Hey guys. Long time, no chapter. I have to say, I was slacking off. But I'm back, and I'm more dedicated than ever.

Just another reminder- after I finish Ugly I will be taking a break from slash, k?

That said, thanks for reviewing. Writing Ugly has been so fun and so deep that I just kinda want to stop on that good note. I know it's been a while, but I personally think this chapter is written quite a bit better than the others. Remember, this is only a six chapter story, so we're nearing the end.

Disc- Not mine

We are dirt

We are alone

We are dirt

You know we're far from sober?

We are fake

We are afraid

You know it's far from over

We are dirt

We are alone

You know we're far from sober?

Look closer

Are you like me?

Are you ugly?

The air was heavy the next morning as the boys dressed. James was apologizing again, but they brushed him off. Sirius was acting as haughty and high as any king, while Remus made forcibly polite conversation with everyone save Sirius, who he treated like a particularly annoying portrait.

Sirius stole a glance at Remus, who was dressing quickly. He caught sight of those cuts, still slightly scabby.

He wanted to apologize, wanted to run over and beg for mercy, but he didn't. Remus finished dressing and left, as Sirius stood there frozen, watching him.

"You might keep you pride, but you will loose something much more important." James said pointedly, clapping Sirius on the shoulder. "Tell him how you really feel."

"That's just the problem!" Sirius roared. "I don't know how I feel."

"Of course you do," Peter piped up. "You're his friend and you made a mistake and now you feel bad so you need to apologize." The shortest boy rolled his eyes as if it were obvious while Sirius and James shared a glance of their own.

"No Pete…you just don't get it." Sirius sunk down onto his bed.

"But I- oh." Peter looked at him, pity on his face. Sirius reflected it was the first time he had ever received such a look from Peter and stood abruptly.

"Let's go," he said. There's quidditch practice at ten, and I need to finish my weekend homework. Plus I have detention tonight." He sighed and the others followed him out.

Severus was prowling the halls again. He had prefect duty in an hour but he always liked to start early, just to keep people on their toes.

Up ahead of him, he saw an offending black head, bowed and studying the cracks, alone in the charms hallway. Surprised at the lack of admirers and friends, Severus snorted.

"What do you want Snape?" The boy said with a sigh, turning slightly.

"Alone and loitering, I see. I believe I could give you a detention for that."

"I'm going to detention," Sirius said stiffly.

"Going the long way, eh? Well, I suppose I would want to avoid Lupin as well if I was as unintelligent as you."

"Be quiet Snape. Our business is not yours. Obviously."

"That's funny, because Lupin seemed eager to talk about it last night."

"What are you talking about?" Sirius asked, turning sharply. "You and Remus are not friends!"

"Well of course not," Severus said haughtily. "What an idea! Half blood and Gryffindor to boot! But really, he's quiet pathetic. Of course he just needed someone better than him to pretend to listen to him, give him some time to blow off steam. Reminds me of an abused house elf." Severus only felt a slight bit of guilt.

"Shut up!"

"Oh, I see I've hit a sensitive spot," Severus sneered. "Well, I wonder why. This can't simply be over a fight…perhaps it had something to do with your little presentation last night, eh? But why in heaven's name would that bother Lupin?" Sirius glared, a growl growing low in his throat.

"Shut up! Just be quiet. You don't know what you're talking about," Sirius commanded through gritted teeth. Severus smiled.

"Oh, but I do. Lupin must be quite the animal to be attracted to you." Severus had the pleasure of watching Sirius turn several shades lighter than his normal color.

"Oh?" He asked, trying to play it cool. "And what made you think that?"

Severus gave an oily laugh.

"Don't be silly. He was oh-so-pathetic when he blurted out the truth. I mean, he was practically begging me-"

"Shut up!" Sirius burst out. "Just shut up!"

"And you're quite the animal as well," Severus said, watching as Sirius grew more distressed.

"Shut your mouth! Remus wouldn't have told you any of that!"

"Hmm. Obviously, he did. What baffles me is how you get away with it. I mean, where do you meet where you don't get found out. Towers? Classrooms? The grounds?"

Sirius tensed.

"Don't you go near that tree! Just stay away from it, and the tunnel, and the branch, and just stay away next Wednesday, just stay away!"

Severus stopped dead. Had he missed something, were the two of them even discussing the same scandal? Suddenly he wasn't so sure.

