8 Hours

When Severus came to, he found himself wrapped in a tight embrace. One arm went right around his waist while the other cradled his head, forcing his head to rest on the figures shoulder. Groaning in pain he pried his eyes open only to bite back a hiss when his eyes were suddenly flooded with light.

One deep breath and he tried again.

He saw black material, most likely robes, they were black and rich and obviously much more expensive than anything he could ever hope to afford. The next thing that caught his eye however, caused him to freeze in shock and confusion.

It was a red and gold tie on a white school shirt.

A Gryffindor tie.

The figure that held him seemed to groan and Severus' eyes went wide as he slowly pulled back. He was lying on his side, but the arms that had him trapped didn't allow too much movement but he could see the other's profile if only a little.

"Oh you can't be serious." The Slytherin hissed just as the other slowly woke, prying his eyes open to blink back the bright rays that filled the room before trying to squint through the spectacles that lay crooked over his face.

James Potter.

The Gryffindor frowned for a moment as he looked down at the figure in his arms still squinting through the one lens that was more or less close enough to his eye to see through.

"Snape?" James' eyes went wide, his cheeks suddenly flushed and he gasped. He quickly let go, shoving the Slytherin away as he scrambled back and fixed the glasses on his face. "Get the hell away from me!"

Severus hissed in pain at the sudden movement as he slowly tried to right himself, pushing himself up on his arms as he glared at the other, "Believe me Potter, I'm about as happy to be in your presence as you are." The Slytherin said as he slowly got up and finally took a moment to look at his surroundings.

Severus frowned.

"Where are we?" James asked and Severus didn't answer, partly because he just didn't want to, but mostly because he honestly had no idea where they were.

It looked like they were in a living room. Severus realized that they were both standing behind a brown suede love seat with two other couches surrounding a coffee table in front of a fireplace. The room was brightly lit, large open windows with light curtain swaying softly over them on either side of the fireplace; letting in as much sunlight as possible, with a few nick-knacks on the mantle and portraits of flowers and trees swaying in the breeze on the cream walls.

It looked nice, homey.

But how did they get-

The room had hardwood floors and a large archway to the left that led to what looked like a kitchen and Severus couldn't help but walk over to it.

"Hey! Snape, I'm talking to you." Severus ignored him and walked into the kitchen. There was a stove to one side of the room, surrounded by cupboards and counter tops made from dark wood, a fridge a few feet away from that and a kitchen sink on the opposite side beneath another large window. It looked much nicer than the kitchen he had back home at Spinners end. It was nice and clean. There was another archway a few feet away from the fridge leading away to what the Slytherin then realized was the rest of a house but that only barely caught his attention. Instead he walked over to the door that seemed to lead outside, it was white with a small window at the top. He opened the door, ignoring Potter's insistent questions as he pulled it open only for his eyes to go wide at what he saw while his heart dropped right down into his stomach.

"Damn it Snape, stop ign-oring… me." Potter was standing right behind him but Severus couldn't be bothered to care.

Outside was nothing.

There was grass, grass everywhere. It was evergreen, cut short and seemed to surround the entire house spreading into eternity and the sky…

It was blue. There was no sun and there were no clouds.

None of it looked normal or even real. The sky and grass went on forever in the most unnatural way. There didn't seem to be any end to it. There was no tree line, no mountain tops or hills far off on the horizon. It looked like one long unending void of lawn and grass.

"What in Merlin's name…"

How was it even possible? It couldn't be possible-then again…

Where are they? How did they get there? Why are they there?

Severus' mind started to fill with questions when he finally tried to think of the last thing he remembers.

He remembers being at school, he remembers breakfast, he remembers arguing with that annoying twat Potter and then there was a light; a bright light that came from a door that Potter didn't want him to open.

Right at that moment the Gryffindor gasped and Severus looked up at him to find his eyes wide from shock as some sort of realization dawned in his eyes as he breathed.

