1974-1975: Slytherin Friendships

"Ay, wanna join us?"

Seuthes recognised Mulciber's voice, and peered over his shoulder to see whom his dormmate was addressing. It was hard to tell, the boy was standing about six yards away, and the light raindrops had dampened Seuthes' hair, causing it to constantly get in his eyes. He stared for a second, then saw the other boy wave a hand at him in invitation.

Seuthes stepped closer hesitantly. "Why?"

"Just a spot of fun. Roran's over there, keepin' an eye on our target — the Midgen girl in Hufflepuff."

"Target?"

Mulciber waved a hand nonchalantly. "Yeah, you know... Once in a while you find something interesting and you gotta test it. And who cares 'bout mudbloods anyway — perfect opportunity, if you know what I mean."

Half-bloods too, huh? Seuthes thought, but kept silent. On the other hand, it didn't sound too bad. The Slytherins had, for the past months, treated him as an equal. More or less.

"What... 'something'?" he asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. After all, one could never be too cautious, and who knew what that lot had planned. If it involved him in any way, he was out.

"What do you mean 'what'? Hexes, curses... There's new ones coming out every week, if you know where to look. They even pay good if you have feedback."

"Really? I hadn't heard."

"Well, 'course. They'd hardly contact you. Are you coming?"

Without waiting for a reply, Mulciber spun around and started up the hill, Seuthes trailing after him. Avery, Rosier and another boy in Rosier's year were pressed against the hard castle wall where the overhanging balconies were giving them shelter from the rain. Wilkes was further out, curled behind a big rock and peeking occasionally over it, as though checking if someone was there.

Snape was about to creep closer to him, when Rosier seized his arm, and lifted a finger in front of his lips.

"Wait for the signal," the older boy murmured in Seuthes' ear as he pulled him closer to the wall.

The signal was a jerky movement with which Wilkes beckoned them to join him behind the rock. Etna Midgen was parting ways with her older brother, him heading toward Hagrid's hut, and she turning to the castle, staring directly at the awaiting Slytherins, but remaining oblivious to their presence.

"Alright, Marcus, do the honours," Rosier turned to Avery, and pushed him outside of the cover of the rock. The rest of the group straightened up slightly so that only their heads were poking above the stone, watching as the scene unfolded.

The sound of the rain prevented Seuthes from making out the incantation, but it didn't stop him from noticing that the girl doubled over suddenly, and that once she pulled herself together, a horn was sticking out of her mouth.

"Horn-Tongue Hex," Wilkes announced proudly. "Posted in this month's Innovatio Universitas Findings paper. Told you you should subscribe, but no-one listens!"

"Good one, Roran," Rosier patted him on the shoulder. "A point for you, and half for Marcus."

Meanwhile, Seuthes' attention was divided between the conversation next to him, and the furious fourth-year Hufflepuff speeding up toward her attackers. He didn't really understand any of what his housemates were on about, so he focused on Midgen and urged the others to do the same. It turned out he needn't have bothered. Marching toward them with that horn sticking out of her head like a raging unicorn might have looked threatening, but it turned out the girl hadn't the slightest idea of how to deal with a group of Slytherins.

"Wha' o' Ea'th's 'ong w' y'," she mumbled around the horn, which only made a few of the boys' heads snap back with a shriek of laughter.

Midgen seemed to take a second to rethink the situation, then did exactly what she should've done in the first place. She screamed.

"By Salazar, make her stop!" Avery demanded, and Snape was fast to react, silencing the girl with a flick of his wand. But it was too late. Hagrid had heard the noise, and was already peeking out from behind the door of his hut.

"Run!"

And so they did, quite pointlessly as it turned out half an hour later, when a seventh-year prefect urged them out of the common room — or, in Snape's case, of his dormitory —, and led them toward Slughorn's office. Their Head of House was sitting in his chair, Professor Sprout and the Midgen girl facing him.

The young witch identified them, then they were asked to tell their version of the story. Seuthes feigned ignorance which was, miraculously, a claim supported by the others, and in the end, it was Avery and Wilkes that took the brunt of it.

The problems didn't come until the following day.

"Why?" Lily pulled him harshly by the sleeve after Potions. Severus raised two eyebrows in question. "Do not play innocent, Severus! Etna told me everything, I know you were there!"

"Lily—"

"And I don't want excuses, I want an explanation."

"And you'll have one, but not here."

