The Marauders: Year Four

Both Horrible Bullies

Both Horrible Bullies

The fourth year Slytherin dormitory was pitch black, the result of some charm Severus Snape had cast upon the room. He sat, pressed into the corner, his back against the wall, knees curled to his chest, feeling the pressure of silence close around him. If he concentrated on the silence - if he really listened to it - he could almost get out of his own head long enough to feel something that resembled peace. Or at least numbness, which was as close as it sometimes gets.

"Severus," came a voice... and the door creaked open... a crack of light crawling across the thick blackness. "Lumos." Regulus's wand lit up and he held it out, illuminating his arm as he moved into the room, closing the door behind him. Severus kept his face buried in his knees, his long black hair hanging like curtains 'round his face... Regulus lowered himself to a crouch right in front of Snape and moved the wand to illuminate his form. He stared at him. "Severus," he whispered.

"Go away, Regulus."

"But Severus --"

"I'm not hungry, I don't want to talk to you, I don't want you to sit here and feel sorry for me - okay? I don't want you here. I don't want you," Severus snapped angrily. "Don't make me curse you to make you leave. I will if I have to."

Regulus was quiet a moment, staring into Severus's face - his eyes almost challenging the other boy to go on and do it if he really meant it - but Severus just shook his head and pursed his face back into the arm he had draped across his knees.

"Lily Evans sent me up to get you," Regulus said. When Severus didn't move, he said, "She's waiting for you in the corridor."

Severus was very still.

"I mean, I can tell the filthy little mudblood to bugger off if you prefer ---" Regulus said, and he rose to his feet, knowing that would get a rise out of Severus. And he was right. Severus moved quickly to catch Regulus from going, clutching onto his robes with his balled fist.

Severus stared up at him. "She really sent you?"

Regulus decided stretching the truth a mite would be best. "Why else would I subject myself to your brilliant ray-of-sunshine personality right now? For the bloody fun of it?"

Severus drew a deep breath. "Evans really wants to see me?"

Regulus nodded, "Yes."

Severus sat for another moment, then slowly uncurled himself and Regulus stood and held out his hand to help Severus to his feet as well. Severus followed Regulus out of the room, blinking at the brightness of the common room with eyes unused to anything but the dark at this point. The Slytherins in the common room looked up as Regulus came down the steps ahead of Severus, staring as though seeing a fantastic beast waltz through the center of their common room. Evan Rosier's eyebrows were halfway up his forehead and he lowered the textbook he was reading. Severus kept his eyes turned to his feet.

"Welcome to the land of the living, Snape," Rosier sneered, laughing and receiving a high-five from Goyle.

"Shut it," snapped Regulus.

Rosier did shut it, but he took pause to glare at Regulus for a long moment first, before turning back to his book.

In the corridor, Regulus pulled the door closed and led Severus down to the bend by the prefects bathroom and Severus's heart skipped a beat when he saw her standing there in a semi-circle of torchlight, leaning against the wall, her hair pulled to hang over one shoulder as she stared down at her bitten nails... Regulus hadn't been lying. Lily Evans wasn't a bit of his imagination or an apparition. She was really here, in the hall.