"The room of requirement."

Severus frowned, "The room of what?"

Potter looked down at the Slytherin and swallowed hard before he suddenly turned back into the house.

"We need to get out of here."

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"Sev… Severus, please open the door."

One deep breath.

"I did this for you, you know… for us. I can't be without you Severus and I know you can't be without me either so just open the door."

No reply.

James let out a sigh as he shut his eyes tight, reaching up with his left hand to rub his eyes in frustration underneath his glasses.

It was all a mess.

The Gryffindor tried to keep his breathing steady as he sat down on a stool at the front of the hall while the entire school watched as professor McGonagall brought the sorting hat closer.

She was tense, shocked and confused; James knew even without looking at her. James knew without looking at anyone else in the large room that they were all watching in anticipation as they tried to understand why on earth James Potter, proud Gryffindor, captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team and the wizard everyone thought was a sure pick to be head boy would suddenly ask to be resorted.

It didn't make any sense when James always seemed so loyal to the house that he was sorted into, the house his parents belonged to; the house of his ancestors.

Some of the students thought that it might be a prank of some sort, although they couldn't imagine what kind of pay off there could possibly be if James was actually resorted, they still waited in anticipation waiting to see what would happen. Especially since James came rushing into the hall with Severus Snape in tow. They'd all witnessed the Gryffindor's pranks against the dirty ugly boy, they were sure that it must have been a trick of some kind. What other reason could he have for such a request?

The rest of the students and most of the professors were still stuck on shock, especially after Dumbledore actually agreed to the resorting. The headmaster just gave the young man an indulgent smile as he asked for the stool and hat to be brought closer. Professor McGonagall seemed to be the only one who was actively attempting to make sense of the situation. First refusing James' request before demanding an explanation.

James couldn't explain. He wasn't even sure if he knew where he'd begin to explain if he was forced to. But that didn't stop him from persistently refusing to move an inch until he was resorted. Dumbledore intervened, deciding to humor the boy and allowing for a resorting but not without making it clear that the sorting hat rarely ever made mistakes when it came to house sortings. James had to force back an angry sneer at the comment that somehow sounded so arrogant right at that moment.

The hall was quiet with Sirius' outburst having been cut off the moment it happened and the students calmed down at the word of the headmaster. He could feel the stares coming from his best friends the same way that he could feel the stares from all the other students in the hall. He loves his friends he really does, but right at that moment James didn't care about any of them, he only cared about Severus.

Severus sat at Slytherin table, having scurried away the moment that he'd recovered from the shock of Dumbledore actually agreeing to let the Gryffindor be resorted. Raven hair fell forward to cover the lanky teen's face as he stared down at the empty plate before him while Mulciber and Wilkes tried to get his attention, probably trying to get the teen to explain what was going on.

James wished that he was closer.

His chest ached and his hands itched, what he wouldn't give to have Severus' hand wrapped around his own right at that moment.

"Mr. Potter, you understand that though it is unlikely that you'll be sent to a different house, if you are resorted you will forfeit your position as the captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team?"

James heard McGonagall speak but his eyes stayed fixed on Snape, wishing with all his heart that the teen would look back just once. James only needed to see those endless eyes once then he'd know he'd be O.K.

"I don't care." James said softly and his voice carried over the room, Severus looked back over his shoulder, with his hair still covering his face but James still got a glimpse of those eyes that he loved so much it hurt. The hazel eyed wizard smiled. "Some things are more important than some silly game."

Loud gasps were heard around the hall and some of the professors, including Dumbledore seemed to pause. The twinkle left the man's blue eyes as he frowned.

McGonagall looked back at the head master as she swallowed hard before she spoke, "Very well."

James felt his heart start to race in his chest and his hands became clammy as he clutched the seat of the stool. The hat started its song the way it did every year during sortings. James just tried to keep his breathing steady as he held Severus' gaze all across the hall until the hat stopped singing and it was finally placed on his head. James shut his eyes tight.

