A Rival's Kiss [PG-13, slash]

Post subject: A Rival's Kiss [PG-13, slash] Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 01:45 AM

Title: A Rival's Kiss (Part I of the Marauder Series)

Author: weatherwaxing

Rating: PG-13

Genre: slash

Pairing: James/Snape

Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. This is an entirely fictional use of JK Rowling's ideas.

Note: I'm just getting the ball started. I have to edit the rest but I'm too tired so here's just the first part really quickly.

The Marauder Series: This is a series of short-type stories (some are longer, some are shorter) which are set during the time that the Marauders were at school; sometimes they are set soon after. In these stories, at least one member of the foursome � Remus, Sirus, James or Peter � will appear. These will be slash stories.

***

-First Year-

God, that boy looks greasy. Eurgh, I hope he doesn�t touch me. I just asked him his name and he told me to bugger off. What a little prat. I see another boy laughing in the corner. He walks up to me and tells me his name is Sirius. I ask him, �seriously?� and he punches me. I like him.

He and I spend a lot of time together. That other greasy kid is always quiet around us. I try to talk to him but he pays me no attention. He�s always got his nose buried in a book. One time, Sirius and I were walking to class and Sirius knocked down his book. That grease ball did nothing � just fixed us with this stupid glare. I couldn�t help laughing.

I learned that his name is Severus. Very strange name. Another kid � Remus � told us that it�s Latin for �severe.� Sirius laughs and says that the most severe thing about that kid is his dandruff.

One time, I catch Severus alone. This is in the winter, once I�ve made some friends at Hogwarts. I really love this school and I think Sirius loves it more than me but he won�t tell me why. Severus seems to hate this school and everything about it. He has no friends � just goes around in big groups of Slytherins. But this time I guess he�s wandered off from them. �Severus,� I call.

His head sneaks up from the book. �Oh, it�s you, Potter. What do you want?�

I walk up to him and grab the book out of his hands. He reaches for it but I push him away. He�s so easy to bully. �101 Poisons and How to Use Them?� I read aloud. �I don�t think we�re supposed to have books like this.�

He grabs it back from me before I can read any further. �Are you going to tell on me now?�

�No.�

�I don�t believe you.�

I knock the book out of his hands and send it skidding down the corridor. �I don�t care about your stupid little poisons.� I see that tears are beginning to form and he sniffs quietly. I can�t stand to see him � I only wanted to know what his problem was with me. But what a crybaby! �Why don�t you go get your book, Snivellus?� I say to him mockingly.

I don�t see his wand come out. He hexes me and leaves me with boils on my face. I fall to the ground and he gives me a hard kick to my stomach before he runs off.

How I hate him.

Okay, sneaking in one more for the night.

***

-Second Year-

Poor Sirius looks exhausted. The train ride to Hogwarts this time is silent. Sirius, Remus and I look over to the mousy kid in our compartment.

�What�s your name again?� I ask.

�P-P-Peter. Peter Pettigrew.�

�Well, hello, P-P-Peter,� drawls Sirius, looking out the window.

�Sirius, shut up,� says Remus. Sirius looks at him and throws a chocolate frog. It bounces over Remus� face, leaving chocolate marks. He grabs it quickly and breaks it open, offering it to Peter who thanks him.

We get to Hogwarts and I feel a push behind me. �Out of the way, Potter.� I stick out my foot and Snivellus falls over. Sirius laughs heartily and throws another chocolate frog. I wonder from where he keeps getting them?

Remus has a pained look on his face so I clap him on the shoulder and tell him not to worry. He smiles at me and we head off.

Classes are getting harder and I�m starting Quidditch. I take extra pleasure when we beat Slytherin in a game, calling over the grease head and asking him what it feels like to be a loser. He growls and turns away with a swish of his robes.

I sneak out one night on a dare from Sirius. I�m supposed to steal a branch from the Forbidden Forest and bring it back. I�m somewhat nervous so I grab a loose one and run for it. I swear there are things chasing me but I don�t look back.

I fly into the corridor and run into Snape � I�ve taken to calling him Snape when I�m not calling him Snivellus � and there�s a crash of glass. He tries to hex me when I climb off of him but I block it this time. He mutters to himself and the mess vanishes. His eyes flame with rage and I give him one last push before running back to the common room with my branch.

What a loathsome little slime ball.

