at his arm hurt. He wished for even one good healing spell. Then maybe he wouldn't have to go crawling to Lucius tomorrow, begging for forgiveness and the bestowal of a Healing Charm. He hated that part, but he always did it. He could never just walk away; he couldn't even fight back. He took whatever Lucius gave him, and never asked questions. He had always blindly assumed that he deserved his punishment, but now he wasn't so sure. Had he really deserved this? Did anyone really deserve this kind of treatment? Hadn't he been everything Lucius wanted in a loyal, subservient whore? Was it really too much to ask to be forgiven one moment of human weakness? In any case, they couldn't all be perfect like Lucius. He was a god among mere mortals, and no one knew it better than Severus. He settled himself for yet another long, sleepless night alone with his memories.