Snape, I Want You to Work for Me

Remus Lupin was the first to spot Regulus.

Lupin almost instantly sensed some kind of danger. Turning his head and seeing Regulus standing silently at the end of the Corridor, his expression changed slightly. He immediately nudged James, who was still chattering away, with his elbow.

Regulus raised an eyebrow slightly. A beast's instincts?

James followed Lupin's gaze, and his smile froze on his face. He instinctively gripped his wand tighter, a flicker of alarm and forced hostility flashing through his eyes.

Peter was so frightened that he ducked straight behind Lupin.

Sirius looked over as well.

When the two pairs of gray eyes met, the careless grin on Sirius's face slowly faded.

The two brothers stared silently at each other from more than ten feet apart, surrounded by the malicious laughter filling the Corridor.

Sirius's thoughts drifted.

He remembered how James had once said he would stand up for him and teach Regulus a lesson, only to return looking as though his soul had been drained from him.

And Remus's quiet description of that battle, so brief it had been despairing.

He also remembered his younger brother from childhood, always quietly following their mother, yet easily accomplishing things Sirius himself had struggled desperately to do.

He remembered, too, the countless times since school began when he had glimpsed Regulus alone in the Library, in the Corridor, or on the way to class, hurrying past with thick books clutched in his arms.

He seemed to be... always studying, or on his way to study.

The thought suddenly surfaced in Sirius's heart.

It was completely different from the life he, James, and the others led, spending every day thinking about Quidditch, pranks, and exploring the Castle's secrets.

Before, he had thought that was boring, rigid, proof of being bound by the family.

But now, combined with what had happened to James and the invisible pressure Regulus gave off simply by standing there, Sirius finally began to see things differently.

Had the gap really grown this large without him even noticing?

It was not merely the suffocating gap in magical strength, but a difference in... the completely different paths they had chosen and the degree of commitment they had given them.

"Had enough of the show?" Sirius's voice was drier than usual, though it still carried his characteristic stubborn refusal to bow his head.

Yet he no longer met Regulus's gaze directly, instead sweeping his eyes toward the wall beside him.

Only then did Regulus step forward, his footsteps ringing clearly through the Stone Corridor.

He did not look at James, nor at Snape or anyone else. He simply stopped between the two sides and fixed his gaze on Sirius.

"Is picking on someone who is alone how you prove your courage and find entertainment?" Regulus's voice was calm. "If so, then Gryffindor courage is rather cheap."

James wanted to retort, but remembering the lesson from last time and Regulus's icy warning, the words lodged in his throat.

Not yet, he thought. I'm not ready yet!

Regulus continued looking at Sirius, his tone betraying little emotion. "Wasting your time and energy on things like this will do you no good.

"This world will soon no longer have so much room for jokes and games.

"If you do not want to someday find yourself incapable even of protecting yourself or the people you want to protect, you should start seriously considering what exactly your Magic should be used for.

"And how to make it truly useful."

Sirius did not hear any lecturing in Regulus's words. They sounded more like a reminder based on fact, and he could even faintly sense something complicated beneath them.

For the sake of blood ties, I'm giving you a piece of advice.

It felt as though something had clenched Sirius's heart.

He wanted to argue loudly. He wanted to say he did not need lectures from a Slytherin, from this traitor of a brother. He wanted to say he lived freely and happily, and that he would protect the people important to him in his own way.

But the things Regulus had mentioned struck his mind, heated by rebellion and friendship, like chunks of ice.

He remembered the increasingly tense atmosphere at home, the veiled references in his parents' letters, and Bellatrix's growing madness.

Perhaps Regulus was right.

But that only made him more irritated and rebellious.

"My business is none of yours!" Sirius snapped stiffly. Then he turned to James and the others. "Let's go. This is boring."

James seemed to want to say something, but Lupin gave him a gentle tug.

They followed Sirius and hurried away from the Corridor, their backs looking somewhat hasty.

After the Marauders left, only Regulus and the disheveled Snape remained in the Corridor.

Snape quickly used a Scouring Charm to remove the stains from his robes and smoothed his dripping hair, his expression still dark.

The way he looked at Regulus was full of wariness and suspicion, along with a trace of humiliated anger at having been seen in such a sorry state.

"I don't need your help, Black." Snape's voice was hoarse and plainly resistant. "I don't need charity from any Pure-blood Young Master."

Regulus was not surprised by his reaction.

Severus Snape was exceptionally intelligent, with tremendous talent in potions and the Dark Arts. Yet he was also deeply sensitive and insecure, his heart filled with twisted pride and resentment born from his background and experiences.

He craved power, recognition, and acceptance into pure-blood circles, yet instinctively distrusted and guarded against approaches from those at the center of those circles.

In Regulus's eyes, Snape was an extremely valuable potential collaborator—one could even say a prime asset.

A future potions master, deeply accomplished in the Dark Arts, meticulous in thought, and skilled at enduring in silence.

If a connection could be established in the right way, his value would far exceed even Avery or Hermes.

"Charity?" Regulus repeated the word, his tone still even. "Do you think I stood here just now to enjoy watching you make a fool of yourself, or to savor the superiority of saving you?"

Snape pressed his lips together and said nothing, but his eyes clearly gave an affirmative answer.

"You are mistaken," Regulus said. "I merely happened to be passing by, and they were blocking my way. As for you..."

He looked Snape up and down. "Even Professor Slughorn speaks highly of your talent for potions.

"Your understanding of Defense Against the Dark Arts... or rather, certain specific fields of Magic, also far surpasses that of your peers. What you possess is much more valuable than the Family Trees so many people can do nothing but flaunt."

Snape's body tensed slightly. Regulus's words had struck at the most contradictory place in his heart. He despised pure-blood arrogance, yet longed for his talents to be recognized by that very circle.

"However," Regulus shifted his tone, "if you continue wasting your energy on childish confrontations with Potter and the others, or remain content with what is written in school textbooks, then you will only ever be passively beaten. Your talent will be buried as well.

"True power cannot be gained simply through Hogwarts Library's public sections and scattered Dark Arts notes studied on your own."

A trace of shock and deeper wariness flashed through Snape's eyes. "What... do you mean?"

"The meaning is simple." Regulus stepped closer and lowered his voice so that only the two of them could hear. "There is no shame in accepting help, Snape.

"A person cannot rely on himself alone, especially when he wants to obtain the knowledge and power... monopolized by certain people.

"I can provide certain channels, opportunities to read books you may not otherwise have access to, or limited exchanges in certain fields.

"In return, I may need your insights in potions or research into certain obscure branches of Magic."

The terms Regulus offered were vague, but immensely tempting.

"You can think it over slowly." Having said that, Regulus spoke no more and turned to leave.

He knew that for someone as suspicious and proud as Snape, pressing too hard would only backfire.

Regulus disappeared around the corner of the Corridor, leaving Snape standing there alone, his heart churning violently.

Regulus Black's words echoed through his mind like a spell.

The sense of humiliation remained, but stronger still was the impact those words had brought.

Black had seen his talent, and might even know that he had been studying the Dark Arts in private!

The opportunity he offered... was it real? Or was it a trap?

Was he trying to win him over?

Or did he simply want to use his talent for potions?

But there was no denying that Black had a point.

What would he gain by tangling with Potter and the others, other than humiliation and wasted time?

What the school taught was nowhere near enough to grant him truly powerful strength, nowhere near enough to let him escape his current circumstances, nowhere near enough to make him worthy of... Lily!