Severe and Stern

Severus didn't expect the afternoon to stay peaceful, but the urge to sit out and read by the lake was too strong. He had gone out to the dock by himself, wanting to leave Regulus to sleep and not wanting to bother Lily or Austerus, taking a muggle novel he had picked up over the summer. He'd gotten half way through it on the train a few days earlier, and it seems very interesting so far, enough so that when he sat down and got to reading he didn't notice anyone come up behind him. 

He'd only gotten 3 chapters into his book when someone reached around him, taking the book from his hands before he could react. He stood and swung around as quickly as he could, reaching to take it back from who he now knew was none other than James Potter, flanked by his friends. 

"Give it back, potter," he hissed, the bliss of a quiet afternoon already slipping away to make way for annoyance.

"Come on, I just wanna see what you're reading, Snivy," James smirked in the most obnoxious way, holding the book by the front cover.

"Stop that," he grabbed for it once again, Black pushing him away for his efforts, "you're going to ruin it, you idiot!"

They ignored him, of course, though he could see Lupin eyeing the book warily. Black took the book from Potter’s hands, still keeping Severus held back, flipping through the pages and looking around the cover. 

“To Kill a Mockingbird?” He laughed, passing the book back to Potter, “You don’t need a book for that, Snivelus, you just have to show your face.”

They laughed at the frankly mediocre joke, though one of them sounded far less enthused about it. Potter held the book up as if to throw it, but Lupin caught his hand, taking the book away and fixing him with a look. 

“The book is about a trial in america!” He huffed, handing it back to Severus without looking at him, “Honestly, James, we had other things to do today.” 

“You’re no fun, Mooney,” James pulled a face but relented, stepping closer to Severus, “anyways, I came to talk to you.”

Severus felt like his best bet at that moment was to jump into the lake and pray the mermaids killed him. He stood his ground regardless, “What do you want, Potter?”

“Y’know, for someone who keeps insisting you don’t like Evans, you sure seemed close yesterday,” He twirled his wand in his hand, looking down at him, “Wanna explain?”

“What-” Severus frowned, thinking. He wasn’t with Lily at all the day before, he was doing homework for his housemates, “I was nowhere near her yesterday? And even if I was, it’s none of your business how close we are!”

“You can’t lie to us, greaseball,” Black came up behind Potter, “We saw you with her down by the quidditch pitch, getting all cozy.” He pretended to gag at the thought, making Pettigrew laugh.

“I’m not lying, you can ask any of my housemates, including your brother,” He was so confused? About all of this?

Black looked like he wanted to throttle him for just mentioning his brother, but Potter stopped him. “Oh yeah, then how do you explain it?” He crossed his arms as though he held any authority in this situation, “We all saw you.”

Severus thought for a moment, and suddenly wanted to die. Of course this would be the time they get mistaken. “You didn’t see me, you idiot, that was my brother, Austerus.”

Potter, the complete dunderfuck he was, only seemed to get angry, “Seriously? That’s the lamest excuse I’ve ever heard.”

“Yeah, I’m sure we’d know if there were two of you slimy bastards running around.” Black sneered. 

He could see past Potter and Blacks shoulders just a little bit to see Pettigrew wasn’t laughing anymore and was looking confused to Lupin who seemed unbelievably tired. Honestly, he was feeling about the same at this point.

“What do you mean excuse?” He looked between the two of them, trying to find some sign that they were joking, ”Austerus? My twin brother? Lighter eyes, a little shorter,  slightly different nose, obnoxious ravenclaw?”

When nothing clicked in the two of their faces, he looked to Lupin (something he never wanted to do,) hoping he could make them listen. Lupin walked around the two of them to face them, standing not beside him, but near him. 

“James. Sirius.” He looked at them both seriously, “Please, look me in the eye and tell me you know that Snape has a brother. Please, tell me you haven’t gone three years unaware of Austerus Snape’s existence.”

They both looked at him, Severus, and each other, as if trying to figure out what’s going on. Potter stayed silent, but Black pulled a face.

“What are you taking his side for, Remus?” He asked, “If Snivellus has a brother, we would know.”

“I thought we did,” Lupin pinched the bridge of his nose, “Me and Peter have both met Austerus, what is wrong with the both of you?” 

“We’ve been in school together for THREE YEARS,” Severus couldn’t help but exclaim, this whole thing felt like a bad dream. “Me, Austerus and Lily share a compartment on the train every year! You’ve seen us together!”

Potter spun around to Pettigrew, just his look making the boy tense and try to fold himself inward, “Peter. You wouldn’t lie to us, right?”

The rat faced little shit looked between them all and swallowed, “We got paired together for a history assignment last year. He’s really smart, but kind of annoying.”

Black looked like he wanted to explode, looking between Severus, Lupin and Pettigrew. “What the actual fuck?”

“ Whatever. It doesn’t matter.” Potter puffed his chest, “doesn’t matter what we saw at the pitch, not even Evans would go for someone who looks like you.” 

He pushed Severus back so he nearly fell into the lake and turned away, Black, Lupin and Pettrigrew following.

He waited until their figures disappeared and tucked his book into his robes pocket to make his way back to the castle and hopefully to the library. He knows all of his brother’s hiding places and he will be questioning him over what he and Lily were doing at the quidditch pitch. 

He could forgive getting him in trouble with the marauders, but he didn’t want this to be the way he found out his best friends were dating. 

It was.