A/N: This was a challenge for comebacksirius. My prompt was: Polyjuice Potion and my character was Severus Snape. My first Marauders era fic too, so I hope you enjoy! Reviews are welcome! :P
The potion bubbled in its cauldron sending a strong odor through the thin air of the small cramped room that I so desperately isolated myself in. I stirred the murky potion gently; it was more of a second nature to me. I felt around my robe pocket for the small vial. I found it easily and pulled out the cork, sending the faintest smell of the owners' hair to my nose before being swept away into the stench of the potion. I carefully tipped the vial upside down, the charcoal hair falling onto my hand. I examined it for a moment to ensure that it was indeed human hair before dropping it into the potion. I stirred again and the potion turned to a sliver colour before settling on a strange golden colour. I hummed quietly to myself as I poured the potion into a cup and smelt it cautiously. It smelt faintly of honey but it was over-powered by the still air that smelt of sweat and hard work. I gently put the cup to my lips as I stood in front of a full-length mirror. I tilted my head back slightly and downed the golden liquid.
My appearance started to change at once. My long, greasy black hair was slowly going back into my skull; I shrunk a few inches and became more built and less scrawny. My eyes went from their dull, usual black to a light brown. I smiled into the mirror and almost fell back in shock at how attractive I was in this foreign body. I then decided to put some more potion into a black flask and carry it on me incase I needed more than an hour. I was happy as I squeezed back through the tight openings of my secret, hidden laboratory. I came to a halt when I realized I was in Slytherin robes, not Gryffindor. I quickly glanced around and made sure that no one was in sight when I entered the common room to change. My clothes were too long and too tight for this body so I borrowed the clothes of one of my dorm mates. I ran back out into the open and ran as fast as this new body could take me before I stopped outside the Great Hall.
"There you are! We've been looking all over for you mate!" I heard a familiar voice call. I spun and saw Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. My blood boiled and I went to snap back but then remembered… I was in James Potter's body. They were my friends… well, his friends.
"Sorry! I was looking around for Lilly…" I said as casually as I could handle. My voice sounded strange and abnormal. The feel of being in someone else's shoes was definitely an experience to remember.
"Oh, she's out in the grounds," Lupin said giving me a wink. My stomach churned at his friendly gesture, oh if you only knew Lupin!
"Well, what're we waiting for boys? Let's get a move on!" I said in a voice of authority.
I had been studying Potter's attitude, walk, speech and even the way he ate for almost two months and had almost mastered everything. We headed out to the grounds in search for Lilly Evans.
"James! There you are!" I kept walking, my head down hoping I wouldn't attract unwanted attention.
"JAMES!" She screamed again, and I remembered that I was James.
"Oh… Lilly sorry… I didn't hear you!" I said hopefully James-like.
After the awkwardness faded Lupin, Black and Pettigrew scurried off to do whatever it is that they do and left me alone with Lilly.
"So James, I was thinking we should go down to muggle London through the holidays when I come visit!"
"Yeah! That sounds great!" I said excitedly. I then remembered that I was pretending to be James and my heart cracked.
We made a lot of small talk and chatter, sitting by the black lake, the same place where, last year, Potter had magically removed my trousers in front of half the school and humiliated me beyond belief.
"I still can't believe that this is all real… I keep thinking everyday I'll wake up back home in my bed and realize it was all a dream." She said quietly motioning around to everything.
"But it's not a dream…" I held her close. She turned and placed a soft kiss to my lips and I stopped breathing. My heart thumped loudly in my chest.
"It's real isn't it?" She laughed once.
"It's real for us," I said in return. I then instantly regretted it.
"…What?" She said quickly spinning and looking at me with wide, emerald eyes.
"Are you okay?" I said cautiously… Come on Severus, don't screw this up!
"What did you just say?" She whispered.
"Nothing! I said nothing!" I got defensive.
"…Sorry James… it's just… someone has said that to me before…" She scooted forward and pressed another kiss to my lips, this time it lasted longer. It was complete and utter bliss. She pressed her body against mine, forcing me to lie back on the grass. We stayed locked together like that for a long moment before I spun us so we were resting on our sides, looking at each other. What I wouldn't give to have her look at me like that. The real me.
"I'll miss you these holidays,"
"Oh, you have no idea how much I'll miss you!" I said sweetly as we entwined our fingers together, then we both rolled onto our backs, hands still clasped together, looking up at the blue sky. We didn't look at each other for a long while, we just lay there peacefully. I then heard her giggle slightly.
"What's so funny?" I said, still not looking at her.
"Nothing, I was just-OH MY GOD!" She screamed and jumped up, I got startled and jumped up too.
"What? What's wrong!"
"Sev…Sev…. SEVERUS!" She screamed at me. I quickly threw my hands to my head, my long hair was back, and I was tall and scrawny again. Oh no. I had lost track of time.
"Lilly! Please, you have to understand!" I begged instantly.
"Why-You… What the hell?" She said angrily.
"I'm… I'm sorry Lilly… I love you!" I said as I felt the tears well in my eyes and I turned and ran as fast as I could back towards the castle. I wasn't sure if it was just the wind playing tricks on my ears or I had actually heard it, but I thought I heard Lilly scream 'I'm sorry too'
I pulled myself up and out of the pensive to be plummeted into the darkness of my office once again. I sighed to myself and sat down on the dusty chair, it was cold from the lack of heat or light down in the dungeons but I didn't care… it was nothing compared to what I felt that day. I looked in the same old mirror from the memory I had just watched, and it was as if my heart broke all over again because the only person I saw in the mirror was me. Severus Snape.
I then remembered that I wasn't James Potter.