Chapter Four: Mispronunciation of Friendship
I could bet my life everyone who knows about my life at Hogwarts thinks Snape and I have been enemies ever since we laid eyes on each other... wrong. We were friends when we were younger, because we didn't know any better...
It was another day of boredom in the way-too-long summer holidays I was sitting on the sidewalk with Snape thinking of ideas for pranks. I guess, we just didn't share that passion for pranking.
"How 'bout we set my Mum's hair on fire with Dad's wand?" I asked him.
"No," he replied.
"Putting fireworks on Kreacher's cupboard?"
"No."
"Would you mind answering why you are my friend?" I asked, for the fiftieth million time. He truly was annoying me, lately. It was as though he liked boredom and darkness more than anything else in the world.
"Because we're from pureblood families and have no other option than getting along?"
"Yep, that was the reason I was looking for..."
"Hey, Sirius!" said a voice from behind us.
"Bella!" I said, standing up and running to hug her. "Thank the Lord you're here! I was already planning the best way to kill myself, but I won't have to anymore!"
I know, that was stupid. But that's how it was, and besides we were nine. "Help me, please! I'm dying of boredom and Severus is in no way helpful!"
"Okay, okay," she said, laughing at me. "How about we put fireworks in Kreacher's cupboard?"
Now is the best time for everyone to stop wondering why Bellatrix and I really liked each other. Our brains were one when it came for pranks, there was no denying that.
"Perfect!" I said, as we ran to the house. "Come on, Severus! You're going to miss all the fun!" I said over my shoulder, where Severus reluctantly followed...
Yes, our summer holidays went always pretty much like that. Until, Bella was sorted into Slytherin and I was left all alone. Severus fascination for the Dark Arts increased when Bella started talking about her first year at Hogwarts. If our friendship was pretty much dead by then, you just can't imagine what it was when he was sorted into Slytherin, and I was sorted into Gryffindor...
"Well, if it isn't the Black outcast," said Bellatrix in our second week into the term. I was lucky enough to never cross her path during that time. "And as I can see a Gryffindor outcast, too."
I think Bella should've thanked the heavens that day that looks can't kill.
"An outcast everywhere you go, I see," said Snape, from behind her.
"Is that all you monkeys can say?" I asked, annoyed. "That I'm an outcast? Because you know, I would rather be an outcast that teamed up with brainless prats."
So, I know that was not the cleverest thing to say. First, it was two on one. Second, I didn't have my wand. You can only imagine the field day they would've had if McGonagall hadn't made an appearance.
"What seems to be the problem?" she said, sternly. "I trust you were not thinking about dueling."
"Of course not, Professor McGonagall," I said, innocently. Heart melting smile and everything.
"We were just catching up," said Bellatrix, in a horribly sweet voice. "You know being in different houses and stuff."
"I see," said McGonagall, not really believing us. "Move along, now!"
About the outcast thing, I don't really feel like talking about it. But Snape was in for trouble, from my second year on...
"Well, if it isn't Snivelly," said fourteen-year old James Potter. Snape stood up and drew out his wand but James was faster. "Locomotor Mortis!"
Snape immediately fell to the floor with a thud as students nearby roared with laughter.
"See, Snivelly, you should've never called me an outcast all those years ago," I said, sneering at him. "As you can see, you are the outcast now... nobody seems to want to stand up for you and nobody will ever."
"Finite Incantatem," I said, taking the curse off of him. "You're just pitied meat."
"You'll pay for that one day, Black! I will see your downfall one day," he said, picking up his bag and storming away from the laughing students.
From there on things were pretty bad. I played the worst pranks ever on Snape, all because I couldn't stand his fascination with the dark arts. James was okay with pranks but I almost lost his friendship when I sent Snape to a full grown werewolf...
In my sixth year I heard that Snape wanted to know what Remus went away every month. I was maddened by the fact that he asked why Remus grandmother didn't die once and for all instead of making him go away so much. I thought I would never meet someone stupider that Regulus but apparently I did.
"Peter?" I said one morning during breakfast. I had that evil glint in my eyes and I could feel Peter staring almost afraid at me. "I have an idea."
He snorted, "That's weird."
"I'm serious–"
"I know you are."
I glared at him, that joke was already getting old. "Shut up and listen..." I told him my plan and immediately went into action.
"Peter, remember when you go to see Remus to prod the knot at the base of the Whomping Willow so that its branches won't take your eyes out," I told Peter when Snape was on earshot. I heard him stop dead in his tracks and then proceed. I smiled in triumph. This was going to be one hell of a night...
Not quite...
"You did WHAT?" yelled James, making half the people in the common room stare. The other half were already used to the yelling. "I can't believe this!"
"James–" I started to say but was cut off by James storming out of the common room. I tried to follow him but Peter stopped me.
"He's right, Sirius," he said sternly. When had the rat gotten a brain?
"Shut up, Peter!" I snapped at him. Then whispered, "I know he is..."
About forty five minutes later James stormed into the common room, I had never seen him so angry before. And the worst part... he was mad at me.
"SIRIUS BLACK!" he yelled. I flinched unconsciously. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING? OH, I KNOW! YOU WEREN'T!"
"James–"
"YOU COULD'VE KILLED HIM!"
"James–"
"DO YOU WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE IN AZKABAN?"
"JAMES!" I yelled in frustration. "Would you mind keeping it down? Look, I know what I did was wrong and that there's no excuse for what I did, but–"
"I thought you said there was no excuse," he spat. I sighed.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay?" I said. "I'll never do something like that again–"
"Prove it first," James said coldly. "Then we can do something about our friendship." He made his way toward the boys' dormitory and I could see the people looking at me sympathetically.
"What are you looking at?" I growled at some first years, who immediately resumed what they had been doing. I knew what I had to do. Apologize to Snape...
It proved to be a very difficult task. First, he would probably curse me before I got a word out and second, I was too preoccupied with the effects apologizing to Snape would cause to my reputation. I didn't want to, but I had to do it.
I saw him under the beech tree the next morning, his nose immersed in a book like always.
"Uh, Snape?" I said, "Severus."
He looked up at me, hate written all over his face. "What d'you want?"
I instantly regretted even thinking about apologizing, never in my life had Snape been so cold toward me.
"I only wanted to apologize for what I did yesterday," I swallowed hard; I couldn't believe I was doing this. "It was stupid and you could've died–"
"You realized that a little too late, Black," he said, his voice was flat. He stood up and left. I would've followed him, try to make him listen to me but that damned pride of mine would not let me.
As everyone already knows, we hated each other 'til the day I died. I don't know much about if he still hates me. One thing I can tell you for sure is that he belonged in both lists, the pitied people list and the most hated people list. He didn't really see my downfall, but he heard about it. The day I fell through that damned veil...
Disclaimer: I don't own it.
A/N: Thanks to Lady Nissa- your email really helped me. It gave me the idea of the Snape/Sirius friendship, it wasn't really like a tight friendship but, oh well.
Also thanks to everyone else who reviewed. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't worry I'll update soon!