"What are you babbling about, Black?" He asked, nose high. Sirius paled further.

"I-what are you talking about?"

"I was simply referring to Remus's little crush, and your apparently indecisive feelings."

Sirius stumbled backwards, fear and disbelief on his face. He tripped and didn't get up, too dizzy and too shocked. Severus turned on his heel and walked away. Sirius lay his head back against the stone wall, a strong feeling of distress boiling up in him. It was only later that he realized he was late to detention.

Severus Snape was a crafty man. Adding that to his superior intelligence, his lust for knowledge, and his contempt for Sirius Black, it was inevitable that he would decipher the conversation he and Black had just had. Quickly, he rushed through his common room and into the private sanctuary of a bedroom.

He hastily pulled out a pensive, sent to him illegally by his sister. Well, Severus mused, most likely illegal. He'd never known his sister to do anything by the rules.

Severus placed his wand to his temple, bringing back the conversation with precise detail. Slowly, he pulled the memory towards the pensive and watched the thoughts fall gracefully into it. He extracted parchment from his bed, sucked the end of his quill, and then, he set about reliving the moment.

After a while, Severus's parchment was filled with writing. Though he knew little more than he had earlier, he thought there was a way he might find out.

'"Don't you go near that tree! Just stay away from it, and the tunnel, and the branch, and just stay away next Wednesday, just stay away!"'

What had that meant? There was only one tree on the grounds that would be able to conceal a tunnel without being easily found out, but how in heaven's name would anyone get under the Whomping Willow?

'"Just stay away from it, and the tunnel, and the branch-'"

The branch? Severus thought back carefully. That had been what he'd said. Flipping through some of the books perched on the dorm bookshelf, Severus soon found what he was looking for in A Variety of Unusual and Dangerous Facts.

'Whomping Willows, though by far one of the most dangerous plants, can be easily subdued. Simply, there is a knot in the trunk of every tree that, when pressed, will freeze the tree for a several minutes.'

Of course! A branch would be needed to reach the knot in the tree's trunk.

Something was obviously happening Wednesday, something in the tunnel under the tree. And Severus was desperate to find out.

Sirius stumbled upright, moving quickly down the hall. He had to hurry; he was late

When Sirius finally got to the dungeon, it was to find both McGonagall and Remus staring at him, McGonagall infuriated, Remus annoyed.

Remus couldn't believe it when Sirius sauntered in thirty minutes late looking lost and slightly confused. But, looking closer, Remus saw that there was no twinkle in Sirius's eye, no smile lingering at the corners of his mouth. Real regret seemed to seep from him.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he muttered, offering no explanation.

"For that, Mr. Black, you and Mr. Lupin shall be in here an hour longer than planned." Remus blanched, but knew better than to argue. "The jarred potion ingredients need dusting. The floor needs a good sweep and mop, and the candle brackets! Dust those as well. Anything else you can do to make this room spotless will be much appreciated." With a wave of her wand, cleaning supplies appeared. With another, their wands were in her hand.

"I'll be back in a few hours. Enjoy." She locked the door behind her.

Remus stood furiously and rounded on Sirius.

"It's bad enough I have detention with you, now you've prolonged it! Why in Merlin's name are you so impertinent? Do you not know anything about responsibilities? I suppose you were off gallivanting with some fourth year Slytherin again. You know that if we were seventh years that would be illegal, you dim-witted, treacherous, cold-hearted beast!"

Sirius stared at him, scared. He should tell him now, tell him what he said and how he didn't mean to. But that would mean first apologizing and he couldn't do that. He sat heavily on the floor and sighed.

"Oh, make a scene!" Remus scoffed. "Sirius, wha-. Sirius?" Something in Sirius's lost eyes said that he wasn't being dramatic, that something really was wrong.

"Sirius! What have you done? Who'd you get in a fight with now?"

"Snape…I won though." Remus snorted slightly.

"Well…" he said awkwardly. He was still angry with Sirius, after all.

"Do you still hate me, Moony?" Sirius asked. "'Cause if you do I still hate you too!" Remus shook his head in exasperation and turned from Sirius.

"Quiet, Sirius." Remus said with a small humph.

"I'm serious Moony. You just wouldn't listen when I told my reasons, we could be friends again!"

"Be quiet, Sirius." He set about dusting the room while Sirius sat quietly, watching him with penetrating eyes. Remus finished with the candle brackets and most of the jarred potions before Sirius struggled to his feet.

