Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of these characters nor do a profit in writing this story what-so-ever!!

Warnings for this Chapter: mentions of poor Severus/child abuse, animal-boy affection, and saddening parts

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Thin Line Between Love and Hate

Sirius, once hearing the front door slam shut, turned around and quickly walked over to Snape, his muzzle automatically nuzzling two pale, and surprising soft, hands. He let a few whimpers out as he looked up and saw the hurt expression along with those coal-black eyes just brimming with tears. Sirius finally knew the man's name, Tobias, but knowing it didn't really make a difference; Snape was still sitting on a dirty floor in his empty room with abuse clearly showing and being held against his will in his own home. Noticing Snape hadn't even moved yet, he whimpered again as he leaned up and licked the side of his mouth, where the blotchy bruise had appeared.

Snape's usually deathly pale face turned pink in a matter of seconds as he blinked repeatedly and stared at him. Sirius would have laughed out loud if he had not been a dog, Snape blushing was a sight he would never forget, it was just so unlike him it almost even fitted him. He was about to nuzzle Snape's hands again when he was suddenly pushed away and nearly fell on his hind-legs. When Sirius was balanced enough he looked up at Snape only to realize he was opening his closet door. He never even heard Snape stand up or run over to the cloest, was he that quiet all the time or what?

Sirius tilted his head to the side in a slightly questioning manner before silently walking over to Snape and looked around him to see what he was doing. Snape had a square of the floor lifted up and off to the side to show another hidden compartment while half of his right arm was inside of it rumbling about. Trying to see what was inside the dark cuby hole Sirius laid his chin against Snape's shoulder and feeling him relax from the touch he hid a smile and continued to watch for what Snape was looking for.

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Severus barely noticed Prince walk over to him, barely comprehended that his protective dog was nuzzling against his hands to get his attention...he was a bit too deep and lost in thought to really care at the moment...

What would happen if he did get rid of Prince? He didn't want to, of course, but he really couldn't risk his father losing his temper and hurting an innocent animal. And how would he know that Prince wouldn't come back? It wasn't likely since he'd probably find an owner that actually fed him, but there's always a chance that he might. And what would happen if his father wasn't in a good mood when he got home? He highly doubted a few beers and talking with his bar-buddies would cheer him up enough not to do some serious damage for causing his arm to be ripped open. One time he had accidentally knocked Tobais' empty beer over and was knocked unconscious after being beat with a fire-poker....he still had the scars from that one. Another question, though, was where did Prince come from anyway? It had been bugging him since yesterday, but he ignored it as best he could happy to find found another stray. Yet not many strays were at Spinner's End, it was almost unnatural to find any animals in the poor muggle village. Prince seemed healthy and well-enough, but why would he look like that when he was at Spinner's End, a place where many muggles were never well-off? It made him wonder where Prince had come from and wonder exactly how he got there. Why would a intelligent dog like Prince come to a place like Severus'?

Severus was shocked out of his thoughts by a velvet, wet tongue licking at the corner of his sore mouth. Surprised that even an animal would do such an intimate thing to him and embarrassed by being zoned out like that, as well as on the verge of tears, he felt blood rush to his face. A bit flustered and not sure what to do even with an animal, who probably didn't even know better, he pushed Prince back a bit harshly. Yet upon seeing, as well as feeling, his mother's cloak still on Prince another plan quickly formed in his head, maybe there was a safe way for him to keep Prince. He didn't even spare another glance at his dog as he ran to his closet and opened his special compartment, arm stretching down to the bottom, looking.

He tensed upon feeling something, or someone, walk up to him, but feeling a fuzzy muzzle lean and look over his shoulder he relaxed and even let a small smile trace his lips. Severus fumbled around for a few moments before smirking to himself feeling cool metal slide into his hand and gripping it he pulled his arm back up and out of the hole. He turned around to face Prince before using his left hand to ruffle Prince's head, behind his ears.

"Hey Prince," Severus said while holding out a necklace in his hands so his dog could see it, "This is half of a Prince family heirloom that my mother got from her mother who got it from her mother and so on, but see it's different than just a regular old necklace." Severus shifted his hand some so that the amber gem shone to outline a silver lynx engraved into the stone, "Lynxes are very stealthy cats who can not only eye several meters away, but also hear that far. The Prince bloodline, my mother, who I named you after actually, and I included, are also know as the Silent Cats, this heirloom I have here allows its wearer to become like a lynx. Not change into one, I assure you, but let you hear and see farther than any animal, muggle, or wizard, but it only works if it's connected to it's pair. When connected not only will the amber one allow you to hear and see better, but if you ever need the other just repeating the person's name a few times will allow you to know exactly where there are. I'm not sure exactly how it works, but it's what I've been told. My mother wore this amber one and gave me the other part besides giving it to my father like most owners of the necklaces do; it's here," Severus said pulling down his shirt some showing a similar necklace, a emerald stone also with a silver outline of a lynx engraved onto it.

"I put a sticking charm on it, so it would never fall off unless I wanted it to, but then again you probably don't even know what a sticking charm is," Severus chuckled slightly to himself before taking off his necklace and gripping the two stones together in one hand.

