Sirius burst into the dorm room with a forceful slam of the door, startling his friends who were in the midst of playing poker on Remus' bed. As the noise subsided, they gazed at Sirius in apprehension, unsure of what had caused his sudden outburst. Without saying a word, Sirius proceeded to remove his shirt and trousers in an aggressive manner, tossing them haphazardly into the laundry basket. Left in nothing but his boxer shorts, Sirius climbed onto his bed and slipped underneath the blanket, seething with frustration.

The bruises that covered Severus' frail frame plagued Sirius' mind incessantly. The sight of his vulnerable appearance left him feeling unsettled; it seemed as though even the slightest touch would cause him to crumble. He couldn't help but wonder if Severus was taking care of himself and eating properly. It seemed unlikely that such severe bruising could be caused by just a few slams.

Seething with frustration, Sirius let out a loud grunt as he violently tossed and turned in his bed like a petulant child. His pillows tumbled to the floor with a soft thud due to his aggressive tantrum.

Sirius opened his eyes to find James standing next to his bed, concerned about his friend's erratic behavior. Picking up one of the fallen pillows, he placed it gently next to Sirius' legs before turning his attention back to his friend. "Blimey, Padfoot," he exclaimed, his eyes narrowing in confusion. "What's going on with you? You're acting like a madman," he asked with concern etched on his face.

Remus stood up from his bed and approached Sirius, sensing that something was amiss. "Is everything okay, mate?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. "Did something happen during your detention?"

Sirius let out a low growl and sat up abruptly, causing his hair to fall into his face. In a fit of frustration, he violently ruffled his hair until it completely covered his face, making him look even more agitated than before. "It's nothing," he said.

"Seriously, mate. We know that's not the case," James said, settling down next to Sirius and attempting to brush his disheveled hair back with his fingers. "You look like a total mess right now."

Sirius let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing James to comfort him by petting his head softly. "I just ran into that Rosier git," he said, leaning back against the headboard of his bed. While Rosier's taunting was certainly upsetting him, it wasn't exactly the main reason for Sirius' distress. However, he figured it was easier to share this with his friends rather than admitting about his concern regarding Snivellus.

"What did he do?" asked Peter.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," he started, but before he could finish, James suddenly barked.

"Oh I'm gonna fuck that wanker up!" He stood up from the bed, his fists clenched tightly in anger. The sudden outburst caught Sirius off-guard.

Remus quickly intervened, placing his hands on James' shoulders and gently pushing him back down onto the bed. "Let's not jump to conclusions, Prongs," he said calmly. "We don't even know what happened yet."

"I don't think we need to listen to the whole story to know what happened."

"I hardly think we can make assumptions based on a vague statement," Remus retorted, rolling his eyes in frustration. "We need to hear the whole story before we jump to conclusions like a pack of wild dogs," he continued, emphasizing each word.

Sirius let out a deep sigh and slumped down, resting his head on his knees. As James and Remus continued to bicker, he couldn't help but wonder why he was feeling so unsettled. Perhaps it was because Severus had been so difficult and uncooperative, even when Sirius was just trying to check on him and be civil. In fact, Severus should be grateful that Sirius had even bothered to visit him in the first place.

'Ungrateful bastard', he thought.

"—you're being unreasonable here, Moony."

"What did I do? I was just trying to calm everyone—" Remus protested, his voice trailing off as they were suddenly interrupted.

"SHUT UP AND GO TO SLEEP!" A startled gasp escaped from all four Marauders as Lily stormed into their room in her pajamas, hugging a pillow with one hand. "We can hear everything all the way from the girls' dormitory. This is ridiculous. Put a silencing charm on your door or something," she glared at all four of them and turned her heels to leave.

James quickly stood up from his bed and sprinted towards Lily to block her way. "Whoa, whoa, Evans. Hold up a second," he said, flashing her a charming smile.

Lily let out a tired sigh. "What do you want, Potter?"