Wishing to get out of sight as fast as possible, Severus dragged his friend up the stairs, and toward their balcony, as they'd come to call Dumbledore's secret place.

"So it's true then?" the Gryffindor turned on him as soon as the stones closed behind them.

"Lily, you don't—"

"You attacked an innocent, defenceless—"

"Lily!" The harshly spoken word finally caught the girl's attention, and she turned to him expectantly, lips pursed, awaiting for an explanation. Lily was the one person Severus could not bring himself to lie to. "Good. Yes. I was there. But I didn't know what I was doing there. I don't even know the incantation of that spell—"

"Curse."

"Hex. I don't know the incantation of that hex, and I had no idea what it was gonna do to her."

Lily crossed her arms over her chest.

"Then why did you hex her?"

"I didn't—"

"Yeah? She said you were the one who silenced her."

"That's a charm, not a—"

"Oh, stop being such a swine!" Lily stomped her foot on the ground forcefully. "Severus. I don't want to be friends with a bully. I know you were... are at the receiving end sometimes. And I assure you, I've spoken to Black and Potter about it. But I don't understand. You know what it feels like, why would you do it to someone else? Do you feel... some sort of power? I want to understand, but you... I tried to excuse it, but I couldn't find a logical reason, Severus."

Severus' head was buried in his hands. He wasn't sure what he was feeling. Gratefulness that Lily had tried to deal with his Gryffindor tormentors, guilt that his persona really had attacked an innocent muggle-born, and shame that he had tried to pretend it had been something else. His stomach was churning and the strange mix of emotions remained long after the two parted ways. It tortured him for hours, for he only understood order, and these unexplained feelings had no place in his perfectly logical world.

Five days later Seuthes was headed for his Transfiguration class, when he noticed Lupin enter Pomfrey's den — the Hospital Wing. It was late in the afternoon and the sun had lowered deep into the fire sky, almost touching the tips of the mountains in the distance. During these hours the light was directly shining in the western windows, blinding anyone who decided to pass through the third floor corridor. Even so, Snape recognised the slightly hunched posture, the thick locks of hazelnut hair, and the specific way the cowardly Gryffindor always sneaked about, as though expecting someone to attack him, that annoyed Seuthes to no end. Had anyone decided to point out the similarities between the two boys, they would hardly have lived to see the sun rise ever again.

The Slytherin made a mental note of the strange visit and hurried for his class, but was back in front of the infirmary as soon as McGonagall dismissed them. He'd been put in a group with Lucretia Fawley, and if he'd paid more attention he would have heard about a dozen colourful descriptions of himself, most of them mentioning his inability to "transform even a needle into a match". Granted, if he'd paid more attention, there wouldn't have been any need for the insults, but seeing as his mind was otherwise occupied, his performance really had been abysmal.

Remus Lupin was going to see Pomfrey. Which wouldn't have been strange, had it not been for the fact that he'd appeared to be fine, as fine as someone without a spine could be. And now that Snape had had some time to think over the facts, he recalled seeing the Gryffindor go to the infirmary at about the same time the previous month. And the one before. These things combined warranted an investigation of the situation. It was not out of jealousy. He was not jealous of the attention Pomfrey was giving Lupin because he did not want any attention from the blasted witch.

"Hello to you too," Pomfrey greeted sarcastically when the boy stormed inside the room. "I would hazard a guess that this is Seuthes."

"Have you considered going into professional gambling?"

"It hadn't occurred to me, no. Has something happened?" Pomfrey's assessing gaze travelled over his body, surprised when it didn't spot any injuries.

"No. Yes. I thought you might tell me. Why was Lupin here?"

The matron fixed him with a disapproving look. "That is confidential information, Mr. Snape."

"He was here last month too," Seuthes persisted.

"That may be so, but it is none of your concern."

The Slytherin crossed his hands over his chest in a childish display of grumpiness.

"Acting upset won't help you," Pomfrey huffed, and turned to sort some jars on their shelves. "If that is all you came here for, you can go get something to eat. It will do you some good. And leave Mr. Lupin alone, he has enough on his plate."

"That one has expired. It's supposed to be sky blue." Seuthes nodded his head toward the jar the woman was holding. She turned it over in her hand, then removed the lid and inspected it more closely.

Raising an eyebrow, she said, "You have a good eye, young man. Where have you learnt this?"

"That is confidential information." And Snape marched out of the infirmary, stubbornly heading in the direction opposite of the Great Hall.

A decision he sincerely regretted a few hours later, when his stomach voiced its dissatisfaction.

