Disclaimer: Harry Potter and it's characters don't belong to me and I make absolutely no money off them!

Fire - Right… Well… This started out as a random thought… So… Yeah… Review with ideas, if you could...

Warnings will be put before the chapter… As for this one… There's not really anything for me to warn you about… Besides an out-of-character Snape…

Prologue

I was really sick of them. Absolutely, sick of them. You didn't deserve it most of the time, while during others it wasn't all you. They never went after Lucius, never went after Regulus, you'd be their target because they knew no-one would help. It made me sniffle when I thought about it, I should stand up for you.

I've always wondered why I was put in Gryffindor. At least if I was put in Ravenclaw I couldn't say I wasn't into studying. I couldn't see how I deserved to be in my house. I wasn't brave. Every time they picked on you proved that.

I sighed, resting my chin on my arms. Sirius and James were showing off, nothing new there and I was ready to admit how annoying it is. It makes me feel bad too. Who would want quiet, scrawny Lupin? Who would love the werewolf?

You… My brain whispered, but I silenced it quickly. I needn't be in a worse mood than I am now. Peter's noticed it, but I'd sent him away with a smile and returned to my brooding.

It didn't help that you were in my rival house. It didn't help that you were a boy also. I glared sulkily at the book in front of me, and after ten minutes of trying to concentrate on the words, gave up and left.

I knew it was past curfew, but I needed to walk around, to work the angered and saddened energy out of my body. So I did.

I didn't know where I was going, but I soon found myself in the infirmary. I was surprised, and when I spied you sitting on the bed, bandage in hand and a potion by the bed on a table, sitting on a tray, I couldn't help but feel my stomach sink.

I couldn't imagine how many times you were up here because of us. I really should start trying to stop it. Your eyes had darted over to me as I moved to leave, they held mine for a moment, or moments, or…

"What do you want Lupin?"

I snapped out of my daze as you turned back to your task, gently padding at a cut, with a cotton ball. I was puzzled, they hadn't hit you there. "What's happened?" I asked as I hesitantly moved to stand in front of you, examining the bruised cut with a cringe. It went across the top of your arm, and it was deep.

We hadn't done that.

"What's this?"

You snorted, "A cut." You kept padding it until all the muck was out of it, the cotton ball a dirty brown, a few other's on the tray in the same condition. I couldn't help but envy the control you have; to hold yourself still every time it touched you. My wounds were treated in the same way after every full moon, right before Madam Pomfrey slicked on the healing balm.

You threw the pad away, moving to grab the bandage. But I grabbed it first, "I'll do it. You can't with one hand." Surprisingly you let me without much protest. I wrapped it as neatly as possible. "How did this happen?"

"Like I'd tell you Lupin." You spat. I know the tone well, and I know I'd touched on a tender subject.

"We didn't do this Snape." I growled back, my temper flaring slightly, the wolf in me calling to protect you. I wanted to, I really did, even without the wolf howling in the back of my brain.

You snatched your arm back, "What are you doing out this late Lupin?"

I blinked, watching as you gathered the tray of equipment, putting it away. It saddened me more to know that you knew where everything went. Had you really been up here this much?

"Too many people in the common room," I frowned slightly, "Sirius and James were showing off, it was… aggravating." I was surprised again as you smirked, leaving me confused for a second.

"Gryffindors…" You mumbled, almost tenderly.

An awkward silence settled over us, my eyes flickering to your bandaged arm. "Who caused that?" I gestured to your arm and you frowned again.

"I tripped." I didn't believe you, and I told you that, you proceeded to insult me. I ignored it for the most part, I was more worried about your injury. Again we were silent.

I was sure that you would have walked out by now, and I noticed that I didn't want you to with great distress. You needed protecting and I was going to protect you.

"Severus, I'm sorry for anything I've done to you." I whispered. I couldn't remember actually doing anything to you, but I was more apologizing for standing around and doing nothing. You didn't respond.

The large, cool room was silent for a few more moments, then you moved, walking to the door, resting your hand on the stonewall before you went to turn the corner, "The 'Maruaders' aren't the only people who find tormenting me amusing." I'd barely heard it, but it rang in my ears painfully.

But it made so much sense!

Lucius never protected you, nor did any of the other Slytherins. At times I'd see them smirk, hiding sniggers behind their hands.

My eyes were grief stricken as I stood up and hesitantly walked after you, watching sadly as you walked almost pathetically down the hall, in the opposite direction to me, your bandaged hand swinging by your side.

I wandered aimlessly up to my dorm, your retreating form burned into my brain.

It was painful to think about you, painful to think of what we put you through and how you must tolerate it.

How do you tolerate it?

Do you read? Do you sit and wallow in self pity? My heart clenched, did you harm yourself?

My face must have had a look of shock on it because as I walked through the portrait, Lily commented on my appearance.

"You didn't run into a teacher did you?"

I shook my head and continued up into my dorm, finding Sirius and James playing a game of exploding snap and Peter cheering James on. They stared up at me as I stripped off my shirt and threw on my pajama top.

"Alright there Moony?"

It was Sirius. I nodded and they seemed disbelieving, but they let me hop into bed, moving to play in the common room.

"It's the full moon soon." I'd heard James whisper.

I sighed as silence fell upon the room, and soon, (two hours soon) I had fallen asleep, another promise on my tongue.

Fire: Like I asked before… Review please… They get me motivated, though I've started the next chapter already…

Oh, and this is a short chapter compared to the next few…