Title: Harden the Heart
Author: EntreNous / entrenous88
Characters/Pairings: Severus Snape/Sirius Black
Rating: NC-17
Kinks/Themes Chosen: Severus/Sirius, desk!sex, first time sex
Other Warnings: angst, dub-con
Word Count: 3,107
Summary/Description: Something is wrong with Sirius Black. Like it or not, Severus Snape will find out what.
Author's Notes: Takes place during the "Marauder" era (i.e., Snape and Sirius are both students in school, and around seventeen). I hope this does please the mods! Thanks for running such a terrific community, and giving us all incentive to come up with filthy fic and art.





"What's that about, do you suppose?"

Severus Snape glanced up and looked in the direction of Avery's nod at the entrance of the Great Hall.

James Potter and Remus Lupin had just entered, their faces set with grim determination as they walked, with a grinning Sirius Black stumbling between them. They were all three of them shoulder to shoulder, and Lupin had hold of Black's arm. Black seemed oblivious to the dour mood of his companions, and, with an arch look, said something (no doubt salacious) to a passing Ravenclaw who tittered and covered her mouth.

Usually when Severus spotted them (before he attempted to elude them) they all appeared smug and full of cheer, laughing as they mocked and ridiculed others. And even now, when they had moved beyond the blushing Ravenclaw, Black elbowed Potter and seemed to joke with him. Lupin and Potter frowned in response, though, and exchanged a worried glance. Odd.

"You think he's been at the Firewhiskey?" Avery gave the brash bray that passed for laughter from him. "They'll expel him sure if they find out." He tilted his head to the side. "Which professor is in the worst mood this morning, do you reckon?"

At Severus's side, Wilkes shrugged. "Don't know. Don't care." He leaned toward Severus. "Listen, can I borrow your Potions essay? Only for a moment; I just want to check --"

"No."

"Oh, very nice. Forget I ever helped you with Charms, then," Wilkes spat.

"You never did help me with Charms," murmured Severus.

Avery leered. "He'll never let you copy his work, Wilkes. You haven't anything he wants."

Severus made a point of looking Wilkes over: plain face, rounded shoulders, and scrawny body. "I should say not."

Wilkes turned away, muttering as he dug through his school bag. That left Severus free to watch the progress of the three Gryffindors, surreptitiously peering through the hair he allowed to fall forward to hide his face.

Potter and Lupin's decision to cozy up to the ebullient Black seemed without rationale; his demeanor all carefree enthusiasm to their uncustomary severe reserve. As they walked further, however, Black made it at least slightly more obvious why his guardians wore such stern expressions. Though one would have thought him perfectly happy with his friends at his side judging by his pleased expression, all at once he made as if to dart left. When Lupin exclaimed and reached in that direction after him, Black began to run to the right, toward the Slytherin table.

Potter caught him quickly, though, and soon enough Black was again walking in the middle of him and Lupin, looking around with avid interest, as though he hadn't just tried to escape.

Wilkes mumbled something unpleasant about housemates who didn't so much as help others, while Avery turned to get a better view of the three Gryffindors who were making their way to their house table.

Now that they were closer, Severus spotted Pettigrew scampering along behind the other three, twisting his hands as though much agitated.

"No, this way, Sirius," Potter said firmly as Black tried again to steer the group of them back toward the Slytherin table.

"But I only want to talk --"

"Breakfast first," Lupin cut Black off with a forced smile. He yanked Black closer and kept him marching.

"I didn't mean to," Pettigrew fretted. He reached to tug at James, who shook him off without as much as a backward glance. "You know I didn't mean to, Remus!"

"Not now, Peter," Lupin said over his shoulder before finally succeeding in directing Black to sit down to their proper table.

"Something the beady-eyed one did," Avery pronounced, as though that wasn't already obvious.

The group settled near Lily and some of her friends. Severus very nearly looked away; it had been a full year since she had regarded him with friendship and it stung to have her look so removed if she happened to catch his eye mistakenly. He didn't wish to watch her laughing and flirting with Potter, or bickering with Black, all the while deliberately ignoring him. But as he watched, she leaned over to confer with Potter, and then looked up, startled, right in his direction.

He did look down then. When he again raised his eyes, she had turned to Black, a firm hand on his arm, apparently trying to calm him as he tried to explain something to her with great enthusiasm. Severus strained so much to discern what was passing between them without making it abundantly clear he was doing so that he almost missed James Potter walking directly toward him.

"Stay away from Sirius," Potter said without preamble as soon as he halted.

Both Wilkes and Avery looked at Potter, and then at Severus. It was then that Severus realized Potter spoke directly to him and no one else.

"You need not tell me that; I have no wish to spend even a moment in his company," Severus replied, glaring at Potter. It should have gone without saying, he felt, that he harbored no desire for the company of a person whose malicious joke could have led to Severus's own death. But he could say nothing about that incident aloud with Avery and Wilkes listening with all their might, not after he was sworn by the Headmaster to withhold information about Lupin's disease.

"Good." Potter ran a hand through his hair, setting it on end. "That's -- good. Just --" He hesitated and left the sentence unfinished, hurrying off to join his friends.

