Disclaimer: Nothing you recognise belongs to me and I'm not making any money with this.

Author's Note: This story is set in Snape's 7th year as a student at Hogwarts and it's the first in a series of one-shots. I'll post them in chronological order, but they don't really have anything to do with each other. I hope you'll like it.

Any Way the Wind Blows

The snow-covered streets of Hogsmeade were bustling with life as hundreds of people went from one shop to the next, chatting and carrying large bags filled with Christmas gifts.

A tall, lank teenager dressed completely in black slowly walked down the crowded main street, keeping his hands buried in his coat's pockets and his eyes fixed on the ground in front of him. He looked a little lost and alone amidst all these people and didn't seem to belong here into this noisy street. But even though he looked so obviously different from everyone else, nobody really noticed him as they walked past him.

He didn't mind that. Actually, not being noticed seemed like a good thing to him; he'd worked on it for a long time.

An elderly woman bumped into him and apologized for it, smiling at him. He didn't return her smile and turned left into a quiet side street. Too many people around him always made him feel uncomfortable.

He didn't know why he'd even come here. He didn't like Hogsmeade and especially around Christmas, he really hated it here. But it was still better than everyone teasing him about preferring to stay in the castle with his books. At least this would be the last stupid trip he'd have to go on, and the last Christmas he'd have to spend at Hogwarts. He couldn't stand Christmas.

Suddenly, something hit him in the back of his head, and he flinched and turned around. A second snowball hit his shoulder, and another one hit him straight in the face.

"What's up, Snivellus?" James Potter called to him from the other end of the street. "You're not going to fight back?"

"Seems like our slimy, greasy git's just a slimy greasy coward," Sirius Black added, grinning broadly.

He contemplated drawing his wand and attacking them. Black, Potter and Pettigrew were standing in the middle of the narrow street, staring at him and waiting for him to react. A few steps behind them was Lupin, obviously trying to decide whether to join the fun or to not get involved.

Severus knew very well that should he actually attack them, Lupin wouldn't hesitate to help his friends, so it was four against one. He wasn't a coward, but he wasn't an idiot either.

"Go to hell," he muttered, turned away from them and started walking back along the street.

For a moment, nothing happened while they obviously tried to decide what to do, then he heard them running after him and another snowball hit him.

"You're such a wimp, Snape!" Black called.

"What are you going to do now?" Potter asked. "Run home and tell your Mommy? But wait, you can't, can you?"

He whirled back around to face them. Enough was enough.

"Severus!" he heard a familiar voice calling his name from behind him before he could even decide what to do. Potter and Black froze and Pettigrew dropped the snowball he'd been holding in his hand.

Severus glanced behind him and saw a young man with long blond hair standing a few steps away from him. Lucius Malfoy definitely had an impeccable timing, showing up unexpectedly like this.

"What are you up to?" Lucius asked as he walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Nothing much," Severus muttered, not taking his eyes off his attackers. They didn't look as if they were planning to continue with their little plan; they could probably guess that they were facing a genuine Death Eater now.

"What's up with you little morons?" Malfoy called towards them. "Did you wet your pants and now you're frozen to the ground?"

Severus sneered at them. Pettigrew quickly turned around and ran back along the street to where Lupin was still standing. Potter and Black shot him a final disdainful glare but then followed their housemate.

"Come on, I'll buy you a drink," Lucius said in a low voice. "We have to talk about a few things."

Severus followed him back along the street and into the little pub at the corner. When he was here with Lucius, nobody ever asked him about his age; so all he had to do was to make sure he didn't get drunk enough for anyone at Hogwarts to notice it.

They sat down at a small table in a dark corner, Lucius ordered something called Dragonfire, and a few minutes later, the waitress placed a glass with a with a red fuming and bubbling liquid in front of each of them.

"You know, I've been thinking about you quite a bit lately," Malfoy said as he took a sip from his drink.

"Have you?" Severus muttered, holding his glass in his hand while curiously eyeing its contents.

"How are things going at school?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, you're a clever one. You'll have no problems passing your exams."

Severus finally brought himself to actually take a sip from his drink. He didn't find it very tasty, but it seemed to be good enough to drown this bloody day.

"Have you thought about what you're going to do after school?" Lucius asked.

"Not really."

From where they were sitting they had a good view of the door, and when it opened, they both watched the group of seventh year students enter the pub.

"Mudbloods," Lucius muttered as he watched them sit down at a table on the other end of the room. Severus knew only about two of them being muggle-born, but he was sure that Lucius knew what he was talking about. "A while ago, that wouldn't have been possible. They wouldn't have allowed that kind of people in here."

