James Potter rolled in blissful sleep, face as calm and happy as a baby's, hugging his pillow and pretending it was his girlfriend's soft breast. His dream consisted of secret kisses, whispered sonnets, green eyes, and soft, gorgeous red hair. He stroked Lily's curls from root to end, root to end, (how could a person's hair be so smooth?) root to end, root to end… until he noticed that this neck wasn't his lover's freckled neck, this tiny pale ear wasn't Lily's…
The soft red hair turned black. It felt slippery and slimy underneath his fingers. A giant nose, black, beady eyes… James felt stubble on the once-smooth chin. He was touching… Severus Snape.
His body snapped awake. His sparked-open eyes held disgust and repulsion. His stomach churned again after a night of vomiting, an after-puke taste forming in his mouth. James wondered how it was possible that he had touched Severus Snape- the perverted freak of Hogwarts- in his dreams, much less a previously sexual dream. What a nightmare! He hadn't had a one that bad since he dreamt of losing to Slytherin.
Oh wait, James rolled his dry and sour tongue in his mouth, that one was real, wasn't it. The squirming of his insides started again. Rasputan Richardson made the winning catch. He distantly remembered silently crying over a bottle of pills. And alcohol… though after that was a hazy blur… Where was he?
The sheets covering him were starchier, itchier than his warm bed. He sat up to find himself in the middle of the hospital wing.
What… happened?
A bin and a full glass of water sat next to him innocently. He sipped at the water, eyeing the dark empty beds. His quiddich robes were in a smelly pile on a bed near him, replaced by a starchy white tunic. Deep breaths… did he drink a lot? Did he really try to kill himself? No… merely an accident… he told himself, the haze of alcohol blurring his logic. Who had helped him? He remembered not being able to get up. Probably Sirius, he thought, wondering where Sirius was now. He hoped Sirius had the sense not to tell anyone that he might have overdosed on purpose. His life would get much more complicated if he did.
Don't worry about it right now, he told himself. Go back to sleep. He lay back onto his pillow, worrying what Lily would think of him in such a dishonorable state, and still wondering what made him dream about Severu… about Snape.
o-o-o-o-o-o
The sound of a wet sponge hitting the floor. A slobbery kiss. The two boys giggling.
Mrs. Norris, the temperamental cat sat in a state of confusion. Her ears could hear and nose could smell two boys out of bed but she could not see them. She sniffed the air again, the distinct musk of two young men wafted into her nostrils. They were there all right. Her tail flicked as she followed they're trail. For years she had been bamboozled in the same way, but tonight she would catch them, the invisible mongrels.
"Sirius," slurp. "We have to get going…" No doubt the cat's fluffy tail had caught his eye. "James…"
"Right," said Sirius, kissing his boyfriend's nose before whisking him away. They ran as quietly as possible, holding hands underneath the cloak. After some time that night they decided to go looking for Prongs… their search began at the astronomy tower (James' favorite place to think and watch the sunset), to the kitchen (he had missed dinner), to the girl's bathroom (another favorite spot), and even the prefect bathrooms but they hadn't found him yet. Peter was snoozing in the dormitory with one end of the two-way mirror so they knew that he hadn't gotten back still. Sirius was about to voice the suggestion of going to the Shrieking Shack when his boyfriend cut him off.
"You know," Lupin said in a low voice, once they had lost the cat again. "He might be in the infirmary."
"I didn't think of that," Sirius replied, holding his boyfriend from behind as the glided slowly through Hogwarts. The halls were so creepy at night, but admitting that would make him sound like a first-year. "But, why would he be there?"
Remus sensed more than felt Sirius tense up at the idea of his best friend in the infirmary. He knew Sirius' mind was churning with possible, horrible accidents that could have happened to Prongs. So he tried to sound light-hearted, "Well, you know Prongs…" he said soothingly. "He went missing right after the match, right? So he probably went thinking he sprained an ankle or something. Something as an excuse for loosing today's match."
A growl that sounded more like a stomach gurgle escaped his boyfriend's lips. Perhaps he shouldn't have mentioned it. The whole of Gryffindor was miserable after that display. James barely missed the catch, when his feet touched the ground again he had had such a nervous smile, like he was going to break into tears. Something about his friend made him look absolutely pathetic, like a wet cat or trapped bird. "You know, you might be right, hon."
"Don't call me 'hon,'" Remus protested a little too loudly. "That's something you would call a girl. That's something you used to call girls."
Sirius couldn't hide the smile. "Remus, you are a jealous little thing, aren't you…"
"No… I'm just," he shrugged. "I want you to take this seriously, Sirius." He paused, resisting the urge to make a bad pun. He choose to ignore the repetition at stare into his gray eyes longingly. "I mean this… us… isn't puppy love…"
"No way, this is the real thing, babe."