'My my my, what have we here…' The hat started sounding somewhere between shocked and amused, 'James Potter, my how you've grown. How many years has it been since I've touched your mind? Five years maybe, but for you it's probably closer to 13, I think.'

James gasped and his eyes went wide at the voice in his head only for a chuckle to ring clearly through his ears, 'Yes, I'm very aware of what you've been through. It's all in here. But don't worry, your secret's safe.'

James let out a deep sigh causing some of the students in the hall to frown in confusion. The older students that were around for James' resorting knew that the hat was barely on his head for longer than a second before it placed him in Gryffindor in first year.

So what on earth is taking so long now?

'Let's get down to business, you wish to be resorted now do you?'

'Yes, Slytherin, I need to be in Slytherin.'

'I'm aware of that dear boy, but I was honest in my assessment of you when I placed you in Gryffindor the first time. You have such courage, loyalty and strength. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that you would do well in this house. You are a placement that would have made Godric himself proud; there was no reason to place you in Slytherin or any other house for that matter'

James swallowed hard, knuckles going white as his grip tightened on the chair until the hat suddenly spoke again.

'But you've changed haven't you? Time has changed you a great deal. I suppose it's true what they say, wisdom comes with age.' The hat seemed to sigh although James almost felt that it would probably be grinning at him if it could, 'Yes yes, definitely a Gryffindor before but that's no place for you now. You're much more mature, much too cunning and ambitious. You will do well in-'

"SLYTHERIN!"

Gasps and then harrowing silence James let out a deep sigh of relief and looked down at his tie to find the red and gold colors he's come to know so well slowly changing to green and silver. The teen let out a wide grin as he got up from the chair and immediately looked up to find Severus' gaze only for to find that the Slytherin had paled completely before he suddenly got up from his seat and ran, right out the doors of the great hall.

"Severus wait!"

James put the hat down on the stool and took off after him, ignoring the shocked stares from students and faculty alike.

Professor McGonagall stood frozen for a moment more before she took a deep breath and looked back, hopelessly towards the headmaster but he wasn't much help either as he just stared on after the two watching as the doors to the great hall closed.

The hall erupted all over again.

James let his head rest against the door with his palm beside it.

Severus made it to the dungeons before he could catch up and slipped in through the portrait leading to the Slytherin common room.

He had to wait until dinner had finished, or rather until he assumed that dinner finished when a couple of first years came down to the dungeons, whispering about the nights events. The two had frozen at the sight of the ex-Gryffindor standing in front of the portrait until James managed to convince them that since he was technically in Slytherin they had to help him get in and they reluctantly agreed. The next obstacle was finding the room where Severus was and getting the raven haired wizard to open up for him. So far James got the first part done and now…

"Severus?" James shut his eyes tight, "Please don't shut me out, I need you."

It was silent for another agonizingly long moment before James heard the lock slip out of place and he pulled back to watch as it creaked open.

"Still disgustingly sentimental I see."

James let out a heavy sigh and couldn't help but smile as Severus looked up at him through his hair. The hazel eyed wizard stepped forward to push the door open a little more and Severus stepped back as he entered, shutting the door behind him and leaning back against it. "What can I say? You bring out the worst in me."

Severus gave a snort as his eyes warmed and he rushed forward to wrap his arms around James' waist, the other let out another deep breath as he wrapped his arms around Severus with his face buried in those inky black locks to breathe him in. "Merlin, I've missed you."

Severus said nothing at first, just tightened his grip around James' waist and pressed his face deeper into the crook of his neck until he finally spoke.

"You're insane, you know that? I can't believe you actually went through with it."

"I didn't know what else to do. I knew you couldn't resort, but I also know that I couldn't stand to wait another two years to do this again." James said as he pressed a kiss on the top of Severus' head, "I wouldn't survive it Severus."

