build me up buttercup [s.black]

[11] Amber

Sirius swaggered into The Great Hall with a characteristically conceited look on his face and Severus Snape watched him from the Slytherin table with great dislike. He couldn't wait for tonight. So what if Aisling had backed out on him? He didn't care. He would expose all four of his classmates for what they were.

Scum, blood traitors, muggle loving filth.

As these increasingly nasty thoughts filled his head he stuck his hand into his bag and ran it over an extremely heavy and expensive looking camera. He had borrowed it off Lucius Malfoy, having not been able to afford one himself. The older student hadn't plagued him with questions about why exactly Snape needed the camera, which he appreciated. What he didn't appreciate quite as much was Lucius's promise that he would curse Snape into next week if he returned it with so much as a scratch.

The greasy haired boy was so lost in his spiteful thoughts that he didn't notice that a Gryffindor had sat himself down at The Slytherin table. But when he finally snapped back into reality he was met with the sight of Sirius Black sitting opposite him, deep in conversation with what looked like almost a miniature version of himself. Sirius and his brother Regulus conversed quite loudly, just loudly enough for Snape to listen in.

"Yeah so I'm sorry but I'll really have to help you with your homework another night Reg." Sirius said to his brother. "I've got something very important to do tonight, a sort of Transfiguaration project."

"I never asked you to help me with my homework." Regulus said stiffly, refusing to meet his brother's eye.

Snape could hardly believe his luck. He had been so worried about not being able to pick up on their exact plan and yet here the idiot was, discussing it within earshot of him.

"Also what was that tip you told me about the Whomping Willow again?" Sirius asked his brother. "The thing you do to stop it moving?"

Regulus looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up, and seemed to be painfully aware of all the Slytherins who were now glaring disdainfully in their direction.

"The knob on the side of it, you just need to press it." Regulus answered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"My brother, the Herbology whiz. Anyway, catch you later little bro." Sirius stood up, ruffling Regulus's hair as he did so. He wasn't ignoring the glares he was receiving from the other Slytherins. In fact, he seemed to be revelling in the attention. He sauntered off back to the Gryffindor table and sat down next to Peter.

Aisling watched him from across the table. She felt sure that he was planning something but she couldn't imagine what. She sighed and massaged her temples as she realised that she would almost definitely have to follow her classmates tonight, if only to make sure they didn't accidentally kill Snape or themselves.

***

That night Severus Snape waited outside the portrait of The Fat Lady, hidden in a nook in the wall so that he could watch the portrait without being seen. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the entrance swung open to reveal...

Nothing.

Snape frowned, the portrait had definitely swung forward to let someone out; and then closed again as if said person had left the entryway. And yet the corridor was still completely empty.

"Ouch, Prongs! You're standing on my foot!"

Snape jumped at the voice and stared to where it had come from. Then he heard another hurried whisper.

"Well excuse me your highness, but you're the one who insisted that we could all fit under here at once."

Snaps then heard a dull thud, as if someone had been punched, and saw a flash of white and blue about a metre to the left of where he was looking.