"Babe, that sounds so… American…." Remus trailed off fingering the v-neck of Sirius' sweater. "It's kind of hot…"
"You like that, babe?"
"Don't overdo it, Sirius."
"Ok, hon."
"Sirius…"
"Love you." Another wet smack. "We better get going though, if we want any sleep tonight."
"Right," said Remus.
The trek to the infirmary wasn't too long, although they did get sidetracked because of avoiding Filch in numerous spots. "Wish the map was finished…" Sirius whispered to himself more than once in the night. One of the charms hadn't been functioning properly. "Then we would know exactly where he is and not have to worry about all this." Remus trailed a finger along Sirius' stubbly jawbow, arousal never leaving.
"I wish it was too," said Remus. "That way I could snog you in our dorm and know when someone's coming."
Remus was being way too cute. Sirius kissed him on the mouth. "So distracting…" he said, and they smooched again.
Eventually, after two or three more sneaky kisses the mutts made their way to James' bedside. They sat peacefully at his side, staring at the baby-faced jock. "Well, what do you think is wrong with him?" asked Sirius after a long period of silence. Remus shook his head and placed a finger at his lips. He sniffed at the discarded robes, smelling firewhiskey. They held hands underneath the cloak. "Maybe we should poke him awake…" he said. Remus pinched him. "I want to know what's wrong!" James' hips shifted against the fabric and he made cooing noises to his dream-Lily. Sirius pinched his nose and James stared up groggily at them.
"'Lo Sirius," said James up to his friend's head that was floating in midair. "Am I dreaming?"
"Maybe," said Sirius softly. "What are you doing here? What d-you do? Sprain your ankle?"
James reached for his glasses and kneaded his eyes. Stretching, yawning and noticing the time, he replied, "Y-you mean you didn't bring me here?"
Sirius shook his head and Remus popped out from underneath the cloak. "Hi Remus," said James.
"No, I didn't bring you here, mate. Neither did Remus. We've been looking for you for hours. What's wrong?"
"That's funny," said James paying particular attention to cleaning his glasses. "I was hoping you would tell me. Weird that McGonagall did tell you I was down here… she usually lets you know if I've been hurt… but… I wonder who helped me. I think I might have passed out somewhere, don't really remember."
"Passed out?" asked Remus.
"I think that I drank some firewhiskey or something…" James trailed off.
"By yourself?" asked Sirius.
James tried not to blush, but it was too late. Could they tell that he had wanted to do harm to himself? He struggled to find the cool James inside of him and he shrugged, "Hey, I had just lost the match."
"So?"
"I needed a lift."
"James," Remus held his hands together on the tip of his nose, a gesture that meant he was trying to be patient and calm but inside he was emotional. "I think…" his eyes read plain and simple worry, "Gosh, Prongs… that sounds like… like your some kind of… alcoholic or something."
"Come on, I'm a marauder. It was fine." James waved away his concern.
"No, I agree with Moony on this one," said Sirius passionately. "If you wanted to drink with someone I would've. But…"
"Why are the two of you ganging up on me lately?"
"I'm sorry but drinking by yourself in the middle of the day and passing out somewhere and no one we know was able to find you and ending up in the infirmary is fucking scary, James!" Sirius heaved. "There's the fun of risk, but that's stupid."
"You worried about me? You, pansy?"
Sirius tried to hide that he took that personally. It was hardly James' fault. He didn't know about his relationship with Remus… But James was smiling and hugging him now and Sirius just took it as loving sarcasm. "I'm sorry. I promise I'm fine. I'm fine." He patted his friend on the back. "Really. I just want to know who sa… helped me here."
They should have noticed Madam Pomphrey shuffling about then, but they didn't. "I thought it was you."
"Could've been anyone," said Remus.
"Maybe it was Lily," said James, suddenly lovesick.
"You're pathetic," the two mutts said in unison.
"You never know!" said James in a hoarse voice.
"STUDENTS OUT OF BED!" screeched Madam Pomphrey from across the room. "BLACK! LUPIN!"
They hid the invisibility cloak behind them.
James sat up and he felt liquids in his stomach churn. "Madam Pomphrey! Uh… my friends were worried sick about me and wanted to see if I was alright."
"And we're going up to bed right this instant now that we know
that he's safe!" said Remus.
