The Slytherin dormitory was a cavern of deep, oceanic quiet, broken only by the gentle sigh of the wind outside the narrow, stone-framed window. It was late, sometime between midnight and dawn, and the air was thick with the scent of old parchment and the faint, coppery smell of the dungeons. Severus Snape lay curled tightly in his four-poster bed, cocooned in heavy blankets. He was finally, blissfully, asleep. A small, persistent poke landed squarely in the center of his back. Severus tried to ignore it, sinking deeper into the meager padding of the mattress.
Poke.
The pressure was precise, insistent, and utterly infuriating. Severus grunted, a low, frustrated sound, but did not move. A faint, conspiratorial whisper, edged with an intensity that Severus knew meant trouble, drifted over the curtain separating their beds.
"Sev."
Severus made no noise.
"Sev. Are you asleep?"
The sheer audacity of the question, delivered by the source of his current torment, caused a single nerve to twitch in Severus's left temple. He clenched his jaw, determined to maintain the façade of unconsciousness.
"Sev. I have something of earth-shattering importance to tell you, but I need to know if you are currently in a state of sleep."
Severus was not turning over. He was not opening his eyes. He was not giving in. He forced his voice into a low, metallic drone that was entirely muffled by the pillows.
"I am not currently awake," Severus said, without moving. "Leave a message after the beep. Beep."
A moment of profound silence followed the sound effect. Then, Echo cleared his throat, his whisper adopting the clipped, formal cadence of an automated voice message. "Severus, this is Echo. This is a critical message about a newly discovered issue. Beginning message…"
"Stop it!" Severus snapped, his voice rough with annoyance. He still did not open his eyes, but he twisted his head enough to glare into the darkness of the room. "Fine! I'm awake! Congratulations, you've earned a moment of my precious consciousness. What in Merlin's name do you want?"
Echo's whisper immediately returned to normal, sounding bright and satisfied. "Oh, good. I knew you would be. It's a matter of scientific discovery, really. At least for me. And I wanted you to be the very first person to hear about it."
Severus let out a long, weary sigh, pulling the thick pillow over his head and trying to make himself one with the mattress. "Get. On. With. It. Before I use an entirely legal curse to liquefy your insides."
Echo, undeterred, lowered his voice to a level that forced Severus to strain to hear. "Do you remember last year, when we both went to the Hogwarts versus Durmstrang Quidditch match? The one where I summoned Gorick for team support after James begged me?"
"Vaguely," Severus muttered.
"Yes, that one," Echo continued, ignoring the slight aggression. "Do you remember when we were trying not to watch and I gave you the temporary Chupacabra telescopic vision with me—the one we used to observe things all around, like how you inappropriately looked at Lily?"
"No," Severus deadpanned. "We zoomed in on a shirtless Sirius Black, who was apparently warming up nearby. I had successfully managed to forget that entire humiliating incident until approximately five seconds ago. What does that have to do with anything?"
"Exactly!" Echo whispered triumphantly. "You remember how, when I was observing—or zooming in on, as you put it—Sirius, I had that strange, hot, squishy feeling I thought was disgust, but I wasn't sure?"
Severus's eyes snapped open in the darkness. "I recall saying it was revolting to see all of Black's chest and stomach hair in high definition. Where are you going with this?"
"And then," Echo pressed, his voice now alight with the thrill of the chase, "do you remember when the Durmstrang players surrounded me after the match, all large and warm and asking me questions about Gorick, and I felt that same, confusing, squishy sensation again? And I couldn't figure it out?"
"Yes! I remember telling you it was probably latent, repressed terror at being near physical excellence," Severus hissed. "What is your point, Echo? You woke me up for an emotional re-enactment?"
"My point, dear Sev," Echo announced, the word stretched out with dramatic flair, "is that it happened again yesterday. When I was at the Quidditch practice with Frank and Amos, and their head player, Gungnir, hugged me against his huge, pine-scented body."
Severus waited. He could practically hear the gears grinding in Echo's head. "And what did you discover, you genius?"