"Why would Potter say that?" Avery asked, a nasty grin on his face. "Something you'd like to share with us?"

"I'm sure I don't know." Severus opened his Transfigurations book and propped it against the jug of pumpkin juice, blocking himself from view.



*~*



Severus attended double Potions and Transfigurations without incident. True, there was some scuffling over where Potter and Black typically sat during Potions. And later, on Severus's way to Transfigurations he spotted Lupin rushing down the corridor alone, a frantic look on his face. But none of them seemed to pay Severus further mind, so he decided to put Potter's strange admonition at breakfast from his mind.

At luncheon, he did notice when Black wasn't at the table at all. Potter, Lily, and Lupin were huddled together as though plotting something, while Pettigrew ate a little apart from them, looking miserable. Whatever had occurred with Black, the blame appeared to rest on his shoulders.

Severus couldn't see what was so remarkable about Black acting the fool, however. It was his friends' behavior, disapproving where they typically encouraged, that seemed suspect.

At any rate, having Black and his dramatics absent from that afternoon made for a relatively peaceable meal. Severus ate quickly, and avoided Avery's questions and Wilkes's resentful stare so he might slip out early. He wished to review his Charms notes before class began. Most other students took completely unnecessary advantage of the full hour of luncheon, so he would be quite alone in one or other of the unused classrooms for some time.

He had just found a deserted room and settled at a desk, spreading his parchments in front of him and thumbing through his book when he heard the click of the door closing.

"Black," he said with some consternation. For it was he, leaning against the closed door, a funny half-smile on his face. His eyes were wide, and dilated, and the look on his face -- perhaps Severus had been incorrect, and there was something very wrong with Black after all. Pettigrew had done something, and now Black had gone mad, and there was no one in the vicinity to hear if something happened.

"Hi," Black said. He walked slowly toward Severus, his smile widening.

"I don't know what is wrong with you," Severus began, trying to inject a note of warning into his voice. He pulled his notes toward him, in case it was Black's aim to destroy them. "But you know the Headmaster has told you that you are not to assault or interfere with me."

"That's not what I want," Black said, sauntering forward. He rested his palms in front of Severus on the desk and smiled again, this time slow and sure. "I'm not sure if you know this," he continued conversationally, "but I've been looking for you today. Quite a while, actually."

"You have found me," Severus said stiffly. "And now you will leave." He gripped the underneath of the table hard, where Black could not see.

Black leered with parted lips, touching his tongue to the back of his teeth. He looked every bit the predator, pleased with himself for cornering his prey. "Ah, don't be like that about it."

Severus glanced at the door. If he was willing to sacrifice his notes and textbook to Black, who might potentially deface them in his current temper, he could endeavor to leave quickly. He gritted his teeth, attempting to weigh his options as quickly as possible, inching his hand to his wand hidden in his robes.

"Where are your minders?" he asked to gain some time. "I thought after this morning you were under constant watch."

For a moment Black looked confused. Then he laughed. "Oh, them? They've got a funny idea about something. Don't worry about that, though; no one knows where we are."

His heart sank as he realized there would be no perfect moment to take flight. Severus stood suddenly, knocking back his chair. Black grinned, delight with this new challenge clear on his face as he grasped the desk and vaulted it. Severus swore and tried to break into a run, but somehow Black had anticipated him, and rushed at him when he tried to come round the desk to flee.

For a moment, all was confusion as parchments flew in the air, and Severus's books fell, hitting the floor with a dull thud.

Then Severus found himself on his back on the desk, Black pinning him down, both of them breathing heavily.

"Let me go," he managed to get out. He couldn't get to his wand from this position; he had committed a grave mistake, not drawing it sooner.

"Come on," Black murmured. He squirmed, as though trying to gain purchase for his next move, and then Severus realized with some shock that Black was actually twisting deliberately against him as an end in itself. "I thought you weren't going to be like that," Black whispered, leaning down and nuzzling Severus's neck.

"I--" Severus gasped.

"Like that, do you?" Black laughed, though instead of mocking he sounded amused. "Aren't you glad I hunted you down?" One hand grasped Severus's hair to pull his head back and expose more of his neck. "God, when I tried to get to you this morning, they wouldn't let me be, and then in Potions --"

Black. Was on top of him. Black, the person who had attempted the cruelest of pranks at his expense, who had bullied and ridiculed him at every turn, was on top of him moving his hips in a slow back and forth, his prick hard through his robes, his breathing ragged. He said something else, but Severus couldn't focus on the words, could only hear his own sharp intake of breath as Black briefly straddled him so he could yank off his robes and toss them to the side.

If Severus's mind had been clear, he would have shoved Black off of him at that vulnerable moment, drawn his wand and uttered the worst hex he could call to mind. He hated Sirius Black. Any rational faculty he had left at the moment proclaimed that this was completely wrong. He didn't wish Black or his friends to understand his proclivities, and even if he felt assured Black would keep his secret, Black had tried to kill him, had dealt with Severus's life as cruelly and casually as a despot with a peasant he sends to the arena for his amusement.

