A Joke Gone Wrong
A Severus/Marauders Fanfic
by Atana
Chapter 1: Incident by the Lake and Chapter 2: Death Wish
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Imagine the most excruciatingly embarrassing prank you can. Add the cruelty and thoughtlessness of four fellow students. Would you feel any differently if you were Severus Snape and the tormentors were the great and glorious Marauders?
To see my illustrations for this story, go to
http://www.paleogoddess.com/bonus_artwork.htm
The characters in this story belong to J.K. Rowling and not to me. This fanfic is for entertainment only and not for profit. "Samara's Song" is from the DreamWorks film "The Ring". This work is dedicated to Sarah, who kept nagging me to read the Harry Potter books until I finally did. PG-13, no slash, no sex. Major angst warning!
Chapter 1 - Incident by the Lake
*Oh dear gods.
*Exposed -*
He was exposed!
Only a few moments ago, James Potter - the great and glorious St. James himself - had flipped fellow student Severus Snape upside down in front of a group of Hogwarts pupils who had congregated by the lake for a bit of post - exam relaxation.
The Slytherin had been ambushed in a surprise attack this lovely afternoon after finishing his Defense of the Dark Arts test. He had been subjected to several hexes - including the one that kept him from moving and getting away, which always scared the hell out of him. In fact, the "Marauders" - Sirius Black (Padfoot to his friends), James Potter (Prongs), Remus Lupin (Moony), and that little toady Peter Pettigrew (Wormtail) - spent a good deal of their spare time thinking up ways to torment Severus Snape.
So here Severus dangled, his long thin legs and graying underpants in full view of the crowd. That redheaded Lily Evans, who had been trying to get the Marauders to stop tormenting Snape, had ordered James to release the Slytherin. Potter had immediately obliged, landing that prat "Snivelly" right on his arrogant head.
Severus - aghast that Lily had seen him in such a state, particularly since he had a crush on her - had struck out from the mess of negative emotions he carried inside him and called her a mudblood. She had insulted him back quite handily. It had been this exchange, in addition to a wand - inflicted cut to James face, which had caused Potter to flip him upside down once again.
It had seemed odd to Severus, his world suddenly having been turned topsy - turvy, to see his classmates staring laughing at him with their heads pointing down at a beautiful blue sky. He wished gravity would let loose of him so that he could fall down into that sky, his body tumbling end over end as he plunged through fair - weather cumulus clouds which stretched miles - high beneath him. He would continue to fall right through the highest layers of the atmosphere until the oxygen gave out, slowly suffocating him along with his own sick shame as clear blue resolved into a black carpet glittering with stars. If given his druthers, Severus Snape would fall forever.
And then Potter - humiliated himself by Lilys open rejection of him in front of all those people - had shouted, "Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
*No oh no please NO*
Without waiting for an answer, James Potter twitched his wand once, and it had happened. There had been a sharp intake of air from the assembled crowd followed by gasps, with all of it eclipsed by a long and terrible high - pitched scream from the boy himself. The unearthly shriek had been so full of rage and shame and helplessness that many had turned away and fled the grassy lake shore. Even those who disliked "Snivellus" for any number of perfectly valid reasons did not want to see him so debased and humiliated.
Elated and enjoying himself thoroughly, Peter Pettigrew clapped his hands in delight. Lily had decently turned away and now headed back to the Castle in long and angry strides. Sirius Black was howling with laughter. This was the best, the absolute BEST prank they'd ever played on ol' Snivelly!
"Gods, Prongs! End it!" Remus Lupin gasped.
If you insist," James drawled. He twitched his wand once again, and Snape collapsed onto the ground. He then shrugged and began to follow the crowd back to the Castle in general, and Lily in particular. He hadn't even turned around to see if Severus was all right. Why should he? The greasy little git had it coming!
Severus was far from all right. In fact, he was light - years from all right. He hadn't been right for most of his young life, but that is a story for another day.
His face was bright red both from the excruciating and monumental embarrassment he felt and from all the blood that had rushed to his head. Stunned and dizzy, he lay on the ground and then frantically covered himself, hyperventilating and moaning deep in his throat. It was too soon for tears; it was too soon for reflection; it was too soon for recrimination or retaliation. Severus Snape got on his feet and took off running.
