Chapter Text
James turned into another hallway — that hospital seemed endless, and impatience was already starting to build up inside him — when he almost bumped right into a boy with long black hair, extremely pale skin, thin, with a hooked nose and a serious expression.
The boy raised an eyebrow, analyzing James from head to toe, and asked:
— Are you lost?
James stood there for a moment, staring at him, before replying:
— I’m looking for my friend’s brother.
— Is he an oncology patient? — the boy asked in a neutral tone.
James frowned, confused, and answered:
— No… he broke his arm.
— Ah, then it’s in the emergency room. This way — the boy said, turning to point the direction.
As they walked side by side, James cast a curious glance and asked, a little hesitant:
— Do you have cancer?
The boy let out a low, almost ironic laugh:
— No. I’m lucky.
James looked visibly embarrassed and muttered:
— Oh… right.
After a few seconds of silence, the boy slightly turned his face toward James and suddenly asked:
— Are you a Batman fan?
James blinked, a little surprised by the sudden change of topic:
— Uh… I actually like Superman better, to be honest.
The boy made a face of pure disappointment and replied dryly:
— Okay. Now I know your opinion is worthless.
James looked at the black-haired boy and asked curiously:
— You don’t like Superman?
The boy, keeping a serious expression, replied:
— I prefer Batman. By the way… why are you wearing that Batman shirt if you don’t even like him?
James glanced down at his own T-shirt, looking a little embarrassed, and scratched the back of his neck:
— It was a gift…
The boy just raised an eyebrow, as if that were a terrible excuse, and kept walking in silence.
James gave an awkward laugh, scratching the back of his neck, but didn’t have time to answer. Soon, they arrived at the emergency room.
There, Regulus was sitting on the stretcher, his eyes glassy, but trying hard to hold back his tears. Sirius, next to him, was pacing back and forth, impatient, muttering:
— Our mother’s going to kill us… she’s really going to kill us this time!
Regulus was clutching his arm tightly, trying to stay strong, while the doctor finished examining him. After a brief moment of silence, she looked up and calmly said:
— We’re going to need to give you an injection.
Regulus shook his head, suddenly jumping off the stretcher, his eyes glassy, and said with a trembling voice:
— No… I’m not taking it!
Sirius, already at the edge of his patience, put his hands on his hips and muttered:
— Oh, quit the drama, Regulus! The faster we get this over with, the better. Mum’s gonna kill us if this takes any longer.
— I’m already better! — Regulus insisted, crossing his arms, trying to look firm, but his voice wavered.
Severus, who was leaning against the doorframe, finally stepped in:
— After the shot, they give you chocolate mousse… — he said in an almost casual tone, as if offering the ultimate argument.
Regulus looked at him with a mix of suspicion and offense:
— I don’t want it! I told you I’m fine!
The doctor, who had been focused on her papers until then, lifted her gaze toward Severus and raised her eyebrows:
— Severus… what are you doing here?
Severus raised one hand, as if surrendering, and answered with irony:
— This guy here got lost — he pointed his thumb at James — and I brought him. You know… gotta do my good deed of the day to secure my spot in heaven.
The doctor rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.
— You know you’re not supposed to leave your room.
Severus scoffed, crossing his arms too:
— Peter keeps screaming nonstop, he’s unbearable. There’s no way to stay in there.
— I’ll check on him later — the doctor said, firm but tired.
Severus turned back to Regulus and, with a calmness that bordered on cruel, said:
— You’d better take the shot already. It won’t hurt that much.
The nurse, taking advantage of the distraction, was already by his side with the syringe ready. Before Regulus could protest, she held his arm gently but firmly and quickly gave him the injection.
Regulus’s eyes went wide, his breath hitching, and he fixed his gaze on Severus, as if seeking strength.
— Think about the mousse — Severus murmured, tilting his head slightly and closing his eyes, almost like a mantra.
Regulus, still trembling, shut his own eyes and took a deep breath until the sting passed.
Regulus was led to another room by the nurse, mumbling under his breath:
— I don’t even like chocolate mousse.
When the door closed, Severus turned to James, adjusting the sleeve of his hoodie, and said casually:
— Alright then… I’m leaving.
James, a little nervous, quickly replied:
— My name’s Potter. James Potter.
Severus raised an eyebrow, holding back a smile, and let out a low chuckle:
— Are you trying to imitate James Bond?
James’s eyes widened, and he shook his head, flustered:
— No! I… I just happen to have the same name, okay?
