"Add two scoops of horseradish sauce, three of chilli, then stir anti-clockwise once before adding 12 scoops of pepper," Remus Lupin read from Magical Drafts and Potions.
Lily Evans followed the instructions. She wiped her hand across her forehead.
"How come I have to make the Pepper-Up potion?" she asked "Why can't you?"
Remus sighed.
"I thought I'd explained it to you. I'm better at reading then you are. And everyone knows you're Slughorn's favourite."
"That still doesn't seem fair," Lily protested, though secretly proud at being Slughorn's favourite. He actually thought she was a pureblood, until she had let slip to him.
"Does it really matter?" Remus snapped, annoyed. "The faster we complete this rotten potion, the faster we can leave."
Lily knew that, although she wished she didn't have to do the work. She kicked her desk in frustration. A scattering of unicorn horn fell into the unfinished potion, noticed by neither of them. The solution turned a bright purple.
"Right," Remus continued "bring the caldron to boil."
Lily flicked her wand and the fire under the caldron grew, just as the potion in the caldron exploded.
The force from the small pot took Lily and Remus unaware. They smashed into opposite walls and fell to the ground, knocked out.
The remaining potion glimmered unnaturally.
Remus woke drowsily. Sunlight poured through the window The day looked promising. Great Quidditch conditions, he thought, and grinned. James had certainly rubbed off on him.
He gave a yawn, then sat up. He looked around the extremely untidy room, taking in the mess and vaguely remembered last night. It had something to do with a Pepper-Up Potion, and Lily Evans.
Lily.
Where was she?
There was the caldron, knocked over. The desk leant against the door, tipped to the side. Potion ingredients were scattered about the room as well as pages containing potion recipes, though Remus didn't notice this.
He was more distracted by the only other person in the room.
Remus stood up, shaking. He walked towards the sandy-haired boy lying on the floor. The boy who looked just like him!
Remus may not have been like his friends James and Sirius, who glanced in every mirror they saw, but he did know his own face when he saw it.
Remus stared, unable to do anything else. His mind ran through thoughts of everything he'd read on Polyjuice Potion, out of body and near death experiences.
He glanced at the window, wildly thinking the sun may have been playing tricks with his eyes.
And then he saw his reflection looking back at him. But it wasn't his refection.
It was Lily Evans's.
This couldn't be real.
Remus felt he was in a bad movie, or having a dream. But in his heart he knew he wasn't.
His hands, no, Lily's hands, reached out and touched the deep red hair flowing over his shoulders. Still shocked, he stared, dazed, at the body he ordinarily inhabited. Who was him? He thought it was Lily, but he wasn't sure. He had to find out. Gritting his (or Lily's) teeth, he gently kicked at his body.
The result was immediate. His body sat up, then stopped. Staring. At Remus. Then themselves. And then they screamed.
Remus darted forward and placed a hand over his original body's mouth.
"Okay," Remus said slowly "I'm going to remove my (?)hand. Promise you won't scream?"
His body nodded it's head.
Remus withdrew his hand. "Are you Lily?"
"Yes," his body replied, still shocked.
"Oh great," Remus groaned.
"Who are you then?" Lily asked.
"Remus," he answered.
"Oh no!" Lily gasped (it sounded weird coming from Remus) "This feels like a nightmare."
"I think it is," Remus murmured. He was busy thinking about his 'little furry problem', as James called it. It was full moon in a fortnight. And if they didn't switch back by then…
"Remus," Lily asked, breaking the silence "should we tell anyone?"
"No. Imagine if the whole school heard about this?"
"I wasn't thinking of the whole school. I was thinking of Dumbledore."
Remus paused, his now green eyes sparkling.
"That's actually a good idea," Remus admitted "but what if someone comes and tries to get us to do something?"
Lily dismissed this with a wave of Remus's normal hand.
"Tell them we've got Prefect business."
"What about the Pepper-Up Potion?"
They both stared at the up turned caldron. The same thought struck them.
"Do you think…" Remus started.
"Could it have…" Lily began.
"Did you add anything extra?" Remus asked.
"I don't think so…oh, the powdered unicorn horn went missing from the desk, just before the potion exploded."
"That was it then," Remus concluded "it must have fallen in the caldron."
"So," Lily said after a moments silence "are we going to tell Dumbledore?"
"Well," Remus shrugged "we've nothing better to do. Let's go!"