The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

Bat Got Your Tongue

Bat Got Your Tongue

"Lily!" Severus Snape had been waiting by the Potions classroom for some time for Lily Evans to come down to class. He'd been leaning against the stone wall, and stood upright the moment he spotted her coming along the corridor. "Let me get your books for you!" he suggested, hurrying over to her. Hearing him, Lily looked up from the book she'd been reading while walking.

"Tarantallegra," James Potter whispered as waved his wand from behind Lily, winking to Sirius, who snickered.

Severus instantly broke into a funny sort of dance, his legs flapping uncontrollably. "What the hell --?" He struggled to stop his legs, trying to grab onto his thighs to still them, but it wasn't helping. Lily stared at him with her jaw dropped a bit in surprise - and then she laughed. Severus felt his face go red. "Make it stop!" he said.

"Just can't hold it in, can you, Snape?" Sirius snickered as he passed by, headed into the classroom.

James grinned as he slipped by, his eyes sparkling at Severus challengingly as he sang, following Sirius into the potions room. "Shake it up Snapey now..."

"SHAKE IT UP SNAPEY!" bellowed Sirius from inside the room, overhearing James's song.

"Twist and shoooout..." James shuffled a bit, laughing.

"Stop that, Potter." Lily shoved James in the room from his back, "Go. Leave him be." Once James had gone through, she turned to Severus, "Finite Incantantum." Severus's feet stopped dancing and he fell against her, nearly toppling her over, but she managed to catch her balance and push him back up. Several other third year Slytherins slipped by, glaring at Snape and Lily as they went, raising their eyebrows as they passed, judging Severus for letting aGryffindor girl, a mudblood no less, help him. "We're running late," Lily said, turning to the classroom, as Slughorn's voice echoed out from within. "C'mon."

"I need to talk to you, though," Severus said desperately.

"After." Lily hurried inside, ignoring the pleading in his voice.

Severus scowled and went in. His legs were still sort of disoriented after their frenzied performance in the hall and he walked a bit wobbly over to his seat beside Evan Rosier. He could hear Sirius Black and James Potter snickering to each other as he passed by them. He nearly tripped on his way to the chair and Evan looked up, scooting over to give Severus the closer chair, and Severus sank into it weakly, clutching the table to keep himself steady. His knees were tingling.

"....and the properties of vespa lingua?" Slughorn was asking, just as Severus turned forward to pay some attention to the lesson, trying to ignore the still snickering bullies. "Who knows the identity and the properties of the vespa lingua?" He looked about, spotted James Potter snickering with Sirius Black, and he cleared his throat, "Mr. Potter?" He turned to the chalkboard to write the answer James supplied him.

James looked up. Severus had hoped that he might not have any idea what Slughorn had been talking about, but the look of confidence on his face was clear that he did know exactly what the vespa lingua was. He slipped his wand out of his pocket and aimed it under his arm in James's direction, then whispered, "Langlock."

Evan Rosier looked over at Severus with a smirk.

"The ve--ghhkkkk!" James choked on his tongue as it was suddenly stuck to the roof of his mouth, unable to move. He gurgled stupidly around it, trying to pull it down from his mouth, his eyes watering up with the effort.