At that moment, Sirius cleared his throat loudly, a teasing grin on his face, clearly waiting to be introduced:
— Ahem… and this — James pointed — is my friend, Sirius Black.
Severus looked at Sirius, gave a slight nod, and with a sarcastic smile, replied:
— I’m Snape. Severus Snape.
James felt his face heat up instantly, his reddened ears betraying his embarrassment. Sirius, on the other hand, burst out laughing so loudly that a few people in the waiting room turned to look at them.
— Oh, wow, Potter… you just got hit with a reverse James Bond! — Sirius said between laughs.
Severus crossed his arms, lifting his chin with a triumphant expression, while James tried to hide his embarrassment, huffing:
— Hilarious, Black… really hilarious.
Severus pushed his hair back, gave a discreet half-smile, and said calmly:
— It was nice meeting you… but I have to go.
James, a little too quickly, took a step forward and called out:
— Wait, Snape! My friends and I are going to the premiere of the new Batman movie… do you wanna come with us?
Severus slowly turned to face him, his eyes glinting with a hint of sarcasm, and replied:
— Thanks for the invitation, Potter… but I already have plans.
James frowned, suspicious:
— You don’t even know the date.
Severus gave a small, almost provocative smirk and said softly:
— I can’t leave the hospital.
James blinked, looking slightly awkward, and muttered:
— Ah… right… okay then. See you around, Snape.
Severus gave a slight nod and walked down the hallway, hands in his pockets and expression unreadable.
As soon as he disappeared from sight, Sirius crossed his arms, tilted his head, and shot James a mischievous look:
— You’re totally into him, aren’t you?
James’s eyes went wide, his face burning instantly:
— WHAT?! No! Are you insane, Black?! I was just… being polite!
Sirius raised an eyebrow, a mocking smile tugging at his lips:
— Uh-huh, sure… polite. James Potter, the king of politeness.
James looked away, scratching the back of his neck, and grumbled:
— Shut up, Sirius…
Severus leaned against the hallway wall, drawing in a deep breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. The short walk there had already taken more effort than he cared to admit. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steady his breathing, and then made his way to the vending machine.
He inserted the coins, chose a snack, and waited as the package fell with a dull thud. Picking it up, he briefly leaned on the machine to keep his balance before slowly heading back to the room.
He pushed the door open with his shoulder and stepped inside. Peter was lying in bed, pale, his eyes half-closed. Without saying a word, Severus handed him the snack.
— Thanks… — Peter murmured, his voice weak and dragging, barely parting his lips.
Severus gave a slight nod and left the room, carefully closing the door behind him.
In the hallway, he heard the muffled sound of gurney wheels sliding across the floor. Turning his head, he saw two nurses slowly passing by, pushing yet another body covered by a white sheet. The hospital was silent, heavy… the kind of silence that suffocated.
Severus let out a long sigh, feeling the weight of that routine pressing down on his shoulders. With tired steps, he returned to his own room. As soon as he walked in, he sat on the edge of the bed and, with no strength left for anything else, lay down on his side.
The mattress sank beneath his body, and he closed his eyes, letting the exhaustion take over, trying for just a moment to forget the smell of antiseptic, the hushed whispers in the corridors, and the constant presence of death lurking nearby.
Two days later, Sirius was leaning against a desk, laughing so hard he was nearly crying, while Remus and Marlene joined in on the teasing. The school hallway was buzzing — students chatting everywhere — but the main focus was James Potter, who was already turning red from trying to defend himself.
— You guys should’ve seen it! — Sirius said, clutching his stomach from laughing so hard. — The guy was all starry-eyed staring at Snape, looked like a lost puppy!
— That’s not true! — James shot back, waving his arms dramatically. — I was just being polite, that’s all! He said he likes Batman, and I only invited him because, you know… it made sense!
Marlene burst out laughing, nearly leaning on Remus to keep herself upright:
— And Snape turned you down anyway? Oh, James… that’s rough.
Sirius was laughing so much he had to smack the desk with his hand, nodding between breaths:
— A brutal rejection! James, you’re never gonna recover from this.
James huffed, crossing his arms, while Remus tried to hide a smile but failed miserably.
Suddenly, a girl came running down the hallway, nearly tripping over her own feet, and shouted, breathless:
— Sirius! Sirius! Your brother fell again — his nose is bleeding!
The smile vanished from Sirius’s face instantly. He ran a hand through his hair, already annoyed:
— Bloody hell… — he muttered, getting up and heading straight for the infirmary. James followed, curiosity written all over his face, while Remus and Marlene exchanged worried looks and trailed behind.
