DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the Characters, they are property of J.K. Rowling. I am just borrowing her brilliant world and characters, with no claim at all.

In this first chapter, there is some of J.K. own writing in it from OotP and Deathly Hallows, I do not take credit for her writing. My goal is to make this fanfic as accurate as possible to J.K. Rowling's story line.

Cover Image is Drawn by Laura Price, you can follow her on Instagram lulusketches

"Five more minutes!"

It was exam time, and sunshine was streaming through the high windows onto the bent heads, which shone chestnut, with copper and gold in the bright light. The only sound in the Great Hall was the scratching of quills and the occasional rustle as somebody adjusted their parchment.

James Potter wrote the last few lines on his exam before slowly straightening up. He put down his quill and pulled the roll of parchment towards him to reread what he had written.

He yawned and ruffled up his hair, making it even messier than it was already. James glanced towards Professor Flitwick who had just passed his desk, before turning in his seat to grin at the boy sitting four places behind him

Lounging in his chair and tilting it back on two legs, Sirius Black caught James' smile and gave him a thumbs-up. Sirius was James' best mate and fellow Marauder, along with Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

Sirius was very good-looking. He had dark hair that fell naturally and elegentally into his eyes, in such a way that James could never achieve. Finished with his exam he relaxed confidently with a slight bored look on his face, not noticing the girl behind him who was eyeing him hopefully.

Two seats along from the girl who was still looking at Sirius, were Remus and Peter.

Looking rather pale and peaky, Remus, who was absorbed in the exam, reread his answers and scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly.

Next to him, looking rather anxious, Peter sat chewing his fingernails whilst staring down at his paper and scuffing his toes, trying to answer just a few more questions. Every now and then you could see him glancing hopefully at his neighbour's paper.

James was now doodling on a bit of scrap parchment. After drawing a Snitch, without really concentrating, he was now tracing the letters 'L.E.'.

Lily Evans.

Just the thought of her made James' heart miss a beat and his hand automatically jump back up to his hair to mess it up some more. She was the one girl in the entire school who had yet to fall for his charms. In fact, she seemed to loathe everything he did, even the things that made all the other girls swoon. He could spot her a few seats ahead of himself; it was impossible to miss her vibrant red hair that James had so desperately wanted to touch countless times before. Wondering what it would feel and smell like, James' thoughts were interrupted.

"Quills down, please!' squeaked Professor Flitwick, immediately bringing James back to the present. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"

Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him back on to his feet, Lily being one of them.

"Thank you . . . thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

Hastily crossing out the 'L. E. ' he had been embellishing, James jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam paper into his bag, slung it over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join him.

Out of the corner of his eye he watched Lily and a group of her friends chatting animatedly as they left the Great Hall, causing James to suddenly wonder what she was saying.

After Sirius, Remus and Peter had joined James they began to walk out of the Great Hall, feeling quite excited that they didn't have any more O.W.L. exams to look forward to.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius as they emerged into the Entrance Hall.

"Loved it," said Lupin briskly. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question. "

"Do you think you managed to get all the signs?" said James in tones of mock concern.

"Think I did," said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin."

Wormtail was the only one who didn't laugh. "I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail," he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else-"

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run round with a werewolf once a month-"

"Keep your voice down," implored Lupin.

"Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Sirius said, as they were striding down towards the lake. "I'll be surprised if I don't get "Outstanding" on it at least."

"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it," said James casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly only a foot away before seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent. Wormtail watched him in awe.

Stopping under the shade of the beech tree on the edge of the lake, they threw themselves down onto the grass.

The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake; the bank on which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall were sitting, their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.

James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping, but he always managed to grab it at the last second. Wormtail was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Wormtail gasped and applauded. James seemed to be enjoying the attention. Lupin had pulled out a book and was reading. Sirius stared around at the students sprawled over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so.

James also kept looking over at the girls by the water's edge. Trying to seem casual about it, he would sneak glances towards a certain redhead who was seen laughing at some joke Mary MacDonald had told. Seeing this, a ripple of jealousy suddenly passed through him; Lily never seem to laugh and smile like that when he's around.

"Put that away, will you," said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer, "before Wormtail wets himself with excitement."

Wormtail turned slightly pink, but James grinned.

"If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.

"I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was full moon."

"You might," said Remus darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here . . ." and he held out his book.

But Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly, "Look who it is." Sirius's head turned. He became very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

Noticing Severus Snape leaving the shadow of some bushes, stowing his OWL paper in his bag, "Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."

Sirius and James stood up.

Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting. Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.

Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack. Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes wand already halfway into the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

'Impedimenta!' he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.

By this point, students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had got to their feet and were edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.

Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laughed; Snape was clearly unpopular and nobody wanted to stop James. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You-wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. "You- wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away, nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him-

"Leave him ALONE!"

James and Sirius looked round. James's free hand immediately jumped up to his hair.

It was one of the girls from the lake's edge. She had thick, dark red hair that fell to her shoulders, and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes.

"All right, Evans?' said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean . . ."

Many of the surrounding students laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and nor did Lily.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on . . . go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soap suds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. "OI!"

