Setting: seventh year; it's AU in that Voldemort died back in 1981, Sirius was pardoned in 3rd year as Pettigrew was found and captured and he was also able to gain custody of Harry (so no more Dursleys) and also, big point, there are no Horcruxes at all in this story.
Summary: Everyone's saying how Harry and Ginny are like James and Lily again with Harry looking like his dad while Ginny had the same red hair as Lily, but what if they were wrong? What if Harry, despite looking like his father, was more like his mother?

A/N: this is one of the stories that was supposed to be posted a month ago for babyvfan's birthday, but I did not get it done in time as work and other RL stuff popped up, but she was so understanding about it. I then gave myself Valentine's Day to post it to make up for it, so, Happy Valentine's Day (even though this isn't really a true love story) and happy belated birthday to babyvfan!

A/N 2: this story is told from Severus Snape's POV (though in third person). It's an idea that came to me and I had to write it down. I'm not 100% sure how this will be received, but I thought it was an interesting concept and had to share it and hope you guys like it.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all its affiliates belong to JK Rowling and Bloomsbury/Scholastic as well as Warner Bros. No copyright or trademark infringement is intended and I am not making any money from this. In other words, I do not own.

"Speaking"
'Thinking'

He sat at the Head table, his colleagues sitting beside him, but he paid them no attention. His gaze was instead focused on a certain teen. His onyx eyes took in the messy head of dark hair, the body whose stature was smaller than the other males of his age group, the glasses that adorned his face and the green eyes. Yes, he Severus Snape was watching none other than Harry James Potter.

Since the moment he laid eyes upon the young man during the sorting ceremony six years ago, his emotions were at war. Half of him hated the boy on sight due to his resemblance to his father, James Potter, the man who had made Severus' life hell when he was a student. James and his misfit friends had bullied him throughout his years at Hogwarts. He had fell victim to numerous pranks from the so called Marauders. He had had only one true friend throughout his Hogwarts career and that had been Lily Evans and she was the reason the other half of him didn't hate Harry.

Lily had had the kindest soul he'd ever encountered in his life; she had had the ability to see past all the walls and snarky attitude and scowling and see the true person he was underneath; a person he had thought had never existed. She had made him want to be a better person, but all that had changed when he had destroyed their friendship back in his fifth year and then two years later, he had watched the only woman he ever loved get together with the man he hated most of all.

'The tale of James and Lily after Hogwarts is known everywhere,' he thought to himself, 'but what no one knows, is how they actually got started. Only a select few know that Lily couldn't stand James throughout school. It wasn't until our seventh year that things changed; that Potter became someone Lily actually liked and it hadn't taken long after that for them to end up together.' His gaze drifted from Harry to another student, a male blond that wore Slytherin green robes. 'And now, history is repeating itself.'

His lips curled slightly. 'I wonder just how many saw the same thing I did.' His gaze drifted around the school. 'Of course, this school has an abundant presence of dunderheads and blind, mindless fools. Not even half of them have the observation skills needed to survive in this world.'

He knew that he was a cut above everyone else due to his own life. His childhood was very difficult, something he was sure no one else had gone through, save for one person, and his adult years were no better. He had joined a cause due in part to his loss of friendship with Lily Evans-Potter and in part due to the need to fit in. But things had changed the night Lily died and from that moment onward, he had vowed to protect Lily's son as best as he could.

His gaze drifted back over to Harry and a tiny, almost imperceptible smile lit his face as he remembered the first time he saw Harry.

'I thought he was just like James,' he thought, 'arrogant, conceited, believed himself above the rules, selfish, strutting peacock. I am man enough to admit my error in thinking Harry was just like James, for though he looks like him, he is vastly different. No…Harry is not a younger James Potter, but rather, a younger Lily.'

It had taken him a while before he noticed the mask Harry had worn and before he was able to move past that mask and see the person Harry was beneath. He supposed it had helped when Black of all had come up to him and apologized for his actions during their own years at Hogwarts. He had questioned the apology as he had never thought that Sirius Black would ever mature enough to do so and had been surprised when the other man had admitted that it was Harry who had given him the push; the man had revealed that the teen had confronted him about the dislike and when he had learned of the actions of not only Sirius but James as well, he had been disappointed and aghast, saying that he had grown up with his own bully and was ashamed that his father and godfather were anything like what he had experienced himself. Black had further revealed that the disappointment had cut through him and that he had never wanted to see such a look on his godson's face ever again.

'He has her grace, her selflessness, and her need to defend others, especially those who did not want to defend themselves,' he mused, 'He may physically resemble James Potter, but his compassion, his fight, his very spirit was all Lily.'