When they reached the infirmary, there was Regulus, sitting on the stretcher, holding a gauze pad to his nose. Sirius put his hands on his head, visibly frustrated:
— Again, Regulus?! Every single day!
Regulus looked up, his face flushed with a mix of anger and embarrassment:
— It wasn’t on purpose! I just fell, okay?!
— “Just fell,” he says… — Sirius muttered, rolling his eyes, clearly trying to hold back his temper.
The school nurse finished cleaning the boy’s face and said gently:
— All done, Regulus. You can go now. You’re excused from classes today, but be careful, alright?
Regulus just nodded, avoiding his brother’s gaze, and climbed down from the stretcher, limping slightly as he walked out of the room.
James looked over at Sirius, frowning with concern:
— Mate… are you sure your brother’s okay? Sirius, this is like the sixth time he’s fallen this week.
Sirius shrugged, still looking irritated:
— Oh, relax. Regulus is being dramatic ‘cause Mum’s away. You know how he is — biggest baby in the world.
James glanced at the door Regulus had walked through but didn’t look very convinced by Sirius’s explanation.
At Sirius’s house, James was lying on the couch, phone in hand, scrolling through his feed with a focused expression. He typed “Severus Snape” into the Instagram search bar and, after a few seconds, found a profile under that name. He clicked on it and frowned.
— That’s… kinda gay — he muttered, confused by what he was seeing.
Sirius, slouched in an armchair nearby, raised an eyebrow at him:
— What is it?
James turned his phone toward him, still looking puzzled:
— Snape’s profile… there’s not a single picture of him. It’s all landscapes, poems, and black-and-white stuff — very dramatic.
Sirius arched an eyebrow, a teasing smirk forming on his lips:
— And why exactly are you looking up his profile, Potter?
James averted his gaze, scratching the back of his neck, trying to sound indifferent:
— Just curious, that’s all.
Sirius got up from the armchair and leaned over the back of the couch to peek at James’s phone. After a quick glance at the photos, he chuckled softly:
— Does this guy spend the whole day wandering through gardens or something? Because, seriously… half these posts are just flowers and trees.
James scrolled through a few more posts and shrugged:
— I dunno…
At that moment, Regulus walked into the room, still holding a tissue to his nose, which was still bleeding a little. Sirius immediately raised his eyebrows, incredulous:
— Your nose is still bleeding?!
Regulus shot back irritably, his tone dripping with sarcasm:
— No, I poured ketchup on it.
Sirius made a face, shaking his head:
— Go back to your room, Regulus. The nurse said you’re supposed to rest.
Regulus crossed his arms, glaring at him:
— I just came to get water, annoying.
James looked up from his phone, slightly worried, and asked:
— But are you okay, Regulus?
Regulus held up the blood-stained tissue and replied with sharp sarcasm:
— I’m great… can’t you tell?
He huffed, grabbed a water bottle from the counter, and left the room, limping slightly, leaving Sirius with an irritated expression and James raising a concerned eyebrow.
Back at his house, James flopped onto the couch, grabbing his phone while still thinking about the hospital encounter. He opened Instagram again, navigated to Severus Snape’s profile, and after hesitating for a few seconds, hit the “follow” button.
He scrolled through the photos for a while, analyzing each one — landscapes, poems, cryptic quotes… nothing too personal. After a few minutes, he tried searching for Severus on other social media platforms but found nothing.
Then his phone vibrated.
A notification.
“Severus Snape followed you back.”
James raised his eyebrows, a smile creeping onto his face involuntarily. Without thinking much, he opened the chat and typed:
James: Hi.
It didn’t take even a minute for the reply to appear:
Severus: Hi, Potter. James Potter.
James let out a laugh, shaking his head, and quickly replied:
James: I already told you, I didn’t imitate James Bond. We just happen to have the same name!
A few seconds later, another notification popped up:
Severus: I know… I’m just teasing you.
James stared at the screen for a few moments, biting the corner of his lip as he thought of what to reply. Then, glancing at the Superman figurine on the shelf, he smiled and typed:
James: Why don’t you like Superman?
This time, the reply took a little longer:
Severus: I like him. I just prefer Batman… he’s better.
James’s eyes went wide, indignant, but he started laughing to himself as he typed back:
James: Superman is better! He could destroy the Earth if he wanted to, but he chose to take care of everyone.
Severus replied almost immediately, as if waiting for that exact provocation:
Severus: Superman couldn’t destroy the Earth… we have our goddess Wonder Woman, who would beat him easily.
