Just as Sirius and Severus drew closer to their mutual friend sitting on a blanket near the Black Lake, the air crackled with unspoken tension. The sun glinted off the water, casting shimmering reflections that seemed to mock the adolescent animosity between them.

Their eyes locked, a silent challenge passing between the Gryffindor and Slytherin students. Stubborn pride kept them on their paths, each unwilling to yield. Sirius couldn’t resist a snide comment, his voice laced with playful malice: "Look who's gracing us with his presence, Snivellus. Must be a special day."

Severus narrowed his eyes, a storm brewing beneath his composed exterior. "Oh, how delightful to see you, Black. I was just thinking Hogwarts suffered from a shortage of arrogant dunderheads." His tone dripped with sarcasm, the bitterness evident in his words.

As the tension mounted, their hands instinctively moved to their wands, ready for a duel that felt as inevitable as Grindylow attacks. The surrounding students began to notice, whispers of anticipation rising in the air as the two enemies prepared to clash once more.