James shifted his weight from one foot to the other as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, while you're here, why don't you come in? We have poker and Uno cards that we got from the Muggle shop. We could play together," he suggested, hoping to impress Lily with his knowledge of Muggle games.

Lily put her hand on her forehead, clearly exasperated. "Move away, Potter. I'm too tired to deal with you right now," she said, in a tired tone.

James continued to step closer, undeterred by her lack of interest. He seemed to relish in annoying her.

"Couldn't be that tired considering how you walked all the way here to tell us to keep it down," he said, leaning in close to her.

Lily glared at him, her teeth bared in frustration. "Come any closer and I'll hex your testicles," she said, reaching for her wand. Instead of backing away, James leaned on the door, still grinning.

"Don't threaten me with a good time, Evans," he said, his expression smug. Lily scrunched up her face in disgust at his response.

Sirius let out a low groan and shook his head in disbelief as he watched his friend's horrendous attempt at flirting. He couldn't believe that James had managed to switch from a serious discussion to cheesy flirtation in a matter of seconds.

Lily pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. It was honestly impressive that they ended up together despite her having to endure four years of his terrible pickup lines and awkward advances. "You have an amazing ability to make any type of situation incredibly awkward and disgusting. Excellent job, Potter."

"Thank you."

"That was not a compliment."

James grinned and responded cheekily, "Sounds like one," as he met Lily's annoyed gaze with sultry eyes, trailing them from her head to toe. "You look good in pajamas. Would love to see you in them more often," he added with a wink.

Sure enough, Lily's fist connected with James' eye before he could even react. He stumbled backwards, cupping his eye in pain. Sirius winced at the sight, but couldn't help but feel a small sense of satisfaction at seeing James get his comeuppance. "And I'm sure you'll look good with that purple eye tomorrow morning," she growled before pushing past him and storming away with a low grumble.

Remus let out a heavy sigh and grasped James' arm to lead him inside. "You should really get an ice pack for that," he said as he closed the door and cast a silencing charm. He walked over to his bed, where the scattered poker cards lay haphazardly on the sheets. He picked them up and carefully put them away in the drawer next to his bed."I'm going to bed now," he announced, his voice tinged with frustration. "If you're planning on causing trouble tomorrow, go ahead. But don't expect me to turn a blind eye this time. I'm tired of being ignored whenever I try to give my friends advice." He climbed into bed, pulling the covers up to his chin, hoping that James would take his words to heart and start listening to reason.

They watched as Remus retreated under his blanket and turned away from them, seeking solace in sleep. "Maybe we should all sleep too," said Peter in his timid voice.

"I was until you two woke me up," Sirius retorted with a hint of irritation in his voice.

James crossed his arms over his chest and scolded Sirius, "You were not sleeping, you were thrashing around like a child. All because of that Rosier lad!"

Sirius sat up in bed and defended himself. "I was trying to tell you that it wasn't a big deal. Rosier just annoyed me with his dirty little mouth on my way to the dorm. You know how childish I can be sometimes." He then proceeded to fix his bed before getting back under his blanket.

James chuckled and teased Sirius, "Since when did you start practicing self-awareness, Padfoot?"

Sirius rolled his eyes and retorted, "I've always been self-aware. I just refused to admit my wrongs." He said, laying down on his back. "Good night, Prongs."

"Good night, Padfoot," James replied before closing his eyes and settling into his own bed.

Sirius shut his eyes tightly, the image of Severus' bruised and battered body seared into his mind. He let out a deep internal sigh, uncertain whether he would be able to drift off to sleep that night.

——————————

Sirius grumbled under his breath as he watched the clock strike 8 in the morning, having woken up multiple times throughout the night. He finally gave up on sleep and stood up from his bed, trudging over to the mirror to assess the damage. His eyes were swollen from lack of rest, a clear indication of his restless night.

Turning to look back at his sleeping friends, Sirius made his way to their work table, his hand reaching for the papers and quill that Remus had left neatly organised in the drawer.

