A Change of Heart

Chapter Thirty One

"What are you doing here?" Demanded Snape.

"Where's Black?" Asked Tom.

"Am here," Sirius came out of the back room. "Hid myself when I heard the knock. Thought it might be Umbridge."

"What are you doing here?" Asked Snape again.

"I came here to check on Harry." Said Tom.

"How did you know of his ban?" Asked Sirius.

Tom rolled his eyes. "I did not."

"That was a tough break," muttered Sirius.

"Potter and his cronies attacked Draco." Snapped Snape. "It was a well-deserved ban."

"Hello, the Malfoy kid was insulting the Weasleys' parents and Lily! Now, I don't know about you Snape, but most normal humans don't ignore insults to their mother!"

"Whereas you would join those and insult your mother alongside them, wouldn't you, Black?"

"I'm talking of normal people here, Snape. My mother was a special case!"

"Obviously!" Snorted Snape.

Tom was feeling quite bemused by now. He'd never seen Snape lose his cool like this.

"Have you ever considered that you were the abnormal one, Black?" Asked Snape. "That you disappointed your parents more than they disappointed you?"

"I didn't have to consider it, Snape. They never lost an opportunity to remind me of it while they were alive!"

Tom held out his hand just as Snape opened his mouth to retort.

"Stop!" Said Tom. "Just stop!"

They looked at him, both glowering.

"Are you two always like this?" Asked Tom, feeling quite bewildered. It seemed Snape was not exaggerating when he talked of their animosity to each other. It was a surprise they had not killed each other by now.

"Well, no," said Sirius flinging himself on the couch. "Generally we ignore each other and pretend the other isn't there. If we start talking, we just might end up killing each other."

"The thought did cross my mind as to why you hadn't killed each other by now."

"Entrusting his safety to me is a very bad idea." Muttered Snape. "This cannot end well."

"Well, if you can just keep ignoring each other, I'm sure everything will work out fine," said Tom. "And please, start now, so that I can get some sleep."

"I'll show you to your room," said Snape stiffly, leading Tom through a side door. The room was small but neat and clean. The bed looked freshly made and a fire was blazing in the fireplace, lending a mellow appearance to the stark dungeon. It also imparted a pleasant warmth.

"You and Black might be more similar than you think, Severus."

Snape's lips compressed. "I don't think so."

"You blamed him, didn't you? For betraying the Potters? And you must have felt some guilt over your own role in their death."

Snape made no answer.

"And he must have blamed you too, and himself. You lost Lily Potter and he lost James Potter."

"You were the one who killed them," Snape said flatly. "Can't you at least not talk about them?"

Tom was taken aback. He did not know why he kept talking about Harry's parents. Maybe because they were Harry's parents. But Snape was right. He had killed them. However much he might have changed, he could not change the things he did.

"Just keep Black safe. I don't care how you do it. But you will keep him safe." Tom's voice was cold. But he was more angry with himself than with anyone else.