Chapter 14 - Snivellus

Loathing for Snape overwhelmed Sirius once more as he made his way up to the castle, Remus, Harry, Ron and Hermione hurrying along in his wake.

The foul git had done nothing but slither undetected as Dumbledore's pet for the last thirteen years. He'd slunk back into respectable society after his master fell, just as all the other slippery death eaters had. So they thought they could wreak havoc and torture innocent people and think they could get away with it, did they?

What was worse, the oily idiot hadn't even bothered to keep his greasy head down. If Harry and the others were to be believed (and of course they always were), he'd done nothing but make the Gryffindors' lives a living hell since he started teaching.

Was this some petty vengeance against James for the time he'd showed off the bloke's underpants to them all in front of Evans? Was the git really so sad that his whole life's worth revolved around the affections of one girl?

"Sirius, this isn't a good idea." Remus said for the tenth time as they came into the entrance hall. "You're not supposed to be here. I'm not supposed to be here. You can't just go walking into the castle like this!"

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, I think it's best if you go back to the tower." Remus said as they reached the marble staircase.

Though Ron and Harry to a degree looked rather eager to follow, they did as Remus said.

"What are you going to say to him?!" Remus said, hurrying to keep pace with his friend as they descended the stairs to the dungeons.

"I don't know yet. I haven't ruled out skipping words entirely and going straight to curses."

Remus groaned.

He knew where Snape's office would be as it was where Slughorn's had been during his time as potions master.

Not bothering to knock, he burst through the wooden door, coming face to face with his arch nemesis within.

Snape froze on seeing Sirius and Remus standing there. He leapt to his feet and his hand darted quickly into the pocket of his robes.

"Expelliarmus." Sirius said, causing Snape's wand to fly across the room to where he caught it in his outstretched hand.

Sirius glared at the man, whose eyes were darting calculatingly between Sirius and Remus.

"Evening, Snivelly." He said, putting his hand in his own pocket and pulling out the offending Daily Prophet article. "What the bloody buggering hell is this?"

"I believe it to be a newspaper, Black." Snape replied coldly.

"Oh don't act like more of an idiot than you already are. What did you spout off all that bollocks about me and Lupin for?"

Snape's lips twisted into a sneer. "I thought it would be about that." He said. "There's nothing you detest more than your own wounded pride, is there, Black?"

Sirius took a step towards him but Remus put out an arm to hold him back.

"Severus." He said, turning to Snape. "You are of course perfectly entitled to speak to whomever you wish. But your… strong opinions haven't helped Sirius in his attempts to gain full custody of Harry."

"Oh what a tragic state of affairs." Snape said sarcastically. "Merlin forbid Black shouldn't be allowed to get exactly what he wants. If they take Potter from him that can only be a good thing to my mind. The boy is already so arrogant and self-satisfied that a lesson in humility is surely the best thing for everyone here. I'm glad I could be of assistance." He smirked at them.

"You foul cretin." Sirius said, glowering back at the man. "You don't care about anything but your wounded pride. You're bitter we…" he scanned his mind for something that might have upset Snape from their school days. "Locked you in that cupboard that time. And now you're bitter your pathetic moudly dark lord doesn't care about you anymore. Where is he, eh? Abandoned you all the minute things got tough, did he? Bellatrix is deluded if she thinks he'll show her any gratitude for what she's done. He's a heartless bastard. But I expect that's why you all worship him so much. You're all the bleeding same, he just does it best."

"What eloquent sentiments, Black." Snape sneered. "Perhaps you should write for the Daily Prophet yourself. A full page spread on exactly how wonderful you think you are. You'd sell a thousand copies. All purchased by yourself and Lupin here."

"It's funny how some things don't change." Snape continued, turning to Remus now. "I would have thought you'd have seen by now just how ridiculous this… relationship is." He gestured at the space between the two men. "Black didn't just nearly kill me that night. If his joke had succeeded, you'd have been killed too. How would you have responded as headmaster if it had been one of your students? Since you clearly have no self-respect yourself…"

"Do we have to drag that up again, Severus?" Remus said tiredly. "It's in the past now."

"We're not all bleeding hearts like Dumbledore." Snape said, his voice hard. "I live in the real world. And I say once a murderer always a murderer."

Sirius pointed his wand at Snape. "Care to test that theory, Snivellus?"

"Stop it, Sirius." Remus said, putting a hand on his wand to lower it. "We're all adults now. We don't have to let the events of our fifth year define us."

"A clean slate." Snape said dispassionately. "Is that what you want, Lupin?"

"Thanks to you, Severus, it's what I've been forced into."

