Snape and Sirius

Disclaimer: I don't own HP.

On the very last day of the holidays, something happened that made Harry positively dread his return to school.

'Harry, dear,' said Mrs. Weasley poking her head into his and Ron's bedroom, where the pair of them were playing wizard chess watched by Hermione, Kitty, Ginny and Crookshanks, 'could you come down to the kitchen? Professor Snape would like a word with you.'

Harry did not immediately register what she had said; one of his castles was engaged in a violent tussle with a pawn of Ron's and he was egging it on enthusiastically.

'Squash him- squash him, he's only a pawn, you idiot. Sorry, Mrs. Weasley, what did you say?'

'Professor Snape, dear. In the kitchen. He'd like a word.'

Harry's mouth fell open in horror. He looked around at Ron, Hermione and Ginny, all of whom were gaping back at him. Kitty was smiling. Crookshanks, whom Hermione had been restraining with difficulty for the past quarter of an hour, leapt gleefully on to the board and set the pieces running for cover, squealing at the top of their voices.

'Kat, come with me,' said Harry, 'I don't want to meet him alone.'

Kitty rolled her eyes, and the two of them went downstairs. A minute or two later, they pushed open the kitchen door to find Sirius and Snape both seated at the long kitchen table, glaring in opposite directions. The silence between them was heavy with mutual dislike. A letter lay open on the table in front of Sirius.

'Er,' said Harry, to announce his presence.

Snape looked around at him, his face framed between curtains of greasy black hair.

'Sit down, Potter.'

'You know,' said Sirius loudly, leaning back on his rear chair legs and speaking to the ceiling, 'I think I'd prefer it if you didn't give orders here, Snape. It's my house, you see.'

Kitty frowned and said, 'Be nice, Sirius.' Sirius didn't answer.

'The Headmaster has sent me to tell you, Potter, that it is his wish for you to study Occlumency this term.'

'Study what?' said Harry blankly.

Snape's sneer became more pronounced.

'Occlumency, Potter. The magical defence of the mind against external penetration. An obscure branch of magic, but a highly useful one.'

Kitty's heart began to pump very fast indeed. Defence against external penetration? But Harry was not being possessed, they had all agreed on that ...

'Why do I have to study Occlu-thing?' Harry blurted out.

'Because the Headmaster thinks it a good idea,' said Snape smoothly. 'You will receive private lessons once a week, but you will not tell anybody what you are doing, least of all Dolores Umbridge. You understand?'

'Yes,' said Harry. 'Who's going to be teaching me?'

Snape raised an eyebrow.

'I am,' he said.

'Why can't Dumbledore teach Harry?' asked Sirius aggressively. 'Why you?'

'I suppose because it is a headmaster's privilege to delegate less enjoyable tasks,' said Snape silkily. 'I assure you I did not beg for the job.'

He got to his feet. 'I will expect you at six o'clock on Monday evening, Potter. My office. If anybody asks, you are taking remedial Potions. Nobody who has seen you in my classes could deny you need them.'

'Can I come to learn too?' said Kitty, looking at Snape.

'If you want to learn, of course, you can come,' said Snape, smiling at her.

He turned to leave, his black travelling cloak billowing behind him.

'Wait a moment,' said Sirius, sitting up straighter in his chair.

Snape turned back to face them, sneering.

'I am in rather a hurry, Black. Unlike you, I do not have unlimited leisure time.'

'I'll get to the point, then,' said Sirius, standing up. He was rather taller than Snape who, Kitty noticed, balled his fist in the pocket of his cloak over what Kitty was sure was the handle of his wand. 'If I hear you're using these Occlumency lessons to give Harry a hard time, you'll have me to answer to.'

'How touching,' Snape sneered. 'But surely you have noticed that Potter is very like his father?'

'Yes, I have,' said Sirius proudly.

'Well then, you'll know he's so arrogant that criticism simply bounces off him,' Snape said sleekly.

Sirius pushed his chair roughly aside and strode around the table towards Snape, pulling out his wand as he went. Snape whipped out his own. They were squaring up to each other, Sirius looking livid, Snape calculating, his eyes darting from Sirius's wand-tip to his face.

'Sirius!' said Kitty loudly, but Sirius appeared not to hear her.

'I've warned you, Snivelus,' said Sirius, his face barely a foot from Snape's, 'I don't care if Dumbledore thinks you've reformed, I know better-'

'Oh, but why don't you tell him so?' whispered Snape. 'Or are you afraid he might not take very seriously the advice of a man who has been hiding inside his mother's house for six months?'

