Disclaimer: The wonderful JK Rowling owns the Harry Potter books and her all the characters, except for Mirabelle, Pamela, and Julia.

A/N: Okay, here is chapter 4! Aren't you all excited? This chapter's a little longer and it gets darker, so be warned. This story is going to be very dark and depressing when it's all over, but I'll try to keep it light for now. Anyway, after you've read my story, please read my sister's; she is Mask of Twilight and her story is called, "The Fall". It's a very good story about Tom M. Riddle, so read and review her story as well.

*************CHAPTER 4*************************************** * *

*

Lily sat in the girl's dorm, tears silently falling down her face. 'Why do boys have to be so stupid?' she thought. 'I don't understand them at all...'

She heard a knock at the door. It was Julia. "What's wrong, Lil?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," Lily sighed. "It's just James and Severus. Why do they have to hate each other so much? I can't understand it."

"Lily, they're guys," Julia said. "We're not meant to understand them. Their minds are too simple for us to even try to understand."

Lily giggled. "That's why they need us, right?" she smiled weakly.

"Exactly," Julia smiled. "Without women, they couldn't survive. Why, they'd probably kill each other off!"

The girls laughed. Lily felt much better.

"So," said Julia. "Are you ready to face the world again?"

Lily nodded. "Thanks, Jules. You're the best."

They went into the Gryffindor common room to study by the fire. After a while, Remus joined them.

"So, Lily, I heard what happened with James and Snape," he said.

"Yeah," Lily said, disgust evident in her face. "They're so annoying sometimes!"

"Well, you know," Remus said, "It was mainly Sirius' fault."

"What?" Lily asked, puzzled.

"It was Sirius' idea. He decided that it would be funny if Snape's potion exploded. He didn't think that you would be near him when it happened."

"Ohhhhh, just wait 'till I get my hands on Sirius!" she said.

Remus smiled. "Well, don't be too hard on James. He still wants you to go to Hogsmeade with him, you know."

"I'll consider it," Lily grinned. "As long as he apologizes to me first."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," Remus chuckled, then walked off.

A little while later, James and Sirius walked into the room, laughing about something. Lily stood up and walked over to Sirius, a strange expression on her face. She was straining not to yell at him.

"Soooo, Sirius...how are you?" she smiled a little too sweetly.

"I'm okay...why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," she smiled vaguely, but James noticed her whispering some sort of a spell to herself.

The next minute, Sirius' hair started to grow...curlier and curlier... and then became an odd shade of magenta. All of the Gryffindors were laughing, and Sirius was asking, "What's so funny?"

"Take a look on the mirror, Padfoot," Remus said.

Sirius ran to the boys' dormitory. A few seconds later, everyone heard a loud scream coming from that direction. "LILY! WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY HAIR?!"

As he reentered the room, Lily smiled. "It serves you right, Siri, for that awful little prank you pulled yesterday in potions. Don't worry, it'll be back to normal in a day or two.."

After everything had died down, James said quietly to Lily, "Hey, Lily? I'm really sorry about yesterday...I was just worried about you. Is there any way that I can make it up to you?"

"Welllllll, I guess I can forgive you if you promise to be my slave for all eternity and fulfill my every whim..."

"Lily! I'm pouring my heart out to you, here, and all you can do is joke around!"

Lily smiled mischieviously. "And who said I was joking?"

James smiled shyly. "So, do you still want to go with me to Hogsmeade?"

"Of course, James, you know I wouldn't miss it."

********************************************************************

~That night, in Hogsmeade~

Severus Snape walked down the crowded street with Lucius Malfoy and several other Slytherins, including Lestrange, Crabbe, and Goyle. It was a nice night; the sky was clear and a light breeze flew through the air. But none in this group were thinking of the weather.

"The time to join is now," said Malfoy in a hushed voice. "He has become more and more powerful over the years, and it will not be long before his reign begins."

"Yes," agreed Marcus Lestrange. "It is time for us all to choose our own destiny. There is a new group forming, composed of those who are most loyal to him, called the Death Eaters. Look, I have already joined."

He pulled up the sleeve of his robes to reveal a strange mark on his arm. The others stared at it. It was the faint mark of a skull with a snake sliding out of its mouth. Severus gaped in horror.

