I have become obsessed with the song "Strange and Beautiful" by Aqualung. Thought it'd be good for a short Severus/Lily. It really could be a full-length story, but I have too much to do to take another long fic. Comments are always welcome.

To my "In That First Year" fans: No, I have not abandoned or forgotten the story. Just a bit of writers' block, coupled with too much credits at school, and extra hours at work. I hope to write another chapter this weekend, but I can't make any promises.

Disclaimer: JKR's characters are not mine. The song and lyrics are property of Matt Hales and which ever record company he is signed with.

I'll Put a Spell on You

I've been watching your world from afar,

I've been trying to be where you are,

And I've been secretly falling apart.

I'll see.

She sat directly in front of him in Potions, as she had done the entire time at school. For six years, he felt blessed to stare at the back of that redhead. For six years, he could smell her sweet scents. For six years, he memorized the sensual curves of her neck. For six years, Severus Snape had pined endlessly for Lily Evans.

She was no doubt beautiful, as the rest of the boys in the school had taken notice; but something else had caught Severus' eye. He never quite knew what. He imagined it was her intelligence or perhaps her handiness with a wand. No one would ever guess that the Dark Arts-loving, greasy-haired, sour-dispositioned, book-reading bat of Slytherin had really fallen for the girl because of her heart, and the compassion it contained.

To me, you're strange and you're beautiful,

You'd be so perfect with me, but you just

Can't see. You turn every head but you don't

See me.

By their seventh year, Severus had given up all hope that Lily Evans would ever be able to love him. Though she had always been kind to him, he never did find the courage to return the demeanor. Lily often made it a point to start a conversation with Severus. She would ask him how he was doing, then stare intently at him with those green eyes—those green eyes that haunted him, yet filled his heart with passion. He longed to flirt and joke with her as James Potter or Sirius Black would be able to do with a pretty girl. Instead, Severus barked out a response in an annoyed tone of voice, and quickly buried his face in whatever book he was carrying at the moment.

Finding himself unable to actually talk to the girl, Severus settled with being happy admiring her from afar. Though in his dreams, a much more intense bond characterized their relationship. It took many years, but Severus soon learned to accept his unrequited love.

Sometimes, the last you want comes in first,

Sometimes, the first thing you want never comes,

I know that waiting is all you can do, sometimes.

That is, until the day Lily stopped hating James Potter. Though Lily had dated other boys in her time at Hogwarts, it was only when she started to spend more time with James that Severus felt the sharp stabs of jealousy in his heart. Severus found himself unable to concentrate on school—a major concern for his teachers—as newfound hatred for a James and a longstanding desperation for Lily took consumed him.

'How can I make her love me?' he asked himself during dinner one evening as he watched James joking around with Lily. She was never more beautiful than when she was laughing. Her eyes danced as her whole face light up. Severus didn't touch his food that night.

Foregoing his classes the next day, Severus set to work in the library. Love potions were of course illegal, but Severus was sure there was another way to gain someone's affections. For days he searched and he found nothing. Each day, Severus had edged his search ever closer to the restricted section, knowing full well that a simple love potion was published in several of the battered Potions books.

Exhausting his resources, and unable to get what he wanted, Severus ended his search. He wanted some fresh air, he needed a walk. He walked towards the lake. It was by that lake that his heart broke. As he round a bush, he caught sight of James and Lily. Her lips, full and red, were pressed to James'. His hands were tangled in her red hair, and her hands had disappeared somewhere underneath his robes. Severus froze, unable to move. He felt like crying, but no tears came to his eyes. After being frozen for what seemed like ages, James felt Severus' presence.

"Snivellus, you pervert! Get lost!" he screamed. Lily looked embarrassed as she tried to straighten her hair and smooth her robes.

Severus quickly fled the scene, running back to the castle. When he got back into the school, he immediately headed to Professor Slughorn's office. Being the top potions student in the school had some advantages, such as the Potions' Master allowing him access to restricted books without much convincing. Five minutes later, Severus had a pass to the restricted section and was back in the library. Another five minutes, and he found exactly what he was looking for. The First Sight potion incited the drinker to fall unconditionally in love with the first person they saw. Severus had all the ingredients in his own supplies and the potion took only a few hours to brew; however, the potion had to be administered to a sleeping person.

I'll put a spell on you,

You'll fall asleep,

And I'll put a spell on you,

And when I wake you,

I'll be the first thing you see,

And you'll realize that you love me.

The vial felt heavy in his pocket. It was a very small vial, but still felt like a tremendous weight. The sleeping potion in the other pocket was much larger, but Severus hardly seemed to notice its presence. When he entered the Great Hall, Severus was delighted to find Lily without James. He discreetly made his way over to her table, before waving his wand nonchalantly in the direction of the boys' bathroom, where he had hidden a number of Filibuster Fireworks. The entire school's attention was turned in the direction of the bathroom when Snape slipped a small amount of the Sleeping Potion to Lily's morning orange juice. He then slipped back against the far wall and pretended to be just as disturbed by the noise as everyone else.

After Filch had scouted out the source of the commotion and yelled at Sirius Black for causing the disturbance, the dining hall returned to normal. Severus only had to wait a few minutes before Lily took a sip of her orange juice. The Sleeping potion had been quite strong, so it was no shock when Lily fell straight out of her seat at the Gryffindor table. Though strong, it only took a bit of shaking to wake the user. Students all around yelled out surprised at Lily's fall. Severus was the first at her side. Hiding the vial in his hand, he pretended to gently tap Lily on the cheek as he poured the liquid into her partially opened mouth.

Severus was about to shake the girl awake when he felt a pair very strong hands pull him away from her crumpled body.

"Get off of her you greasy prat!" Sirius Black yelled as he wrestled Severus away from Lily's side. Where Severus had been standing over Lily now stood James. James bent down to Lily and gently shook her shoulders.

"No!" screamed Severus, but it was too late. Lily opened her eyes and looked into the eyes of James Potter.

Hope you liked it.