Chapter 4

Black Eyes and Raging Temper

Severus dropped his gaze to his parchment. Letting his hair curtain his face, he hoped that by feigning disinterest, Sirius would grow bored and leave him alone. They were in detention. While Severus' punishment would end when the clock struck five, the two Marauders were still, figuratively, in the waiting room of their troubles. He doubted that even they, as thick as they were, would risk adding more to their list of misdemeanors and consequently increase Professor McGonagall's irritation. That would mean more trouble for them.

Well, not trouble if Dumbledore gets involved.

"Oye, I'm talking to you,"

Severus snuck a glance at the dog of a boy. His heart leapt into his throat. Sirius had gotten up from his chair and was idly making his way over to back of the room where he sat. Knowing that he had to stand his ground in order to come out on the right side of the inevitable skirmish, Severus kept still. However, he itched to throw a hex at the boy.

"Sirius sit down," ordered the Ravenclaw. Her eyes expressed worry. A duel in the middle of a detention she was supervising would not reflect well on her capabilities.

Sirius waved a hand, dismissively. "S'alright. I'm not going to do anything."

Remus kept up with his staring which had turned into more of a pensive assessment. If the mousy-haired prefect had anything to say, it would go unspoken until the end of time. Severus could not recall a time when Lupin did anything. He was neither an instigator nor referee. His status as fifth year Gryffindor prefect was a joke. Remus was also a sickly being. Always falling ill and looking as if he would shatter if someone shook him roughly by the shoulders. To Severus, he was less corporeal than a ghost and was only important because of his association with the golden clique of the school. If intentional, it was a smart move.

Severus bit back a growl as Sirius took a seat next to him. Elbows on the desk, Sirius leaned to the side, pretending to be interested in whatever the Slytherin had put down on the parchment. Severus was tense, but he refused to pay the boy any mind. He can't do anything.

The more useful prefect in the room had gone back to her book, but her eyes nervously darted at the two more than occasionally. The situation could turn rotten in the blink of an eye - not that she could stop it.

"What you doing, Snivy?"

"Sirius..." Remus trailed off.

"Calm down. Calm down." Sirius raised a hand in pacification. "I'll be careful with it. I study Care of Magical Creatures, you know."

Severus' head jerked a bit. Stiffly, he picked up his quill with his left hand and tried to continue his random scratching. Don't give him a cause.

"Look, the trick is to reach out slowly," Sirius stuck a hand out towards Severus' head. Clenching his jaw, he dodged the odd, demeaning petting.

Sirius smirked.

"Well, these things are of a hostile sort," Sirius' voice took on the tone of one commentating a documentary. "You can tell how wild the thing is by it's appearance - "

"Black, I would advise you to shut your mouth and get back to your seat," snapped Amelia.

" - all grimy and matted," Sirius reached out again and managed to snag a lock of Severus' hair. "Looks like it's never been clean in its pathetic life." He scrunched up his nose. "Sad, really."

A black rage had filled Severus when Sirius grabbed his hair. How dare the brute touch him? Severus could no longer see the parchment before him, his vision blurred by anger. His body shook a little as he struggled to keep himself in check. He had no greater desire than to stab the offending boy over and over until the stillness of death meant the world was finally rid of him and his blather.

"Get. Off." The words were hissed quietly, but carried with them an anger that dripped like a corrosive poison.

Sirius paused in his tugging, looking uncertain for a moment. He removed his hand and made a show of wiping them on his muddy trousers. "Sometimes you gotta know when to back off, yeah?"

"Sirius..."

"Probably shouldn't have done that, I know," he leaned back in his chair. "Wouldn't want to catch any of that factory gutter rat disease."

Severus stiffened.

"How does it feel to be half-blood in Slytherin? They make you lick their boots? You the lapdog?"

"Black!"

"Whatever." Sirius put his hands behind his head and closed his eyes. "Anything must be an improvement over your daddy beat-"

Severus leapt out of his chair and tackled Sirius Black. With Severus on top, both boys fell to the floor in a flurry of robes. One hand holding - rather strangling - Sirius, Severus repeatedly smashed his other fist into Black's face. Surprised cries came from the remaining persons in the room, but Severus paid them no heed. He was not the most physically fit, but the sheer force of his rage added to the strength of his punches. What. Gave. Him. The. Right.

He had managed to land enough punches to draw blood and make dark spots on the Gryffindor's face before he was thrown off to the side. He dodged Sirius's fist as it came barreling towards his face. It grazed his chin and unbalanced him, making him fall onto his back.

Remus had scrambled over and was trying to prevent Sirius, whose face was now blotchy, from jumping on the Slytherin in order to mete out the same treatment he had received.

"Snape! Black!" Amelia shouted. The Ravenclaw prefect was simultaneously fuming and at a loss. She turned to the other Gryffindor in the room who perhaps innocent of the nastiness of brawls, was frozen still. "Trevor, go find McGonagall. Now!"

The young Gryffindor, now identified as Trevor, shook himself out of his trance and dashed out of the room, only pausing to struggle with the heavy wooden doors.

Severus sat up. Using a desk for support, he pulled himself to his feet. Sirius Black was still fighting in Remus' hold. Black eyes met grey.

"Fucking dog."

"Diseased gutter-rat."