"Why weren't you at dinner?" Wilkes asked from his four-poster.

"Wasn't hungry."

"Well, you sound hungry now."

"A brilliant observation, Sherlock," muttered Seuthes, and turned on his other side, facing away from the other four beds.

"Who?"

"Nevermind."

"You know, you can go get something from the kitchens. If you can get past Filch and McGonagall..." Avery was propped up on his elbow, watching him.

That piqued Seuthes' interest, for he'd never before considered the existence of the kitchens.

"Where is that?" he asked.

"Next to the Hufflepuff basement. That's the only good thing they have going on for them. It's a wooden door to the left of the entrance to their common room, but you have to call it out if you want it to appear," explained Avery.

"I once saw one of those Gryffindor prefects tickle a painting to enter. Funniest shit I've ever seen," Lestrange chimed in.

Seuthes wasn't sure he had this right. "How do I make the door appear then?"

"Say 'Kitchen Entrance' and it should pop up. Piece of cake, really, but still too difficult for brainless dunderheads," said Rabastan.

Ten minutes later Snape was sneaking toward the Entrance Hall with a list of things his dormmates had asked him to bring from the kitchens. He was about to emerge from the Slytherin dungeons, when he heard muffled voices. A moment later he noticed the heavy front gate open and close of its own accord. The voices seized.

The kitchens weren't going anywhere, but the voices were, and so Seuthes decided that he had nothing to lose, and followed them. A cool wave of air hit his face. That year the winter was mild. In fact, it was the mildest winter the country had seen in more than a century. And yet, the cold hit him like a bludger, causing him to slip on the freshly covered with a thin layer of snow ground. His robes now wet, his hands freezing to the point that they might fall off if he touched them, the boy considered going back to the castle. But as he turned back to the gate, he noticed something marked on the ground.

It was the 29th of November, the night was uncharacteristically cold and thick black clouds covered the light of the moon. And yet here they were, four pairs of fresh only-just-visible footprints that hadn't yet been erased by the snow shower. Crossing his arms over his chest in an attempt to keep at least some of the warmth of his body, Seuthes followed them, going ever so slowly, squinting to make out the next step in the dark. As he got further and further from the castle, and the light became dimmer still, his brain began to play cruel jokes on him, for at some point the steps vanished, and now he only recognised the prints of dog paws. Try as he might, he was unable to find the human steps again. Defeated, he returned back to the castle.

"Sev!" Lily protested as Seuthes dragged her toward an empty classroom. "Where are we going?"

"Curiosity killed the cat," was the only reply she got.

It was the first day since Lily had come back after Christmas and she hadn't even had time to say 'Hi', when she'd been seized by the hand. For the first time since... ever... Severus felt like he had a proper Christmas gift for her. He'd gone to the library the previous week to look up 'Cross-Species Switches' for his Transfiguration Essay, when he'd noticed a fifth-year Hufflepuff sat on one of the tables and held something that looked suspiciously like the textbooks he'd used in the muggle school. Curious, he'd waited for the boy to return the book back to its place, and gone to check the title that read An Introduction to Medical Genetics. The next day he'd gone to Pomfrey, blushing like a first-year under the Sorting Hat, and asked her if she could get the book for him from a muggle bookshop.

"I still have eight lives left, then. Why are we here?"

Severus, finally releasing her hand from his grip, turned his back to her, and extracted the book from his bag. Spinning around again, he offered it to her. "Merry Christmas, Lily!"

A beautiful smile spread across her face even before she'd glanced down at the present, and then it widened when she read the title. "Oh, that's wonderful, Sev!" she exclaimed and wrapped her hands around him. Severus wasn't quite sure how to act in a situation like this, so he stood there stiffly until she finally released him. "That's for my blood research, isn't it? Oh, I bet that's got something to do with it, you're truly a genius!"

Lily reached into her own bag, and extracted a shiny cylindrical box. "I'm afraid mine isn't as thoughtful," she said, "but I thought you're really missing out on these, seeing as you don't come to Hogsmeade and all..."

Severus pushed the lid aside to reveal a pile of Chocolate Skeletons, Peppermint Toads, Pixie Puffs and a bunch of other sweets, all wrapped in their own packages. "I— Thank you, Lily, that's really sweet."

Lily looked up at him, mirth dancing in her eyes. "Was the phrasing on purpose?"

"Absolutely."