Severus leaned back in his chair, trying to melt into the shadows. He didn't need one of them seeing him here and running straight to the Headmaster to tell him that he'd been drinking.

"Someone should get them thrown out," Malfoy muttered, still glaring in the direction of the chattering students. "They have no right to be sitting around here among us."

Severus looked over at them. Lily Evans was one of those mudbloods. Bloody Potter's little girlfriend.

Lucius emptied his drink and waved to the waitress.

"Get me another one, and tell Janus to throw out those damn kids over there," he said to her, and she nodded and walked back to the counter.

Another glass was brought to their table, and not two minutes later, they both watched a plump little man walk over to the Hogwarts students and usher them outside. The man turned towards them, smiled and Lucius nodded.

"So, are you planning on going back home after your exams?"

"Surely not," Severus said.

"I thought so," Lucius said. "You have to start thinking about what you're going to do, you know?"

Severus shrugged his shoulders. He was quite aware of that; but he didn't have any money, so he'd have no choice other than to get some job he'd probably hate.

"Ever thought about joining us?" Lucius asked, leaning back in his chair and giving him an expectant look.

"I don't know... I'm too young."

"You'll be seventeen in a few weeks; I wasn't any older when I joined either."

"Yeah, maybe..." Severus muttered.

"He could support you. Maybe you could study, get a master's degree or something."

"You think he would?"

"Sure, why not?"

"If I wanted to join, do you think he'd even take me?"

"Of course he would. I'd speak in your favour; it shouldn't be a problem."

Severus stared thoughtfully down into the depths of his glass. It didn't sound like such a bad idea really. He'd always wanted to study, so maybe this way he'd get a chance to.

And that look on the faces of Potter and Black when they'd faced Lucius – they'd look at him the same way if he was one of them. If he was a Death Eater.

Then they'd show some respect. He'd have powerful friends. Nobody in their right mind would tangle with a Death Eater; everyone would be afraid of him.

"I know you share our ideals and our beliefs," Lucius said. "But I won't push you, it's up to you. Just think about it."

"Yes, I will."

"Good. If you're interested, just let me know and I'll arrange a meeting."

They quickly changed the subject after that, but Severus found it hard to really listen to anything Malfoy was telling him; he was still thinking about that offer he'd made him. He'd have to make up his mind about it. He knew that it was an important decision, probably more important than any he'd ever made in his life.

If he became a Death Eater, it would make him a criminal. He'd be scorned by society, but that wouldn't make much of a difference. He'd always been an outsider and had never belonged to them anyway.

By the time he left the pub again, it was already dark outside, and it had started snowing. He'd had two more of those Dragonfire drinks and some hot greenish beverage with a weird name that he couldn't recall, so by now, he wasn't at all concerned about being over an hour late and found it merely funny. No doubt, he'd lose some house points for this, but he didn't care about house points.

#-#

When he entered the castle, it was rather quiet and there was nobody to be seen anywhere. Dinner time… his absence probably hadn't gone unnoticed.

He'd only made it halfway across the entrance hall when the shrill voice of Peeves the poltergeist echoed through the castle.

"Trouble, trouble, trouble!" he yelled, darting from one corner of the hall to another. "Late student! You're in trouble!"

"Shut it, you stupid ghost!" Severus hissed at him, but of course it was already too late.

Walking down the stairs came Professor McGonagall, obviously the only person in the whole castle who wasn't in the Great Hall for dinner.

"Mr. Snape, so you finally decided to return to the castle," she greeted him as she walked towards him. "One hour and twenty minutes late."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied in a low voice.

"We've been looking for you. Would you mind explaining to me where you've been?"

"I'm sorry I'm late. I forgot about the time."

"Twenty points from Slytherin for your being late," McGonagall said. "And detention tomorrow evening because it's not the first time."

For some reason, Severus found it hard to keep himself from grinning at her. Something about the situation struck him as extremely funny, but he couldn't tell what it was. He had to really concentrate on keeping a straight face; he was quite sure that if he so much as smiled, she'd notice that something was not quite right about him.

"Anything else, Mr. Snape?" she asked, giving him an inquisitive look.

"No, Ma'am," he said quickly.

"Very well. You missed dinner so you can go straight to your dormitory now."

"Yes, Professor," he said, turning away from her and continuing on his way towards the dungeons.

#-#

As soon as he set foot in his dormitory, he noticed that there was something amiss. Someone had obviously been going through his stuff, and he was sure he knew who that someone had been. He had no idea how Potter and Black had managed to get in here, but it had to have been them. It seemed they'd used the time his being late had given them, rather well.

Severus glanced around and spotted a piece of paper on the floor next to his bed. He picked it up and read it. "If you want back what's yours, come to the empty classroom in the Astronomy tower at midnight."