"--and when I saw you dart in here, I thought, it's now or never --"

But Black easing back down against him, making pleased sounds and actually licking along the sinews of Severus's neck, biting along the line of his jaw -- Black with his broad shoulders and trim waist and muscled arms, his handsome face and dangerous smile --

His hands shook as he raised them to touch Black's hips tentatively.

"Mmm, that's right, love," Black encouraged him, pulling Severus's robes apart so that they had only shirts and trousers separating them. "Fuck, you feel good," he whispered. The sound of his robes tearing as Black tugged at them barely processed in Severus's mind. "Can you feel how hard I am for you?"

He gripped Black's hips as tightly as he had the table's underside only moments ago. He didn't trust himself to speak, but he couldn't stop from pushing against Black, not to displace him but to increase the pressure, grinding harder.

"Oh, hell," Black breathed, his head tipping back as he thrust forward. "I'd love to fuck you, fuck you right now before they ever think where we could be. I'd make it so good for you, do you know that? You want that, me inside you? Fucking you, riding you?"

"This is -- " Severus hardly recognized his own voice, thick with arousal and confusion. It felt physically wrenching to attempt thought, to force the realization that Black should not want this, that he was clearly under the effects of some magic gone wrong.

Black reached down to palm Severus's partly erect cock. His hips pressed behind, fingers and force, manipulating and pleasuring.

He moaned, moving his hands to clutch Black's arse.

"Oh yeah, you'd love it," Black said hoarsely. "I knew it; I knew you wanted it too. It's all I've been able to think of all day, getting you alone, getting you on your back and --"

"We haven't time," Severus was horrified to hear himself say. He turned his head, the shame of his position sending a hot flush to his cheeks. He had as much as confessed he wanted Black to fuck him had they the time, something he would not have admitted to himself under any circumstances.

"You might be right," Black cocked his head and grinned. "Still, there's time for something, isn't there?" He fumbled down, undoing first his buttons and then the ones to Severus's trousers, until they were cock against cock, straining against each other.

"Christ," Severus mouthed as he dug his fingers into that firm arse.

"Just to take the edge off," Sirius panted. "Then later, I'll give them the slip, find you, and -- fuck --"

He couldn't listen, couldn't do anything else aside from come undone at the hands and body of someone he despised with every fiber of his being. When Black jerked against him, thrusting through the tremors that shook them both, Severus surged up and covered Black's mouth with his own.

He came to his senses through the trembling soft kisses, and the sound of students chattering as they traversed the corridors outside as they headed to classrooms.

"Tonight," Sirius said, and it sounded like a vow to Severus's ears. He brushed one last kiss against Severus's lips.

He gave a quick nod, looking away as he did up his trousers and tried to remember a charm that would clean him enough that he could attend Charms.

Before he could set himself fully to rights, the door clicked again, and Sirius was gone.




*~*




On his way to dinner, lost in his thoughts, Severus had no warning before James Potter's fist connected with his cheek.

"I told you to stay away from him," Potter shouted.

Severus raised his hand to his face, and brought it away to see blood on his fingertips.

"Prongs, no," he heard someone else say just as he dodged and rolled away from the next punch.

"Sirius isn't even that way," Potter told the other person. The words they exchanged filtered only partly through the ringing in Severus's head.

"If it weren't for Peter's stupid mistake --"

"He didn't know what --"

"Taking advantage --"

"Did it to humiliate him--"

Severus scrambled to his feet, seeking only a route away from trouble. Whoever had accompanied Potter on his mission, they were distracted enough by one another that no one followed him when he ran.




*~*




He kept to the sides of the corridors that night, slipping into alcoves when he thought he heard someone turning the corner toward him. He hadn't had the time to treat his face, and he could feel the bruise swelling.

At last he saw him: Black, pacing not far from the entrance to the Slytherin common room. His face was un-bruised, his person undamaged, even though all his earlier exuberance seemed drained from him.

Severus stepped forward, exhaling as silently as possible while Black's gaze flickered over him.

"Just so we're clear," Black began. He paused.

Suddenly it seemed very important to speak first. "I didn't --" Severus started.

"You did it to get back at me, is that right? You knew --" His eyes traveled over Severus again, hard and scornful. "You knew how I would feel after, so you kept me going on just to pay back what happened with Remus ages ago. Even though nothing happened to you and James saved your skin, after all was said and done."

"That's right." Severus bit the words out. They weren't hard to say, or, at least, they ought not to be. "I did it -- you're right."

Black shook his head. "James said so." He looked up. "You had to have known I wouldn't, in my right mind, have --"

"Tell yourself whatever you like, Black." He turned and stalked away.

"Wait. Hang on a mo." Black caught up to him. "Don't tell me you actually wanted --"

"Don't be absurd."

They stood facing each other, each breathing hard.

Sirius shoved something at him; in reflex, Severus caught it.

"Your book," Black said shortly. "James knocked it from your hands tonight."

"Yes." Severus turned the volume over in his hands.

Black glared at him for a moment, and then scoffed. "I suppose it's too much for you to say thank you."

Severus stood until Black's footsteps had died away, until he was standing utterly alone in the corridor, with only the book in his hands to hold on to once the wave of anger had swept through him and left him empty.



*~* the end *~*