Classes resumed as usual, and soon enough everyone was back to their normal routines. Including Snape who, it seemed, was on a personal mission to educate Slytherin House on the art of potion making. He was so devoted, in fact, that it being his own birthday couldn't deter him from his task.

"Can I join you?" said a second-year boy from the door of the classroom Seuthes was using for tutoring. The boy had curly, black hair framing the handsome features of his face, his robe was similarly spread around his shoulders in a way that revealed a confidence distinctive for rich pure-bloods. Snape had specifically been trying to avoid this same Slytherin for the past year and a half, for he was acutely aware the boy was the brother of Sirius Black.

"That depends on why you wish to join," Seuthes replied curtly.

"I wasn't aware there were multiple reasons to want to join a study group focused on studying." A couple of the gathered students snickered, but quieted instantly when Snape glared at them.

"Very well, but if this is some plot against me, I will be sure to let something poisonous slip in your next meal."

"Got it, Captain!" Black said, and raised his hand in a mock salute.

It hadn't been more than 20 minutes, when another face appeared at the door — a third-year Gryffindor girl.

"Alert! Alert!" Mulciber boomed, startling everyone in the room, before she'd even had a chance to speak. "Filthy blood in sight!"

"For your information—" The girl began, her face red out of both shame and anger, but was cut off almost immediately.

"Remove the mudblood!" a Slytherin boy her age chanted, and the phrase was soon picked up by others.

Among the general chaos, Seuthes stepped toward the little witch. "As you can see, mudbloods are not welcome," he declared, and slammed the door in her face before the girl could tell him that Lily Evans was looking for him.

With the cheers that followed Snape felt, for the first time in his life, as part of the House of Slytherin.

It took him a couple of days to notice that Lily was actively avoiding him. He saw her walk past him on her way out of the Great Hall after lunch, and went to follow her, only to have her quicken her pace in an obvious attempt to escape.

The same thing happened the following day but as it turned out Severus was more determined to speak with her than his brother had been, because he followed her until she finally sighed frustratedly, and spun around. Her lips were pressed firmly together, forming a thin, almost invisible line, her eyes betrayed a mixture of anger and anguish, and Snape couldn't decide which was worse.

"I don't want to listen," she said, and turned back, once again trying to get away. Severus wasn't sure why she was pushing him away, though he had a sneaking suspicion it was Seuthes' doing.

"At least tell me why you're avoiding me," he pleaded, tired of trailing after her.

Lily stopped abruptly, and now there was no trace of the previous anguish, it was frightening fury that emitted from her entire being. From the narrowed eyes and rigid posture to the clenched fists, Snape could tell she was blindingly angry with him.

"Why? You are seriously asking me why?" She paused, as though her thoughts or feelings or both were overwhelming her. "I can't believe this, Severus! I'd seen you hanging out with the Slytherins and I thought it might be good for you, but this... I'm not sure if I even want to talk to you anymore."

"No — Lily, wait!" But she was already walking away, almost running, and not looking back.

Severus knew where she was going. He'd seen her hanging out with Tiana Cattermole in the Library the last few days. So he turned left and took the stairs to the first floor just in time to almost bump into Lily who had taken a longer route to get there. She started running again and he followed her, but just as he was about to catch up to her, a tall figure got in front of him.

"Ah, Mr. Snape!" it said, and Severus immediately recognised the voice even before his eyes could make their way to the bald vertex of Professor Numaer Asumptotos. "You know, this reminds me. I remember you were looking into spellmaking when you were a wee second-year. I thought now that you're, you know, all grown and know your stuff in Arithmancy, I might offer my help."

"Excuse me, Professor, but I really have to get to the Library," said Severus hurriedly, but the man didn't move.

"A pressing assignment, isn't it? I'm sure you still have some time. If I remember correctly, fourth-year Slytherins only have an elective left today, and yours happens to be with me." Asumptotos put a long hand on his shoulder and spun him around, then steered him toward his office at the end of the corridor. "We were just talking about you, Filius and I, I mean. Seems you asked him some stuff too, hm? Commendable, truly commendable!"

"Thank you, sir, but uhh... I really don't understand why I'm here."

"Why, to get my help, of course! Any ideas, Mr. Snape? For a spell, I mean."

Severus fidgeted with his hands under the desk for a moment, then looked up with determination in his eyes. "Yes, I've started working on a spell. And I'm grateful for your help, Professor, and I'd like to talk about it, but... later."

He stood up and rushed out of the room and straight into the Library, where he found, much as he'd expected, Lily sitting with Tiana Cattermole.