As he began to write, he heard the sound of footsteps and turned to see a groggy Remus rubbing his eyes. "What are you doing up so early?" Remus asked, his voice hoarse from sleep.

"I'm writing to my uncle, Alphard, and I'm hoping to meet him during the purebloods gathering. But you know him - he's never around for family stuff. I just want to convince him to come, so I don't feel out of place," he explained.

Remus sat up in bed and noticed Sirius' bloodshot eyes. "Merlin, Padfoot. What happened to your eyes?" he asked.

"I couldn't sleep last night. I'll sort it out with a charm later," Sirius replied, as he dipped his quill in ink and continued writing.

"Alright, if you say so," Remus shrugged and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

Dear Uncle Alphard,

You've probably already heard about the pureblood meeting that's taking place in three months. I know you're a busy person who's always on the go, but I hope you can make it to the event. There's something important that I need to discuss with you, related to our plan that we've been working on this year (you know which plan I'm referring to).

Unfortunately, it's not easy to explain everything in a letter, so I'm looking forward to seeing you in April. I'll fill you in on all the details then.

Your amazing niece,

Sirius Black

Sirius wasn't certain whether he could convince his uncle to attend the meeting, but he hoped he would since Alphard had expressed a willingness to help. After carefully folding the paper, he opened the window of their dormitory. James' owl, Hugo, promptly appeared and perched on the windowsill. Sirius tied the letter around its leg and instructed it to deliver the message to Alphard Black's address: "Please send this to Alphard Black's resident, Hugo."

He watched as the owl took flight with the letter, hoping for a swift response.

As Sirius turned around, he heard the sound of the bathroom door opening. Remus had just finished showering and was drying his hair with a towel. He looked quite pale and his face was somewhat lifeless. "How are you feeling, Moony?" Sirius asked with concern, suspecting that his friend's condition was related to the full moon that was due to occur that day.

Remus let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Not good. My body is hurting a lot, and I had a terrible headache last night," he complained. These were typical symptoms that Remus experienced a few days before the full moon, almost as if he was having a period.

"Well, at least we can try this out tonight," Sirius whipped his head around at Peter's voice. James and Peter were both awake, sitting up in bed with disheveled hair and bleary eyes. Peter was holding an enlargement potion, shaking it from side to side.

"Damn, you're right. It's tonight!" James exclaimed with excitement, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He sprang out of bed and darted back and forth between their four beds, gathering items and preparing himself for the evening ahead.

Remus shook his head and reached for his school uniform, using a spell to straighten it. "Just be careful, okay? Let's not venture too far today. It wouldn't be wise to visit Hogsmeade as giant animals," he warned.

"Don't worry, Moony. We'll stick around the Shack this time," James reassured him. "Although it would be much more exciting if we could... Alright, alright, can you stop glaring at me like that?"

Remus grabbed a pillow from his bed and hurled it at James. "I just wish there would be a day where I could stop worrying about you three," he sighed with a small smile. His expression softened, and he added, "But I know that's unlikely."

——————————

As Lily and Mary walked, James followed closely behind, attempting to engage in conversation with Lily despite her clear disinterest. Sirius, Remus, and Peter trailed a few steps behind, observing the exchange with amusement.

"Morning, Evans!" James called out, waving his hand at Lily. She didn't respond and continued walking, prompting James to follow closely behind. "Do you have any plans for the 14th next month?" he asked, his tone dripping with unabashed flirtation.

Lily rolled her eyes and turned to face him, her annoyance palpable. "No, I don't have any plans for the 14th, nor do I plan to make any. Now, if you wouldn't mind, please walk a little further away from me. Your presence is bothering my friend," she said, pointing to Mary, who stood silently by her side.

Mary looked around, confused, and asked Lily in a hushed tone, "Me?" Her question was loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Yes, you," Lily hissed back at Mary before turning back and continued walking to the class.