Echo's whisper dropped to a quiet, earnest confession, the sound of a man who has finally solved a lifelong problem. "It wasn't disgust, Sev. Or terror. Or latent hostility toward physical prowess." He paused for the perfect dramatic beat. "It's… attraction. I found them attractive. I like boys, Sev. I like boys."
Severus remained silent for a long moment, allowing the gravity of the announcement to settle. Then, he let out a noise that was half-sigh, half-groan, utterly defeated. "You, you oblivious, self-absorbed fool," Severus whispered, pulling the pillow off his head and letting it thud onto the mattress. "Congratulations, Echo. You are the absolute last person in the entire wizarding world to find this out about yourself. Now, why don't you go tell the good news to Skate?"
"Ah, yes. That is a good point," Echo agreed, the sound of movement indicating he was finally getting out of his bed. "I need to be upfront with her about the parameters of my newly discovered sexuality, given that I still feel desire, love, and loyalty towards her. I do still find girls attractive, especially Skate. I simply find both boys and girls attractive. This, in simplistic terminology, would make me… what was the word? Bisexual?"
"Go. Tell. Skate," Severus urged, already settling back into his pillows.
"Right, right," Echo conceded. "This is great. Good night, Sev. And thank you for your essential emotional consultation."
Severus heard the rustle of robes as Echo moved toward the dormitory door, the sound of a problem-solver already focused on the next challenge.
"Go to hell," Severus mumbled, his eyes closing instantly.
The door clicked shut. Silence, deep and profound, finally returned to the dungeon dormitory. Severus finally, blessedly, drifted back to sleep.
A beat of true, blessed silence passed. Then, the rhythmic clack of the dormitory door opening and closing shattered the peace. Severus tensed. He heard the faint, tell-tale drip, drip, drip of water landing on the stone floor, followed by the silent, immediate movement of Echo settling back into his bed.
Severus was just starting to relax, believing the ordeal to be over, when the insistent, familiar poke landed on his back again.
Severus sat up violently, throwing the blankets aside. He glared into the darkness separating their beds, his voice a low, furious hiss. "What now? I was asleep, you menace! Did you track down the actual meaning of life? What is it this time?"
Echo's voice, a clear, triumphant whisper, drifted back. "I did it, Sev. I went down to the lake. I told Skate everything, and we got to talking."
Severus sniffed the air, a movement of pure, practiced disgust. "I can tell. You're still wet, and you smell vaguely of fish and shame. What 'getting to talking' did you do?"
"I told her everything about my… discovery. My bisexuality. And I told her I still loved her, but that I also felt attraction to boys," Echo explained, his voice bubbling with suppressed excitement. "And you will never, ever believe what she said to me when I told her I liked boys and girls."
Severus let out a defeated groan, the sound entirely muffled as he flopped back onto his pillows, pulling a blanket over his face. "I don't know, Echo! I don't know! She still loves you and accepts you, and this doesn't dampen your ridiculous relationship. Now, let me sleep!"
"That's one thing she said!" Echo corrected, his whisper intense. "But she also said... she also likes boys and girls!"
Severus's eyes snapped open in the darkness. He sat straight up, the movement quick and sharp. "What?"
"That's what I said!" Echo repeated, his voice now laced with an unmistakable, delighted edge of competitive rivalry. "And you should have seen her face! She was so smug about it! She said she figured it out weeks ago! Can you believe the gall?"
Severus rubbed his temples with a dramatic, weary motion. "How?" he whispered, the question edged with pure confusion. "She never seemed to like anyone besides you. And frankly, on a good day, most merfolk only just tolerate the sight of us land-dwellers. How could she possibly—"
"The Yule Ball," Echo interrupted, his voice bright with the memory. "She figured it out during the Yule Ball."
Severus stared into the darkness, his expression clearly asking for elaboration. Echo, sensing the silent cue, leaned in conspiratorially.
"She said it was after all the Beauxbatons students—specifically the cheerleader Veela that they bought for the Triwizard Tournament—who surrounded the two of us. They were all complimenting her human form, getting really close with their pretty faces, nice-smelling hair, and, quote, supple breasts," Echo recounted, his voice dropping slightly as he delivered the last phrase.
