Unlikely Allies

Chapter 2

"We'll meet at the lake after classes are done to sort out how we shall prevent Lily and James dying," Dorcas said as everyone filed out of Divinations class. "Severus, I guess you'll have to bring Regulus...Providing you can make him believe that it isn't some sort of prank."

Severus sneered, arching a brow. "Considering the track record of certain Gryffindors and their friends, I have no idea why Regulus would suspect anything of the sort."

Dorcas sighed. "For one, Marlene nor I have ever pranked you, and for another, neither of us have ever spoken a word to Regulus, so why would we prank him?"

"Because you're friends with them, and they hate him and all he stands for."

"All he stands for? What about you?"

"That's a given, but they aren't trying to save my life," Severus said with a roll of his eyes. He'd nearly slipped up, and that wasn't like him. That was annoying. He took said annoyance out on Dorcas by deepening his scowl.

"Alright well bring him or don't," Dorcas said, tossing her hair in open exasperation as she headed off down the hall.

Severus turned away, his mind already on his next class when a hand grasped his sleeve.

"Snape...Wait!"

He turned his head to see Marlene standing at his shoulder. He sighed. "What? Am I dying too?"

She shook her head. "I want to tell Regulus. I think he'll take it better from me. I want to do it alone."

Severus's brows shot up but he merely shrugged. "So long as you do it today."

Marlene nodded and he swept off down the hall toward Ancient Runes.

"Why do you want to talk to Regulus alone," Dorcas asked and Marlene pressed her lips together.

"Because...He won't believe me if I don't. He has no reason to. I saw something private concerning only him and one other person. If I tell him that, and it's true, I'll know I'm psychic. If he thinks I'm bonkers when I tell him this private fact, I'll know it's all rubbish and that perhaps Professor Trelawney put some sort of mind altering substance on my scrying ball or something." Marlene made a face. She wasn't even sure she wanted to be psychic. So far it was pretty stressful!

Dorcas nodded. "That's really good thinking, actually," she praised her friend.

"Especially considering how worked up you were earlier." She jabbed Marlene in the ribs with an elbow. "It's nice to see your mind working again."

Rather than join the others at lunch, Marlene approached the Slytherin table. Regulus sat with a few other fifth year Slytherins, murmuring conspiratorially. Being a seventh year, Marlene didn't know any of them, but the dark looks they gave her caused her to nearly rethink her good intentions. Then horrifying visions of Jegulus stories rose up in her mind and she was fortified. She cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, Regulus. May I speak with you alone on a private matter of great import?"

Why had she asked? She should've just said she needed to speak to him right now on a matter of life and bloody death! The Slytherins made her nervous and that made her annoyed. Regulus glanced up, blue eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"You are Sirius's friend, are you not?"

She shrugged. "Sort of, I guess. I mean he hasn't done anything to me and says hello when he sees me. Does that make us friends? I don't know." She was bloody babbling because she hated feeling nervous.

"I don't talk to Sirius's friends," he said flatly. Before she could reply, he'd turned pointedly away.

"I smell a Gryffindor," one of the other boys opined, wrinkling his nose and sniffing loudly. "Ew."