James read the message and stared at the screen, utterly dumbfounded, before letting out a shocked “No way!” that echoed across the room.
James stared at the screen, biting his lip as he read Severus’s message. He couldn’t resist and quickly began typing:
James: Superman would beat Wonder Woman easily.
A few seconds later, his phone vibrated with the reply:
Severus: You’re deluding yourself. Superman is strong, I know… but he would never defeat a goddess.
James let out a disbelieving laugh and typed quickly:
James: Then why isn’t Wonder Woman your favorite?
The reply came almost instantly, as if Severus had been ready:
Severus: As incredible as Wonder Woman is… Batman is rich, smart, and takes on people who could destroy him. That’s why he’s the best — for his courage.
James’s eyes went wide and he let out a loud laugh.
James: You’re more deluded than I am, Snape.
Severus: At least I accept the truth.
James huffed, resting the phone on his chest before replying:
James: Okay then… what’s your favorite Marvel hero?
Severus took a few seconds to reply, but the message soon appeared:
Severus: Spider-Man and Hulk.
James smiled, shaking his head as he typed back:
James: Iron Man and Scarlet Witch, of course! The best of the best.
Not even five seconds passed before Severus responded, dryly, as if waiting to counter:
Severus: Spider-Man is better. The neighborhood friend. And Hulk… well, Hulk smashes. Anyway, the best. Good night, Potter.
James stared at the screen, incredulous at his audacity:
James: Good night what? It’s still early! Do you have a bedtime now?
Severus: Yes. I’m exhausted. Long day.
James sighed, tossing his phone onto the couch with a half-smile. He stared at the ceiling for a moment, thinking about how strangely interesting Snape seemed… and how much he wanted to keep that conversation going.
Severus placed his phone on the bedside table, his gaze following the nurses moving around the room, preparing him for another surgery. He took a deep breath, coughed softly, and muttered to himself:
— Damn disease…
The next morning, across the city, James woke up early. He grabbed his phone from the bedside table and checked his notifications — nothing new from Snape. He replied to a few messages from Sirius, arranging to meet at the mall, and set the phone aside.
James got up, went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and then headed downstairs for breakfast. His mother was already in the kitchen, smiling as she moved things around on the counter.
— Good morning! — she said.
— Uh-huh — James murmured, still half-asleep. — Today I’m going to the movies with Sirius and Remus.
James’s mother glanced at him, frowning slightly but keeping her smile:
— Okay… be careful, and don’t forget you have to go to the company later. Your father wants you there.
James smiled, grabbing a glass of juice:
— Got it. I’ll be there, don’t worry!
He took a sip and looked at his mother, still smiling, feeling excited for the day ahead.
At the mall, Sirius arrived excitedly, accompanied by Regulus, who wore a scowl, crossed his arms, and huffed. Scratching his head, Sirius remarked sarcastically:
— Had to bring the brat with me.
Regulus turned, glaring at Sirius with restrained anger:
— I didn’t even want to come.
Sirius rolled his eyes, already annoyed:
— But you did, so you better behave.
Regulus narrowed his eyes, his voice dripping with impatience:
— I’m not a kid, idiot.
Sirius took a deep breath and muttered, almost tossing the idea aside:
— You know what? Go to the food court, leave us alone, and you’d better eat something.
Regulus huffed, turned on his heel, and stomped off, muttering:
— I didn’t want to hang out with idiots like you anyway.
James looked at the two of them, unsure what to say, while Remus snorted, pretending he hadn’t noticed anything.
A few minutes later, James, Sirius, and Remus ended up enjoying the playground circuit near the food court. Sirius, still wearing a mischievous grin, turned to Remus:
— Did you know, Remus, that James has been stalking Snape on Instagram?
James’s eyes went wide, and he quickly defended himself:
— That’s not true! I was just curious, that’s all.
Remus laughed and asked, intrigued:
— So?
Sirius, not missing the chance to tease, commented:
— The guy’s profile is a bunch of pretentious nonsense.
James grabbed the ball and shot it into the hoop, taking a deep breath as he said:
— I actually talked to him yesterday.
Sirius and Remus looked at James simultaneously, raising their eyebrows. James smiled, trying to seem casual:
— We didn’t say anything serious… just about superheroes, and…
James saw Regulus stumble and fall down the stairs. He poked Sirius quickly and pointed:
— Sirius, your brother just fell!
Sirius spun around instantly, eyes wide, and ran to where Regulus was. As he reached him, his voice dripping with irritation:
— Damn it, what’s your problem, Regulus?!
