Unnatural

Severus Snape was walking past an almost deserted section of the Hogwarts grounds when he saw Sirius Black and Remus Lupin sitting close together under a tree, doing homework. At least, they had their homework things with them, but they were smiling cheerfully as they talked, their eyes twinkling away at each other, and Severus was sure they weren't discussing homework. He was peeking out at them from behind a nearby tree, planning how to best ruin their good mood, when something interesting began to happen.

It started with Lupin resting his hand on Black's knee and looking at him in a way that didn't seem at all natural between friends. Severus knew that Lupin, in addition to being a half-blood, was a werewolf. You couldn't ask for worse company, but Black couldn't seem to get that through his thick skull, even though he was a pureblood. Black took the werewolf's hand in his own as they talked, still gazing at each other like lovers.

But were they in love? It didn't seem possible. Most of the girls in Hogwarts would have loved a chance to date the incredibly handsome Black, Severus couldn't deny that. He had never come off as gay, yet he did remain mysteriously single. Lupin, on the other hand, had always been something of an enigma, and it wouldn't surprise Severus much to find out that the werewolf was in love with his unattainable best friend. Or just lusting after him, more like. How could a creature like a werewolf love?

But as Severus watched, Black leaned in and kissed Lupin. Severus stared as they embraced. It made him feel sick, yet he could not turn away. A pureblood wizard kissing a half-blood werewolf! It was disgusting. Finally they broke apart. Black said something, then kissed the werewolf once on the forehead and got up and walked away.

Severus desperately wished there was a way to get them expelled for what he had just witnessed, but unfortunately there was no law or school rule against disgraceful romantic involvement like this. Not that Black acted like a pureblood wizard, Severus thought. Since he couldn't get them punished, he would settle for telling them exactly what they deserved to hear, starting with the werewolf, who was now alone. He marched over to him wearing his best sneer.

"All right, werewolf?"

"All right, Snivellus," replied Lupin serenely.

"I saw Black leaving a minute ago," said Severus in the most pleasant voice he could muster. "You two were studying, then?"

"That's right."

"That's all, was it?"

Lupin hesitated only a moment, and when he spoke it was as casual as ever.

"No, we were also discussing how much better things would be around here without you."

Severus immediately dropped all pretense of friendliness. He stooped down, took a startled Lupin by the neck of his robes, and yanked him roughly to a standing position.

"Listen to me, you dirty, disgusting freak!" He was still gripping the fronof Lupin's robes, pulling him closer so that their faces were only half a foot apart. "You're the slime that makes these grounds unfit for better wizards, not me! You're the only who should leave. You shouldn't be here in the first place! You are unworthy to study magic."

He let go of Lupin's robes and the werewolf rubbed the back of his neck, staring at Severus with mixed anger and fear. The fear, Severus was sure, was because he knew he was right.

"How dare you come to this school and act like you're better than everyone else, when everyone else is better than you!" he continued. "You shouldn't be allowed to look a pureblood wizard in the eyes, and yet you..." Severus's face contorted in disgust momentarily at the memory. "I saw you and Black!"

Lupin really looked afraid now.

"It was the most shameful scene I've ever witnessed! Of course I blame him more than you, he ought to know better, but you have got to learn your place! A pureblood wizard with a werewolf!"

Lupin stuck out his chin defiantly. "If you love--" he began, but Severus cut him off.

"Love? Don't speak to me about love, werewolf!"

"I can speak about whatever I want! You have no right--"

Severus grabbed the front of Lupin's robes again and forced the werewolf to his knees.

"You would have no rights at all if things were as they should be!" he roared.

"That's not true," said Lupin in a small voice.

Severus had had enough. He summoned all his strength and struck Lupin on the side of the head, knocking him flat onto the ground where he lay still for a moment.

"You bastard!" came an enraged yell from behind.

Severus spun around and saw Black sprinting onto the scene. He pushed Severus aside, knocking him into a tree, then practically threw himself onto the ground beside Lupin, who had managed to raise himself onto his elbows. Black gave his shoulder a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Remus, are you all right?"

Lupin raised a hand to the side of his head, and when his fingers emerged from his hair, the tips were red.