After a few moments, Remus Lupin gathered up the boy's book bag and the few volumes that had slipped out when the bag had been dropped.
- - - - - - - - - -
If he couldn't fall through the sky, he could at least fall off the edge of the Earth.
Severus ran with all his strength. The worn - down heels of his old black shoes tore out divots of turf as he ran, his long and greasy dark hair flying and his robes billowing out behind him. He had yet to have a coherent thought; panic and shame swamped his brain and hot tears flew off his face as soon as they were shed. No one saw him run into the Forbidden Forest.
No one at all.
**************************************
Chapter 2 - Death Wish
Of course, it was the talk of the dinner hour.
Lily Evans blinked back tears of empathy and rage. That idiot James Potter was off high - fiving some of his idiot friends as if they had pulled off the greatest joke of all time, when all they had done was traumatize a lonely and depressed boy already perilously close to total immersion in the Dark Arts.
Lily had known early on that the boy had liked her. She had caught Snivelly's gaze a few times here and there in the corridors or in the classrooms. He had always dropped his large dark eyes instantly, too ashamed to actually talk to her, nervously twirling his long locks around his long fingers or dropping his head to hide behind his hair. She might have been one of the only people at Hogwarts who had actually seen him smile.
Snivelly was no prize but he was a human being, and he had been treated very badly and by people she knew. Lily suddenly fought an urge to lob a tureen of mashed turnip at Potter and his stud - muffin friend Sirius Black, both of them still mugging and grinning like monkeys at their companions.
*Idiots, both of them!*
She wondered where Severus was, and noticed that a group of Slytherin seventh - years were absent from dinner. The Slytherin table was ominously quiet, and its students glared at the Gryffindor students with icy and disdainful anger. Lily then looked up, noticing motion at the Head Tables. Both Dumbledore and McGonagall were talking together, and then walking together to speak with the Slytherin Head of House.
She vaguely wondered who had ratted out the Marauders, then turned back to her meal with a loud and distracted sigh.
The turnip was actually halfway decent tonight.
- - - - - - - - - -
*Oh gods oh no they saw THEY SAW ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*
Severus Snape wept in hopeless outrage as he stumbled through the underbrush that marked the forest floor. His nose and forehead were bloody; he had tripped and fallen several times. It would be dark soon. He fervently wished that something with sharp teeth and a strong jaw would snap his neck and end his misery forever.
His brain was starting to function again, and he now recalled a similar memory.
He had been no more than a toddler when he had escaped the clean towel his mother had held out for him after his bath. Laughing at the trick he had played on his mama, he had raced into the parlor, where his father sat talking to several other wizards of substantial means and influence.
In any other family, a loving father would have caught his small son and swung him into his arms, excusing himself with a chuckle and a knowing wink as he went back into the bathroom to give him back to his mother. But this was a Dark family, and Severus' father was a Dark wizard who possessed a chilling temper in lieu of a sense of humor.
The little boy, unconcerned with his nakedness, had stopped short, looking into his father's scowling face and his young heart falling once he read what was there. He had run back to his mother, but Severus could not recall what happened right after that. What he did remember was the beating he had received later that night. Of course, this punishment had been delayed until after the wizards had finished their tea and had concluded their Dark business.
"Dirty filthy useless brat!" his father had called him, over and over, the words punctuating his blows. Severus had been too young at the time to understand his father's words, and - as he recalled the event years later - he had been unable to fathom how a baby only a year out of diapers could ever be considered dirty or filthy. He also remembered his mother's screams and his own dark eyes rolling back in his head when he finally passed out. The Healers had been summoned, but Severus' father had lied and told them his son had fallen down the stairs.
His father should have loved him, but could not and never would.
Severus now felt waves of old fear running through his thin shoulders as he shivered in the twilight air.
*Beating up a three - year - old! Good on you, Father. But compared with what James Potter put me through today, your abuse feels like kisses from Mother. *
Continuing to thrash through the underbrush as the daylight faded, Severus solemnly accepted the fact that he could never go back to Hogwarts. Not after this. He would never read potions books in his favorite corner of the school library, and would never eat in the Great Hall, not ever again. His young life was over. He resolved that this day would be his last, and if any would - be rescuers came after him to deprive him of his prize, he would make sure it would be theirs as well.
It was amazing what a wand and a little Dark magic could do.
