Is It Too Late Now To Say Sorry

Chapter 8

James' mouth hung open, "Severus Snape wants to be with us!?"

"Yes!"  Sirius said as he couldn't believe it himself

"As in both of us at the same time!?"

"That's what I heard Prongs."

James' face showed pure unadulterated joy, "We have to tell him he can be our boyfriend."

Sirius shook his head, "The thing is he doesn't know we know. He only knows Raven knows."

James's joy soon subsided, "And he might be insulted. We don't know if he doesn't want the school to know he likes men or if he is against polygamy."  James collapsed on the bed. every time he thinks he figured out the maze of Severus Snape he hits a dead end. "We can just be his friends for now while dropping hints."

Sirius groaned and curled up next to James, "Good news I have some Intel. Severus wants to ask us to accompany him to show us something special. He was so vague about it not even I know about it." Sirius said.

"So you want to be with Severus too?"

"Yeah, prongs," 

"What happens if he tries to kiss one of us?"

"Prongs if you're  saying if I'm alright with him kissing you it's fine, but you better tell me how it felt." Sirius smiled.

"Okay, same goes for you too." 

****** 

"Protect my room while I'm gone. I filled your food bowl, left your toys, and please stay in the room. I may need you tonight Raven." Severus hugged the dog who in turn licked his face.

" It doesn't matter what happens. No matter what they say or do I know at least I'll be able to come back to you. You know this reminds me of a short poem by Emily Dickenson" Severus sat to the floor with the dog in his lap.

"I'm nobody Who are you?

Are you nobody, too?

Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!

They'd banish us, you know.

How dreary to be somebody

How public, like a frog

To tell your name the livelong day

To an admiring bog"

Severus curled up with the dog. "You're just like me cast off like an average nothing, but you're not nothing. We're not nothing."

******

James and Sirius Concealed the joy on their faces when Severus asked if he could go to their dormitory. Once they reached the dormitory Severus was twiddling with his wand.

James noticed Peter and Remus were in the room "want to go somewhere more private-"

"No, I want them to be here. If this friendship is going to work no secrets." Severus pulled out his wand and did langlock spell on James. "That's my spell. So is muffliato, sectumsempra... and the one you used on me." 

Hearing this was a double-edged sword for James on one hand he got to meet the creator of some of the coolest spells on the other he realized he bullied Severus with his own spells "I'm so sorry Severus... you know you're very talented too come up with those by yourself."

In return, Severus scoffed at the boy's weak attempt at flattery.

"I mean it. You came up with all of these on your own your parents must be proud." 

Sadly that struck another cord, "They couldn't give less of a damn, but thank you I have worked hard on these spells." Severus said sitting on the bed.

"Prongs, please stop digging yourself deeper," Sirius whispered in his boyfriend's ear.

"It's fine. Although spells and curses intrigue me I've been looking to get more into potions. I have a brew I'm working on to allow others to experience  moments in someone else life in first person perspective."

"That sounds awesome Severus," Sirius said as he threw his arm around the other.

Remus chimed in "It would be useful not only for therapeutic reasons but also for unsolved mysteries."

"Don't get too excited it's just a thought. I have far better ideas that are more reachable not to mention it's just building off of something already existing." Severus said.

"If you ever need any help I'm here for you." James smiled at the other.

Severus paused for a second, "As a matter of fact I need some hard-to-obtain ingredients if I write a list can you get these?" Severus asked. 

An adventure was something James never turned down. "No trouble, you start writing and I can get them." he pulled out a quill and parchment for Severus.

Severus smiled enjoying the time he spent with the marauders, he took the quill and paper from James and started to write his list.

"What are you doing for the Christmas holiday? Visiting home?" James asked Severus.

"No... I'm staying at Hogwarts." Severus was holding out some information that Remus seemingly knew since. he was massaging Severus' shoulder.

"I hear that I'm not going home either." Sirius shared.

Severus turned around "Maybe you can stay with me this Christmas?" he instantly turned his head when he saw James smirk. He felt so stupid making a pass at Sirius while his boyfriend, the envy of all, was right next to him.

"I don't mind being with you, Severus," Sirius tried his best to be encouraging but not flirty. 

"Hey we're all friends here  I don't mind staying here too." James wanted to comfort him, but Severus just looked disgusted, not in James but in himself.

"No, we're not friends because I'm a liar." clenched his pencil tightly. His frustrated scowl usually reserved moments before a berating or a fowl curse was followed by tears. 

Remus took Severus' hand into his own. "The more you hold in poison the more it kills you."

"That still sounds stupid." Severus still listened to his advice and let the tears fall down his face and leaned into Remus' hold. thankfully he was given a moment to mellow out without the boys. "I can't be a part of your friendship. Potter, Black, I originally thought I was just going enjoy the privilege of what it's like not to be bothered everywhere I go, but somewhere along the lines something within me, something I thought was gone, unearthed once again and I..." Severus tried to word this the best way he could. "I adore you both... romantically."

The room was plagued with a haunted silence. The only thing that kept Severus from walking out that door was James exclaiming "We adore you too!"

Severus' face was filled with an indescribable joy "No you're having a go at me." this was the stuff that only happened in romantic novels. 

"No, we're Serious!" James was elated he could finally be honest about his feeling. Severus ran into the arms of James much to the other marauder's shock. They assume the only way Severus would hug James is if he was going to stab him in the back with a dagger.

"Congratulations mates!" Peter clapped.

Severus turned to Sirius with a bigger smile than when Raven first listened to him read poetry, "Sirius?"

Sirius wanted to pick Severus up in his arms and kiss his face all over, but he couldn't. "No this isn't right. We both know it isn't James."

James' smile drop as he realized what Sirus meant. He looked at Severus who was still hugging him, but his joyous smile was replaced with a confused frown. After all the mending of bridges, James couldn't have this romance based on a lie, "We should tell him." James couldn't conceal the shame in his voice.

"Tell me what?" Severus' voice was so delicate in contrast to his usual sarcastic drawl.

Sirius stood up and took a final look at Severus before transforming into Severus' beloved pet.