"We were together eight years, I thought that you'd be sick of me by now." Severus sighed, "We were there for so long, I thought if we left. If you didn't have to be around just me then-"

"I wouldn't want you anymore? Merlin if you only knew. The past two weeks have been torture. You kept ignoring me, I thought you hated me again-" James was cut off when Severus leaned up to seal their lips in a kiss that the hazel eyed wizard quickly returned before he pulled back and smiled, "I thought we agreed that you wouldn't do any thinking anymore, it's not your strong suit."

James rolled his eyes as Severus finished, "Just look at the mess we're in now."

"Everything will be fine. We're in the same house now, we won't have to be apart. And with me here Avery and Wilkes will know to keep their claws off of you. You won't have to take the mark."

"James-"

"I won't let him have you." James said as he pressed a kiss on Severus' forehead, "I promise."

Severus looked away for a moment, "What will your parents think?"

"My parents will understand. As long as I'm happy then they won't care."

"What about Lupin and Black?"

James paused to take a deep breath, "I'll talk to them later, for now, we have each other and that's all that matters." The hazel eyed wizard then let his hand slip down to Severus' stomach and Severus couldn't help but place his hand on top of it.

"It feels so strange not being able to feel him anymore, not being able to feel you."

"I know but, this is only temporary." James took in a deep breath. "I promise, once this is over, everything will be just the way it used to be. We'll get everything back, even Harry."

Severus let out a shaky breath as he leaned into James a little more, "I hope you're right."

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Two fucking weeks.

The first week was spent with James and Severus alternating between arguing and ignoring one another as they both tried to find a way back.

He was eventually forced to tell Severus about the room, since they were effectively stuck in it. James told him about how it was supposed to work and how he, Sirius and Remus found it in the first place. He didn't really have much of a choice otherwise but that didn't seem to help.

James tried to get a door to appear that would release them, tried to request an exit the way he usually used to when he and his friends used the room of requirement, but for some reason nothing happened. Of course the room still gave them things. The fridge and cupboards in the kitchen were constantly restocking themselves. The room gave James a broom so he could go out flying, it gave Severus any book he asked for whenever he asked for it, their clothes were even cleaned and dried before being placed back in the closet along with all the other clothes they found that seemed to fit them perfectly.

But it wouldn't let them out.

James couldn't understand it, the room isn't supposed to work this way. It wasn't supposed to trap its occupants against their will and it certainly never became big enough to not only form an entire house but a whole skyline of space outside as well.

He tried everything, he tried to will the exit to appear, he tried blasting at the wall of the house and even at the artificial sky outside to see if there wasn't a way out. He even tried sending out a message to the outside world but none of it helped.

For his part Snape was trying to find a way out as well, he tried sending a message to the outside world as well but the room rebuffed all his attempts, none of his spells against the house worked and when the Slytherin requested a book on the workings of the room of requirement or any books on Hogwarts at all, his requests were ignored. Almost like it knew what he was trying to do and just refused to let either of them leave.

The first week was a nightmare with them constantly arguing back and forth. James blamed Severus for getting them trapped and the Slytherin did the same with him. Only Snape tended to just try and ignore James most of the time, something that didn't go down to well with James since he hated being ignored and that inevitably led to more fights.

By the second week however, James had swallowed his pride and asked for a truce. Albeit a temporary one.

Their arguing wasn't getting him anywhere and whether he wanted to admit it or not, if either one of them could figure a way to get them free it would be Snape. Loath as he is to admit it, the Slytherin is very very smart and resourceful; a little civility between them would only help to get him free. Plus he hated being ignored.

James loved attention, it's one of the reasons he was always pulling so many pranks and causing so much trouble at school, why he kept chasing after Lily Evans regardless of how many times she rejected him. James lived off of attention.