Sirius was pleased to hear the firmness in Remus' voice as he said the words. He was quite right of course. It was thanks to Snape that he'd been forced to leave his position as a teacher at Hogwarts and find new work.

Snape's lip curled. "I've always considered the truth to be better than lies, Lupin."

"You flaming hypocrite!" Sirius shouted. "What about all the times you've spent slithering around like a snake in the grass? Spying on us, trying to get us expelled. Not to mention pretending you didn't sign up for the death eaters the moment you first had the chance!"

Snape turned to Sirius, his expression unreadable, but said nothing.

"You won't even deny it." Sirius said, remembering the times they'd accused the boy of being a death eater fanatic at school too. It had been the same then. He didn't even deny it in front of Dumbledore. What had the man been thinking taking him on the staff?!

"I don't believe my business is any concern of yours, Black." He said coolly.

"Oh but you can go poking your massive nose in mine, can you?!" Sirius shot back. Though perhaps they were now a little old to be poking fun at Snape's appearance by now, the adjective still worked.

"I've done nothing wrong." Snape said coldly. "I just changed the word werewolf to acromantula and forbidden forest to whomping willow. Since Dumbledore refused to see justice done by forbidding me from telling anyone."

"Didn't bloody stop you."

"People should know the truth about you. You're dangerous."

Sirius raised his wand to point directly between the man's eyes. "Say that again, Snivellus."

Snape, who had recoiled at the hostile action, quickly gathered himself. "Why's that, Black? So you can prove my very point?"

"Stop it." Remus said, putting a hand on Sirius' arm again. "This conversation is getting us nowhere."

"Then let's put our words into action." Sirius said, throwing Snape's wand back to the man and snorting as he missed and scrambled on the floor to retrieve it.

"No!" Remus said, more loudly this time. "We are not duelling. "I mean it. I'll get Dumbledore."

Snape, who had finally gathered up his fallen wand, drew himself up, flicked his hair out of his eyes and pointed it at Sirius. "Alright Black, have it your way."

"Severus! Sirius!" Remus said loudly. "I won't stay here and watch you…"

But it was too late. Sirius let out a roar of pain as the spell Snape threw his way hit him. It felt as if something had slashed at the side of his face and he wasn't surprised to see blood splattering the floor.

"Impedimenta!" He yelled, waving his own wand in turn and causing Snape to fly backwards and hit the cabinet of glass phials and jars behind him.

Sirius paused briefly to enjoy the effect as one by one they toppled from their shelves to smash on the potion master's head.

He considered it would be unsporting to attack again while his adversary was crumpled on the floor being pelted by the contents of his potions cabinet, but unfortunately he waited too long.

Wiping yellow slime from his eyes, Snape suddenly leapt upright and with lightning reflexes, shot a curse at Sirius.

He bit back a scream as he felt the sadly not unfamiliar effects of the spell. It wasn't as bad as the cruciatus curse, but the sensation of having his whole skin on fire was still agonising.

"You flaming imbecile, take it off me!" He managed to say through gritted teeth and watering eyes.

The pain stopped. He doubled over, panting.

"Right, Snivellus, you asked for it." He said, straightening up and levelling his wand at the other man. "Sectum-"

"Expelliarmus!"

He felt his wand fly out of his hand and spun around. He'd expected to see Remus standing there, but instead it was Albus Dumbledore.

The headmaster was standing in the doorway to the office looking very grave indeed. He caught both Sirius and Snape's wands in his outstretched hand and fixed them with a severe expression.

"Come with me. Both of you." He said and, without another word, turned and marched back up the stone corridor.

It might have been 1975 again. Sirius and Snape glared at one another as they followed the headmaster through the castle, but neither of them spoke. This was all Snivellus' fault, Sirius thought bitterly. He casts the first curse and now he, Sirius, will be getting the blame again.

They finally reached Dumbledore's office and he gave the stone gargoyle the password to let them in.

He elbowed Snape hard as they climbed the stone staircase and Snape retaliated by trying to trip him up the steps.

"Stop it you git!"

"You stop it!"

"Quiet, both of you!" Dumbledore said, leading them into his circular room and closing the door behind them. He frowned at them. "Now are we going to have a sensible conversation or are you going to continue to behave like ridiculous children?"

"It's Snape's fault." Sirius said sulkily, taking a seat in front of Dumbledore's desk and scowling.

"Thank you, Sirius." Dumbledore said.

He turned to Snape who had taken a chair as far away from Sirius as possible. "Would you care to explain your version of events, Professor Snape?"

"Black barged into my office with Lupin." Snape said, speaking quickly and harshly as though they were back at school and he was grassing Sirius up before he could hex him again. "He wanted someone to blame for an article written about him. I defended myself and he attacked."

