Princess

The front doors snapped shut on their own volition, nearly repriving Sirius of his nose.
He fastly turned to inquire the intruder to his house, but he had to make a double take, for the lanky figure of Snape no longer stood where he last saw him. Instead, the young man sat slouched on his heels, franticly whispering to the quietly sobbing girl. The girl, right. What the hell had this girl to do with anything? Sirius shook his head at that thought though, for there were much more important questions at the moment.

"Where is Pe..." He began, but was once more cut short by a sudden commotion. Will I get to finish at least one bloody question tonight? He thought exasperatedly. Unlike his visitors who in one case reacted by jumping and withdrawing wand and in second case by screaming and then crying inconsolably, the hellish hubbub that at once filled the somber hall-way did not startled Sirius, only annoyed him. The infuriating portrait of his late mother woke up.

Snape, upon finding out that the voice belonged to nothing more threatening than a painting - though admittedly hidenous one - lowered his wand and picked up the struggling kid in to one arm. She seemed to have some kind of fit.

"To the fuck with it" Sirius muttered and moved forwards. "Go down the hall to the kitchen" He told Snape, not sparing him a glance. He definitetly hadn't planned to let him that far and get any comfortable in his house, but he wanted answers and it was clear that in the presence of his dear mother he wouldn't get any.

.

Severus' ears were filled with high-pitched ringing and floor met his feets at unexpected angles. Still, he made his way through the long hall,  trailing the one free hand over the wall in support of his frail advance. It was important to get Ide somewhere calm, as the relief which Severus felt when the girl began to respond again swiftly turned in to great concern; she was absolutely freaking out.

They entered the spacious kitchen, Ide screaming and bending her body in to a bow, Severus trying to hold her still, feeling all hazy and dazy.

Things were not going according to plan, but at this point it was something hardly surprising. Really, did anything went according to a plan lately? Though this one time it could be actually for the better. Severus hated to find refuge at Blacks' place, but seeing how Ide was doing and seeing how bad was he feeling... they possibly wouldn't be able to ran for long.

Severus ploped Ide on to a long, clean scrubbed wooden table. She cried inconsolably.

He stood next to her, supporting himself by wide spreaded palms on each side of the girl, having his head bowed low and sucking in long breaths through his constricted throath.

Oh heavens. If only Dumbledore would be soon back, bringing Lily with him- alive and safe. If only Ide would stop screaming for a second, and if he could only feel a little bit better. Just a little bit better, then he'd be able to figure everything out, surely.

From behind Black could be heard swearing profoundly. Ide continued crying, getting short of breath.

Severus reached in to the inside pocket of his cloak and pulled out a leather puch, magicaly extended inside, untied the string with shaky fingers and found in it what he was looking for. As an afterthought he also fished small brown-glassed vial, unstopped it with his teeth, spat the cork on to floor and toppled the vials' content down his parched throath. Ah, it kicked imedilately in. His shaking ceased and his vision at once swam in to focus, his head almost clear.

He could hear Black aproaching. Ide cried.

"Here, you can eat this" Severus unscrewed lid of the small, rectangular jar with thick, golden liquid and handed it to Ide.

"What is it?" Snapped Black, who just entered the kitchen and eyed Severus with utmost suspision. The prick. As though I'm about to poison her, no? Severus gritted his teeth.

"It's honey" He answered quite calmly. The relief which the indigested potion brought him just a minute ago started to turn in to profoun wearines. He just wanted everything to be okay. Was that too much to ask?

.

"And who is the kid, anyway?" Sirius burted out. His curiosity got the better out of him, as he watched the gir slowly calm down, sucking raw honey from her fingers. Snape watched the girl too and continued doing so as he answered, slightly shrugging one shoulder.

"Not sure. I kiddnaped her along the way" He said nonchalantly. Then added "I call her Ide, though"

Sirius opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. The fuck he what? And such answer wasn't really answering anything, was it? More the very contray. But it hardly mattered anyway. "Where is Peter?" He asked instead, finally proposing the important question.

