Chapter Three: The Call of the Wild…Or Not:

Severus was enjoying tea on this fine winters day at the burrow, he liked talking with Molly and Arthur, though Arthur was still at work today. It was Christmas break and so the house was full of teens and young adults. Remus was sitting across from Severus and he slid a piece of parchment to Severus as Molly was getting more of her baking goods for the table. Padfoot was sleeping by the fire as Severus had managed to slip a collar on him and claimed he could not get it off and he was really, really sorry but Sirius had to stay as Padfoot for now. In fact he could get it off but why ruin the fun by telling Molly that? He read the note and raised an eyebrow.

"You are surely joking Remus." Severus said setting the paper to ash.

"Come on Severus I really think they could win this year." Remus replied.

"They do not have any good players." Severus shot back.

"Ah they got Montague."

"I rest my case."

"He was on your Slytherin team!" Remus countered.

"And he was not that good a player, very good as captain but a poor player." Severus said. "If not for Draco my team would have suffered greatly."

"Yes he is a good player but you know Harry is just that much better." Remus countered.

"Draco has offers to several teams."

"Yes and Harry does too but he is going to be an Auror."

Severus went back to his tea and took one of Molly's pumpkin pasties and ate it savoring the wonderful taste. He then ate a cauldron cake and Padfoot looked up mournfully. He tossed a cauldron cake to Padfoot who gobbled it up and begged for more. Remus gave him a pumpkin pasty and the dog gulped it down. Severus smirked and finished his tea and headed outside while Remus sipped his tea and looked at his dear friend who was trying to get the collar off. Remus liked Severus but the joke had gone far enough and he knelt down and carefully cast several charms and got the collar off of Padfoot. Molly turned around and sighed as Sirius was human again.

"Thanks, Moony, he knew how to get that off." Sirius said. "I know he did, stupid git."

"Well there is a chance he did not." Molly said giving him a cup of tea. "I once got mad at Bill for refusing to wear a coat outside in winter. I charmed it to stay on and I could not get it off for a week, it was when Filius came for a visit and he got it off with a wave of his wand."

"This is Greasy Git we are talking about." Sirius said.

"Be nice to Severus." Molly warned him. "He has been through so much as it is!"

"Fine, I am going outside, see if Harry is flying." Sirius said.

He left the house and wandered out to the paddock and did not see anyone there flying. He saw Severus out there very still and he had a wicked idea. He walked up to taunt Severus and Severus saw him and had an idea that was at once very immature and funny at the same time. He felt the call of nature and instead of going into the house he decided to do some writing in the snow. Sirius found this amusing until he saw what Severus was writing. It was at this time the teens showed up, however the boys steered the girls away fast so Severus could have some privacy. The twins were the most impressed and stood grinning behind their professor as he wrote in the snow carefully.

"Wow he really is talented brother dearest." Fred said.

"Yea how many words can he write in the snow?" George replied.

"Are you not upset that he is insulting me?" Sirius said.

"What is going on out here?" Molly started to say and Severus threw up his cloak though she was behind him and could not see anything.

"I am trying to pee here." Severus said.

"There is a toilet in the house!"

"But it is more fun to pee in nature." Severus said then looking around. "Can a wizard not have a bit of privacy here?"

He finished and fixed his clothing smoothing his robes and walking away from his "masterpiece" and everyone was able to read what he had wrote in the snow. It read: Sirius Black is a flea bitten mutt and Severus Snape is a great wizard and potions master. Smirking Severus turned to face Molly very proud of what he had done, she on the other hand was really not amused. Even Harry found this funny and he laughed along with the twins. Remus was impressed though he new a fight would take place shortly when Molly went back into the house. He was right, Molly went into the house and Severus was following when Sirius tackled him. A full on wrestling match was in order and it was one Severus won easily.

"Say it mutt." Severus said holding the other wizard down.

"No I will not!" Sirius said.

"Say uncle!" Severus said talking out his wand to cast a tickling charm on Sirius.

"No you evil bat nooooooooooo!" Sirius howled.

"That is evil." Harry said.

"Yea it is." Fred said.
"Agreed, you think professor Snape needs help?" George replied.

"You would side with him." Harry said rolling his eyes.

"Say it mutt now or you will die laughing!" Severus said.

"Okay, okay uncle! Uncle you evil bat uncle!" Sirius screamed.

"What else?" Severus said.

"Stop please, you are the best potions master ever and I am a flea bitten mutt please get it off me!" Sirius howled and as the spell was taken off him, "I hate you Snape!"

"Well, well this is highly amusing." Came the voice of the last person anyone expected, that of Rufus Scrimgeour.

The minister was standing with Percy Weasley who was a loyal and strong aid to the minister. He had thwarted two attacks on the minister and he had settled down to learn from the minister and he was becoming a good man. However seeing professor Snape wrestling with Sirius Black was nearly too much for him. The minister found this amusing and he saw Harry and Harry walked up knowing he wanted to speak to him. This was normal now, even though the minister had promised to let him grow up normal as possible after the war and had kept the media away Harry did not fully trust him and did not want to talk to him.

"I have great news Mr. Potter." Scrimgeour said, "if you keep up your grades looks as if there will be a place for you in the Auror training class after you leave Hogwarts."

"Thank you sir, Ron make it?" Harry asked.

"Before you did, he is smart." Scrimgeour said, "you doing alright then?"

"Yea for now, thank you for all you are doing sir." Harry replied.

"Professor Snape if you have finished beating up Mr. Black I would like to speak with you." Scrimgeour said.

Severus hit Sirius once more and got up and hxed Sirius once more. Molly just hoped that the minister did not see the "masterpiece" that Severus had done in the Paddock. She realized that Severus and Sirius were just as bad as her twins and she was going to have to put them in line sooner or later. Every weak since the end of the war there had been something they had done, wither it was Severus hexing Sirius with color changing charms on his hair or charming a dog collar to keep Sirius as Padfoot he was enjoying his freedom to torment Sirius all the time. Then again he had earned the right to have fun, as lone as he did not get to out of hand with his pranking of Sirius Black…