Severus Snape stalked down the ever-darkening halls, hardly watching where he was going. When he reached the Slytherin Common Room, he was twice refused the password before he remembered the correct one.
‘Tarquin’s Teapot,’ he intoned dully, and prowled into the dank, dimly lit room. It was sparsely inhabited, and Severus made for the farthest, darkest corner, fighting the aching lump that was forming in his throat. A bold Third Year made some snide remark he didn’t quite catch, but he fired off a jinx anyway, causing the younger student to yelp in alarm as he and his friends ducked out of the way. Severus crossed the room without looking back.
Sinking into his favourite green velvet chair, Severus concentrated on pushing back the sting that threatened at his eyes. The image of lovely, perfect Lily leaving the library with that strutting idiot consumed him, and for several minutes he could do nothing but steep in the hideous injustice of it.
Lily hated James. She hated him. She had told him so on numerous occasions. Yet there she had been, walking practically arm in arm with him, looking positively chummy with the boy she’d called an arrogant toerag not so long ago.
And then a creeping doubt coiled around his heart. Perhaps it was he, Severus, whom she hated now? He had barely spoken to Lily at all this week, not since she had argued with him over his choice of friends yet again. At once bitter waves of despair washed over him. A fierce ache wrenched his chest and he resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands.
If only she didn’t have such a ridiculous aversion to the Dark Arts. If only he were cool and handsome and Captain of the Quidditch team. Then it might be him talking with Lily at a lamp-lit table, him leaving the library with Lily smiling warmly at him.
He stared broodingly at the fire across the room, an overwhelming hatred building inside him. It wasn’t fair. Stupid Potter and his stupid friends. Thinking they had the run of the school, thinking they could chat up anyone they liked. He hadn’t missed that cosy little conversation Lily had had with Black, either…how was it she was suddenly so friendly with the so-called Marauders?
Well, passivity had never been one of Severus’s faults. He wasn’t going to sit here and take it. He wasn’t going to watch Potter swarm all over Lily like he owned her. If only Potter were out of the way, he might have a chance. If he could only catch them at something that would fix them good, make them the objects of Lily’s disdain once more”or better yet, get them expelled. Merlin knew they got up to enough after hours…
The shadows lengthened along the stone walls, and the Common Room slowly emptied around him. He did not move, sitting like stone himself, gazing into space. So absorbed was he in his own thoughts that he barely noticed when Regulus Black quietly appeared at his elbow. Severus jumped slightly and glared at the younger boy.
‘What do you want?’ he inquired icily, saturating each word with the maximum possible venom.
‘Nothing,’ Regulus answered, unfazed. ‘Just thought I’d say hello.’
Severus narrowed his eyes, trying to convey hostility. He wanted nothing less than to be forced into conversation right now, especially not with the spoiled kid brother of one of the boys against whom he was currently plotting, no matter how friendly Regulus might have been to him lately. When the latter made no move to leave, Severus said pointedly, ‘Won’t your friends be missing you?’
Regulus raised one brow in a way that reminded Severus sickeningly of his older brother, but ignored the hint. ‘Had a bad day?’
Severus sneered. ‘What’s it to you?’
Regulus shrugged, drawing his knees up onto his chair and curling them beneath him like a cat. Perfect, the little brat was settling in. In truth, the younger boy looked a bit lonely. He probably wanted to have a lovely long heart-to-heart talk. Bleakly, Severus contemplated getting up and facing the crowded dormitory, but decided he didn’t have the energy.
‘There was another disappearance in the paper today. Some Mudblood in Kent. Mulciber says it’s him behind it.’
‘Brilliant guess, that,’ Severus retorted acidly. Regulus was quiet for a moment. Severus stared straight ahead. He could feel the other boy watching his profile.
‘Are you going to teach me that new spell you invented?’ Regulus asked at last. ‘Sectum-something, or whatever it is? I overheard you practicing it last night,’ he explained, having the grace to look apologetic.
Severus opened his mouth to say something cutting, but found he didn’t have the heart. ‘Fine. When I’m finished,’ he said instead, grudgingly. Regulus nodded, satisfied.
Silence ensued. Severus was just hoping that Regulus might get bored and leave him alone, when the latter said quietly, ‘What were you thinking about, before?’
‘How lovely it is to have a bit of solitude at the end of the day.’
‘You looked upset.’