"Can we talk, please?"

"I thought she's made it very clear that no, you can't," replied Cattermole. Lily hadn't even lifted her eyes from the book.

"Lily, please. Please! I can... I can try to explain."

Severus jumped slightly, when the cold voice of the librarian came from behind him. "No talking in the Library!"

He gestured for Lily to follow him out, a pleading look in his eyes, and exhaled a relieved breath when she did.

"I don't want to listen," she repeated as soon as they were out the door. "I only came because I don't want trouble in there."

Severus' fingers curled and relaxed again. He wasn't going to give up on this, and she couldn't either. "Why don't you want to listen! There are things you don't know about me, Lily, and maybe—"

"Yes! That is the problem, Severus! I feel like I don't know you!"

"And I feel like you don't even want to!"

She stared at him then, her penetrative look boring holes into his eyes as though she expected the answer to the Universe to hide behind them. Then she blinked and shook her head slightly. "Okay," she said softly. "I'm listening."

Severus sighed in relief and cleared his throat. "There are... some things I do and say that are out of my control. I only learn I've done them at the end of each day and they... I don't feel like I'm the one who did them. It feels like it was a different person entirely."

Lily blinked, suspicion and mistrust written all over her face, but if you looked closely you could make out the small glimpse of hope that maybe her friend wasn't a lost cause just yet. "So... Is it some kind of medical condition?"

"Sort of... I guess you could say that, yes."

"You should go visit Pomfrey, then. And you should apologise to Ellie."

"Ellie?"

Lily crossed her arms over her chest and rolled her eyes. "The girl you insulted, Severus. I would've thought you'd at least get her name."

Snape dipped his head. "Pomfrey knows," he mumbled after a moment, and looked up to see her reaction.

Her eyebrows were narrowed as though she was trying to decide what to do with that information. Some of the suspicion had dissipated and was now replaced by confusion. "We'll talk again after you apologise. You have to mean it." She spun around and marched into the Library, and he... He headed toward the seventh floor in search of the Ellie girl.

Fury contorted Seuthes' face as he watched the memory of his brother's discussion with Lily.

He withdrew harshly from Severus' mind and stared at him for a few long seconds before he could trust his voice to speak. "What the hell is wrong with you!" he hissed, barely controlling his anger.

Severus raised an eyebrow in challenge.

"You damn near told her about me, you fucking idiot!" Seuthes stood up sharply, and started pacing around the tiny room. His hand was shaking as he bore a finger into his brother's chest. "You need to sort out your priorities. You can't be risking my life just because you fancy her for Merlin's sake!"

Severus was shaking his head, fire now burning in his eyes as well. "I do not fancy her. And it's not me that's the fucking problem! I'm not the one who calls her a mudblood!"

"Lily is different. I've never used that word for her. And it'd be nice if you remembered that it's because of me that you're no longer tiptoeing around the common room!"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means we finally fit in! We have to make some sacrifices if we're going to be a part of this House, and if Lily can't deal with it then she's a rotten egoist."

Severus fell silent as he mulled over his brother's words. "Do you honestly think," he said in a low dangerous voice after a moment, "that what we have with Avery and the lot of them is worth losing Lily for? You are the egoist, Seuthes. It's my life as well! I am not ready to lose her!"

He gasped in surprise when his feet detached from the ground and he was flung across the room. He groaned in pain as he collided with the wall and dropped on the ground next to his cauldron. A second later Severus lifted his head to see his brother was once again pacing, his face turned away from him.

He watched the other boy cross the short distance from the bed to the opposite wall and back a couple of times in what he supposed was an attempt to calm his temper, then finally pushed himself to his feet. He strode purposefully to the exit, roughly shoving Seuthes out of the way, then took his leave without a word and locked the lid with a terse movement of his wand.

It took him a few deep breaths until he finally stopped hearing the heart pounding in his chest. Right now he wanted nothing more than to make his brother suffer. Subconsciously, he lifted his hand to the back of his head and winced slightly when his fingers brushed over the forming bruise. With a sigh, Severus pushed the curtains around the bed open, and hopped off the mattress. He needed some air and he knew he wouldn't get that with the four Slytherins in his dormitory.

"Where to?"

Severus had just reached the Wall of Slytherin, when the question reached his ears and he spun around to see a sixth-year prefect staring disapprovingly at him. He glanced at the old clock just right of the girl's head and noted that it was just three minutes before curfew.