Yay! More stories from Weatherwaxing. And they're Marauder Tales. I was hoping to read plenty of Marauder tales but someone said most were terrible. If that is true, we'll have to change that. So far, so good with these ones. Also, I'm glad they're not sad stories. I'm tired of crying on my keyboard.

<span style="color:#6A0645;]There was once something witty sitting on the tip of my tongue just waiting for me to write it here. But when I laughed, I swallowed it.[/color]

Yeah, I don't know what inspired me to write them as Marauders. I think it was because it was a bit too much for me to write them as adults just yet. But I've taken a few liberties here and there so I don't think it follows the book exactly. Ah well.

I don't like crying either so my stories are usually never that sad. I mean, they're sad, but I think only one of them ever actually made someone cry.

Oh well. Here's third and fourth year. More to come as I get time to edit.

***

-Third Year-

We have become an official foursome, Sirius, Remus, Peter and I. But I�m closest to Sirius. He came to stay with me for part of the summer and I really don�t think I�ve seen him this happy in a while. Dad took us to a Quidditch match and Sirius was still talking about it for weeks afterwards.

School is getting to be more interesting now that we�re third years. Hogsmeade is a totally different world. We�ve discovered a few secret passageways and we visit Zonko�s often. Peter is a little scared to come with us but I can always coax him. Sometimes Sirius threatens to hex him if he doesn�t come and I try to assure him that that won�t happen but he�s always a ball of nerves by that time. I don�t quite understand it, but Peter�s a good kid, really.

It�s later in the year when we begin to notice that Remus gets sick a lot. Sirius, Peter and I do some research and we come to the conclusion that he must be suffering from one of those Muggle afflictions. No one really wants to ask him about it because they can see it makes him uncomfortable. But all the scratches are hard to ignore; so Sirius and I finally ask him, pressing him to answer us. He ignores us for a time and professors start to get worried and intervene. I guess it all finally gets to him.

He sits us down in the middle of a secret passageway one night. He puts a silencing charm on the entrance and breathes deeply. He looks worried and we try to calm him.

�I�m a werewolf,� he says simply.

We�re quiet for a while. Then Sirius laughs and asks �is that all?�

Remus� eyes are teary as we hug him. We stay there almost all night and he tells us about the bite he got and about his hideaway which Dumbledore has provided. He sounds so lonely when he talks about it. The three of us resolve to do something for him. And we begin to read about Animagi.

I�m sitting in the library reading one afternoon. �Learning to be a walrus, Potter?� I hear him snicker behind me.

I slam down the book, earning a warning glance from the librarian. �Better than being a spineless, sniveling snake,� I hiss.

I see his fingers clench around his wand.

�Going to hex me? Right in the middle of the library where everyone can see?� His mouth is closed tightly. I lean back in my chair and smirk. �Try it, Snivellus.�

His eyes burn and a window behind him breaks. Snape stalks out and the librarian comes over, fixing the window and rushing me out.

Typical. Snape goes haywire and I get blamed for it.

Stupid prat.

***

-Fourth Year-

We are getting close to becoming Animagi. We have to practice in secret each night. We�ve already picked out our animals. Sirius is going for a dog and I�m going for a stag. Peter is going to be a rat which Sirius finds humourous since Peter does look a bit ratty. But we needed someone to push the knot of the Whomping Willow - someone small. Plus Peter is having loads of trouble - he originally wanted to be a bear but I don�t think he�s got the amount of concentration necessary for such an animal. Besides, it�s probably better this way. And I bet I�ll look quite dashing as a stag. Old Evans would love that.

Yes, girls have come into the picture. It�s a strange thing: Lily seems to hate me but I�m sure she�ll come around eventually. She might pet me in stag form if I were friendly enough. But if she ever found out it was me, she�d probably try to eat me which is not such an appealing concept.

It�s late on a Saturday when Sirius first transforms. He makes such an affable black dog. I pet him playfully and he licks my hand. �You�re a weird one, you know that?� I ask him. He wags his tail and jumps onto his bed, making a mess.

Next Peter transforms, which is slightly more impressive to watch, if only for the enormous amount of shrinking that occurs.

Remus is in the corner with a worried smile on his face. In two nights he�ll be going under the Whomping Willow again. I have to get this right. I feel a slight warmth and fuzziness as I transform. I look around and walk, hearing soft clops on the stone floor. It worked. It worked!

Remus picks up Peter and pets Sirius and I.

Moony. Padfoot. Wormtail. Prongs. Our foursome is finally whole.

