I Was Younger Then

An Old Man's Advice

"Is that Snape?"

"No way, get out of the way so I can see!"

"Oi get off!"

"Hush or you'll wake them!"

"He'll probably give us detention for the entire year if we did that. . ."

"Her head is on his lap! If Sirius sees--"

"If I see what?" Sirius's voice said.

"NOTHING" every other voice chimed in unison.

Penny blinked against the onslaught of light that accompanied a loud commotion at the door. Instinctively she rolled over in search of Snape, afraid he'd left but found him sneering at the door.

"What are you doing to Penny, Snivelus!" Sirius barked as he made it past the human barricade trying to bar him from the room.

A rough hand grasped Penny's right wrist, Sirius's large form towering over her.

"You know, Black, contrary to what your tiny brain seems to think, being louder does not actually make what comes from your mouth any more intelligent." Snape replied, any grogginess he might have felt, long evaporated.

"She's 14 you sick bastard," Sirius growled, tugging Penny violently from Snape's lap. Unfortunately for Penny he had not thought the motion through and so he flung her into a heap on the floor where she landed painfully.

"We were just sleeping," Penny said, angrily as Fred and George appeared at her side and helped her to her feet.

"Looked more like cuddling to me," George smirked.

Penny slammed her foot down on his, causing him to yelp in pain.

"Bravo Black, you can finally count," Snape said in a bored tone, getting to his own feet and reaching for his bag.

"You always were obsessed with James, but honestly, Snivellus, going after his daughter is low even for you," Sirius said, kicking over Snape's bag before he could reach it.

Snape went stiff, the air around him suddenly shifting, his rage oozing from him like hot molten lava. Behind Penny, Hermione gasped while the Weasley's didn't bother to hide their laughter.

"I think you have me confused with yourself, Black. Given the way you are still unable to get over the fact he's dead and surmounted to nothing in his life. So you'll forgive me if I don't take your accusations seriously, especially in light of how bored I know you must be hiding in your mother's house," Snape said delicately, every word dripping with venom.

Foreseeing trouble, Penny threw herself between Snape and Sirius. She turned to beg Sirius not to do anything rash just as he dove at Snape, tackling him and taking Penny with him; the three of them falling toward the couch in a tangled mess. Before Penny could even register what had transpired, Sirius's hands were on Snape's neck, and Snape's on his, Penny sandwiched between them, squirming futilely to free herself.

"I can't breathe," Penny choked, Sirius's elbow pressed firmly against her throat without his noticing.

Everyone else in the room was yelling angry words Penny could not make out, yet none of them appeared to want to get any closer, clearly unsure how they were supposed to respond. Finally, Ginny bolted from the room in search of help.

Meanwhile, Penny choked and hit at any body part she could find, trying to get either man's attention, but they were stuck in their standoff, Sirius's face going redder by the moment. Penny reached out desperately for Harry's mind, who responded in alarm.

"Sirius, get off," he panted, trying to shove Sirius off of Penny, but two legs aimed a kick at him.

"Stay out of the way, Potter!" Snape hissed, just as Sirius barked, "Get out of it, Harry!"