She was still spewing steam from her nostrils. Sirius took it upon
himself to use the Black family manipulation tactic number
forty-eight: feigned feminine anxiety. "Oh, Madam Pomphrey!" he
said with an excess flare of putting his hand to his forehead like a
silent-film movie star. "How could you not let us know the
whereabouts of our dear friend Mr. Potter? Why-oh-why did no one
notify us of our poor… poor friend's illness?" His voice
wailed like a howling dog. "You don't know the terror of seeing
your best friend gone the entire night." His English accent was
suddenly more perfect and more pronounced. "We scrounged the castle
for our dearest friend, and the imagination did wild things! What if
he had fallen in a ditch somewhere? Or gotten pummeled by Peeves?
What if a horrid gang of goblins mugged him and left chained in the
lake to die?!"
"That'll do, Mr. Black," the head nurse said, this time a little more calmly. "You were not notified because of a specific request to keep what happened quiet by the headmaster. The state in which Mr. Potter was brought here," she grimaced at James, "Well, he may want to keep his illness private. I'm afraid that is all I'm allowed to say."
"But…" said James, "I don't even know what illness I have."
"Dumbledore wishes to schedule a private meeting with you tomorrow afternoon to discuss it. He said to come to his office after classes and he will be available." She turned to leave. "Now please, Mr. Potter, get some rest."
"But… wait!" She turned again, eyeing James in a go-to-bed-child way. "Can you tell me who brought me here?"
Suddenly her annoyed face turned calm. "Why, yes. You might be surprised to note that it was Severus Snape."
"Snape?!" gasped Remus, Sirius and James all in unison.
"Yes," she smiled, "He helped you get here. I don't want to imagine the state you'd be in if he hadn't. He really is a sweet one, that Severus…"
"Sweet?!" garbled James, "Sweet? How do you know he didn't ambush me and then take me here out of guilt?"
Madam Pomphrey bristled, as if rustling her feathers. "I think you have a very ill view of Severus Snape if that is what you believe. He's much more noble than what you give him credit for. You can sort it out with the headmaster tomorrow. Mr. Black, Mr. Lupin, good night! Mr. Potter needs his sleep."
"But!" James sputtered.
"Goodnight. If you are not gone within five minutes, you are both getting detention!" She barked with her back turned.
"The cloak!" whispered James. And his friends were gone… sort of.
"Snivellus helped you?" Sirius hissed as low as he possibly could (which wasn't that low). "Why? How? I thought he hated you, mate!"
"I thought he did too," said James.
"Maybe," whispered Remus. "Maybe… he's had a change of heart. Maybe he still hates you but didn't want anything bad to happen to you."
"Isn't that a contradiction?" asked Sirius.
"Yes, but…" Remus sighed, 'Maybe we should psychologically analyze him later, Sirius. He does need sleep."
"I don't understand," James said, the eyes behind his glasses staring into the sheets. "Why would he? It's almost like he wants me to… trust him… I… don't understand…"
"Maybe you should ask him instead of us," said Remus, ever wise.
"He'll hex me!"
"You've been doing most of the hexing lately, James." Remus was using his mom-voice again.
"I… it's like he wants me to… like… be his friend or something…" This time he wrinkled his nose in an over exaggerated grimace.
"Do you think you could ever be friends with Snivellus?" asked Sirius.
"Well, you know…" he blushed slightly. "I was once," said James, smiling to the ceiling in a mischievous way. "In preschool."
"Preschool? What's that?" Sirius asked bemused. He turned to Remus for the answer. He always looked to him for answers.
"It's a special place for children to go to before Hogwarts," Remus explained.
"Wha?"
James coughed. "As much as I do enjoy your company," he said with upmost English charm. "I'd better go to sleep soon. Thanks for coming to see me." When he could still here them breathing next to him, he said, "Get out you buggars!"
And they were gone. He could hear the invisible mongrels scurry, Sirius whispering under the cloak, "Explain to me this preschool-thing to me again." He leaned back against the pillows, and for the first time in his short life he was glad to see them go. Closed eyes and an ugly sort of frown rooted on his face. None of this made any sense. His skins still reeked of alcohol, but he knew, he knew, that that greasy Slytherin hadn't had a change of heart at all. He probably ambushed him and made it look like an accident so he wouldn't get into trouble…yeah. The more he thought, the more it made sense. That Slytherin didn't even have a heart. Glaring at his eyelids, he grinded his teeth at the hatred and fury towards one Severus Snape.
A/N: Um… yeah. More on the preschool thing later. It was cool that Pervert Bitch, A. C. Mathur, and Erica picked up on the one-sentenced bit of foreshadowing in Chapter Five. Fooshizle to them for being in-depth readers (woot). I should give them a prize for just being awesome. I think I'll give them leftover noisemakers from New Years Eve.
Keep that in mind: people who review get prizes and are awesome.
My image of Snape and Potter at age five is so not cannon, but I think you guys might like it. Just be patient. Next chapter. There will be young Severus' and James' and heartaches… and… pirates.