Snape overhears me calling Sirius Padfoot after class. He looks down. �I don�t see any pads, you bumbling oaf.�

Before I can say anything, Sirius disarms Snape and ends up knocking him out completely. He looks at me and shrugs. �Oh well, too bad for Snivellus.�

We laugh. Padfoot and Prongs triumph again.

2nd Year Joined: Jun 15, 2004 Posts: 102

I like these little section things you're doing. They kind of give you a taste of the development of the relationship between James and Sape without too much un-needed detail. Like the style.I look forward to reading the rest. Nice going, keep up the good work!

Roz

One more chapter to come after this once I edit it. Thanks for enjoying the style, though!

***

-Fifth Year-

O.W.L.s are bloody awful. That�s all we do fifth year - study and cram. Sometimes the four of us venture out, transformed, and have a bit of fun. Just when Remus �isn�t feeling well.� It�s hard to see him transform but I think he has more fun now, with us. And he doesn�t bite or scratch himself as much. Oh, sure - Sirius and I sport some scratches of our own, but I think they make us look tough.

I try to casually show them to Evans and she scowls. �Getting hurt is heroic, is it?� She scoffs and leaves me there. Her hair looks so shiny from the back. So soft. I actually touch it one day and she replies coldly, �Kindly keep your bruised hands to yourself, Potter.� Sirius guffawed a little too loudly at that, if you ask me.

O.W.L.s don�t end up being to bad. I look over during the Defense Against the Dark Arts one and there�s Snivellus, writing his heart away on the paper. Stupid git.

I make Snape dance in his underwear after the exam. Evans gets mad at me and I feel bad for that, but old Snape deserves it, the twit.

-Sixth Year-

Transforming into a stag is becoming rather easier with practice. In stag form, I�m not as afraid to wander around in the Forbidden Forest. And it�s nice to go there at night sometimes when no one else is around.

Sirius has been spending more of each summer with me and my family. We usually try to spend extra money on him since he seems so depressed when he has to go home immediately after school ends; we try to make it up to him. But now it seems that he�s run away for good. We thought it might be temporary, but no, he�s really determined. I love it, personally - I have a lot of fun with Sirius.

But everyone needs their alone time. I�m wandering around the forest in late winter. It�s pretty cold but I barely feel it in my furry skin. The moon is shining and I look up. I rub my antlers against a tree and hear someone hiss �who�s there?�

I perk up my head and look around. I hear the crack of twigs and I wonder who would be out this late. A familiar face creeps out from the shadows. The gross, greasy hair frames his face and his beetle-coloured eyes stare at me. �Oh, just a stag.� He leans his hands against a tree and I tilt my head to the side. What is Snape doing here?

He catches his breath and looks at me again. He smiles faintly and puts out a timid hand. The thought of �oh dear God, he wants to pet me,� flashes through my head and I just stand there, staring at him to see what he�ll do. This seems to pluck up his courage and his hand lands softly on my head. He is surprisingly gentle. I nudge him slightly and he comes closer. He pets me and I feel warm. We look at each other and I see kindness in his face.

How very odd.

And...the ending.

***

-Seventh Year-

This is unhealthy.

I used to watch Snape walk down to the forest at night and come out looking pathetic. I used to wonder why, but never did anything about it. Then I figured it might be because of me.

On one of the first nights back to Hogwarts in my last year, I sit in the forest in stag form. Snape isn�t coming. That doesn�t figure - I saw him sneak away almost every night sixth year. I haven�t told Sirius or anyone else. I�d almost felt kindly towards Snivellus after our first encounter in the forest but he soon remedied that with his usual annoying nonsense.

I peek out of the trees cautiously and look upwards. I see a black head gazing from a tower. I step out further into the moonlight. His eyes fix on me and then he disappears. I walk back into the forest and wait. Soon enough, I see him sprinting through the trees. He races by me and I am struck by how willingly he goes deeper into the unknown of the Forbidden Forest, all for a stag.

He comes back sullenly after a time. I walk along behind him and nudge him. He turns around. �There you are,� he says softly. He pets me once more and looks into my eyes. �Never thought you�d be back here.� His hands travel along the top of my body. I find myself nibbling gently on his robes. He laughs quietly - a noise I haven�t heard before - and I pull back. He leans closer once more. �I�m glad I never stopped looking for you.�

This is all too much. I prance away and he calls after me, telling me he�ll be here again the next night.

