Another Rung on the Ladder

Chapter Two

Oh, the thrill of the chase as I soar through the air

With the Snitch up ahead and the wind in my hair

As I draw ever closer, the crowd gives a shout

But then comes a Bludger and I am knocked out.

- Ingolfr the Iambic

Severus Snape stood in the school grounds waiting for his teacher, his shoulders hunched and tense. He was holding a broomstick in his hand, looking at it as if was about to explode.

"Aw," smirked Black as he walked past, with his arm around a pretty girl from Ravenclaw, "is ickle Snapey going to try his hand at flying again? Thought you'd learnt from all the spectacular failures you've had... the sideways slide/bumping across Hagrid's pumpkin patch was simply fantastic... don't worry though, I'm sure you'll get off the ground one day." He laughed loudly, and the girl with him giggled.

"You don't have the right to be so cocky," said Severus casually, shifting the broomstick from one hand and back again experimentally and trying to look surer with it than he actually was. "Not when you've tried out for the Quidditch team for five years in a row and been denied each time. I bet it just kills you to hear Potter complain about how he has nothing to do while you're at flying classes, to see him up there in the matches..." Black's face was growing steadily redder as he spoke, and he knew he had hit home. "You ever thought of asking for private lessons or were you too ashamed of that? Or didn't he want to help you, in case you became too good?"

"You watch yourself," snarled Black, letting go of the girl and reaching for his wand. Severus already had his out, ready for a duel, but at that moment the flying teacher came round the corner of the school and they both put the wands away guiltily.

"Hello, Mr Snape!" trilled the old man, waving his broomstick in the air. He had a World War One flying cap perched awkwardly on the top of his shock of white hair, and a long brown scarf tied around his neck. He was known to everyone as simply Whizzie. Presumably he'd had a real name sometime back in history, but the students sometimes suspected that he had forgotten it himself. "And Mr Black, and Miss Candela as well! But you two are not here for the extra lesson, I believe?"

"Nah, just talking about some homework," Black lied easily, and slung his arm around the girl again. She looked slightly disappointed over missing out on a good fight. "We were just about to leave. See you, Snape! Got off just in time, didn't you," he added in a mutter, passing close to Severus before walking back towards the school.

"Well, time for a little additional lesson, then?" grinned Whizzie, his face happy with the prospect of extra flying before him. (The man was a passionate flying nerd.) "Don't worry if it doesn't come all that easily to you - you will surely get the hang of it one of these days. For some it can take a little time, but that's nothing to be upset about! Now, did you practise like I told you last time? Imagining the wind, and the lightness? Like a bird, you have to think. "I am a bird", say that to yourself every morning..."

"Yes, Whizzie," said Severus tiredly. "Shall we get on with it?"

"Oh yes." The old man blinked, twice, like he had forgotten what they were there for. Then he smiled. "Yes, of course, but we have to wait for someone else first. Ah, here he is now!" Whizzie waved to someone behind Severus, who turned and saw Peter walking hesitatingly across the grass. Whizzie turned around again as he approached, starting to conjure a set of floating balls in the air, shimmering like soap bubbles. Peter walked up and stood two paces away from Severus, watching him nervously.

"Hello," he said, with a weak grin. "You've got extra flying homework too?"

"Obviously," sneered Severus. Peter flushed.

"Well, yeah... I just... that's nice."

"Sorry?"

"Nice to have someone else to practise with for once, I mean," said Peter quickly, his face turning an even darker shade of red. "Usually it's just me and Whizzie. It's good to have someone else here."

"In case you have forgotten, we hate each other," said Severus icily, eyes fixed firmly on the bubbles Whizzie was placing at strategic points around the Quidditch pitch. Peter looked away.

"I don't," he said quietly. It took Severus a moment to realize what he had said, and even then it sounded so strange to him that he had to ask.

"What did you say?"

"Boys!" shouted Whizzie, clapping his hands together. "Mr Snape, Mr Pettigrew, if you please - come here so I can explain what I want you to do today."

And Severus lost the chance to ask again.

.........................................................

"It went so well today!" said Peter excitedly, towelling his hair. They had been surprised by a sudden shower of rain, and had to break up the lesson a bit earlier than usual and retreat to the Quidditch changing rooms. But up until then it had indeed been very good. When they were two to help each other, Whizzie's instructions were easier to follow. "I haven't flown that well ever before!"

"You suck," Severus stated. "How come I've never had extra lessons with you before? You're even worse than I am." He spoke coldly, still confused about what peter had said earlier, and the other boy looked hurt.

"I've had additional Charms at this time of the day," he muttered in reply. "I'm really bad at Charms."

"So why don't you ask Black to help you? He's pretty good at Charms." Severus sounded disinterested, but was in fact curious for the answer. In his House they helped out when someone had a problem. Didn't they do that in Gryffindor?

"Don't joke around," snorted Peter. "Sirius doesn't help out with anything. He'd just laugh at me if I asked. And I can't ask James - he isn't very good at Charms either, he's always asking Lily for help."

"That's just because he wants to get into her robes," said Severus with a sneer. Lily Evans was a pretty girl, good at Charms and kind-hearted in her own way, but she could be a bit of dim-wit about things and Severus despised her for always butting in. She did it because she felt sorry for him, because that was what one had to do - look out for those who were weaker. Couldn't she see that it made his shame even greater? He didn't want her false pity, her forced concern.

"I don't like them," said Peter in a small voice, and Severus came back down to earth again, staring at the Gryffindor with a slight frown.

"What? Who?"

"I know I'm really lucky to be allowed to be with them," Peter went on as if he hadn't heard him, and Severus realized that he was talking about his friends. Peter was staring out of the window, watching the rain run down the glass panes. "But James and Sirius, I don't know... they're just so... arrogant..."

Severus couldn't stop himself from nodding slightly in agreement. He could not stand the two of them. it wasn't so much their endless taunting, the hurt, the humiliation - it was the fact that they seemed to think they were completely justified in breaking him. For what? Because they didn't like each other.

"But there's not much else I can do, you know?" said Peter, looking at him, with something close to desperation in his eyes. He had no one else he could tell this to, did he... "I'm kind of scared of them, they're just so... perfect, in everything they do. They have the best grades, and they're so popular, and always funny and witty."

"Depends on what you call witty, I guess," said Severus sardonically, who had always felt that the two boys' "Come on, let's show the school Snape's underpants"-manner lacked a certain something when it came to style.

"Yeah, but everyone thinks so! And I'm just scared..." Peter looked away again. "If I wasn't with them, who would I be with? I haven't got any other friends. I don't think I would make any, either. So that's why I can't leave them. And they're not that bad." His voice was stronger now, reassuring himself. "I mean they do look out for me, and we have fun times. And Remus is really nice, to be fair. He's actually a good guy." He stopped again, and looked down at his bitten fingernails. "But although they can be nice too, James and Sirius... still... they make me feel... I don't know, so..."

"Worthless," said Severus and smiled, completely without mirth.

.........................................................