A line of Gryffindors and Slytherins had formed down the dingy dungeon corridor outside the Potions classroom. Not that it could really be described as a line; rather a scattering of fourth years that happened to be congregated in one place. The first lesson after lunch was always difficult, but the idea of a triple lesson with Slughorn had made several students rather bitter, and numerous small scale tug of wars with text books had broken out already.
"Alright! What do you say to a spot of order here?" The bald professor stood below even some of the fourteen year olds, the thick wad of gingery blonde hair above his top lip vibrating as he spoke. A few groans emitted from the group as they warily formed a queue beside the closed door.
"I think you shall enjoy today's lesson." Horace Slughorn ignored their sounds of protest, though it was equally probable he had not heard them. The maroon waistcoat that he wore looked to be several sizes too small, and as he reached down to retrieve a gold key from the pocket he had to take a rather substantial breath in.
"If you'll take your seats and turn to page seventy-eight-" The students filed passed obediently, speculating among themselves about how Potions could possibly be enjoyable as they sat behind their desks.
"Now, now." Slughorn followed them in, shutting the door on their freedom and turning once at the front of the room. He surveyed them through prominent eyes.
"Where is master Black?" He had spotted the space beside Narcissa that would usually be filled with her cousin. Her blank look told him she had no idea.
"Went to the hospital wing, I think. He was feeling ill earlier." Rabastan Lestrange piped up with the lie he had been fed by Snape and ended the particular matter.
"So long as he copies up any observation notes. Now, this particular brew is both dangerous and perplexing….."
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"Maybe you should go and splash some water on your face, Pads. You look awful." Remus Lupin glanced upon the white face of his friend with grave worry. He now regretted barricading himself behind books in the Library at lunch and leaving the two alone. Merlin knew what they had gotten up to clear of his watchful eye.
"Maybe you ate something dodgy." Peter spoke up from Sirius' left, patting his own stomach as if needing to explain what he meant with a demonstration.
"He's mourning the pie he missed out on." James enjoyed the look of horror on Pettigrew's face as the boy contemplated life without even one helping of pudding every meal time. Remus rolled his eyes and couldn't help but feel his point had been ignored.
"Are you sure nothing happened I shouldn't know about?" The Marauders were sat around one circular table at the back of the perfumed Divination classroom, fighting the fumes and the uncontrollable urge to fall asleep. The star charts they were supposed to be reading were long forgotten, and James had joined the silvery dots on the diagram of the solar system with his quill to make new and interesting constellations.
"No." Sirius had replied with only one word answers since the start of the lesson, and now buried his head in his hands.
"Maybe, Moony, you remind him of his mother."
"James, that's-" Remus opened and closed his mouth several times in quick succession before busying himself with books he did not need to. The conversation had been abruptly ended, and his cheeks were flushed. James sat back, doodling in thin air while Sirius groaned beside him. Peter was the only one who couldn't take a hint.
"My stars look like-"
"SHUT UP!"
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Regulus Black was sat on a broken toilet seat in a stall of the boy's second floor bathroom. Severus Snape was bent on one knee, wiping excess blood from above his right eye.
"You didn't see my brother, did you?"
"No." Severus lied, reliving the sweet pleasure of such pain on Sirius' face, "keep still."
"Neither did I. Besides, he would have helped me had he been there." Regulus winced as Snape's fingers slipped.
"You have yet to learn a lot of things." He moved to continue his administrations, but Regulus pushed him away.
"What do you mean?"
"Your brother is a Gryffindor. Do you honestly think he would disgrace his own name within the house to help a Slytherin?" The younger's eyes fell. He knew the relationship between he and Sirius had changed, but the extent had never really been tested. He missed the smirk on Severus' delicate lips, and it was gone by the time he allowed the cold fingers over his cuts once more. There had been silence between them for several minutes when-
"Severus?"
"Yes?"
"You don't hurt like mother used to." Snape paused, looking from the wound down into Regulus' good eye. There was an innocence there; a potential that tempted hunger from the elder boy. Black raised his own hand to cover that of Snape, encouraging the digits to play on.
"And Severus?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you."
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A/N: It's been a while in coming, but I hope it was worth the wait. R&R as always please.
