Something Else Wears Your Skin
Sirius woke up laughing.
His ribs ached. His jaw burned. His eye was swollen shut.
And still—he laughed.
Because he remembered everything.
Severus’ fists. The rage in his eyes. The moment he had realized—
“He wanted to kill me.”
And maybe—just maybe—Sirius wanted that too.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Severus hadn’t left the dorms in two days.
The whispers were everywhere now.
“He’s awake.”
He pressed his hands against his temples.
“And he’s coming for you.”
The shadows curled around the corners of the room.
Severus closed his eyes.
“Good.”
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
James was furious.
“He nearly killed you!”
Sirius grinned, wincing as his lip split open again.
“Yeah. It was fun.”
James stared. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Remus sighed. “We need to end this.”
Sirius’ grin faded. “I plan to.”
That night, Severus left the dorm.
His hands twitched. His heartbeat hammered.
He didn’t know where he was going. He just knew—
“He’s waiting.”
And when he rounded the corner, stepping into the abandoned corridor—
Sirius was already there.
Grinning.
“Miss me?”
Sirius lunged first.
Severus barely had time to react before a fist slammed into his ribs, driving the air from his lungs.
He staggered back. Laughed. Spat blood.
“That all you’ve got?”
Sirius grinned. “Not even close.”
James and Remus stood at the far end of the corridor.
Watching.
Neither moved to intervene.
Peter swallowed. “Shouldn’t we—?”
“No.” James’ voice was flat.
“Let them finish it.”
Severus dodged the next punch, but barely. His vision blurred, the edges of the world too sharp, too bright.
The whispers roared.
“End him.”
Sirius tackled him. They hit the ground hard.
Severus’ head slammed into stone. Stars exploded behind his eyes.
But he didn’t stop.
He clawed, punched, bit—anything to make Sirius hurt.
And Sirius—he was laughing.
Blood smeared the floor. The walls. Their hands.
Severus’ breath came in ragged gasps. The darkness at the edge of his vision shifted.
And then—he saw it.
A shape. Not human. Not real.
Watching. Waiting.
The whispers were not whispers anymore.
“Let go, Severus.”
Severus blinked.
And for a moment—he did.
Sirius wasn’t laughing anymore.
Not when Severus grinned through the blood. Not when his eyes flickered black.
Not when the shadows behind him moved.
“What the hell—”
Severus lunged.
And Sirius realized—
This wasn’t a fight.
This was a killing.
James shoved forward. “Severus, stop!”
Severus didn’t hear him.
Didn’t see him.
Didn’t see anything except Sirius—on the ground, pinned, wide-eyed.
And the whispers screaming—
“TEAR HIM OPEN.”
Sirius’ lungs burned. His body screamed.
And for the first time in his life—he was afraid.
Severus was on top of him, knees pinning his arms, grinning through the blood.
His face was a mask of red and shadow. His eyes—wrong.
The darkness behind him twisted.
And Sirius finally understood. This isn’t Snape anymore. Nothing is Human Here
“Severus, get OFF!” James roared, but Severus didn’t move.
Didn’t blink.
Didn’t even acknowledge them.
His breathing was ragged. Deep, animalistic. His fingers twitched—eager, waiting.
And the shadows behind him moved.
Remus felt his stomach turn.
“James—something is wrong.”
Severus’ weight pressed down.
Sirius couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.
His ribs felt like they were cracking. His vision blurred.
And then—
Severus laughed.
Low. Dark. Not human.
“No gods. No masters.”
His hands curled around Sirius’ throat.
And he squeezed.
The corridor shifted. Stretched. The torches burned lower, darker, and in the edges of the light—something moved. Not just a trick of the mind. Not just the haze of blood loss.
Something was there, and it was waiting for Severus to finish.
James saw Sirius’ eyes go wide, his fingers scrabbling, desperate, and Severus—
He wasn’t there anymore.
James didn’t think. Didn’t hesitate, he tackled him, Severus hit the ground, hard. The force shattered the moment. The shadows snapped back. The corridor shrunk to normal. And Severus—
He lay there. Gasping. Choking. Trembling.
The thing in the darkness was gone.
But he knew—it would come back, and next time—
He wouldn’t fight it.