"I er... need to go to the infirmary."

"What for?" the girl asked, moving her gaze up and down his form.

"My head hurts." For once, the truth was the perfect lie. He most certainly was not going to whine to Pomfrey about a stupid bruise.

Severus followed the girl's eyes as they made their way to the clock. "You can't make it to the infirmary in two minutes and it's Geddings on rounds today," she sighed. Severus didn't know much about Geddings, but he did know the boy was a Gryffindor. That alone was enough for him to strip Severus of at least 20 points if he were to catch him in the corridor after curfew, good reason or no. As if reading his mind, the girl spoke again, "We're already behind 'cause our Quidditch team's incompetent, you better come with me if you don't want trouble."

Groaning internally, Severus nevertheless followed her in silence all the way to the third floor where instead of left toward the infirmary, she led him to the right, and rapped on one of the wooden doors. Two minutes later the door swung open to reveal Madam Pomfrey standing in the doorframe with her hair tucked in a hasty bun, lifting a hand to place her glasses over her ears.

"Sorry to wake you, Madam Pomfrey—" the sixth-year started, but was cut off when the elder witch lifted a tired hand to stop her.

"I wasn't asleep yet, Miss Travers. Is something— Oh! Mr Snape?"

Severus stepped fully in view from where he'd previously been standing behind his housemate. He stared darkly at the matron, a look she completely ignored and instead turned to the other student in front of her. "I can take it from here, thank you for bringing him."

Pomfrey had hoped the girl would shoo after this, but she merely nodded and opened her mouth to ask:

"Can you please give him a note saying he was up here in the infirmary when you send him back? It's after ten o'clock, you see."

"Oh. Yes, of course. Come now, Mr. Snape."

She stepped out of her quarters and turned to lock the door, then steered the young boy toward the Hospital Wing, leaving the girl to stare at their backs for a few seconds before huffing and heading back to the dungeons to patrol for any other little snakes looking for mischief.

"To what do I owe my extended work hours?" Pomfrey asked once the two of them were alone in the infirmary.

"To Miss Travers. I can take my leave now."

The witch snorted loudly, then shook her head. "Very smart, young man. No, you cannot leave now. You have to tell me why that girl thought you should come here in the middle of the night."

"Because I told her so." At Pomfrey's raised eyebrow Snape hurried to explain, "She asked me where I was going so I told her I was coming here."

"And where were you going?"

Severus rolled his eyes.

"Severus, you need to trust—"

"How can you tell us apart? You told me we were identical now, yet you get it right every single time."

Pomfrey's lips tugged upward. "Physically identical," she emphasised. "Your brother tends to be harsher."

Now it was Severus' turn to snort. "Tell me about it."

"Something the matter between you two?"

The Slytherin flicked his eyes to hers, noting the weird look on her face. "No." When her expression remained the same inquisitive one from before, he added. "We'll deal with it."

"Has he said, or has he done something? Or have you?"

Severus crossed his arms over his chest. "Are we discussing medical matters here?"

Madam Pomfrey pressed her lips for a second before responding, "If you twist them enough, most questions can become medical matters."

"I highly doubt that," Snape said. After a moment, he uncrossed his hands and used them to smoothe his robes. "What time frame are we talking? He's said and done a lot of things."

"Let's start with tonight."

Severus exhaled loudly, and glared at the wall. "He may have flung me across the room."

A raised eyebrow was the only reaction that statement got from the matron for a long second before she cleared her throat. "Are you hurt?"

"It will heal on its own."

Madam Pomfrey fixed him with a dangerous glare. "Mr. Snape, how many times do I have to repeat myself? Stop with these foolish displays." When she was sure he felt properly admonished, she once again stared at him expectantly. "Where?"

A deep scowl set on the boy's face, but he nevertheless gestured toward the back of his head. Once Pomfrey had applied the necessary ointments and his hair had become even stickier than it had already been, Severus opted to speak again. "I may have told Lily Evans I'm suffering from a condition that causes me to not realise what I'm doing until I've already done it. Is there something like this?"

"Is this what caused your argument with Seuthes?"

"Perhaps."

Pomfrey sighed, then lifted two hands to her forehead, and started massaging her temples with her thumbs. "There is something similar. It's called 'automatic behaviour'. Your lie does have some merit, if that's what your brother is worried about." She paused in her movements, and looked up at him. "Did you hurt him?"

A weird smile twisted Severus' lips. "No, but I'm planning on leaving him locked up for a day or two."