Unfortunately the only person he had with him in the R.O.R was Snape and Snape had this remarkable ability to ignore James Potter for hours and even days at a time without even the slightest bit of acknowledgement. It was getting lonely and James realized one day as one of their fights escalated into a full blown duel, he'd only started arguing with the Slytherin to get his attention. A fact that scared him to his very core and caused him to start questioning himself in ways that he really didn't want to.

So he asked for a truce and surprisingly Snape accepted because he realized that he needed more information about the room. Since James is the only one between them that's used it before when it was still functioning properly, he didn't really have much of a choice.

They came to an agreement. They wouldn't pick fights with one another and they'd remain civil until they somehow managed to get free, at which point they can go back to hating each other all over again.

On week two Severus was working harder than ever, asking for one book after another from the room before studying it. He had to be careful about which kind of books he chose. They had to be books that related closely enough to the room of requirement to be relevant but still far enough in similarity that the room didn't refuse his request. There was a potions lab in the basement so he could experiment with ingredients down there as well.

James spent week two trying to find the room's limits. He used the broom to fly as far out as humanly possible, trying to see if there wasn't a barrier that they could find and try to breach so they could escape, but the room really did seem to go on forever. Every day he came back feeling a little more frustrated and annoyed, just before the sky dimmed and it filled with bright artificial stars.

Just like today.

James let out a heavy sigh as he set his broom down beside the door and stepped into the house.

He went straight to the fridge, took out a bottle of water and took a drink, briefly looking around the kitchen. Dinner wouldn't be ready for a few more hours yet. Snape was probably still working on the books in the dining room so he walked over to the next archway only to find the room vacant. The books were still there; strewn all along the table along with scattered pieces of parchment, a quill and two ink pots one empty and the other about halfway through.

He didn't bother taking a peek at the pages; he knew that he wouldn't be able to understand a word of it. Not because it was too difficult but because he could never make out Snape's handwriting. Not that James' is much better mind you but still, it wasn't worth the effort to be bothered with.

He turned back and went up the stairs, not really sure why, he just needed to make sure that Snape was still there. Despite their truce, he wouldn't put it passed the Slytherin to try to leave him behind if he somehow managed to find a way to escape. Plus, James was slightly terrified at the idea of being alone even if it meant suffering through the greasy bats company. Having someone to talk to is better than having no one at all.

There were two bedrooms upstairs, so they thankfully didn't have to share. They were around the same size each with an adjoining bathroom. If nothing else the R.O.R made sure that they were taken care of. James just couldn't understand why on earth it had deemed it fit to trap him and Snape alone together. Snape said that it was probably just some sort of mistake.

"Magic is too complicated to just consider logic in its reasoning, even the simplest spells have the potential to backfire or fail spectacularly for no reason whatsoever."

James rolled his eyes at the memory of Snape sitting huddled over his books a few days ago, when the Gryffindor was trying to get his attention only to be waved off and ignored.

He made it to the top and walked down the hall to the bedroom at the end opposite to the study and paused to knock.

The last time he just walked in Snape threatened to castrate him, despite the fact that they're both boys and therefore it shouldn't be such a big deal, but he brushed it off as Snape just being difficult and decided to play along.

There was no answer, James pushed the door open and stepped inside, ignoring the thrill of anxiety that went through him went he did.

Despite the fact that he wasn't scared to just walk into Snape's room whenever he wanted, since it really wasn't that big a deal, he still felt a little awkward whenever he went into Snape's room. It was strange, uncomfortable and his eyes would always stray towards the bed despite the fact that he never stayed in there long enough to want to sit down or anything.

Two steps into the room, he glanced around towards the desk near the window that was stacked with books and of course that stupid four poster bed was up against the wall. The entire room was decked out in green silver and black. It echoed James' room that was decorated in red, gold and brown, obviously meant to represent their house colors. James ignored the voice in his head that whispered that the dark colors in Snape's room looked better than his own.

Snape was in the bathroom.