- - - - - - - - - -
Headmaster Dumbledore stood and cleared his throat. It took several seconds for the Great Hall to become quiet, but only that. Everyone seemed to know what the wizard was about to say and was anxious to hear the official word.
"Pardon me for a moment. It seems that one of our students has gone missing; Severus Snape of Slytherin House hasn't been seen since late this afternoon. Right now, members of that House are out looking for him. Until he is found, I regret to inform you that tonight's festivities will be cancelled."
A sudden swell of student voices rippled through the room. Tonight was to have been a party for those who had completed their O.W.L.S.
"I need not remind you that any information you might be able to give about his whereabouts would be greatly appreciated. Understandably, we are quite concerned about him, particularly because it is getting dark."
"Bugger that," hissed Sirius Black.
"That creepy git always ruins everything," the emboldened Peter Pettigrew added.
"We were pretty hard on him, Wormtail. No question about that," said Remus Lupin, looking more fragile than usual.
James Potter sat still, quietly twisting his napkin in his hands.
"What's wrong with you?" Sirius snapped, glaring at James.
"I bet we're going to get in real trouble for this - that's all," Potter replied.
"We shouldn't," said Peter. "After all, the Headmaster is a Gryffindor. We've spent plenty of time in his office with ol' Snivelly and all that's happened is the loss of some House points here and there."
"I shouldn't have done it," James muttered. "I mean - what if Snape runs off and kills himself, or something?"
"So what?" Sirius Black said. "It's not like anybody would miss the nasty little snake. Everybody hates him, even his Housemates. If you ask me, it would be good riddance to a lot of bad rubbish."
"Oh, shut your head, Black," growled Lily Evans, who had just now come over to their part of the table. She didn't want to miss the party any more than they did, and blamed them for it. "If something bad does happen to him, remember that you were right there pitching along with James. I was there."
James - who was sweet on Lily - gave her a wide - eyed look, afraid to say anything or call unwanted attention to himself.
"What are you staring at? Has my face gone green?" Lily huffed. She turned on Sirius. "I'm telling the Headmaster what I saw, and I'm doing it in front of everyone. I don't care. You can all get stuffed."
She turned on her heel and strode to the front of the Hall.
- - - - - - - - - -
Night had fallen, and Severus found himself deep inside the Forbidden Forest. His thoughts had become as dark as the sky.
*Can't go back no I can't not ever oh no*
He could have illuminated his path with a lumos charm, but didn't want to drive away whatever creature might be kind enough to end his stupid, useless life.
*Fifteen and ready to die oh well *
He shivered with cold and shock and decided to sit and rest for a while. Tears continued to slide down his thin face as his father's voice came to him unbidden.
*Crybaby disgrace useless oh yes boy get over here and take what's coming to you like a MAN right NOW*
Snape crossed a ravine (no easy task, especially by moonlight) and scrunched down between the roots of a large tree. It was true; his father had been right for once. He was a crybaby and a disgrace. He tried very hard to stop crying now but the tears kept coming, ebbing and flowing in time with the heavy thuds of dread and shame he felt in his heart. He had suffered all his life; first at home and now at Hogwarts. He had a sudden premonition that his future didn't look terribly bright, either. What was that old saying - "the child is the father of the man"?
He might be one of Hogwarts' best students, but he spent his nights trying to keep the nightmares away and his days trying to keep from crossing the Marauders' path.
- - - - - - - - - -
Unfortunately, their respective paths had converged numerous times lately. The Marauders' last prank involved mealtimes, and had actually made Severus afraid to eat.
Their first transfiguration was lamb stew into raw entrails. Severus had fled the Great Hall and had been sick in the bushes right outside the doors. The next morning, instead of eating a mouthful of blueberries he found himself chewing a mouthful of cockroaches. This time Snape hadn't made it to the doors in time; he was sick at the table with the Marauders' laughter making the moment even more excruciating for the solemn and self - conscious boy. Already too thin, Severus had skipped so many meals out of fear that his cheekbones protruded and there were dark smudges under his eyes.
What right had they to make him so miserable? Why did the very sight of him infuriate them? What had he ever done to live in such torment?
Well, he was done with it now. He lay back against the tree trunk and prayed for death to take him.
Posted by rockygirl at April 16, 2004 07:48 AM