Disclaimer: I don't own or make money off the Harry Potter series or its characters… I'm simply borrowing them in an attempt to amuse myself…

Warnings: Violence, bullying, tortured!Severus, swearing, slash (boyxboy), etc…

Woffy - I apologise for any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes in advance...

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Chapter 7

Lucius' eyebrows furrowed as his eyes settled on Severus. Snape was sitting down at one of the tables at the front of the classroom: a usual occasion during Potions, though very rare in any other subject, with his nose buried in his potions text book. Lucius glanced down at his parchment, then at the chapter he was supposed to be summarising. He didn't know how Snape did it; Potions was just so… Boring.

Perhaps that's why he was drawn to Severus so. He knew the boy wasn't in the very least 'attractive' - well, not in the usual sense of the word - and that his family wasn't influential in the slightest, and that his family's vault at Gringott's was small compared to his own families, and well… He didn't know much about Snape's family other than his father was (if not, very close to being) an alcoholic. Lucius had never heard anyone speak of the greasy haired boy's mother. Lucius' lips curved into a tight frown, no… Severus wasn't really viewed as being his ideal suitor at all.

Lucius soon realised that his eyes weren't on his parchment any more, but on Severus' black clad back. The cloak he wore was wrapped loosely around his skinny frame, hanging from his shoulders. Lucius' eyebrows knitted as he watched Snape glance across the room before his eyes returned to his parchment and, much to Lucius' surprise, rose again a moment later.

The blonde followed Snape's gaze, ending up on the other side of the room where Evans and Lupin were seated. Lucius' brows furrowed and the corners of his mouth fell into a frown as Snape glanced up again.

Why in the name of Salazar Slytherin was Severus Snape staring at Lily Evans? If anything his eyes should have been on Black and Potter, perhaps then he wouldn't be the subject of so many of their pranks. Well, whatever the reason, Lucius wasn't going to tolerate it. If anyone caught Snape's attention it would be him, even if he had to hex the boy to do it, or set Crabbe and Goyle on the smaller boy.

Professor Slughorn's voice rang out and around the expansive classroom, "Mr. Malfoy, I doubt your work will finish itself. Please, stay on task." Lucius' eyes fell to his work again, after sending a glare towards a small, mouse brown haired boy behind Snape. They were going to have to have a little chat.

o0o0o

It was the time of the day Remus had become accustomed to looking forward to, because no matter what his friends said, he really did need help with potions and Snape wasn't actually all that bad a tutor. True, he tended to insult him more than he offered encouragement, but Remus didn't expect much else from Snape. Sometimes he found that he prefered it that way.

Remus couldn't help but smile at the look of complete and utter shock that had made its way onto Lily's face, "Severus was going to give you a book?" Remus watched with little amusement as Lily's face brightened from a frown to a smile, "I never thought I'd see the day I'd hear about Snape giving a Gryffindor a gift, especially to one of your lot."

Remus knew what she meant and didn't take the comment as an insult. Remus hadn't meant to open his mouth and explain the incident in the infirmary, but Lily being Lily had wormed the story out of her. He'd successfully dodged all questions about how he'd managed to end up in the hopital wing with so many injuries, thankful that if told or subtely shown to, Lily would drop a subject.

Snape seemed to be deep in thought as they entered the stuffy potions classroom. Remus almost shuddered at the sheer force of the smell inside the room. It was strong and smelt like the rotten eggs he'd decided to make during the holidays, last summer. He beamed, pairnfully so, at Snape, who rose an eyebrow as though seeing Remus' reaction.

"What are we doing today?" He heard Lily ask as she dropped her text book and parchment onto the desk clumsily. Both he and Snape winced at the noise she created.

Snape started flicking through his book, his eyes focussed on elegantly written words, so unlike his usual scrawl, "We're going to be working through the theory today. Professor Slughorn has to order more ingredients. You'll have to wait until next week if you want to make anything." His eyes again focussed on Remus, and the werewolf thought he might be sucked into those black holes, his gaze was so intense.

"Oh," Remus said lamely, "Erm... Then," He needed an excuse. He wanted to apologise and he wanted to be at least on good terms with the Slytherin. Why did Slughorn have to run short on ingrediants now? "Would you mind reading over my homework. Though I pass, I can always do better."

Snape seemed surprised, and Remus was amazed to see the Slytherin's scowl disappear as his mouth formed a small oval. But it was back quicker than it had gone. Snape nodded, "Fine."

