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A short snippet with the Marauders and their favorite target, Severus Snape.

There But for Grace Go I…

Remus Lupin looked up as a shadow fell across his book. Snape stood there, shifting from foot to foot, not making eye contact.

"Yes?" Remus raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

Snape hesitated, looking like he was about to bolt, then burst out all in a rush: "If I were to give you a note for Lily Evans would it make it to her intact and privately?"

Remus blinked a few times, then nodded slowly. "Well…yes."

Snape's eyes flickered over to where James and Sirius were playing Keep Away with an apple over Peter's head a few yards off. "Would it?" he asked, with rather less sneer and a good bit more worry than usual.

Lupin nodded again, firmly this time. "It would," he assured the Slytherin, then shrugged. "Provided that you give it over discreetly," he added, glancing at his friends.

Snape fidgeted. Remus couldn't hide an amused grin. "I'm not going to say I'll guard it with my life or anything, but I'll do what I can to deliver it to her properly."

Snape nodded. "Thank you," he forced out quite stiffly between clenched teeth, as if it caused him physical pain to speak the words, but his grasp on the note was oddly tender when he reluctantly passed the werewolf the folded, tightly tied bit of parchment. Before Remus could add another word to the odd and unexpected conversation, Snape spun on his heel and dashed across the yard, robes flapping awkwardly like damp wings.

Remus carefully tucked the clearly precious note into his schoolbag as the other Marauders sauntered up. (Well, with Peter it was more of a shuffle, and a swagger from James, but Sirius was in the lead so the verb defaulted to his choice of walking method.)

"Was that Snivellus talking to you?" Sirius asked in disbelief.

Remus shrugged, honest bemusement on his face. "It was actually pretty civil, oddly enough."

"What'd he want?" Peter looked around as if waiting for a clue or booby trap to materialize around them.

"Nothing, really," Lupin replied as he gathered up his notes.

"He just came over to pass the time of day?" snorted Sirius.

Remus shrugged and said nothing.

"He must be plotting something," James growled darkly.

"Yeah," Peter agreed quickly, "better watch out for yourself, Moony."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Nice to see such healthy cases of paranoia from everyone."

Sirius snorted. "Snape's always plotting something. That's common sense, not paranoia. Smarmy little git," he added conversationally.

"Let's go ask what it is." James started to head off in the direction Snape had disappeared back into the castle from.

Remus caught his arm. "Just let it go, James. It really was nothing."

Sirius shook his head. "Don't be so naïve, Moony." He grinned. "Just because you're a nice guy doesn't mean karma will return the favor."

"Yeah," Peter chimed in, but didn't get to finish his sentence.

"C'mon, Moony," James cajoled, "it'll be fun."

"Always is." Sirius grinned slowly.

"No seriously, guys, not today. Let's just leave it alone, yeah?" Remus tried to tug them off towards the lake. "I think he was just lonely or something."

"We can fix that!" Sirius started off eagerly, eyes glinting.

"Padfoot, come on."

Sirius turned around, frowning. "What's up? You worried or something?"

"Pretty sure we can take him," James smirked, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Maybe he's Imperiused," Peter suggested eagerly.

Remus ignored that. "No, I just…feel bad for him." He released James and Sirius's arms but they didn't move off, just gawked at him.

"Bad…for Snivellus," Sirius said slowly.

"I really didn't think they made suckers so nice," James said in grumpy amusement.

"Don't be such a martyr," Peter grumbled, glancing after their target.

"I'm not," Remus protested. "It's just…" He spoke softly, almost to himself. "Sometimes I can so easily see that being me."

Sirius snorted loudly. "Right, if you dunked your head in a vat of grease every half-hour," he began, and James laughed.

"No," Lupin said, staring blankly towards the archway the Slytherin boy had disappeared through. "I mean lonely and friendless and clinging to whatever group would tolerate my presence."

The other three exchanged uncomfortable glances and shifted in awkward silence. Finally Sirius shook himself and, without speaking, motioned towards the castle. James and Peter followed quickly but Remus lingered a moment, still staring, his face unreadable. Then he tore his gaze from the empty stone and hurried to catch up with his friends.