As Mary scurried after Lily, she wasn't paying enough attention to where she was going and ended up colliding with someone. She stumbled backwards, her heart pounding in her chest, until she was suddenly caught by a strong hand that wrapped around her waist, preventing her from falling to the ground. Mary's eyes flicked up to see that it was Mulciber. His smirk was taunting as he drawled out, "Well, well, well... who do we have here?" letting out an annoyed huff, Mary wrenched herself out of his grasp and stepped back, glaring at him with a fiery look in her eyes. But Mulciber's smirk quickly turned into a scowl as he noticed the four Gryffindor boys standing behind her. "What a horrible way to start my day," he sneered, baring his teeth at them.

James stepped forward, his wand at the ready. "I could say the same thing about seeing your ugly face this early in the morning," he retorted.

As Sirius stepped out to join James, he noticed Avery, Rosier and Regulus were giving them menacing looks from behind Mulciber's back. He narrowed his eyes and watched intently as Rosier leaned in and whispered something into Regulus' ear. What are they be talking about?

Peter shifted nervously behind his two friends, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "Why are they looking at us like that?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

James clenched his fists, his jaw tight with anger. "It's probably because of what happened with you yesterday, Padfoot," he muttered through gritted teeth. He gave Sirius a reassuring nudge on the shoulder. "Don't worry, mate, I've got your back. Let's go," he said, pushing Sirius' shoulder slightly to encourage him to move forward.

Sirius looked at James as if he was crazy. This lad had taken his words last night way too seriously. "James, my brother's here..." he said, letting out a heavy sigh. The last thing he wanted was to get into a quarrel with Regulus when he was actively trying to mend their relationship. It was already tough enough that Regulus refused to acknowledge Sirius' sincerity.

"Why on earth should we care about your brother, Sirius? Don't tell me you've forgotten that he's also part of that blood supremacist group. You can't possibly be worrying about him right now?" James gaped at Sirius in utter disbelief.

Sirius gritted his teeth, struggling to come up with an explanation that James would understand regarding his plan to fix things with Regulus. After all, Regulus Black was his biological brother. He couldn't possibly expect James to condone Regulus' beliefs, but he hoped he could empathize with his intention.

"James.. I—"

"Hey, you ugly snakes! What do you think you're looking at?" he shouted at them, drawing everyone's attention. Some students watched in unease, worried they might get caught in a scuffle between the two groups. Remus quickly grabbed James' arm and pulled him back. "What?!" James looked at Remus angrily for stopping him.

Meanwhile, the Slytherins remained silent and still, their faces twisted into sneers. But when Mulciber let out a scoff, James turned his attention back to them. The sound was almost inaudible, but it was enough to grab their attention. Mulciber's lips curved into a malicious grin, as he leaned in closer. "You look fucking stupid," he muttered.

The words were like gasoline on a fire. James was livid, and he pushed Remus' hand away, striding forward towards the Slytherins. "What did you say, you bastard?"

James and Mulciber faced each other, their wands at the ready as they prepared to attack. But before they could make a move, Lily and Mary stepped in between them, determined to diffuse the tension.

"Potter!" Lily shook her head, signaling for him to back off. Mary, meanwhile, fixed Mulciber with a withering glare that made him put his wand away.

"Evans, don't get involved," James warned, his voice laced with irritation. But Lily stood her ground, unafraid of the threat. "Please...Don't force me to hex you."

Mulciber watched the exchange with amusement, keeping his wand close at hand in case James decided to make a move.

Sirius hissed at James urgently, his eyes flicking towards the growing crowd that had gathered around them. "Don't," he warned in a low voice.

"Fucking hell, Padfoot," James spat out, his disappointment palpable. He held Sirius' gaze for a few seconds, his jaw set in frustration, before he finally let out a sigh of defeat. "Fine," he conceded, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. "You're lucky Sirius is telling me to stop," he added, jabbing a finger in Regulus' direction.

Regulus sneered in response, his annoyance plain on his face. "Didn't know you were such an obedient dog, Potter," he taunted, his voice dripping with contempt. "Guess Sirius did a great job at training you," he added, his words laced with malice.