Severus shot back upright, throwing a hand up in a gesture of immediate, absolute refusal. "Stop!" he hissed, his voice trembling slightly. "Do not talk about the Veela like that! Do you have any idea how late it is? I do not want to be up all night thinking about Veela breasts because of your absurd, late-night emotional breakthrough!"
"That's just how Skate described it to me, Sev!" Echo protested, but his voice lacked conviction, and his gaze was momentarily distant, as if picturing the exact scene the mermaid had described.
Severus let out a long, shuddering breath, rubbing his eyes hard with the heel of his hand. "Great. Or whatever. I'm happy for the two of you. Truly. I'm glad you're happy. Now, can the bisexual power couple please allow their heterosexual roommate to experience a few hours of uninterrupted sleep?"
"Just one more thing!" Echo pressed, the word ringing with urgency. "We also talked a bit about who we found attractive. You know, to compare points now that we're both… out."
Severus pulled the blanket over his head again, burrowing down. "I really, truly do not want to know, Echo. My ability to care is currently running on fumes and malicious spite. Good night!"
Echo chuckled, a soft, satisfied sound. "It might shock you, Sev."
Severus let out a long, theatrical groan, the sound amplified by the blanket muffling his voice. "I don't know, Echo! I really don't! The only person either of you has ever looked at with anything approaching lust is… probably Black. You did admit you were checking out his shirtless, hairy chest with me. You found him attractive, didn't you?"
Echo's voice came back, sharp and competitive. "Only partially correct. I do find Sirius attractive. But I'm not limited to one. Skate and I both agreed on a few contenders. The full list is Sirius, James, and Remus."
Severus threw the blanket off his head and sat up, his dark eyes wide with incredulous fury. He glared at the partition. "What? Black, I can understand. Potter, I can almost understand, purely because he is in good physical condition, though his face is an abomination. But Remus? The poor, scarred, perpetually tired boy? What in Merlin's name is wrong with both of you?"
"See, that's where you're wrong, Sev," Echo said, his tone softening with a touch of genuine affection for his friends. "Remus is gorgeous, but more on him in a moment. As for the other two gits, I had to admit, they are aesthetically pleasing. They're very nice to look at, even if they are a couple of pompous, arrogant swine."
Echo paused, and Severus could practically hear the arrogant smirk. "Besides, Skate finds those two attractive in a very specific way. She said they were attractive in the same way someone would like yanking an overly cute but vocal dog around. They're just so full of energy and devotion that it's… appealing to yank their chain. Though she said gindylow instead of dog."
Severus blinked, a faint, horrified image forming in his mind. He could almost picture Sirius and James—the two most obnoxious boys in the school—wearing a collar and on a leash as Echo, with an entirely neutral expression, dragged them around the common room. The image was so absurdly perfect and humiliating that Severus almost laughed, a sharp, choked sound.
"I—I see," Severus managed, clearing his throat. "An entirely psychological assessment, then. What about Lupin?"
Echo's voice dropped, becoming low and private. "There's a lot to say about Remus. He's kind, he's patient, he's incredibly smart, and he's the bravest person I know. But since we are talking about physical attraction, I will simply say that I like how tall he is, and I have seen him naked a few times."
Severus's head snapped back. "You have what?" he hissed, his voice tight with shock. He paused, then slowly lowered his head as realization dawned. "Oh, right. The werewolf transformation. You've had to help him, haven't you?"
"Precisely," Echo confirmed, a hint of weary resignation in his voice. "It's a necessary, if brief, exposure. Anyway, Remus. Very attractive."
Severus leaned forward again. "But why not Pettigrew? He's part of the group, and he's been following you all around like a shadow recently. Is he not… a contender?"
Echo scoffed. "Peter? No. I just don't find him attractive. I like what I like, and frankly, I like tall things. It gives the eye something to travel over. Peter is tragically short. Besides, I think the trauma of seeing him as a rat so often has tainted his physical appeal for me. I prefer my men large and easy to spot."
