A/N This was really hard for me to write because I really, dearly love Sirius as well as Snape. I just feel that I have to tell it as it is, and that means showing Sirius' wicked side. These are not my characters, but I'm working with them anyway, which is very strange to me. I hope I've gone somewhere with this chapter. Thanks!
Chapter 3 – No Ones Business
Five years had come and gone before anyone realized the world was spinning. Severus had long black hair and deep brown eyes that stayed low to the ground and wandered, and he was now taller than most of the other students at Hogwarts, but he would have been taller if he stood up straight. He was even in height only with Sirius Black.
Potions had always been his easiest class, but it wasn't his favorite. Severus' favorite was the dark arts. It was the only thing he had ever done while at home, and now that he was in school he excelled at it. The only draw back to this year's class was a certain trio that were with him. Ever since his first year at Hogwarts, Severus had been completely alone in a sea of students. He of course had the old family friends who talked to him, but he never made any friends for himself. These days he was pretty lonely, staying up late into the night studying by himself in the common room. He thought that at least he should excel in the classroom if he couldn't fit in with the other students.
There was more than one reason why Severus hated Sirius and James. One reason was that they were very, very popular. All of the school knew and loved them, many girls swooned over them, though the latter didn't appeal to Severus. A second reason was that they were very talented wizards. It was a threat to Severus' talent, and they didn't have to stay up all night studying like he did. They were known to joke around and leave school grounds and do all sorts of things that were against the rules. Things that Severus wouldn't be able to get away with.
The third reason was that they stole Remus Lupin from him. This last reason no one had guessed at, and that was how Severus wanted it to remain.
As he saw it, Sirius could have any one in the school that he wanted, but he seemed to have chosen Remus. It tormented Severus to the verge of insanity how Sirius could get it all while he was left alone and hungry for life. Sirius was from a dark family as well, with a father who didn't love him, but he got to be happy and make friends and be in Gryffindor. It was one of the cruelest jokes life had ever played on a person, putting Sirius within sight of Severus. Sirius got to walk around all proud as though it were no one's business, while Severus banished himself to dark corners and side hallways. But what really pushed the limit was Severus' growing feelings for Remus.
It didn't seem unreasonable that Remus could get along with Severus. He was the quiet, contemplative one of their group. Dumbledore had made him prefect, a sign that he was a good and trustworthy guy. Snape didn't like to call it stalking, what he did to Remus. It was more of an obsession, but it hadn't become unhealthy yet. He knew that Remus had a secret, and Severus was going to find out about it if it killed him.
Late at night, not many people stayed in the Slytherin common room. Being in a dungeon made it cool and damp, not very inviting to sleepy students. Severus found it to be quite comfortable in fact, and spent the majority of his time in it. His potions professor had given him a special assignment, and Severus was trying to get it done early to impress him. There was a special connection between the two that Severus couldn't yet understand. He was still young and naïve. There was one professor who was less than impressed by Severus. The Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor seemed to have it out for him. All that Severus ever did to that man was come to that class, knowing the entire text book by heart. But his professor had called him an "insufferable know-it-all" on the very first class. Sirius had enjoyed this thoroughly.
The relationship between Severus and Sirius had not ripened with time. In fact, it had gone as sour as grapes can get. Every chance that Sirius had he punished Severus through torture and bullying. Where it had gone wrong, Severus had no idea. All he knew was that Sirius was trouble to him on many levels. Many. This of course could not stop him from trying to get closer to Remus. In class Severus would sit there and stare at the beautiful boy, sandy hair falling over his amber eyes. Never had Severus seen such golden beauty as that that radiated off of Remus. He was the one sunny spot in his otherwise dark and gloomy days. But if Remus ever looked up to see Severus watching, Severus' eyes dropped and he would lower himself to work and try not to seem interested. It was so hard to talk to him with Sirius in the way. He would have to make an extra effort for this to work out, because things weren't going anywhere at the moment.