"Certamen vox," Severus muttered staring at his enclosed hand before said hand glowed a mixture of gold and green, encasing his rather pale hand. Smiling a tad bit as the glow died down he opened his hand to see the amber stone now containing an green outlined lynx and the emerald stone now containing an gold outlined lynx.

Just like my mother told me it would look.

Glancing up at Prince he almost laughed at the dog's expression, almost. Prince had his mouth hanging open a tad, his eyes a bit wider than normal, and his fur was still ruffled from earlier, but right now it made him look like it just happened because of shock.

Must not be used to magic and such, he thought.

Severus just held back his smile as he replaced his emerald necklace back around his neck before bringing the amber necklace close to his lips and muttering again while picturing the outcome, "Verto." As soon as the word came out ot his mouth the necklace transformed into a black collar with silvery wisps upon it and the amber stone being the tag which hung from it.

"Heh...I'm surprised that work, my wandless magic isn't all that great," Severus said more to himself than to Prince, but leaned forward some and placed the collar around his dog's neck, "Now if you ever need me while your gone you can just think of me and you'll know where I am, Prince and I'm sure I can do the same."

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Sirius had to admit he was confused when Sev--Snape had pulled out necklace, Snape didn't really look like a jewelry-kind of person, not at all actually. Yet when Snape began explaining what exactly it was he couldn't help but feel a bit of respect go to him, who would have thought that Snape would belong to one of the smartest, and nearly the richest, wizard families in existence? It was very hard to believe considering what Snape wore and such, but Remus had let him copy something about a women who lost the heir of the Prince family for deciding to leave her family for a muggle and their child, could she possibly be Snape's mother? If so he could understand why no one knew Snape was a Prince, she was considered a disgrace and her family out-casted her.

I wonder why she stayed with Tobias, though, he's a monster.

He also had no idea why Snape was telling him this, unless....? Would Snape really give him, a stray dog, half of a Prince heirloom, he didn't think he deserved it or was ready for that responsibility, Snape didn't even know who he really was for bloody sake! Also...this meant that Snape actually wanted him to leave, but he wasn't sure why exactly. Could Snape actually be trying to get him away from his father, but still know he's safe, hmmm, didn't think he would ca--riiight, he was an animal, not Sirius, of course Snape would care if he thinks he's a dog.

Shaking his head from those thoughts Sirius became even more shocked when he heard, bloody hell, saw Sev--

Sirius let out a frustrated growl, in his head of course, Damn, I'm just thinking it so it shouldn't matter, right? Alright then, Severus....wow, that really rolls off the tongue, Sev-er-us.....anyways! While I'm think I'll just use his real name, this way I won't mentally hit myself anymore.

--saw Severus do wandless magic, it was...was just unheard of! It was quite hard to do and those who could were supposed to be highly skilled, did Severus even know what he was doing?! And the collar that came out after being transformed....beautiful was really the only word Sirius could think of. To him it looked as if darkness was succumbing to the wisps of light, he wondered it Severus did that on purpose and if so, why?

Severus slid the collar around Sirius' neck and he was surprised to found that it fit perfectly, it even felt nice pressed against his fur, who would have thought a collar would feel this good? Glancing up at Severus to grin, to show his approval of the collar, he quickly decided against it as he saw Severus' face. Such sadness had appeared on Severus' face it looked as if he was to break, it surprised Sirius how much another person's face could affect him, he was almost positive what Severus' next words were going to be.

I'm sorry, Prince, but....

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Severus sighed as he watched Prince glance at his new collar and as much as he was glad the dog liked it he knew it would be awhile before he saw his Prince again. Seeing Prince's face look up at him some was enough to make him want to cry, Severus almost never put up his mask in front of animals, or his father for that matter. He kept that mask on almost 24/7 at school, but certain things always made his walls crumble, always unmasked him. It was time to say goodbye, hopefully only for a little while.

Not taking his eyes away from Prince's he smiled sadly, "....Prince, I am truly sorry, but...you must leave, go to a place where people can actually feed and give you what you need...I'm sorry if this seems unfair, since you protected me and I'm almost doing nothing in return, but just promise me," at this Severus leaned closer to his dog and both of his hands went to Prince's head, petting him, "Just promise you'll take care of yourself, you old mutt, alright?"

Seeing Prince's head move a tad, he took at as a yes and leaned closer, kissing Prince's forehead, "Good...now I'll take you out to the lake and then from there you just follow your nose."

Once saying that Severus carefully replaced the square over his hidden compartment and shut his closet door before slowly walking over to his door, "Come on, boy, let's get going."

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Another chapter, yay~ I think, anyways ^//^;

I'm sorry, I lied in the last chapter, no time-skip in this chapter, I wanted a bit of boy-love....well boy-dog love actually, but somehow it still turned out sort-of depressing, anyways~ I promise not chapter will have a time-skip and a few more characters well enter and re-enter, this story, I wonder if anyone will guess who, how, and why... =3

Also tell me what you think because I love to know what people think of my stories, [even if you say it's horrible I'll only try harder to improve my skills] so bring me some critics in reveiws! 8D

Just so you know the two wandless spells Severus casted mean this [or are supposed to mean anyway, the translator may have been wrong or at least not accurate enough] I hope you can understand why I chose these words for the spells:

Certamen vox--Combined powers

Verto--Transform