All three of them pulled out their scribbled homework questions and blank parchment. Remus noted how Severus asked to borrow Lily's ink and smiled sadly to himself. Perhaps he'd have to find another way to make amends, if talking didn't work.

o0o0o

"What do you mean you didn't notice?" Lucius hissed dangerously, his voice low.

He was standing in a small empty classroom, his wand clutched in his hand. He looked just as elegant and well groomed as he always did, except for the snarl gracing his voice and twisting his lips in the most unattractive way. The boy he was threatening was huddled close to one of the dusty desks in the room, looking as though he were ready to pee himself or faint away any moment now.

"A-All I k-know is t-that R-Remus has a t-tutoring l-lesson with S-Snape. L-Lily s-supposedly goes t-to the s-same one." He squeaked pathetically and jumped when Lucius moved, banging his leather covered toes against the wooden legs of the table.

Lucius moved jerkily and raising his wand so that it was poised just above the boy's small nose, "Lupin's there too?" He asked in a low voice.

"Y-Yes! Sirius g-got a-angry and e-everything!"

Lucius stood up straight, gingerly flicking a stray lock of hair away from his face, his eyes turned towards a window. He looked thoughtful. The boy cowering in front of him relaxed slightly, and straightened himself, though he still stood by the table, as if it would protect him should Lucius get sick of his snivelling. After a few minutes, Lucius glanced back at him, before turning his eyes on him coldy.

"What is Lupin planning?" He asked frigidly, his voice deadly calm.

The boy shuddered and squeaked out his response, spluttering over his words, "H-He said h-he w-was p-planning a prank o-of s-some k-kind. H-He needs S-Snape to trust h-him, o-or s-something." Lucius sent him a disgusted look, but again looked as though he was thinking deeply.

"Make sure you keep me posted on anything," He emphasised the word with a sharp jab of his wand in the boy's direction, "That happens or changes. If Lupin reveals his plan, you are to tell me everything, understood?" He nodded jerkily, his head looking as if it would come off with any next jerk of his head. "Good."

Lucius straighten up to his full height, fixing up his robes, making sure his collar and tie were neatly done up. As his hands went to brush back his hair, his ice blue eyes fell upon the boy again, "Why are you still here?"

The boy sqawked and scrambled to the door, clumsily clutching the handle, standing stone still as Lucius purred his parting words, "I will know if you lie to me, Pettigrew." The boy nodded and resumed his rushing and stumbling from the room.

o0o0o

"It's amazing you get the marks you do, with youressay writing ability, Lupin. Look," Severus gestured hastily what Lupin had written. "You've used the same phrase to start the last four paragraphs."

Lupin looked surprised - his golden eyes widened a fraction and he ceased his annoying habit of flicking his quill on his chin - while Lily giggled as Severus strained to keep himself from rolling his eyes, "Really Lupin, you ought to pay more attention. You'd be dead if you did that with a potion boiling beside you."

The Gryffindor mumbled an apology and read over his essay, scribbling out the second paragraph's topic sentence before he wrote a new one. Severus huffed quietly to himself, as he quickly reread it and nodded with satisfaction. He glared at Lily when he heard her snicker behind her hand. Lupin seemed oblivious to her chortling, or he was ignoring her. Severus quickly opted to do the same.

He had been thinking of ways to ask about Lupin's intentions, though he couldn't seem to bring himself to ask the boy with Lily in the room. Lily would believe Lupin's innocence, even if he was guilty of trying to soften Severus for a prank in planning. Severus found it awfully hard to not believe Lily on most things, and it was even harder to stay angry with her. Severus didn't want her to confuse him even more, Lupin caused all the complications in their rather shaky aquantenceship as it was. He didn't need her to pollute his thoughts as well.

Severus nibbled on the end on his quill, quickly dabbing it in the ink pot he was sharing with Lily before scribbling down his next paragraph. He flinched as the door to the classroom swung open.

"Lily, are you in here?" It was another Gryffindor girl, as evidence of the small symbol stitched onto her cloak. Severus' eyes followed her as she rushed to Lily's side, whispering something in her ear before she stood up straight and beamed down at her. Lily was smiling too, so Severus didn't ask what her disturbing their lesson was about. It wasn't obviously anything bad and Severus knew Lily liked participating in school events.

Lily placed a hand on his shoulder, making him jump again, "I need to go and help organise another school event, sorry I can't stick around." She said her goodbyes as she packed up her stuff. Lupin recieved a kind smile from the other girl as well as a goodbye, before she gave Severus a dirty look and followed Lily out of the classroom.

Severus felt a small tug at his chest, but paid it no mind. He was used to the looks he recieved from both genders, though he didn't always understand the reasoning behind them. Lupin was still staring at the door, and he asked quietly, "Do you recieve looks like that often?"