But it was too late - Snape had directed his wand straight at was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about. A second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, James and Wormtail roared with laughter.

Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upwards, causing Snape to fall into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Lily blinked.

"Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologise to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.

"I don't want you to make him apologise," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is."

"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a-you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can-I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

She turned on her heel and hurried away.

"Evans!" James shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"

But she didn't look back.

"What is it with her?" said James, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius.

"Right," said James, who looked furious now, "right-"

There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside-down in the air.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"

Trying desperately not to cry, Lily ignored James' calls and tried to get to the Great Hall as fast as she could. But before she could help it, tears began welling in her eyes and slipping down her cheeks.

Not seeing where she was going, she didn't care, she just ran. Before the tears had really even begun falling yet she skidded through the doors and stumbled through the crowded halls. She could hear several people calling out to her but Lily didn't stop- she just needed to be alone. She didn't want to think, she didn't want to talk, she didn't want to face reality.

Climbing the stairs to the Gryffindor common room, Lily had begun to attract a lot of attention. Staring at her as she ran past, students were whispering about what would cause Lily Evans to cry. Throughout all five of her years at Hogwarts, despite all the name calling the Slytherin's would put her through, despite the pranks and jokes the Marauders would make, despite the endless screaming matches between her and Potter, no one had once seen her cry.

Reaching the portrait of the Fat Lady, Lily had to take a few deep breaths to try and say the password aloud. Voice cracking and drenched in hurt and pain she managed to choke out, "Venomous Tentacula."

And with a look of pity from the Fat Lady, the portrait swung open and she stumbled through. Running straight to her dormitory and crashing onto her bed, heavy choking sobs racked through her whole body. Not knowing or caring how long she lay there crying, those words rang in her ears over and over again.

I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her.

Filthy little Mudbloods like her.

Filthy little Mudbloods

Filthy mudblood.

Sev had been the only one who had never called her that, and who stuck up for her when the other Slytherins would sneer it at her. He was one of her best friends, he was the one who introduced her into this whole magical world… And although she'd seen the darker side to him begin to grow over the years, she'd chosen to ignore it because she knew of all the good Sev had inside. But now, with an aching heart Lily realized that her Sev was gone. Her best friend was gone.

Pounding on the Fat Lady's Portrait, who now fuming after some colorful words had been said, Severus Snape yelled for Lily.

"LILY! PLEASE, COME DOWN AND TALK TO ME! I'M SORRY! I DIDN'T MEAN IT! LILY!"

Snape knew how big he had royally screwed up. He hurt the one person he cared most about in the world, the girl he loved more than anything, and he didn't know what to do. Lily wouldn't come down and he needed talk to her.

"LILY! LILY PLEASE!"

It had been nearly two hours ago that the worst moment of his entire life occurred and he'd been pounding on the door for more than half of it. Right as he was about to yell for Lily again, hearing soft footsteps behind him, Snape turned to see one of Lily's friends and roommates, Mary MacDonald. Mary was a fellow fifth year, and in Snape's opinion wasn't nearly as insufferable as most other Gryffindors. Seeing Snape she eyed him warily.

"What are you doing here Severus?" She asked with a sigh.

"I need to speak to Lily."

"I don't think she wants to speak to you."

Becoming dangerously frustrated and annoyed at her, gritting his teeth to try and stay calm, he responded, "I would greatly appreciate it if you could please get Lily so I can speak with her."

"I'm sorry but I'm not going to, you really hurt her Severus. You should just go."

Losing all patience, he whispered to her menacingly, "If you don't tell Lily that I need to speak to her tonight, then I'll just sleep right here and wait for her to come out in the morning. So you can either tell her that I'm sleeping here all night until she comes to talk to me, or you could just ask her to come speak to me now."

With a huff, Mary responded exasperated "Fine! I'll let her know you're out here, but that doesn't mean she's going to want to talk to you."

With a stiff nod, he watched her whisper the Gryffindor Common Room password to the Fat Lady, and walk inside. Walking back and forth thinking about what he would say, Snape felt his heart in his throat. He had to get her to forgive him.

A few minutes later Snape stopped in his tracks as he watched the Portrait door open and a girl with bright red hair and guarded green eyes walked out steadily staring at him

"Well? What do you want?" Lily asked with a cold tone, causing Severus to flinch.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sorry!"

"Save your breath."

It was nighttime. Lily, who was wearing a dressing gown, stood with her arms folded in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you Mudblood, it just —"

"Slipped out?" There was no pity in Lily's voice. "It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends — you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"

He opened his mouth, but closed it without speaking.

"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

"No — listen, I didn't mean —"

"— to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

He struggled on the verge of speech, but with a contemptuous look she turned and climbed back through the portrait hole. . . .

Author's Note: Thank you for taking your time to read my first chapter! I am really excited to write some more and put more of my own writing into it. I'd love reviews if you'd like to say anything. I'll gladly take constructive criticism and if you see anything that is factually incorrect please let me know! I really want this to fit into the original Harry Potter story line as well. And of course, if you'd like to just leave a nice comment that'd be nice too :D