"You sordid liar!" Sirius shouted, incensed. "You hit me first with whatever the hell this is." He gestured his injured cheek.

"You attack me, I attack back."

"I didn't attack you!"

"You disarmed me."

"I gave you your wand back, didn't I?!"

"Only so you could attack me again!"

"How does that make any sense?!

"Enough!" Dumbledore said, waving a hand for silence. "That's enough."

He looked from Sirius to Snape with his brow furrowed. "I would have thought the two of you would have been able to put your differences from the past behind you, nearly twenty years down the line."

"I have. He clearly hasn't." Sirius said. "Since he wrote that article calling me a murderer."

"I didn't write it you idiot."

"You blabbed your gob off to the reporter."

"I was asked a question. I gave an honest answer."

"I'm not a fucking murderer!"

"Attempted murderer, I believe I said."

"I'm not one of them either!"

"Professor Dumbledore." Snape said, looking back at the headmaster. "Did Sirius Black or did he not send me to meet a fully transformed werewolf at the age of sixteen?"

"If you already have your answer Severus, why are you asking me the question?" Dumbledore said tiredly.

"Because I'm sick of you thinking he's some sort of hero! I'm sick of everyone thinking that. He's dangerous, and I'm glad the world finally knows the truth about him."

"Well done, Snivellus." Sirius said, slow clapping sarcastically. "You've officially grassed me up to the entire United Kingdom. Are you happy now?"

"That's not helpful, Sirius." Dumbledore said. He looked between the two men. "This rivalry between you has gone on long enough. You're both on the same side now. When, and I do mean when, Voldemort returns you will need to work together."

"I'm not -"

"You can't make me -"

"Fine!" Dumbledore said, very nearly losing his temper now as he go to his feet. "I will work with neither of you."

"Professor -"

"That's not fair!"

"I want you to shake hands, and promise to put all this ridiculous nonsense where it belongs then. In the past."

Sirius glowered at Snape. Snape scowled at Sirius.

Both seeing they had no choice, they moved over to one another and did as they were told, letting go impossibly quickly before hastily turning back to Dumbledore.

Sirius thought he might have seen the corner of Dumbledore's lip twitch. "That will have to do for now." He said, moving over to open the office door. "Sirius, if you enter the castle uninvited again I will make you teach a class of my first years as punishment. Severus, perhaps it would be best to give Rita Skeeter a wide berth from now on. I usually find that is quite the best way to deal with her. Now good evening, gentlemen." And he closed the door firmly behind them.

"Greasy git."

"Arrogant berk."

Sirius and Snape muttered to one another as they descended the stone staircase to the corridor below. Fortunately, Snape walked so quickly Sirius didn't need to spend any more time in his odious company. He scowled after the man, his cloak billowing out behind him and making him look more like an overgrown bat than ever. He'd sincerely hoped never to have to spend that much time in his foul presence again.

"Sirius."

Sirius jumped as Remus came into view. "Disillusionment charm." He explained. "How did it go with Dumbledore?"

Sirius snorted. "How do you think? He tried to get us to be friends. Is that the only trick he knows of for how to deal with people fighting?"

Remus smiled. "What are your bright ideas then?"

Sirius shrugged. "Curse him?"

Remus didn't smile. "It's not funny, Sirius." He said as they moved out of the castle. "It's your thinking like that which caused all this to escalate in the first place."

"I know it's not funny, I'm being serious!"

Remus stopped walking. He frowned at him. "Really? You mean that?"

Sirius faltered. Oh bugger. What had he gone and said to upset Moony now?

"Look, I don't know why you're upset…"

"No, I can see that." Remus said. He frowned at Sirius again. "That's always been the problem. And quite honestly, I'm running out of excuses for you."

"Moony, don't do this…"

"I'll see you later." Remus said and he walked off into the grounds without him.

Sirius watched him go with a mixture of hurt and confusion. He didn't understand at all.

"Sirius?"

He turned at the sound of Harry's voice and despite how he was feeling inside smiled when he saw his godson.

"Hi." He said. "You alright?"

Harry frowned. "Are you?"

Sirius ran his hands through his hair and then shook his head. "I think I may have been a bit of an idiot…"

…

A/N: other interpretations welcome but as Sirius was able to self-reflect on his behaviour at school to Harry in OOTP, I do believe he has a modicum of self-awareness…

Also for anyone who's curious I've written a one-shot on Dumbledore as I felt the need to give him some airtime beyond dealing with squabbling 34/35 year olds and telling people what they can and can't do. He's quite a remarkable man really, and I want to credit him with that.