"I'll help," he muttered. .

"Good," he said bitingly.

Sirius reached for a bucket and set about scrubbing the floor.

"Remus," Sirius said with a sigh, turning to him in as patronizing a manner as he could. "You mustn't keep up with this silence thing. I've explained to you my reasons-"

"And they suck." Remus said flatly. "Really hard."

"But those are my reasons and you're being terribly immature not to accept them!" Sirius stuttered indignantly.

"Can't you just admit that your actions were wrong and apologize?" Remus said calmly. "I never asked for reasons."

With a small condescending smile, Remus turned to Sirius. He could almost see the thoughts underneath that perfectly parted, slightly tousled, shiny black hair. If, on one hand, he apologized, he would be loosing the pride he so dearly cherished, but gaining back a friend. Or, on the other, he could continue to be stubborn in hopes that Remus would eventually break, and keep his pride firmly intact.

"I'm not going to break down, you know," Remus said helpfully.

"Well I'm not going to…not apologize," Sirius said, suddenly looking as though all the fight had gone out of him.

"Was that an apology?" Remus asked burningly.

"An…attempted one. I'm sorry Moony." Remus sighed.

"It's…all right I suppose." Sirius somehow could tell it wasn't.

"What's wrong Moony? What else can I do?" Sirius fought to keep the sulking, defensive tone from his voice.

"It's just…you shared something with me. Some really deep information. And then you kissed me."

Sirius started, and then blushed.

"Then we were fighting. And then you were with some girl."

Sirius looked shamefully at the ground.

"And I just don't know what to think."

"Well it's not as if I like her or anything!" Sirius said with disdain. "A Slytherin and a Snape as well!"

"Then why were you having sex with her?" Remus asked.

"It's not as if you own me!" Sirius said defensively. Remus colored. "And I'm not claiming to! But I am your friend and you owe me an explanation. You never seem all the interested in girls, ever! They ogle you and flirt and smile and you always seem haughty and above. But you still steal away with them once the corridors are dark. One night stand? You don't even give them that. Fifteen minute stand. And now with a girl who you despise? At least you normally converse with the person a bit!"

Sirius glared at him sulkily, folding his arms. "We all are a little confused about you Sirius, you have to let us in!"

"It's a facade, okay? I have to do everything, anything, to hide who I am! What if they saw through it, saw the real me? I have to act unconcerned and then give them a thrill, it's what I do!"

"But Aradia? Severus's cousin?"

"She was available," Sirius sulked.

"She's fourteen! You are sixteen. Were you just trying to hurt Severus and I?"

"Yes! Yes I was. You were mad and I was mad that you were mad, and hurt, and jealous and I wanted to make you feel as miserable as I did"

"I did," Remus said sharply. "I do." Sirius stopped.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

"I forgive you. I know how hard it is for you to say that. You're on probation." Sirius looked at him carefully.

"I missed you," Remus said simply.

"You too Moony."

"But that still doesn't explain…where we are," Remus said hesitantly, not meeting Sirius's eyes. Sirius looked at him.

"Remus, there's one other way that I've hurt you. And you'll find out how soon enough. So…I don't know where we are, because by Thursday morning you are going to hate me."

Remus was stunned. He stared at Sirius, at the ashamed expression that marred his features, at the bowed head and the slumped body and suddenly he thought he knew why Sirius seemed so off when he walked in.

"What happened with Severus?" he asked, levelly, but with the appropriate amount of fear mixed in.

And Sirius just looked at him.

"You don't want to know," he mumbled.

"I do," Remus said seriously.

"I-told-Snape-how-to-get-into-the-Whomping-Willow," Sirius mumbled, so low and fast that, had Remus been human, he would not have heard. But as it was, he was not human and heard perfectly.

"What?" He spit furiously, in a deadly low voice. "Explain yourself."

Sirius bowed his head.

"It was an accident. I…he was taunting me. About you. And I. I mean, about us. He said we were animals. And I thought…Oh, God! I thought he knew! I thought that I was warning him away, not bringing him closer! I didn't mean to tell him. Oh God…oh God…"Sirius was racked with broken sobs, his face hidden.

And Remus, in all his goodness, in all his bravery, in all his fairness and love and optimism, could not see how this could get better and walked away from his crying friend.