The Marauders: Year Three | #Wattys2016

Peter's Emotional Crisis

Peter's Emotional Crisis

Severus Snape sat alone in a compartment on the Hogwarts Express, nipping at the end of his quill as he read his Potions book. He scratched out an instruction in the book, writing a new one in it's place, and dog eared the page. He was reading far more advanced chapters than they were working on in class - making notes of questions he had for Slughorn. They were about an hour away from the castle still when the door to his compartment pushed open and Regulus Black stood in the frame of the doorway. He was small, even for a first year student, and Severus couldn't help but find the expression on his face amusing - it was clear Regulus intended to look intimidating, but he was too tiny for it. "What do you want?" he asked lowly, turning his eyes back to his book, not really caring what it was Regulus was after.

"I want my letters back."

"Your letters?" Severus drawled. "I don't have any of your letters."

"You bloody well know what I mean."

Severus looked up, keeping his face perfectly stoic. He blinked calmly at Regulus.

"Give them back, Snape." Regulus aimed his wand.

Severus looked back down, ignoring Regulus. "I should think we would've learned our lesson last time... you're too much of a coward to actually hex me, so raising your wand is utterly useless unless you're going to accio your darling mummy to fight your battles."

Regulus kept his wand up a moment, his hand shaking, trying to convince himself that Snape wasn't right, but he was and finally Regulus lowered the wand and glowered at Severus. "They're mine."

"Actually, I believe the letters to which you refer belong to your brother," Severus said, "Which, luckily for you, I loathe and despise your brother nearly as much as you seem to, so I won't return them to him. However, Lily Evans -- her, I like. So no. You cannot have your bloody letters back."

Regulus stomped his foot like a petulant child.

Severus slid his quill into the page he was reading and closed the book, setting it on his lap. "You know, the Dark Lord asked me to see to it that you worked on being a bit more mature in order to become a true Death Eater one day." Severus looked at Regulus's cross-armed stance, "You're making my job quite a challenge."

Regulus pouted, "I'm just as good a Death Eater as you are!" he snapped.

"Not if you're going to pout and whine all over the place - the Dark Lord has enough cry babies in his ranks, he doesn't need another one."

Regulus sneered, then turned to leave.

"Regulus."

He paused in the door.

"You should sit in this compartment."

Regulus turned around, "Why would I want to sit with you?" His nose was turned up in disgust.

"Because it's the Dark Lord's wish."

Regulus shook his head, "Whatever," he said and he started to leave again.

Severus shrugged, "Go, then. But the Dark Lord will know and don't think contempt against his orders will go unnoticed."

Regulus's jaw set and he stood there, contemplating, wanting to walk out. But, as much as he begrudged it, he knew Severus was right. So he grit his teeth and took a seat on the bench opposite of Severus, his arms folded across his chest, glaring at the greasy haired compartment mate.