James could hear the shower running. He approached the door on the other side of the room despite his better judgment, then again, when has his better judgment ever had a say in anything?

A wicked idea suddenly came to mind and James decided that a prank was in order. Sure it wouldn't do to piss Snape off when they were trying to be civil towards one another, but the little prat's been insufferable for days and James really needed to blow off a little steam.

Besides turning Snape's hot shower into a slime shower really wouldn't be the worst thing that he's done to the Slytherin anyway.

A mischievous grin spread over his lips as he approached the door, moving as quietly as possible. Snape probably thought he was still out flying, usually, James doesn't get back till supper time, Snape probably bathed when he thought James wasn't there so he wouldn't be as vulnerable anywhere near him.

That thought almost made James pause until he just pushed the unpleasant feeling aside and reached out for the door.

He slowly turned the door knob and the latch slid out of place as the door popped open. The sound from the shower grew louder and steam slipped out through the opening. James quietly slipped inside as he pulled out his wand and aimed it at the faucet he could see over the top of the shower wall facing the door, when he decided that he'd rather get a good look at Snape once the spell took effect. Watch him lose it in real time.

The snake deserves it; it's technically his fault they're stuck in there anyway.

If he hadn't started a fight with James they wouldn't have been anywhere near the room of requirement in the first place.

Taking a few steps closer and being careful of the water on the tiled floor outside of the shower, with his wand ready he reached out, grabbed the shower door and quickly pulled it open, mouth open to say the spell when he froze.

Snape immediately turned at the sudden disturbance dragging both hands through his hair to push his hair out of his eyes when he saw James and his eyes went wide.

Snape was skinny, but not at all what James had thought he would look like under those old and tattered second hand robes. His skin was pale and smooth, for the moment slightly flushed under the heat of the shower and James assumes his sudden interruption. There were scars too, old scars running along his back and arms. Inky black locks of hair clung to his head and neck, pink lips open in a gape and those dark dark eyes stared back at the Gryffindor in shock. James felt himself flush an embarrassing shade of red when his eyes automatically sought out Snape's nipples and cock and he was silently thankful that his glasses were starting to fog over.

This happened over the span of five seconds at which point those dark dark eyes suddenly narrowed into a glare and those pink lips twisted into a vicious sneer. James was too flustered to react quickly enough.

"Accio wand!" Snape screamed and his wand suddenly came flying out of the stack of clothes in the corner. James' eyes went wide he wiped the steam off his glasses with his sleeve, just in time to find Snape's wand aimed at him just before a stinging hex shot from the wand and hit the Gryffindor right in the face.

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Sirius stared in shock as he sat at the Gryffindor table and watched as James walked in with Snape at his side and they sat down at the Slytherin table.

Somehow it still didn't seem real.

Despite having an entire night to let it all sink in, Sirius still couldn't believe it and yet there it was.

James leaned over to whisper something in the Slytherin's ear, Snape seemed to blush as he shook his head and hissed something back and James laughed. It was warm and hearty and at least half of the hall's occupants turned to stare at the merry sound coming from the Slytherin table of all places. Snape nudged him hard with his elbow and James quickly quieted while the other just rolled his eyes. A few moments later, Rosier slid into the seat on Snape's left, sharing a look with James for a moment before the bespectacled wizard just gave a curt nod in greeting and they started piling up their plates as they spoke.

"Death eaters, the whole lot of them." James used to sneer whenever he saw Snape and Rosier huddled together, whispering the way he was doing right at that moment.

It still didn't seem real.

"I don't understand. How did this even happen?" Sirius heard someone whisper a little further down the table, "I thought he hated Slytherin."

"Obviously things change." Someone answered back and Sirius just glared down at his plate.

When they got back to the dorm room the night before, James wasn't there.

His things had already been moved. The bed was still covered in its red and gold sheets but the blanket James' mother gave to him in his first year wasn't at the top of the bed the way it used to be. The large oak trunk that used to be at the bottom was gone, along with his broom and the chest he kept under the bed. It was like he was never even there to begin with.