Who would have ever thought that he and Sirius would be able to have a civilised conversation and co-existence? Things sure do change.

'And now,' he mused, his gaze settling on Harry and seeing that the teen was looking at someone sitting across the Hall, at the Slytherin table, 'things are changing once again.'

~…~

It was a normal day. It was lunch hour and the Great Hall was slowly filling up with students, all chatting with their friends, making their way to their tables to sit down and eat. It was a nauseating sight as he really could not stand the sound of those insipid conversations that seem to sprang up quite often. But this was his cross to bear for choosing to remain in his teaching position.

He watched as Draco and Harry walked into the Hall, smiling and talking to each other and held back the snort as the conversations slowly died down and everyone stared at the two teens. Their rivalry was quite honestly, and stupidly, a legend of the school.

As he watched the two teens seemingly oblivious to the reaction of their peers, so caught up in their conversation, he knew what was coming before anyone else and was therefore the only one to not react when almost absentmindedly, Harry pressed a kiss to Draco's lips.

That…was something he could've gone his entire life without seeing. He did experience a certain amount of pleasure though as the look of surprised horror graced the boys' faces as the realization of just what they had done and where they had done it sunk in. That pleasure maximized when he saw that same surprised horror reflected on the rest of the students' faces, most notably, the horrid Weasley boy.

He watched, face blank but eyes gleaming to anyone who knew him well enough to know what to look for, as the boys are confronted by their separate group of friends. The Weasley boy's voice was loud enough to carry, even if the Hall had been filled with talking. He knows without looking that Granger would be firm but confused, Zabini's posture was deliberately relaxed and both the female Weasley and Parkinson were outright glaring at the two boys. It was far too amusing to watch it all unfold.

He watched with pride as the two boys stood firm in the face of their friends' disapproval, leaving the Hall after grabbing a few things to eat, without looking back. It was a pride that continued to grow as the days passed as the boys remained firmly at each other's side through the whispers, looks and judgement from their peers, to the articles in the Daily Prophet and the Howlers, to even the initial loud displeasure from Black.

He knew of course that the dissention between the friends wouldn't last long. And he was proven right, when just over two weeks later, the boys entered the Hall with all of their friends, with the exception of the Weasley girl.

And as he sat there, onyx eyes soft with affection as his gaze took in the sight of Draco and Harry sitting at Gryffindor table surrounded by their closest friends, a conversation a few days prior came back to him,

"You're not surprised," Remus remarked, interrupting Sirius' rant about Lucius Malfoy and how his spawn better not hurt his pup. "Why?"

The question drew the attention of the others, and silencing Sirius, who was curious to hear but would never admit it.

He remained silent for a few moments, half contemplating whether or not he should answer and the other half enjoying the looks of barely concealed frustration and expectation at his silence.

"Well?!" Sirius demanded. "Aren't you going to tell us?"

"I am not surprised, you insufferable baboon," he spoke, "because it has happened once before, and as the saying goes, history does tend to repeat itself."

The words drew confusion from everyone, except for Dumbledore and those damn twinkling eyes.

"History has repeated itself?" Vector was the one to speak.

"Yes," he nodded, "a young pureblood; arrogant, conceited and believing the world should bow to his needs, thinking that he is above all else due to his family wealth and standing. Charming, brilliant and regarded as a leader by his peers, while to others, he is regarded as a bully."

Remus' eyes went soft with sudden understanding.

"A Muggleborn," he continued, "eyes as green as emeralds and bright with fire and passion; befriending others most would not give a second chance, speaking out against the utter prejudice of purebloods and standing firm in her convictions."

"We know who Malfoy and Potter are," Burbage replied, "but that still doesn't explain the history comment."

It was Sirius who uttered the names. "James and Lily"

Loud laughter drew him from his memories and he looked up to see the Weasley boy cleaning spilt juice from his robes, unable to stop the slight curl of his lips at the sight. His gaze almost unwittingly drifts back to Harry and Draco.

The group gets up and leave and as they cleared the entrance, while their friends continued on, Harry and Draco stop. They're talking, easy smiles on their faces as Harry's arms go up and around Draco's neck and Draco's wrap around the shorter boy's waist and for a second, the image changed; instead of a tall blond and short brunet, a tall brunet and a short redhead stood there, the love for each other so clear on their faces. He blinked and the image disappeared, leaving the boys, sharing a quick kiss before Draco said something that made Harry pull away and smack his chest as he rolled his eyes and walked away, to catch up to their friends with Draco smirking arrogantly as he followed.

'Just like James and Lily. But perhaps, their story will end far more happily.'

A/N 3: what did you guys think of it? decent? review and let me know.

Kila