Fire & Ice: War Games

‘If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.’
Mary Pickford (1893-1979)

As he walked into the hospital ward, Severus smiled inwardly as his eyes strayed towards the pair of Gryffindors lying closet to the door. He smirked at the glares from both Sirius Black and James Potter as he passed. As he made his way to his house mate’s bed, Severus couldn’t resist a passing remark. “A down right shame that you missed the whomping Gryffindor just got. But I’m sure a sympathetic Huffelpuff’ll hold your hand while your mates’ tell you.” Snickering, Severus continued down towards the group of Slytherins clustered around a cot at the far end of the ward.

Severus inwardly smirked at the subtly of the Gryffindor duo as he heard Black’s matteress squeak. In a cloud of black material, Severus turned on the Gryffindor and sodtly whispered a curse under his breath. The Slytherin smirked as the Gryffindor stared back in horror. Black’s ears steadily grew until they hung down near his waist and were shaped like those of an elephant. His shoulder length black hair had shortened into a small crop of pale pink. The Gryffindor’s skin paled to an ashen grey and his nose ballooned in size, tumbling down his chest like an elephant’s trunk. Tears glistened in his eyes as he stared at the Slytherin.

James Potter glared at the retreating back of the Slytherin as he whispered comforting words to his friend. The Slytherins snickered as their house mate calmly joined their cluster. “He was just getting comfortable, no reason to hex him, Snape.” He said as the school’s mediwitch hurried into the room.

Severus scowled darkly, “should know better then to play with snakes. If you’re not careful, you’ll get bit.” The Slytherins snickered as Severus smirked in response to Potter’s glare.

The mediwitch bustled around Black as the school’s headmaster walked into the hospital ward. Blue eyes sed fed from the gloating Slytherin group at the other side of the room to a glaring James Potter and a hexed Sirius Black. He shook his head as he made his way over to the Gryffindors. Sitting next to Black, “what’s going on boys?”

“Snape did this, Headmaster. All Sirius did was move a little, trying to find a more comfortable position and he hexed him.”

“Are you sure he wasn’t provoked, Mr. Potter?”

“Absolutely! Besides, Snape doesn’t need a reason or an excuse to kick someone when their down.”

Dumbledore sighed as he glanced back at the group of laughing Slytherins. He caught Severus’ eye. The Slytherin raised an eyebrow in silent acknowledgment before turning back to his house mates. The headmaster watched as the group erupted in a soft laughter, except Severus who remained impassive as always. “I think I’ll have a chat with Mr. Snape.” As he spoke, Dumbledore stood and made his way past the rows of empty cots.

Dumbledore winced inwardly as he heard Black mumble, “hope Dumbledore kicks him out.” Sighing inwardly, the headmaster internally cringed as the Slytherins reacted to his approach.

Seven bodies stood shoulder to shoulder and glared at the headmaster. Seven pairs of eyes showed him contempt and defiance, not that he expected anything different. He often wondered why he put so much effort in trying to reach what everyone had deemed the unreachable, the unsalvageable. He looked past the standing students to the only one who remained seated. “A word if you will, Mr. Snape. My office.”

Dumbledore watched as the boy’s face remained impassive as the cold words came out, “going to be there, Headmaster. Not that I don’t appreciate sitting in the halls waiting on Gryffindors instead of spending my time with my kind. You remember which ‘kind’ that is, don’t you.” Severus sneered as his fellow Slytherins snickered around him.

A glance from the headmaster and the Slytherins fell quiet quickly. “My office in five minutes. Please check your sarcasm at the door, Mr. Snape.” The older wizard gathered his robes and returned to the infirmed Gryffindors.

“Tea?”

“No.”

“One or two cubes?” He asked pouring a second cup of the steaming amber liquid.

“What can I do for you Headmaster.”

Setting the drink in front of him, “want to tell me what happened in the Hospital Ward and why you felt it necessary to hex Mr. Black.”

“No.”

“Why do you feel this way? Why do you think so little of yourselves?”

“We don’t, Headmaster. Slytherins know their place and have accepted it. Its busy-buddy Gryffindors who insist on interfering, espacially when they know their not welcomed. We expect the biased treatment of the other houses and Gryffindor in particular, and the predetermined judgmental shun on ourselves. Nothing will change that, not even a goody-goody golden Gryffindor.”

The usual twinkle was absent from his eyes as he regarded the Slytherin seated across from him, stunned silent by the boy’s accusations. He wondered what he could say to rebutt the angry words, to make the boy see that he was and always would be there, that he wasn’t prejudiced against or for any one house. As the silence stretched Dumbledore realized that there wasn’t any.

Thethertherin smirked, “never get into a duel with a Slytherin. You’ll always lose, Headmaster. Best if you refrain and put your energies towards cuddling Huffelpuffs, ass-kissing Ravenclaws and protecting Gryffindors. Slytherins are out of your league, Headmaster.” Without waiting for a response, Severus stalked from the office.

Dumbledore watched as he left, a tear falling from his eyes.

A/N

Please remember to R& R.