‘I was not upset!‘ Severus spat. Why wouldn’t this idiot leave him alone? Ever since that first day on the train, Regulus had acted as though Severus was his own personal mentor or something. Which was fine as long as long as he, Severus, was setting the schedule”he rather enjoyed teaching the younger boy complex spells of his own invention, watching the impressed reactions of Regulus and his friends as he recounted his intricate knowledge of the Dark Arts. But that didn’t mean he wanted to share his life story with the boy. No wonder his brother had found him so annoying…
Then, somewhere in his shrewd mind, something clicked. There was a way to use this situation, after all. Severus sat up straighter, turning his full attention to Regulus’s pale face, smiling in the flattering manner he had often seen Narcissa Black use to get her way. Regulus smiled hesitantly back.
‘Reg,’ Severus purred, employing the nickname his friends used. ‘How perceptive of you to notice. In fact, I was rather put out. I had a bit of a run-in with your brother tonight.’
This was a lie that would be nearly impossible to disprove. The ongoing feud between the Marauders and Severus was not exactly a secret. Sure enough, Regulus’s face darkened in a scowl, his slight frame tensing in his chair.
‘He’s not my brother,’ he answered tightly.
‘Quite right, how foolish of me,’ Severus murmured, smoothing the boy’s ruffled feathers. ‘Unfortunately, I believe I came off slightly worse in the encounter…’
‘You wouldn’t be the first,’ Regulus muttered.
‘Indeed. He has quite a gift for argument, doesn’t he?’ There, don’t twitch the bait, he wants to talk…
Regulus glowered at the floor. ‘Look, whatever he said, don’t worry about it”he’s full of rubbish.’
‘Well, it’s clear who got the brains in the family,’ Severus agreed smoothly. ‘It’s incredible he hasn’t gotten himself expelled, with everything those four get up to.’
‘No kidding,’ the other boy grumbled. ‘Well, he was always a complete nutter, sneaking out at night at home and all…nearly drove Mum out of her head.’
‘How frustrating,’ Severus commiserated. ‘Well, at least you don’t have to try to keep him in line anymore.’
‘Yes…’ Regulus sighed. He stared dejectedly at the stone floor for a moment, before looking up, his grey eyes suddenly clouded with worry. ‘Why? He’s…not planning something stupid is he? Not that I care,’ he added hastily. ‘But if it was going to cause a lot of trouble, I mean”you’re a Prefect and all, maybe you could stop it.’
Severus noticed he had not said ‘go to Dumbledore.’ Perfect.
‘Indeed. In fact, I have reason to believe he and Potter are up to something, but I have no idea where to start…’
Regulus looked rather uncomfortable, his thin face tensing with some internal conflict. Severus waited.
The struggle was brief; Regulus’s expression smoothed with resolve, his eyes hard.
‘They go somewhere at night,’ he informed Severus. ‘I don’t know where, but I think it has something to do with Lupin.’
‘Really?’ murmured Severus, intrigued.
Regulus nodded. ‘Last spring I had to talk to”er, Sirius, because Mum told me to tell him he’d have to find a way home himself, because Dad was taking me straight from the station to get my new broom.’ Regulus sneaked a quick peek at Severus, presumably to make sure Severus understood that this brief contact had been forced upon him. Severus pulled an expression of understanding, and Regulus continued. ‘Well, anyway, some Gryffindor told me that he’d”Sirius that is”said he’d gone up to meet Lupin, who was coming back from visiting a sick aunt or whatever. So while I was waiting, I went up to visit Abenur Wilkes in the Hospital Wing”you know, after he broke his collarbone in Quidditch? And when I was in there, I saw the three of them coming out from some back room, talking about Lupin, how much better it would be once they “finished” everything.
‘Then last month I was in the Hospital Wing again after we practised that one spell”you know, the one that made my fingers shrivel up?’ He cast a sheepish glance at Severus. ‘And I saw them come out of that same room. They were talking about how much fun “last night” had been, and something about trying Hogsmeade “next month.” I think Lupin was back there for some reason, and they all looked really tired, like they’d been out all night,’ Regulus finished, looking to Severus for approval. For a long moment, Severus didn’t say anything at all. The ache that had been clutching his heart since he had left the library was lightening considerably.
‘I don’t know if that helps you at all,’ Regulus said tentatively.
Severus smiled at him truly for the first time. ‘On the contrary, it helps a great deal.’ In his mind, he was already seeing Dumbledore grimly writing out four identical letters of notification. Expulsion. What a beautiful word.