Severus shrugged, his eyes barely leaving his parchment, "Usually." He muttered, just as quietly, "I've gotten used to them."

Lupin's eyes were cast upon him now, and they made Severus uncomfortable. There was a soft sadness held in them. He snorted, "Don't go getting all mushy Lupin, your lot are the cause for most of them."

"What?" Lupin looked generally confused.

"You Marauders," He spat the word out, just like he always did, "Have a fan base. Me, being your favourite," He didn't want to admit to it, but he said it anyway, spitting it out with as much venom he could muster, "Victim, has earned me quite the opposite."

"I told you, I have no part in their pranks." Lupin mumbled dejectedly, his eyes narrowed and turned towards the door.

"Then, why are you here?"

Severus watched with a small amount of surprise as the Gryffindor's face fell and his eyes focussed on the table in front of them. "Well, I really do need help with potions." He said with a smile, it faltered as he drew in a deep breath. Severus opened his mouth to reply, but Lupin interjected, "I really would like that book you were going to give me. Sirius is immature, the same as James, I'm sorry for their behaviour."

It was silent for a few minutes as Severus let Lupin's admition sink in and Lupin seemed to be stewing in his own... Whatever it was. Either way, Severus decided quickly, that he didn't need pity, of any sort, and whatever lake of guilt Lupin seemed to be wallowing in had to be sucked dry. Vaguely he had another thought catapult intself at him; he had been wanting to make a friend other than Lily...

"Is that all?" He asked finally.

The tips of Remus' ears, to Severus' complete surprise, turned bright pink, "Erm," He sighed, "Yes."

"You're not planning a prank at all, Lupin? You're not telling the idiots you call friends all about me?"

Lupin shook his head. Severus blinked slowly, nodding just as slowly. He stood up abruptly and began gathering his things, "We might as well finish early, I'll see you tomorrow Lupin. Shut the door on your way out."

Severus was gone before Lupin could say anything.

o0o0o

That night Severus found it hard to sleep. He hadn't been prepared for Lupin's admittance, and he didn't know how to react to it. He had expected the Gryffindor to - not outwardly; that was just stupid - give away some sort of sinister plan, one that invovled him, a large group of spectators and more than one embarassing spell or curse. He had grown good at reading people, and his gut feeling on most things was usually correct, or just off. If Lupin had just done what he'd expected Severus could have spat a couple of well thought of remarks and left with his overly large nose in the air.

Of course, Lupin was a Gryffindor; when did they ever make living easier on everyone?

Lupin was too confusing, he was a good student, smart (though Severus sometimes doubted this), rather attractive (though the thin, pale scars running hazardly across Lupin's limbs was more than worrisome) and yet he kept the company of idiots like the Marauders? He was quiet and complacent and he had a good head on his shoulders, couldn't he see that his friends were more trouble than they were worth. And as for apologising, Severus felt that that had only made him feel worse. Now he felt like a victim, he never had before, things like that had always happened to him.

Rhys had been his neighbour for four years when he used to live with his mother. He was a few years older than him, but that didn't seem to stop the boy from tripping him, cidentally sending him into the nearest mud puddle. No... He knew how to handle bullies. Whining, crying, calling for help, it made them feel superior. He just didn't know how to handle a sincere apology from a spectator. If the bully apologised, it was because they were made too. Lupin however hadn't.

A grinding, earth shaking snore shook Severus from his thoughts. He cast an angry glare Goyle's way and pulled the blankets up to his nose, hiding it under them. Confronting Lupin hadn't helped at all and for once Severus found that nothing logical could come from Lupin's behavior. Severus let his eyes flutter shut, dark eyelashes standing out against his bone white cheek.

Perhaps he'd ask Lily the next day? She seemed to know something he didn't - a discovery that annoyed him far more than Lupin's strange behavior - and would give it up if he pushed the right buttons. The girl was kind hearted.

Yes, he'd do that. For now, Severus was feeling dreadfully tired, and his mind was eventually blank, allowing him to fall into a dreamless sleep.

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Woffy: -bounds out of the way of the many tomatoes, eggs and Crabbe and Goyle plushies being thrown her way- Sorry for the lack of updates... School's been horrible, my writer's block is still here and I don't have a computer and haven't had one for the past month and a bit... And truth be told, I have no idea as to when I'll update next either... I'm in my last year of school and everything to do with that will be taking up most of my time... So... Again, I'm sorry... Though I will try and get at least one update up every month...

On another subject, thank you for the reviews on the last chapter... They're all appreciated... Review please!