Sirius winced at Regulus' words, his heart sinking as he watched the exchange unfold. "Regulus, stop," he pleaded softly, hoping to defuse the tension before things got out of hand.

Rosier laughed mockingly as he addressed Sirius. "What is this? Are you finally trying to pretend like his big brother now? Has the earth turned flat?" A wave of sadness washed over Sirius as he watched Regulus hold back his laughter, as if his own brother's effort to reconcile with him was a joke.

Avery stepped forward and pointed his finger mockingly at Sirius. "How about you stop pretending like you care about him? Especially when you yourself wished for him to never exist," he sneered.

"I never said that," Sirius protested, his eyes darting to Regulus in search of confirmation. But Regulus remained silent, refusing to meet his gaze. There was an unreadable expression on his face, leaving Sirius wondering if he had truly said something so hurtful to his own brother.

Avery let out a loud scoff. "Yes, you did. How bad is your memory to forget something you said not long ago? When did you say it again? Was it just last month?" He looked back at his friends, who nodded in agreement, confirming Avery's accusation.

Remus observed the distorted expression on Sirius' face, recognizing it as a sign for him to intervene. "We should all leave now," he said as he put his hands on both Sirius and James' shoulders to guide them away from the situation.

"We're not leaving!" James snapped, shoving Remus' hand away from him.

Peter, who had remained silent until now, finally came forward to support Remus in pulling their friends away. "Moony is right. We should probably leave right now," he urged.

Despite Peter's support, James clicked his tongue in displeasure. He turned around to give up on his friends' suggestion when Mulciber made a sarcastic remark, "Running away, are we?" he taunted, laughing mockingly at them.

"These stupid—" James started to retaliate.

"Ignore them!" Sirius intervened, putting his arm in front of James' body and forcefully dragging him with them.

James continued to grumble until they finally arrived at their classroom. To their surprise, there was not a soul in sight. They had arrived far too early, hoping to avoid any potential confrontation with the Slytherins. They proceeded to take their customary seats at the back table.

Sirius breathed a sigh of relief that they only had one class with the Slytherins that day. As he rested his chin on his palm, he couldn't help but mull over what Avery had said earlier. The past few days had been particularly tumultuous for him. Reflecting on his teenage years as a middle-aged man, he couldn't help but feel like it was all a chaotic mess. Not only did he started to feel empathy for Snivellus, but he also realized how strained his relationship with Regulus had been back then.

As the day progressed, Sirius couldn't help but notice Severus' absence in the potion class. Although not entirely unexpected, given his condition the night before, Sirius wondered whether Severus was still staying in the hospital wing or had returned to his own dormitory.

That night, Sirius managed to slip away from his friends by fabricating an excuse. "I promise to return before Moony transform," he reassured them before sprinting towards the right side of the castle.

Now standing in front of the hospital wing, Sirius stared at the door with uncertainty, questioning whether he should enter after yesterday's debacle. He paced back and forth, debating with himself about what to do. Finally, he made a decision to take the risk. Even if Severus was going to hex him, he couldn't fathom leaving without knowing his condition.

Hesitantly, Sirius pushed open the door, and his disappointment was palpable when he saw only a fourth-year Ravenclaw boy inside. What was his name again? Crouch, perhaps? "Hey," Sirius greeted the boy with an awkward wave. "You're Crouch, right?" he asked, approaching him.

The young boy looked up at Sirius with an uneasy expression etched across his face, his eyes flickering with suspicion. "Yes?" he responded cautiously.

"Um, have you happened to see a fifth-year student today? His name is Severus Snape, a Slytherin," he asked.

The boy hesitated, his lips pursed in hesitation. After a few seconds of awkward silence, he finally spoke up. "What do you want from him?" he asked, his tone guarded. "I know you and your friends bully him a lot. It's not right to keep bothering him while he's trying to recover."

Sirius tried to ignore the accusation and focused on his original question, "Is Severus still here?"

