Special thanks to Icetail

James Potter slunk past the greenhouses and beckoned to his three friends.

"Come on," he hissed. "The coast is clear!"

"Aw, James, do we really have to go?" whined his best friend, Sirius Black. "My feet hurt, and we've been out all day. Can we pleeeaaase go back to the common room? Please?"

"Shhh. We're almost there."

"You said that ten minutes ago!" wailed Sirius.

"Shh," said James again. "I promise this will be good. You didn't see how mad she was this morning. Now be quiet!"

They crept from tree to tree, until finally Remus Lupin said, "James, Sirius is right. You had us out all morning practicing quidditch, then all afternoon on a wild goose chase after a crumple-horned snorcack, and now you expect us to run around spying on Lily Evans? I'm leaving."

"No!" James screeched. "I mean no, you can't," he whispered. "This is Lily we're talking about, and Snape! We have to see this! Please, please! Pretty please with a cherry on top!" he begged. Just then they heard raised voices.

"Lily! I'm sorry!" Severus Snape was saying.

"You should have thought of that earlier, then, shouldn't you." said Lily, striding away.

"No! Lily, please! Listen to me!"

James was looking as though Christmas had come early. "Do you-"

"Shh!" Remus quickly cast a silencing charm on all of them.

"Do you hear them?" yelled James. "She hates him! This is great!"

"What, Snape?" shouted Lily, sounding suddenly impatient. "I heard what you said! Everyone did! And now you expect me to come crawling back to you? You called me a mudblood!"

Peter screamed. "She- she said the m-word!" Sirius rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry Lily! I shouldn't have said it!" said Snape desperately.

"Well, you did," said Lily shortly.

"I didn't mean it! I- I love you!"

There was complete silence. James had his mouth wide open and looked as though the world had come to and end.

"He... loves her?" he said in disbelief. "How can he love her?" he continued a little louder, sounding more and more indignant. "I love her!" Remus, too looked shocked. Sirius just yawned.

"Geez, you'd think we were watching a soap opera!"

"What's a soap opera?" asked Remus, curiously.

Peter had conjured up some popcorn and was sitting on the grass, leaning forward eagerly and drooling slightly.

They all turned back to Lily and Snape. To James's horror, Snape leaned forward and kissed her. "How could he!" yelled James. "That bastard! Wait till I get my hands on him-" he started forward, but Remus grabbed the back of his robes.

"Stop!" he hissed. "Do you think she'd be pleased to find out that you've been spying on her?"

But James was no longer paying attention. He was watching, enraptured, as Lily pulled away and slapped Snape across the cheek. James started doing a jig.

"Yes! She slapped him, she slapped him!" sang James. "She doesn't like him! She'll never talk to him again! She'll marry me!"

"Whoa, Prongs mate, slow down." said Sirius. "Moving way too fast there."

Lily watched Snape as he slowly brought a hand to his cheek where she had slapped him. He was gazing into her eyes with a hurt look on his face, and she looked suddenly very sorry.

"Look, Sev," she said. "I'm really sorry, but I just... don't feel that way about you." He nodded, still looking forlorn.

"It's all right," he said, trying to sound as though nothing had happened. "Just.. would you mind not mentioning it to anyone? I'd hate for someone like Potter, " he spat the name, "to find out."

James laughed. "Too right you would, Snivellus!"

"No, James," said Remus. "You can't tell him that you were spying, remember? He'd think Lily had told you."

"And what's wrong with that?" asked James obnoxiously.

"She'll know you were spying too, you prat."

"Oh yeah."

To be continued