Snape closed the difference between them. He drew his wand and Sirius immediately released his own into the palm of his hand. Snape arched an eyebrow.
"I merely wish to erect a privacy bubble." Snape said formally.
Sirius gazed at him wondering why but acquiesced, replacing his wand in its holster. "Yes?" He asked as soon as the privacy bubble had formed.
"You are aware that Potter's medical treatment is now common knowledge?" Snape asked brusquely.
"I am." Sirius answered, trying not to feel defensive or that it was his fault for changing the time of Harry's appointment.
"Is he…" Snape stopped and fidgeted with the buttons on his robes.
He seemed unaccountably nervous in Sirius's opinion.
"The rumour is that the sessions are dealing with the death threats?" Snape began again.
Sirius knew his surprise at the question was written all over his face. "I didn't know you cared, Snape." And he had no intention of talking about Harry's treatment with his former schoolyard nemesis.
Snape blocked his move to turn away. "I may not care for Potter but Lily was my best friend."
Anger erupted in Sirius, surging through him with the force of a tidal wave.
"A best friend whose death warrant you signed when you told Voldemort about the prophecy." Sirius looked at him with disgust as Snape's face drained of all colour. "Did you think I wouldn't find out?"
"Does Potter…"
"No," Sirius said crisply, "he said he didn't want to know who told Voldemort if he still had to interact with the person in question. I wish I hadn't found out because frankly every time I see you, I want to hit you and keep hitting you until you're too bloody to move."
Snape's eyes remained affixed on the floor. "You couldn't possibly hate me more than I hate myself."
"Please save me the false regret. If you had any true remorse you wouldn't have spent the last three years making Harry's life miserable." Sirius shot back, taking a step toward Snape. "He is Lily's son. If you cared at all about her, you would have done everything you could have to make up for the fact that you are the reason why he doesn't know her; why the only memory of her he has is of her dying to save him."
Snape went red then white but he remained silent.
Sirius took a deep breath and reminded himself he couldn't kill Snape. "Now, since my son's medical treatment is none of your business…"
"I think the death threats have something to do with Bellatrix and the LeStranges." Snape said as Sirius took a step away from him.
Sirius raised a questioning eyebrow at him.
"Your cousin taught me Occlumency and I stayed in the LeStrange mansion for a month." Snape explained. "She placed a notice-me-not on the memories and I discovered it when I felt there was something familiar about the first death threat note. So far my reconstruction has only shown Bartemius Crouch Junior in the mansion but is it possible she or Rodolphus had a lover?"
"Maybe." Sirius grimaced. "I'll look into it." He refused to thank Snape; he'd grovel before Voldemort first.
Snape bowed his head and stepped away, taking down the privacy bubble. He disappeared around a corner in a billow of black robes.
Sirius walked away with alacrity, wanting to get away from Snape and the words they'd exchanged as fast as possible. He paused at the entrance to the Common Room to catch his breath and calm down. He didn't want to alarm Harry.
He spotted him quickly; Harry sat at a large table, flanked by Hermione and Ron with Neville, Hannah and Susan on the other side. The table beside him was filled with Slytherins – Blaise was passing notes back and forth with Neville while Draco and Theo seemed involved in some discussion. A seating arrangement behind Neville was filled with girls of various Houses all trying to bat their eyelids at the boys rather do any work.
Sirius wandered in and pulled up a spare chair to budge in between Harry and Ron. "Well, this is very industrious."
"I know." Ron said sorrowfully, casting a look at Hermione who sniffed and carried on reading.
"Getting your homework out of the way is good practice, Ron, especially now you have Quidditch." Hermione lectured briskly.
"Transfiguration essay." Harry explained in reply to Sirius pulling the parchment closer towards him. "I'm just done. What are you doing here?"
"I was just talking with Professor Dumbledore. Want to walk me out?" asked Sirius brightly.
"Sure."
Ron grabbed hold of Harry's arm. "Hold up. How do we know it's Sirius?" He smiled apologetically at Sirius but didn't relent.
Harry rolled his eyes but explained. "Moody says we should check every time we're asked to go somewhere alone with someone else."
"Constant vigilance!" Sirius echoed cheerfully. "OK, so ask me something only I would know." He trusted that Harry wouldn't ask him to change into his animagus form in front of people who didn't know.
"Where did you say Remus was going next in our last communication?" Harry asked immediately.
"Germany." Sirius replied promptly. They'd had that conversation the night before through the mirrors.
Harry beamed at him and started to gather his stuff. They set off without further ado. Sirius put up a privacy bubble just in case anybody followed them before he started talking.
"So Albus and I talked." Sirius began.
"And?" Harry asked impatiently.
"He says he'll do better." Sirius shrugged and Harry nodded as though it was enough of an answer because maybe it was; Albus had promised to do better once before and he'd failed. He was on his last chance with them.
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