Regulus was sitting on the ground, clutching his arm tightly, trying to hold back tears. His voice trembled:
— Leave me alone, Sirius… go away.
Remus approached, looking concerned at the scene:
— We should probably take him to the hospital.
Regulus shook his head, struggling to stand:
— No! I’m fine.
James, watching everything, noticed something and said seriously:
— Your nose is bleeding again.
Sirius, already impatient, grabbed Regulus’s arm without any gentleness:
— This is exactly why Mum left! You just keep falling like an idiot!
Regulus yanked his arm back forcefully, tears streaming despite his attempts to hide them:
— Leave me alone! It’s not my fault!
Sirius let out a deep sigh, rolling his eyes, but still muttered through gritted teeth:
— Let’s go already.
A short while later, they were at the hospital, sitting in the waiting room. The atmosphere was heavy. Regulus stayed silent, his arm resting in his lap, while Remus sat beside him, trying to calm him down. James, on the other hand, couldn’t sit still — tapping his foot, fiddling with his phone, glancing around, clearly restless, eyes scanning the hallway for Severus.
Sirius, noticing his behavior, huffed and said with a mix of irony and irritation:
— Why don’t you just go after him already, huh?
James looked away, pretending not to hear, but the blush on his face gave him away.
Regulus sat on the stretcher, shoulders hunched, gripping his arm tightly. His stomach burned with pain, his head spun, and nausea rose uncontrollably. Before he could regain control, he vomited, and the reddish liquid spilled out, making Sirius recoil in disgust.
— Gross, Regulus! — he exclaimed, still not realizing the severity of the situation.
But when Sirius looked closer, he realized it wasn’t ordinary vomit — it was blood. His scream echoed down the corridor:
— Hey, someone help here!
Regulus furrowed his brow, vision blurred, struggling to stay conscious. He murmured, almost fainting:
— I… can’t…
Sirius immediately grabbed his brother to prevent him from falling, but the blood continued to flow from Regulus’s mouth.
Nurses and doctors arrived swiftly, trying to pull Sirius back from Regulus.
— What’s wrong with him?! — Sirius demanded, his voice trembling in desperation as he held Regulus’s hand.
— His blood pressure is dropping rapidly, — a nurse replied, checking his vitals.
— We need to get an X-ray immediately, — said another, already calling for a stretcher to move Regulus.
Sirius tried to follow, but a nurse stopped him.
— He can’t be alone! He’s scared of hospitals, I need to stay with him!
Remus stepped forward, gripping Sirius firmly by the arms to hold him back.
— Let them work, Sirius, — he said, looking into his friend’s eyes. — They know what they’re doing.
James ran through the entire hospital, corridor after corridor, opening every door with his heart pounding, but he couldn’t find Severus anywhere. With every step, his anxiety grew. When he realized it was pointless to keep searching, he grabbed his phone and sent another message on Instagram:
“Hey, I’m at the hospital.”
The message sat there, unseen.
He sighed, leaning against the wall, trying to steady his breathing, when his phone vibrated. It was a message from Remus:
“Go back to the emergency room. Now.”
James felt his stomach drop and sprinted toward the emergency room. When he arrived, he found Sirius yelling at a nurse, eyes wide and red:
— WHERE IS MY BROTHER?! TELL ME WHERE YOU TOOK REGULUS! — Sirius shouted, his voice breaking, nearly cracking.
James ran up to him, gripping his friend’s shoulder, but before he could speak, Remus appeared, pale-faced, holding a clipboard he had grabbed from a doctor:
— They took Regulus… he passed out again. — Remus’s voice faltered at the end. — Looks like internal bleeding, James… he hasn’t woken up.
James felt his whole body freeze. He looked at Sirius, who was in shock, eyes brimming with tears, breathing fast, as if on the edge of collapse.
— Hey… it’s going to be okay. — James said, trying to stay firm, shaking Sirius gently by the shoulders. — Regulus will be out soon, you hear me? He’s going to be fine.
But Sirius wasn’t listening. He trembled, desperate:
— You didn’t see, James… — his voice cracked, trapped in sobs. — He… he vomited blood, man! — Sirius choked on the words, running a trembling hand over his face. — He was choking on his own blood! I thought he was going to die right there, in front of me…
James held his friend firmly by the shoulders, trying to ground him in the present:
— Breathe, Sirius… look at me. — He shook him gently. — Regulus is strong, man. He’s going to get through this.
Meanwhile, Remus stood silently, fists clenched, struggling to keep his own composure.