But it seemed that Snape was going to ignore it. Not giving the slightest sign that he indeed perceived the query, he conjured a glass tumbler, filled it with water and placed it next to the girl. Sirius could see as all of the remaining colour drained out of the other mans' face just from the little magical effort, and it made him wonder what all already went down for him tonight.

Then, unprompted, Snape took a seat by the table.

Irritated, Sirius was just about to repeat his question - this time more loudly, if there was any problem with hearing - when Snape finally looked up. "I presume that your Peter is currently cowering at the very hem of Dark Lords' cloak" He said very softly and curled his mouth in contempt.

Sirius' blood heated up. This slimy bitch was not about to insult his friends. "That's a fucking lie!" He roared. The kiddnaped kid startled. It made Sirius feel bad, so he tried to control his temper as he continued. "Peter would never betray us, I don't believe it"

Snape sneered and proceeded in the infuriatingly calm, quiet voice. "Why, it ain't all that hard to comprehend. After we finished school, even such a simpleton as Pettigrew managed to figure out that you and Potter were no longer the biggest bullies on the field" He sighed and rubbed his face. "What I struggle to believe though, is how could Potter, and honestly just all of you, be so fucking stupid to make Pettigrew the Secret Keeper!" Volume of Snapes' voice remained low, but his cheekbones took on truly ugly colour.

Sirius felt his belly clench, with feelings unclear, yet clearly unpleasant.

Snape took a deep breath and went on. "I risked my life to pass the warning, and you imbeciles entrust their lives to him?" He growled.

Sirius blanched. "What do you mean, you? It was Dumbledore to come up with..."

"And who, pray tell, do you think, warned Dumbledore?" Snape clipped icily and Sirius blanched even more.

"You?" He asked dumbly.

"Yes, me" Snape breathed, hardly above a whisper.

Sirius shook his head. Snivellus, risking his neck for James? Like hell.

"Tricks and tales the traitors tell" he muttered under his moustache and was startled when Snape sprang up to his feet.

The kid looked up, honey dripping everywhere.

"Yes Black! I indeed am a traitor, but it is not you who have the right to call me such" He growled downright gutturally.

Sirius involuntary shuddered. He was getting more uncomfortable by the second, as for the first time he allowed himself to contemplate the possibility that Snape was speaking the truth. He shuddered again.

But then his common sense came back, even if a bit later that would be to his liking. The scrawny, little shithead Death Eater, helping them? Like hell. And he told him as much. "You will surely forgive me Snivellus that I refuse to believe that you'd be risking as much as a strand of your greasy hair for James, let alone your life" He fired with defiant lift to his chin, trying hard to believe his own words, and challenging Snape to fire back.

But he didn't do such a thing. Instead, he sat back down, seeming tired for all the world. Seeming defeated. "I didn't do it for him" He mumbled.

Oh. Well, fuck oh indeed. He did not thought about it this way, but he and Lily... That did made sense.

The kiddnaped kid provisionally called Ide finished her miniature jar of honey and seemed to be settling for a nap, all sticky and dirty atop of a kitchen table.

Ice-cold dread creeped in to Sirius' insides. Ah, if he'd now believed to what Snape was saying it would mean that... "But that means that James and Lily and Harry..." He choked out in alarm.

"Yes" Snape nodded gravely, not looking at him.

"Fuck!" Sirius' heart picked up speed in to sickening levels. He was supposed to be the Secret Keeper! It was him to propose the genial snare to switch up. Oh gods. Oh fucking gods. "I'm going there" He declared and summoned his cloak.

Snape didn't commented or even looked up. The girl on the table was fast asleep and didn't wake up even when Snape hit her with a cleaning charm.

On his way out of kitchen Sirius shrugged for himself; he was not keen to just leave Snape in here, but kicking him and the sleeping girl out would cost him way too much time. He already lost too many by being so damn dense. Snape may burn in hell for all he cared, he will get rid of him once he returns.

Now he had to help James.