A/N: I know, I'm sorry; Peter will get his next turn next time. I promise!

Severus stood, rooted to the spot. Had she just kissed him? Had she just kissed him? Black eyes wide, he shook his head slowly as if trying to wake himself from a dream. She was Potter's girl…except that Potter had no girl. Potter had Regulus.

Even so, she wouldn't kiss him surely! She hated him and everything he stood for. She wouldn't have kissed him to save her own life.

'Except,' the annoyingly optimistic voice in his head that for some reason sounded like Regulus said, 'she did kiss you. She kissed you and she wasn't revolted at all. She didn't call you greasy even!'

"So, the great Severus Snape falls at the touch of a muggle born's unworthy lips."

Severus turned sharply, wand out and ready to hex whoever had dared to call Lily's lips unworthy. He found his wand tip pointing directly at Regulus's head. He sighed and lowered it as Regulus laughed.

"And you tell me I put myself in dangerous situations!"

"I did not put myself in that situation, Black, so don't start with me."

"Well, you weren't exactly protesting were you?"

For once at a loss for even a sarcastic come back, Severus started off in the direction of his first class. Much to his annoyance, Regulus followed.

"Is she the one? The one you told me about yesterday."

"I never told you about anything yesterday."

"Okay, fine, be technical. The one you said you'd do anything for."

"What I did today was for you, not her, just so you know."

"Appreciate it…what exactly did you do?"

"Establish a few ground rules with Potter."

Regulus froze, and Severus was most of the way down the next corridor before he managed to catch up. "For the love of Salazar Slytherin please tell me you didn't, Severus!"

"Someone has to look after you since you fail at it rather spectacularly."

"You could have at least let me tell him I liked him first!" Regulus protested.

"I thought you'd already taken that luxury, though by his reaction I take it not. You really should be thanking me. Bearing one's heart is not something as easily done as the inexperienced think it is." Not that he would know, he'd never done it. Still, it sounded wise.

A grin so similar to that of Sirius appeared on Regulus's face just then that Severus was tempted to stupefy him in advance. Whatever had just occurred to that Black mind of his certainly didn't bode well for Severus Snape with a look like that.

Regulus shrugged, his face schooled into near indifference that would have fooled anyone but Severus. "Well then, I guess it would be alright of me to tell Evans how you feel."

Regulus quickly found himself pinned against the wall by Severus holding the back of his robes and pushing him there. Admittedly, Severus was just as surprised by this development as Regulus was, but while he had his attention…

"Don't you dare, you hear me? Don't you even think about doing it or so help me you'll find out all the extremely uncomfortable places a broomstick can go."

"Ow, Merlin, I was kidding!" Regulus tried to jerk away, but the position was awkward and he nearly fell. Severus let go of his robes, enjoying slightly the sound of Regulus's yelp as he fell to the floor. Although he felt a little bad about his head bouncing off the floor. Only a little though, so he could ignore it.

Once assured that Regulus was conscious by his sitting up and rubbing his forehead, Severus turned and continued walking. He had thought that to be the end of it, and was more than a little surprised and annoyed when he heard footsteps following him. He slowed down automatically for Regulus to catch up, cursing himself as he did so.

"Does nothing penetrate that thick skull of yours, Black?"

"Not really." Regulus had caught up now, and he appeared none the worse for wear if one ignored the red bump that was appearing under the hand pressed against his forehead. Severus felt his guilt increase to a no longer ignorable level, but Regulus seemed unbothered by it. Severus supposed being dropped on the floor was nothing compared to some of Sirius's bludgers, but still the fact that he had done it bothered him.

"You're really serious about her, aren't you?" Regulus said after a minute.

"You're first clue was…"

"The wall, actually."

If he had been the laughing type, Severus probably would have chuckled then. Instead he simply raised his eyebrow, knowing that Regulus would get the message. Regulus grinned at him, his one visible blue eye reflecting his laughter.

His eyes were the one give away to his feelings that Severus had never managed to teach out of him. Six years in Slytherin has taught the younger boy to make masks for himself, and how to wear them according to the situation. He'd become so good he could even fool his cousin Andromeda, who was normal spectacular at reading people.

The one thing he couldn't change were those startling blue eyes of his. Where every other Black Severus had ever known had eyes some variant of the color slate, Regulus's eyes reminded him of the lake in the summer time. They were just as blue and certainly just as clear a reflection of what the boy was actually thinking.

"Do you need me to go over a few rules for you, Severus?" Regulus teased gently as they neared Slughorn's classroom.

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Transfiguration, actually." Regulus said, grinning now. They stopped at the door, and Regulus removed his left hand from his forehead to reach into his robes. Now Severus could see the full extend of the damage the floor had done and he winced. Regulus didn't seem to notice.

Instead, the younger Slytherin pulled out a slightly smashed banana nut bread muffin- Severus's favorite breakfast. "I got this for you. I'll have you know that it was a perfectly fine muffin until I had a close encounter with some stone."

Severus took the muffin appreciatively, but made his face into a rather stern expression. "Did you learn your lesson about threatening people with dangerous things?"

Regulus nodded, his face solemn but his blasted eyes dancing with delight. "Yes, Severus, I think I did. A painful one at that."

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Severus grabbed Regulus's sleeve and jerked him toward him. Pulling out his wand and resting the tip of it against the goose egg on the younger boy's forehead, he quickly muttered the spell that would fix it.

Rubbing his once again perfectly smooth forehead, Regulus grinned again. "Thanks, Severus."

"Don't mention it. To anyone. Ever."

Regulus shook his head, sending loose black strands flying. "Don't worry, I won't. He already thinks I'm in love with you."

"He what?" Severus asked in shock just as the bell rang. Instead of answering, Regulus took off running and laughing. Severus scowled, shuffling into the N.E.W.T. potion class and wondering why he had to care so much.