They tried going to the dungeons to find James and ask him exactly when he'd gone insane but they couldn't get into the common room, none of the Slytherins would let them in and the thin pale woman in the portrait guarding the dorms took one look at their red and gold ties before she started screeching curses and insults. So they decided to just find James in the morning and ask him then.

Remus wasn't there yet and Sirius couldn't work up the nerve to walk over and just say something.

He wouldn't even know where to start if he tried.

"I bet you Snape had something to do with it." Someone else whispered and Sirius' glare intensified.

Of course Snape had something to do with it. That greasy bastard did something to James to make him do what he did; he had to have done something. James would never have asked to be resorted for any reason, let alone ask to be resorted to join Slytherin.

It was definitely Snape's fault. It had to be.

Why else would James just… abandon them?

The animagus let out a frustrated sigh as he tried and failed to concentrate on his meal, having a much worse time of it than Peter who didn't seem too bothered by anything that was happening in their group. Then again, Peter was always running off somewhere these days, his disinterest was easy to ignore.

It was right then that the doors to the great hall opened again and Sirius looked up to see Remus. He let out a sigh, thankful that he at least had one of his friends with him when everything else seemed to be going so insane, when the werewolf turned towards the other side of the hall and walked right over to the Slytherin table. Sirius watched as parts of the Slytherin table quieted as the Gryffindor approached until he stopped just behind James and tapped his shoulder. James looked back and blinked in surprise, before giving his friend a sheepish grin as he turned around in his seat. Remus gave him a soft, albeit soft smile in return as he said something and James nodded. The werewolf turned back and walked away back through the doors and James stood up a few moments later, leaning in to tell Rosier something and pressing a kiss against Snape's lips.

Sirius heard someone gasp; he looked over across the table to find Lily Evans staring with wide eyes while Snape only seemed to roll his eyes as James followed Remus out the door.

"Peter." Sirius said as he got up as well, but the portly boy seemed to ignore him in favor of stuffing his face with eggs so he let out a sigh of frustration, "Oh bugger it, I'll be right back."

Sirius left the table and rushed out the doors, going down the hall he could hear talking.

"I didn't have a choice Remus."

"What do you mean you didn't have a choice?"

Sirius came around the corner just then and spoke with a glare in his eyes, "He probably means that Snape made him resort. That greasy bat did something to him."

James whirled around to face him and Sirius almost tripped over his own feet.

James' robes were different, somehow he missed it sitting across the hall. They were richer much darker than the other ones James used to wear, his jumper was lined in Slytherin green and the tie around his neck was silver and green-

Somehow it made things so much more real than Sirius was ready for.

The worst thing of all; had to be the silver snake shaped Quidditch pin on his robes. That made Sirius all but freeze in his tracks.

It hasn't even been a day.

"Severus didn't make me do anything."

"Severus?!" Sirius all but screeched in disbelief his friends ignored him.

"I had a choice to make and I made it." James said clearly before letting out a sigh, "Look it's hard to explain, but I swear this is for the best."

"But why?" Remus asked as he stepped forward, "What could have possibly happened to make you change so drastically?"

James looked away dragging a hand through his hair, before giving another sigh. "Meet me in Trelawny's class after curfew."

"James-"

"Just be there alright?" James said as he turned back and walked towards the hall but not before pausing at Sirius' side locking the other in a glare and Sirius almost flinched back. James' eyes were different; they were the same hazel brown eyes he's known since he was eleven only older somehow. They were the same kind of eyes that Snape had and even Remus sometimes. The eyes same kind of eyes he saw on his aunt before she was disowned.

The eyes of someone who's seen too much in too little time.

"Sirius, you're my best friend. But don't ever call Severus that again."

With that James walked away, back to the great hall while Remus and Sirius just stared on after him.