Severus let out a long, slow breath. "That… that explains an awful lot, actually."
"Moving on," Echo continued briskly, sensing the end of the boy-attraction analysis. "Skate also talked about girls. And she has found one human girl attractive."
Severus tensed instantly. "Who?"
"Lily," Echo said simply.
Severus stiffened in his bed, his face immediately flooding with a sudden, sharp, white-hot jealousy. "Lily? Why? She's—she's with me! I mean, she's not really, but I'd like to think that–" he stammered, the possessiveness instantly flooding his tone.
Echo let out an amused chuckle. "Relax, Sev. She's not trying to steal your girl. Lily is kind of the only other girl she's known for more than a few fleeting seconds. The only other female presence she's spent any real time around is Empusa, and they pretty much hate one another, so that doesn't count. But yes, she said Lily is very pretty and has nice hair, which is a common observation, I gather."
Echo paused, and Severus felt a sudden, familiar chill of apprehension. Echo only paused like that when he was about to drop a bomb. Clack. Echo snapped his fingers loudly, the sound echoing through the small, dark room. "Oh! I almost forgot the most important thing! Skate said she found you attractive, Sev."
Severus froze, his jaw slack. The jealousy instantly evaporated, replaced by a profound, baffled confusion. "What? Me? Why?"
Echo, adopting a tone of professional recitation, delivered the answer. "She said, and I am quoting her directly, 'He's kinda like a drowned rat. Disgusting, but still cute and a bit sad.'"
Severus winced, burying his face in his hands again. "A drowned rat. That is the compliment I get. Why, Echo? Why does she actually find me attractive?"
"Cause you are, Sev," Echo said, the competitive edge suddenly gone, replaced by a tone that was strangely warm and sincere. "I think you're attractive. I just wish that you could see that yourself. It kinda hurts to see you putting yourself down constantly. Even Skate, who views the world with the emotional detachment of an apex predator, saw that you were a good person underneath the layers of shame and spite."
Severus stayed buried in his hands, his cheeks faintly warm in the darkness. The silence that followed was thick, not with tension, but with an unfamiliar, heavy emotion that Severus was just as afraid to name as Echo had been earlier. He finally pulled his hands away, looking toward the faint line of light under the door.
"Thank you, Echo," Severus mumbled, the words raw and difficult. "Now, aren't you forgetting something?"
Echo paused, his head cocked slightly to the side, his hair the weary, neutral black of exhaustion. He looked toward the partition, a thoughtful silence settling over him as he processed Severus's final, demanding phrase.
"Oh, yeah," Echo finally said, the realization hitting him.
Echo leaned over Severus, the boy's surprised face looking at his, and pressed his lips gently against Severus's forehead in a quick, warm peck.
"Good night, Sev," Echo whispered, the tone one of genuine, uncomplicated affection.
Before Severus could process the contact, Echo had straightened up, taken a single silent step, and leaped—a graceful, silent jump fueled by residual magic—over the small space separating the beds. He landed on his own mattress with a muffled thump and burrowed instantly under his covers. A deep, even rhythm of breathing immediately filled the space. Echo was out cold. Severus, still sitting bolt upright, his hand instinctively raised to his forehead, where the warmth of the kiss lingered, stared into the darkness of the partition. The exhaustion he had fought all night was instantly forgotten, replaced by a surge of pure, baffled adrenaline.
"That's—that's not what I meant, you emotionally stunted menace!" Severus hissed into the dark, his voice trembling with a mixture of shock and outrage. "I meant you forgot your towel! And the decency to—"
He stopped abruptly, hearing the impossibly deep, rhythmic breaths emanating from the other side of the partition. He strained his eyes, confirming the silence of the other boy's form. Echo was completely, utterly asleep. Severus slumped back against his pillows, letting out a defeated, guttural groan. He ran a hand roughly over his face, his skin still faintly tingling from the contact.
"Oh, forget it," Severus muttered, pulling the blanket up to his chin. He turned over, his back to the partition, and stared into the wall. It was a long time before the cold, unwelcome warmth in his chest allowed him to fall back into a troubled sleep.