"Hey, look! There's Snivellus!" Peter called, pointing excitedly

Sirius looked up and raised a brow, then squinted for a moment, and blinked. "Is that really him? His hair actually looks presentable today. Huh."

James looked just as confused. "Now that's a first."

Since mocking Snape's greasy hair was no longer an option, the three of them proceeded to make fun of his abnormally large nose instead, neither of them noticing the small smile on Remus's lips, and the brief look exchanged between him and Severus. Remus leaned back and closed his eyes, remembering the previous night in the prefect's bathroom.

"Let me wash your hair."

Severus's eyes narrowed as he looked at Remus suspiciously, his pale cheeks flushing lightly. "Why? Because it's greasy and disgusting? I am aware of that, all right? No need to remind me. I thought you said you didn't care about any of that. But you do, don't you? You're just as bad as Black, Potter and that pathetic Pettigrew. This is probably all part of your plan to humiliate me, right? I should've known."

He got up and was about to get out of the tub when Remus reached up and closed his fingers around the other boy's thin, bony wrist, looking at him patiently. "Severus," he said quietly. "We're in a bathtub. Washing one's hair is what one usually does in a bathtub."

Severus looked down at him, his brows furrowing for a moment as he contemplated this, before he sighed and relaxed. "Oh."

Hesitating for another second or two, he finally sat down and pulled his knees to his chest, avoiding Remus's eyes as his pale cheeks flushed a little. As Remus watched him, he suddenly felt a huge surge of love for this insecure, shy boy, and felt bad all over again for ever having mocked Severus. He hadn't participated in James and Sirius's pranks for a while now, but at the beginning, he had. But he wouldn't anymore. From now on, he would stand up for him.

He reached for the bottle of shampoo, squeezing some of it into his palm. Then he sat up, and tilted Severus's chin up with his non-soapy hand, forcing the other boy to meet his eyes. He hated seeing all that pain in the other boy's dark eyes, and hoped that he could somehow make up for all the misery he'd caused him. He wanted to kiss away the pain and make him all better. He knew that Severus's emotional scars were deep, but he wouldn't give up hope. There had to be something he could do to make him feel better.

Leaning forward, he pressed a soft kiss against Severus's nose and started washing his hair, massaging his scalp until the foam covered his whole head. Then he rinsed it off, and slid his fingers through his lover's inky black hair. When he was done with that, he sat back down and noticed the odd look on Severus's face, and a glance down told him that Severus had enjoyed this far more than Remus had expected.

A grin appeared on the Gryffindor's face, and before Severus could protest, Remus had cupped the back of his neck and was kissing him hungrily, his hands tangled in the other boy's long, dark hair.

James, Sirius and Peter were still laughing, and Remus sighed, looking down at the emerald green ink on his parchment. It was time to make his friends stop. They had damaged Severus more than either of them knew, and it had to end. It was time for them to grow up. This had been going on long enough, and Remus had to finally admit to his best friends what Severus meant to him.

He pressed his quill back against the parchment and signed the letter before reading over his words again.

Dear Severus,

I'm going to tell them tonight. Meet me in the bathroom after dinner?

I love you,

Your Remus

Yes. It was time.