As soon as he'd read it, the note gave a strange hissing sound and turned into dust.

He spent the few minutes he still had before everyone returned from dinner searching through his things and trying to figure out what they'd stolen from him, but he found nothing missing. Maybe they hadn't taken anything. But if he wanted to find out, he'd have to go up to the tower tonight. He knew that by doing so he'd just be following their plan, but he'd do it nonetheless. If they thought he was a coward, he'd prove them different.

#-#

He stayed awake until a few minutes before midnight, and then quietly and carefully made his way out of the dungeons and up to the Astronomy tower. When he arrived in the dark empty room halfway up the tower, he found Potter and Black already waiting for him.

At least it was only the two of them and Severus had taken along his wand, so he was convinced that he had a good chance of making it out of here unharmed.

"We were beginning to think that you wouldn't dare to show up," Black greeted him.

"What do you want?" Severus asked, standing a few feet in front of them.

"I want my essay," James Potter said.

"What essay?"

"The bloody Potions essay I've been working on for eight weeks and that you took."

"I don't have your stupid essay," Severus replied. He knew that Potter had to write some essay to improve his Potions grade, but he definitely hadn't touched the damn thing. Although he wished he had – it sounded like a really good idea. Now Potter had obviously misplaced it and was looking for someone to blame. "And that essay wouldn't have helped you much anyway."

"I want my essay back," Potter said. "Just give it to me, or else..."

"Or else what?" Severus asked.

"Still so brave without your Death Eater friends around?" Sirius asked.

"Go to hell, Black."

"We've got something that you might want back," Potter said. "Just give me my essay and you'll get it."

"I don't know anything about your bloody essay."

"Does this change your mind?" Black asked and pulled something out of his pocket, holding it up for him to see.

Severus had just been about to turn and leave when he recognised what it was and froze. He hadn't even checked the bag he kept hidden under his bed because he'd been sure that nobody even knew it existed. But obviously, they'd known about it, and they'd also known about the photograph he'd kept in there. It was the only picture of his mother he still had, but Black couldn't know that.

"Give that to me," Severus said in a low voice, holding out his hand to Black.

"I get my essay back, and you get your photo back," Potter said. "I'm not looking for trouble, it's a simple deal."

"I don't have your essay, don't you get it?"

"This is all your dear Mommy has left you," Black said. "You wouldn't want anything to happen to it, would you?" He pulled out his wand and pointed it at the photograph in his hand. "So?"

"I don't have it! Which part is it you don't understand!"

"Your choice," Black muttered. "Incendio!"

A little flame shot from the tip of his wand and he waved the photograph back and forth right above it. Then suddenly, it caught fire. Without even thinking about drawing his wand, Severus jumped at Black and threw him to the ground. The picture fell from his hand and to the floor, but Severus realised that it was too late to save it from the flames anyway. He put his hands around Black's throat and started choking him.

Black tried to get his hands off him, but he didn't have a chance. Right now, Severus wanted to kill him. He really wanted to. And if it hadn't been for Potter jumping at him and pushing him away, he actually might have.

Severus hit James in the face with his elbow and tried to get back onto his feet and back to Black who was still on his knees, coughing and breathing hard. Unfortunately, before he reached him, the torches in the room went on and a loud voice echoed through the room.

"Stop it!" It was McGonagall. Severus was beginning to feel as if she was actually following him around just waiting to take house points from him. "Stop it right now! All of you."

All three of them froze and turned to look at her.

"What's going on here?" she asked, looking from one to another as they slowly got back to their feet.

"Nothing," Black said quickly.

"Nothing," Potter agreed.

Severus remained silent. McGonagall looked at him, obviously waiting for an explanation.

"Nothing," he eventually said in a low voice.

"Very well," McGonagall said, seemingly not too interested in what the reason for all this might have been. "Mr. Potter and Mr. Black, that's thirty points from each of you. And Mr. Snape – what an extraordinarily successful day this has been for you. Another thirty points from Slytherin, and I'd like to see you in my office tomorrow morning."

"Yes, Ma'am," Severus muttered.

"Come along now," McGonagall said, turned away from them and walked across the room towards the door.

"You'll pay for that," Severus hissed at the two Gryffindors before he set off to follow her. "I swear you will."

The three boys followed their Deputy Headmistress down the stairs and along the corridor where she sent them off to their dormitories.

The castle lay completely quiet and his footsteps echoed loudly from the walls as Severus walked down the stairs to the dungeons. Potter and Black would pay for this, definitely. Not today and not tomorrow, but he'd make them pay, them and everyone else, for this and for everything they'd ever done to him.

-end-