Crouch sighed in frustration. "Can you please stop asking me these questions?" he said in annoyance.

Sirius rubbed his jaw, his frustration simmering beneath the surface. "Listen... I'm not here to pick a fight with him. I know he's hurting and I'm just trying to check on him." he said through clenched teeth.

"Because of you?" Crouch raised an eyebrow challengingly.

Sirius narrowed his eyes. "How would you even know if it was me?" he asked with a lazy drawl. "Did he tell you that?"

"Of course not. Do you really think he would confide in me? He won't even say hello." Crouch let out a sigh and leaned back against his bed. "Well, he's in the bath now. If anything happens to him, know that I won't hesitate to report you," he said before closing his eyes.

Sirius had no intention of hurting Severus, but the fact that this boy was willing to protect him despite not knowing him made him irrationally angry. "Bath? At this time of night?"

Crouch shrugged. "He didn't want to use the prefects' bathroom earlier because he didn't want to be seen by other students."

Sirius nodded awkwardly and made his way to the door, ready to leave. Crouch's last words stopped him in his tracks. "Don't forget about what I said just now. If something happened to him, I will—"

Sirius turned to face him, suspicion etched on his face. "Why would you care anyway?" he asked, cutting him off. He watched the boy warily. "You said he wouldn't even answer your greeting. Why would you care about him?"

Crouch opened his eyes and gazed at him lazily. "Because I was also bullied," he said.

"What?"

"Well, not as badly as him, but I was also bullied by my classmates for a long time. My bullies stopped when a stranger got involved, and I couldn't be more grateful for it. That's when I realized how much things could change if people helped those in need, even if they don't know them," he explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sirius was at a loss for words and was about to leave when Crouch spoke up again. "Did you know who the stranger was who helped me scare my bullies away?" he asked, sitting up straight on his bed.

Sirius looked at him curiously. "Who?"

"Your brother," Crouch replied with a smirk spreading across his face.

Sirius felt his breath catch in his throat, and not wanting to continue the conversation, he quickly ran out of the room and shut the door behind him.

He couldn't discern what the motive behind Crouch's words was, but if his goal was to make Sirius feel inferior, he had succeeded. The way Crouch spoke of Regulus made it sound like he was a better person than Sirius, and this left a sour taste in his mouth. Sirius reminded himself that Regulus had been a Death Eater in his past life, and the only way he could surpass him was by cutting ties with their family and joining Sirius's side in the war.

Still feeling dizzy from the previous conversation, Sirius made his way towards the prefects' bathroom. He knew he couldn't handle seeing Severus at the moment; he was already overwhelmed by the conversations with Avery and Crouch and would undoubtedly feel worse if he had to interact with Severus. He pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing himself to focus and ignore the unpleasant feelings in his chest. Finally, he arrived in front of the bathroom and was relieved to find it unlocked. He opened the door slowly, trying not to make any noise, and tiptoed inside. The moon shone through the transparent roof, providing the only source of light in the beautiful bathroom, with its large pool. "Fuck, Moony must've transformed by now," he muttered to himself.

A sudden movement caught Sirius off guard, making him jump as water splashed all over him. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at the figure that emerged from the pool. It was Severus, standing naked before him with his back turned, revealing the horrifying sight of reddish whip marks that decorated his skin. The scars were the same ones that Sirius had seen at the side of his waist the day before.

The sight made Sirius feel like he was going to be sick. He cupped his mouth in horror, struggling to hold back the urge to vomit. He took a few steps back, and in his haste, he accidentally kicked a cup that contained toothbrushes, which probably belonged to Severus. The noise attracted Severus's attention, and he turned around, his body still exposed.

"What the fuck, Black?" Severus shouted, his hands frantically trying to cover himself. Sirius could barely look at him, feeling nauseous as he averted his gaze from the scars on Severus's back.

Sirius hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. He knew he wanted to make Severus turn around, but he also didn't want to show that he was affected by it. After a few seconds of silence, he spoke up again.