'Tell me, how is Lucius Malfoy these days? I expect he's delighted his lapdog's working at Hogwarts, isn't he?'

'Speaking of dogs,' said Snape softly, 'did you know that Lucius Malfoy recognised you last time you risked a little jaunt outside? Clever idea, Black, getting yourself seen on a safe station platform ... gave you a cast-iron excuse not to leave your hidey-hole in future, didn't it?'

Sirius raised his wand.

'NO!' Kitty yelled, vaulting over the table and trying to get in between them. 'Sirius, don't!' Harry hurried over to restrain Sirius.

'Are you calling me a coward?' roared Sirius, trying to push Harry out of the way, but Harry would not budge.

'Why, yes, I suppose I am,' said Snape.

'Harry-get- out-of-it!' snarled Sirius, pushing him aside with his free hand.

A jet of purple light shot out from Sirius's wand, narrowly missed Kitty and hit Snape behind her.

'What did you do?' cried Kitty.

Snape was holding his hands over his eyes which had swollen and become red.

'Put him right, now!' screamed Kitty, in fury.

Sirius looked taken aback. 'Kitty…'

'SHUT UP! PUT HIM RIGHT!' shouted Kitty.

Sirius pointed his wand at Snape, and muttered a spell under his breath. Snape's eyes shrank back to normal.

Sirius sneered and began, 'You're lucky Kitty was here or I would have…'

Kitty pushed Sirius with all her might, who staggered and looked at her as if she had gone mad.

'What the…'

'Kat, calm down,' Harry was saying.

The kitchen door opened and the entire Weasley family, plus Hermione, came inside, all looking very happy, with Mr. Weasley walking proudly in their midst dressed in a pair of striped pyjamas covered by a mackintosh.

'Cured!' he announced brightly to the kitchen at large. 'Completely cured!'

He and all the other Weasleys froze on the threshold, gazing at the scene in front of them, which was also suspended in mid-action, both Sirius and Snape looking towards the door with their wands pointing into each other's faces. Kitty was shaking in fury and Harry was immobile, with a hand on Kitty's shoulder.

'Merlin's beard,' said Mr. Weasley, the smile sliding off his face, 'what's going on here?'

Both Sirius and Snape lowered their wands. Harry looked from one to the other. Each wore an expression of utmost contempt, yet the unexpected entrance of so many witnesses seemed to have brought them to their senses. Snape pocketed his wand, turned on his heel and swept back across the kitchen, passing the Weasleys without comment. At the door he looked back.

'Six o'clock, Monday evening, Potter.'

And he was gone. Sirius glared after him, his wand at his side.

'Kitty, I can explain,' began Sirius.

Kitty stalked out of the room, without so much as a glance at Sirius. Harry followed her.

'Kat!' said Harry running after Kitty, 'Kat, wait!'

Kitty stomped up the stairs and entered the room she and Hermione shared. She slammed the door behind her. A minute later, it opened, with Harry standing in the doorway.

'Kat, I'm sure Sirius didn't really mean to…'

'Yeah, I'm pretty sure he did,' said Kitty angrily. 'Why can't he give him a break? I mean, they're not fifteen any more.'

'You know Kat, Snape raised his wand too. And not to mention, he insulted Dad,' said Harry.

'Yeah, so Sirius is perfectly at liberty to curse him? It's foolish. The Ministry doesn't believe us. Hardly a few wizards are working together against Voldemort. We should unite in peace, instead of bickering among ourselves over someone who's dead. I'm not saying what Snape said was right. But like this, we'll fall apart just because of schoolboy grudges and house rivalries. And if Sirius really cared for Dad so much, then he would not duel with the others who are trying to bring down dad's murderer,' said Kitty, in a fit of rage.

'I'll talk to him, I swear,' Harry managed to say.

Just then, Sirius and Remus entered the room.

'I'm sorry,' said Sirius immediately.

Kitty glared at him.

'You know, Padfoot, I reckon Kitty's right,' said Remus, throwing her a furtive glance.

'I promise I won't do that again,' said Sirius, 'Next time, I'll content myself with cursing Kreacher instead. But, you've got to admit, Snape looked a darn sight better with those eyes I gave him. Diverted the attention from his hooked nose and greasy hair.'

Kitty narrowed her eyes at Sirius, and then smiled in spite of herself. Harry clapped her on the back.

'Come on, down for dinner,' said Remus, pulling her up and walking her out of the room.

'That felt good,' said Sirius to Harry, once Remus and Kitty were out of the room. Harry grinned.

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