"You son of a bitch!" Black screamed at Severus. "What were you thinking?"

"He knows, Sirius," said Lupin. "He knows about us.. He saw."

Black looked startled at this news, but he asked, "What have you got against couples, Snivellus? Jealous, I expect."

Severus felt a rush of rage at this. Black helped Lupin carefully to his feet. The werewolf leaned against Black, one hand gripping his shoulder for balance.

"I knew you were a Mudblood-loving idiot, Black," snapped Severus, "but this is going much too far!"

Black took a step forward, but Lupin, who was still leaning on him with a hand on his shoulder, reached out his other hand and caught Black's. Black squeezed the werewolf's hand and stared at Severus defiantly. Severus couldn't believe the sickening sight.

"You blood-traitor!" he screamed, bearing down on the pair of them. "You are a disgrace to the name of Wizard! Associating with creatures like this...being involved with one! A Mudblood and a werewolf! A werewolf, Black! You can't love a werewolf, it's unnatural!"

"Shut up!" roared Black, breaking free of Lupin.

"You fool! It's the most disgusting thing I've ever--"

But before Severus could finish his sentence, Black punched him in the face so hard he fell flat on his back, nose bleeding. Severus got up, one hand over his nose and the other holding his wand pointed at Black. Black froze, his wand only half-raised.

"Expelliarmus!" came the annoyingly calm voice of Lupin.

Severus's wand slipped through his fingers and into Lupin's hand.

"Get your filthy hands off my wand, werewolf!" he demanded.

Black pocketed his own wand and made to attack Severus physically, but Lupin held him back.

"Sirius, don't! You'll get detention for a week!"

"I don't care!" said Black fiercely. "I won't let him talk about you like that!"

He broke free from Lupin and threw himself on top of Severus, who once again found himself flat on his back on the ground. Black punched him furiously, but Severus punched and kicked back and managed to flip Bl onto his back. He straddled him to hold him down and punched him hard in the chest, knocking the air out of him. At this point Lupin grabbed him from behind and tried to pull him off Black.

"Don't touch me, werewolf!" Severus shouted, shoving him aside.

Black took advantage of his distraction and managed to knock him sideways off of him, but Severus clung to Black's robes and they rolled across the grass fighting for the top spot. When they stopped rolling the positions had been switched, and Black pummeled Severus in the head until he felt he would soon lose consciousness. Then suddenly Black's fists stopped making contact with his head and Severus saw, hazily, that Lupin was trying to pull Black off.

"Sirius, please! You're going to be expelled this time! Stop it!"

Black stopped struggling and Lupin dragged him away. Through eyes half-closed and watering with pain, Severus saw the werewolf standing with his head on Black's shoulder, his right arm around him and the fingers of his left hand laced with Black's. The sight made Severus feel, if possible, even more nauseated.

"Please don't feel like you need to risk getting in trouble for my sake," Lupin said to Black. "If you were expelled because of me, I'd never forgive myself."

Severus resolved to go the hospital wing and get Black expelled as soon as he got his wand back. Black and Lupin quickly separated when they saw him struggling to his feet. Snape, with a look at Lupin daring him to try something, held out his hand for his wand. Lupin gave him a look of loathing and threw Severus's wand across the grass as far as he could. Severus glared at Lupin and spat at the werewolf's feet before going off to retrieve his wand, laughing scornfully at the way Black said "Why you--" and Lupin restrained him with a gently caressing hand on his chest and whispered words in his ear. It seemed Black would do anything for that monster. He reached his wand and picked it up, but just as he was turning his steps toward the hospital wing, Severus heard Lupin's voice from behind him.

"Obliviate!"

-------------------------------------------

Severus felt dazed. His nose was bleeding and his head was pounding. He had just suffered the ultimate humiliation. He had been beat up by a girl. He knew that if he went to the hospital wing he would probably get in trouble for fighting, and they'd want to know who he'd fought. To avoid having to think up an alternative story, Severus decided to try to heal himself first. He passed Black and the werewolf Lupin, who were both laughing as they watched him walk away. Severus hoped they were just laughing at his condition and hadn't seen who beat him up.