"You know, I always thought that you were the only one who enjoyed this kind of punishment," Sirius said, his tone sarcastic. "I guess I was wrong. Looks like you're just as much of a victim as the rest of us," he said awkwardly. This had to be the worse thing he ever said to someone, especially to an abuse victim.

Severus snorted in response, but still didn't turn around. Sirius could feel his anger building up again. Just turn around already.

"What, you don't like being compared to the rest of us? Is that it?" Sirius spat out. "Or is it just that you're too proud to show your scars to anyone?"

Severus remained silent, but Sirius could see his shoulders tense up. He took a step closer to him, trying to force him to turn around.

"Just turn around, Snivellus," Sirius said, his voice low and dangerous. "I don't want to have to look at that disgusting scar any longer," Severus' expression was unreadable, which made Sirius feel uncomfortable. He knew he was being mean, but he couldn't help it. "Merlin, is there even any part of your body that is not disgusting?" Regret flooded Sirius as soon as the words left his lips. It was like a reflex, making Severus feel vulnerable and exposed.

Severus finally relented and turned around, his face a mask of anger and humiliation. As the scars were hidden behind Severus again, Sirius couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Yet, the twinge of guilt that came with feeling that way crept up on him. Quickly, he pushed the feeling aside. He couldn't show any weakness in front of Severus.

A wave of nausea hit Sirius as he bit his bottom lip. He couldn't tell whether it was guilt or pity that he was feeling towards Severus. The sensation was unbearable, and he despised it. He had never experienced such emotions before, and he didn't know how to handle them. Did his age have anything to do with it? Was being mentally in his mid-30s affecting his perspective of teenage Severus?

Severus bit the inside of his cheek, and his eyes were trembling with anger. "What do you want?" he asked, his voice sharp as a razor.

Sirius hesitated before answering. He pursed his lips, remembering the reason he was there in the first place. "I want to check your condition," he said finally, closing his eyes as he realised how contradictory his actions were.

Severus sneered at the words coming out of Sirius' mouth. "You make it sound like you actually care about me. Shall I rephrase it for you? I'm here to mock your condition. How about that? Does that sound better?" he said with a sneering tone.

"I wouldn't have said anything hurtful if you aren't so—"

"—Disgusting? Is that what you meant to say?" Severus interrupted him, scowling at him. Sirius swallowed nervously, not sure how to respond. "Perhaps you haven't noticed, Black, but I didn't choose this life. I didn't choose my appearance, and I certainly didn't choose the family I was born into. The cluelessness of rich people never ceases to amaze me," he said, staring at Sirius as if he was a disappointment to the society.

Sirius stood there in silence, not knowing what to say. Severus waited for a few seconds for a response, but when none came, he left the pool.

Sirius held his breath as he watched Severus approach him, completely naked, to grab his towel. He observed him quietly as he got dressed, not realizing how unsettling he looked at that moment. Severus shot him a final glance before exiting the bathroom, leaving Sirius at a loss for words.

"Fuck."

Hiya! Sorry for the long wait. I realized that the chapter was becoming too long, even though many more events could have been included. Therefore, I decided to remove about 3000 words from it and save them for the next chapter. Hopefully, the next chapter will take less time to complete since I only need to add a few more details.

I've been rereading the Harry Potter series recently to make sure I didn't missed any info regarding werewolf!Remus and I realised a plot hole. (?) Apparently, Remus Lupin didn't turn into a werewolf until he was fully exposed to the full moon in OOTP which is really weird to me. Like, how does a cloud covering the full moon make any difference? If that were the case, couldn't you just stay indoors all the time? It got me thinking about all the flaws in the HP series because J.K. Rowling didn't think some things through. So, my theory for this fanfic is that Remus will turn into a werewolf when the moon is at its brightest point. Because it would be weird for him to start transforming at 6 in the evening =D

Anyway, thank you so much for reading this chapter. Don't forget to subscribe to get notification whenever I upload new chapters! Have a nice day, everyone! 3