InsaneJournal

Morning came rather early, much to Sirius's chagrin.

                "You were the one who decided to go out looking for trouble in the middle of the night."

                "True, true," Sirius muttered with a sigh. "Off my bed."

                There was a knock at the door and Sirius said, "Come in," and soon the Beast was hovering in the doorway. "It's your house, mate," said Sirius, as the Beast seemed to wait there, apprehensive.

                "Yes. Well, I would like the two of you to get ready and join me for breakfast, and then I thought we might take a stroll."

                Sirius glanced at Snape and shrugged. "Can't see why not."

                "Until he eats us, you mean," muttered Severus. The Beast must have heard it, with the way his ears twitched at the moment the words were uttered. But the Beast seemed to take it in fun, smiling slightly.

                "You look tough and stringy," he teased, pleased to see that the statement made Sirius laugh. "Now, back in your own room to change into something else. The washboard will take your clothes, of course."

                "Of course," said Severus with a sneer.

                Sirius emerged from his room wearing a velvet coat in a soft tan with dark green trousers on as well. "Snape?" he called with a knock on the door to Severus's room. "Severus?"

                The sounds of cursing could be heard. When Sirius placed a hand on the knob it unlocked itself and the door swung open.

                "Stop it!" he snapped at the clothing which was insisting on being worn. He whirled around to look at the door, "Tell them to quit it."

                "Stop?" said Sirius hesitantly. The clothing did nothing of the sort. Sirius shrugged. "It's not all that bad, Snape."

                "For someone who looks like you," said Severus, trying to extricate the second arm from the vest. "Blast!"

                "I don't fancy he'd be alright if we didn't show up, do you? Hurry it up there, Severus."

                Severus huffed. "Alright, you silken harpy, you can have your way if you just hold still!" The garment complied and he slipped it on, defeated-looking.

                "Can't win them all, Snape," said Sirius with a harsh pat to his back.

                "I look ridiculous," Severus moaned, moving to the large mirror to stare at himself.

                "Yeah, but that's no different from usual."

                Severus sneered, then put on the white pants to go with the deep blue of the shirt that had been attempting to strangle him moments before. "If I had to stay in this bloody place, I'd go mad." The shirt suddenly constricted itself like a corset, before releasing to let Severus gasp in some air.

                "If I were you, Snape," said Sirius with amusement flickering in his eyes, "I wouldn't insult the clothing anymore."

                "You boys look nice," said the Beast pleasantly as they came in for breakfast.

                "Thank you," said Sirius with a smile. Severus merely grunted.

                "Help yourself," said the Beast, indicating the veritable feast laid out for breakfast. Despite himself, Severus licked his lips.

                Severus drew in a breath. "I've never seen so many flowers all in one place before."

                "Nor I," said Sirius, grinning widely. "Beautiful."

                The Beast nodded. "Yes, it is."

                "Excuse me, Mr. Beast—"

                "Oh, you can call me Remus."

                "Remus, then. How do you know so much about us?"

                "Oh! The mirror. I didn't show it to you last night?"

                "No," said Severus, "I'm sure you didn't."

                "Well, by all means, allow me to do so! The enchanted mirror is not to be missed."

                "Wait," said Sirius, moving toward a small gazebo with a tree inside that was moving restlessly, "what's this?"

                "What's wha—don't touch that!" the Beast yelped.

                Sirius paused, staring back at him.

                "It...," the Beast merely stopped at the first word, obviously having no intention of finishing the thought. Both boys stared at him for a moment.

                "Well, sorry, then. Anyway, I need to be getting back soon, Remus," said Sirius. "Thanks for your hospitality."

                The Beast nodded. Sirius went back into the house to change back into his old clothes. The less explaining he had to do, the better. The Beast and Severus sat down on a bench, watching the tree.

                "What's so special about it?" asked Severus.

                "It moves," said the Beast, shrugging and looking away from Severus.

                "Interesting." Severus stood and stretched. "I, too, thank you for your hospitality."

                "No!" said the Beast. Severus quirked an eyebrow. "You can't leave!" he continued, standing himself. He loomed over Severus a bit. "You just got here. Severus Snape. You just got here. You're Severus. Don't you . . . don't you want to see the mirror?"

                "Sure," said Severus, "but then it's time for me to go."

                "No!" The Beast fretted a bit, looking around as if needing some support from another person, but they were the only two beings in the garden.

                "Let's get on with it," said Severus, "Show me the mirror."

                The Beast turned away from Severus, hiding his troubled expression. He led the other boy into the castle and over to the Mirror Room. In the Mirror Room was a looking glass much bigger than Severus had ever seen. It spanned almost the entire wall.

                "Show me Tobias Snape," said the Beast softly, and all of a sudden there was an image of Severus's father working the fields.

                "Lily Evans," said Severus after a moment, and Lily appeared, scrubbing at the floor of the kitchen in her house, under Petunia's critical eye as she cooked. Their father was out in his shop making horseshoes and whatnot, so the girls were quite alone inside.

                "Impressive," said Severus, touching the surface of the cool glass right where Lily's cheek appeared.

                The Beast smiled.

                Severus tried to make it clear that he needed to get back to the village. But when the Beast asked when he could next visit, he said after the harvest, and the Beast became frightened at the prospect of being all alone again. Severus understood more than he would have liked as an armchair slid behind him and a footstool knocked him off-balance until he fell back into it. The armchair wrapped itself around him, and he was truly trapped. He snarled at the Beast.

                "No, Severus," said the Beast softly, turning away, "I'm afraid you're not going anywhere."