This is sick. I find myself coming down there almost every night. Snape pets me and I listen to him speak. We go on short walks but we never stay out the entire night. I begin to avoid him during the day. He seems like the same, sniveling Snape then. But at night, he does a transformation of his own. His face looks almost as good as mine in the moonlight, when he�s carefree and wonderful.

The end of the year is approaching. N.E.W.T.s are done and parties are being celebrated. I tell Sirius I�ll be right back. I go down to the forest one last time.

I find Snape looking up at the sky. He doesn�t turn but reaches out a hand as I approach. He grabs my antlers and pulls affectionately. We sit there together, not saying anything. He leans against me slightly and it is a nice feeling.

It gets late and Snape stands to go. I walk in front of him and he steps back. I know I shouldn�t be doing this, but I can�t help it - even Snape deserves to know.

I transform in front of him.

His eyes widen and he screams in outrage. Then he calms down, gripping his robes tightly. �Potter,� he hisses.

�Yes, Snape - it�s me.�

�It was you all along?�

�Yes.�

He shakes his head. �And you...could you understand what I said?�

�Every word.�

He wags his finger at me accusingly. �You...you...you idiot! Why did you do this?� He hands fall limply by his side. �Why did you ever come back?�

I shrugged. �I had to.�

�God!� Snape sucks in a breath. He looks at his hands unbelievingly. �And I actually touched you!�

�I know.�

�Why, Potter? Why do you insist on sending me to therapy?�

I find myself walking towards him. I place my hand on his shoulder but he bats it away. I sigh. �I�m not trying to send you to therapy, Snivellus. I was just trying to help.�

�You? Help me? Right, Potter.�

�Why do you think I saved you from Sirius� prank?�

�To make yourself look better to the school, I assume.�

�As if I need that to make me look good. I look just fine on my own, thanks.�

Snape snickers. �So full of yourself.�

I want to push him. I want to kick him. Or punch him.

I come close to him and I feel the fear exuding from him. My anger softens and I lean over. My mouth crashes into his surprised one. I feel his mouth open slightly and I dive my tongue into him.

We sway there together for a bit, moving our tongues around. Neither of us dares to touch the other and my hands are clenched strongly at my sides. I want to reach out but I know that if I do, he�ll probably hex me. So I settle for this heated kiss.

I feel Snape respond to my tongue and it brings me to life. We stand there a while afterwards, not looking at each other. I turn to leave.

�Goodbye, Snape.�

�Wait, James.� I turn to face him. I see his eyes glance over my face - to my lips, then back to my eyes. He looks so bright, so alluring; I am tempted to try for another kiss. Instead, he reaches out and offers me his hand. We shake cordially. �Thank you,� he tells me.

�Good luck, Severus,� I say and wink. We let go and I leave him standing in the soft moonlight, looking up at the stars.

Wow. What a beautiful ending. It brought tears to my eyes. I would like to know more about what Snape talked about in the woods. Good job, Weatherwaxing.

<span style="color:#0000FF;]It is a wise man who masters the art of laughing at himself. From there, laughing at others comes naturally.[/color]

Hmm...perhaps I should have developed that more. But really, I just wanted to be done with the story. It was strange, what with James being in stag form and all that.

Anyway, I like the ending. Did it really bring tears to your eyes? Wow.

1st Year Joined: Jun 28, 2004 Posts: 55

Beautiful ending- in fact, beautiful everything. Usually I'd shoot myself before reading something of this pairing, but you pulled it off quite nicely. Good job!

Post subject: RE: A Rival's Kiss Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 07:19 AM

Wow! That was a really good story, I loved the ending in particular. I had my doubts about the pairing, but it worked surprisingly well. Well done, keep up the good work

Post subject: Re: RE: A Rival's Kiss Posted: Thu Jul 01, 2004 02:14 PM

Wow, thanks for the compliments.

The pairing thing is kinda funny - I wasn't sure it would work either, but I got the idea and wrote it down and voila, this is what came out. I think with good writing almost any pair can be believable. Wink

The second part in the Marauder series is coming in the next few days. Editing it for homonyms.

Post subject: Re: RE: A Rival's Kiss Posted: Sat Sep 04, 2004 06:06 PM

Adara's just pointed me in the direction of this fic and Weather, you did a fantastic job. You managed to make both characters believable as well as likeable. The ending was lovely. I shall now go and look for more of your work.

Queen Of Sirius' Hot Tub

"I'd go mad if I lost my mind" - Nor

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate" - Sirius OotP