wixenprince:
“Maybe you were weak, but I wasn’t. Don’t speak for me.” Severus shot Roman a glare, curling inward on himself as he crossed his arms and made himself small. The corner of his lip pulled into a sneer as he spoke. “This isn’t a fairytale - this isn’t fucking David versus Goliath. Even a wolf is weak when it’s alone and surrounded.”
At Roman’s prompt, Severus did look down at himself, and his eyebrows quickly furrowed together as his face contorted into a confused and offended expression. “At myself? You think who I am has anything to do with losing a couple of rigged duels against a few stupid Gryffindors? What are you trying to say, Roman? That I’m still a loser, while you’ve finally become the fit, popular bloke you’ve always wanted to be?”
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “If you think you’re so strong now, why don’t you go fight someone who’s a fair match? Maybe someone like -” Demarcus.
Severus’ eyes narrowed slightly and he bit his tongue. It was still surreal to him that Roman’s brother had caused him so much anguish, and yet, he’d been friends with the younger boy without even knowing their relation until much later. Maybe sadism ran in their blood. “… Someone like Avery, or that bloke Rowle.”
“Well what were you then, huh?” Roman might not be the smartest nor the best at socialc cues but throughout the past year, he’s learned to read the body language of his prey, scared and meek. But while he picked up Sev’s hunched shoulders, he totally missed what Severus was trying to say. “So you’re saying you were weak because you were alone and surrounded? What’s the bloody difference?”
“Who fucking else, Snape?” Roman scoffed. “Have you seen yourself in the mirror lately? Tell me. Do you look happy with who you are?” Both of them have gone way past the point of avoiding hitting the other person below the belt and it didn’t look like Roman was going to stop soon. “Wrong,” he shook his head aggresively. “It has everything to do with who you bloody are. And yeah, maybe that’s exactly what I’m saying because to me, you barely even changed from the child you were.”
Fuck this, Roman thought and began to walk away when something he said, made his ears ring. “What did you say?” He turned right back at Severus, his eyes seeing red.
He rolled his eyes, beginning to reach the true end of his patience. “Grow another brain cell, arsehole. The one time I’m trying to go easy on myself, and you can’t see the forest for the fucking trees? You try to hold your own against four blokes that want you dead, and you’ll understand that you don’t have to be weak to lose.”
And then Severus turned slightly away from him, eyes narrowed into tiny slits. He refused to answer Roman’s question - he wouldn’t sit there groveling, even though he had looked in the mirror lately and no, he wasn’t happy with his ugly face and scrawny arms. There were more important things to be concerned about, however. “I don’t care what you think of me. Not anymore.” He glanced over when the boy turned to leave, chewing on his bottom lip for a second before repeating, “I said - if you want to prove yourself, go show a troll like Rowle who’s boss. Fighting someone your own size has got to feel more rewarding than kicking the snot out of a bunch of children, huh?”