"That's the Dark Mark!" he hissed, not believing that Lestrange could ever condemn himself to the forces of evil, especially only at the age of eighteen.

"Shhhh! Not so loud!"

"But what is to be gained, ultimately, from joining the Dark Lord?" Malfoy asked.

"Everything," Lestrange said slowly, his eyes gleaming in a way that frightened Severus. "We will have more power than we can possibly imagine. Those unfortunate beings who are weaker than ourselves will cower before us. Those who laugh at us now"- Severus thought of the Marauders- "will not be laughing when we show them what true power is. We will rule the earth, lords of our own land, masters of the world."

He paused, then extended his hand to Malfoy and Snape. He knew that if they joined, the rest of the Slytherins would follow. "So what do you say? Are you with us?"

Malfoy slowly reached out, took Lestrange's hand, and shook it. "The deal is done," whispered Lestrange. "You will meet your new master very soon. And what about you, Severus? Care to join our ranks?"

Snape stood there for what seemed an eternity. Thoughts and questions filled his head, too many to handle all at once. Finally, he spoke. "Will you give me time to think about it?"

"Of course," Lestrange said softly. "Just remember this, Snape: When the time comes, would you rather be Death's ally- or one of his many victims?"

*****************************************************************

~Meanwhile~

Sirius, James, Remus, Pamela, Mirabelle and Lily were all having a grand time in the village of Hogsmeade. Their pockets were filled with coins, their voices were filled with laughter.

"Where shall we go first?" Sirius asked, pulling Pamela close to him.

"Hmmm...how about the joke shop?" Pamela said. "That's always been my favorite place...you wouldn't believe how many pranks I've pulled with stuff from there."

"You can't possibly have pulled as many pranks as I have," Sirius grinned. "No one can make me fall for a prank. I am the prank-master!"

"Oh, are you know?" Pamela laughed. "Then why did someone tell me that you got your hair changed to magenta just the other day?"

"Lily!" Sirius called behind him. "What kind of lies have you been telling Pam?"

"I showed her the pictures, too, Siri!" Lily shouted.

"That was of the utmost cruelty, Lil!" he said.

Pamela smiled. "Don't worry, Sirius, I'll like you no matter what your hair looks like."

"Even if it looks like Snape's?" he winked.

"We-ellll, I don't know if I like you that much," she winked back.

"Would this change your mind?" He pulled her close and kissed her.

"That was a start," she grinned. "But I might need a little more convincing..." They kissed again, then headed off to the joke shop.

"Oh, so they're abandoning us now?" James smiled at Lily.

"I can't say I blame them," Remus said, his hand intertwined with Mirabelle's. "They're so into each other that they can't see anything else, not even us."

"It could be better for us 'zis way," Mirabelle winked, her dark French curls bouncing behind her as she walked. Remus blushed.

"Alright, then, let's split up for now," he said. "We can all meet back at the Shrieking Shack later." He and Mirabelle walked off, staring into each other's eyes the whole time.

"So where should we go?" James asked, putting an arm around Lily.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks. I'm in the mood for some butterbeer."

"Exactly what I was thinking," James said.

When they entered the Three Broomsticks, Lily and James found a small table in the back of the room. "I'll get our drinks," said James as he walked up to the counter.

"Hello, Madame Rosmerta," he grinned.

"Why, if it isn't James Potter!" she smiled. "Will it be the usual two butterbeers for you and young Sirius Black?"

"Well, it'll be two butterbeers, but Sirius isn't here."

"Ah, so who's the other one for, then?"

James motioned over his shoulder towards Lily.

"Oh," Madame Rosmerta winked. She sighed. "Ahhh, young love. Why I remember when I was a girl..."

James mumbled something about having to go and then took the drinks to the table. But he saw that Lily wasn't alone. Someone was talking to her very softly; someone who looked a lot like-

"SNAPE!" James yelled. "What are you doing here?!"

Snape turned around to face James.

"only talking to my delightful friend here," he smirked. "As I was saying just before I was so rudely interrupted- Lily, I'm sorry for the way I acted the other day. My behavior was uncalled for." As he said this, it seemed that he was mocking James.

"It's alright, Sev," Lily said. "I'd just like for both of you"-she glanced at James-"to act civil towards each other, at least in front of me."

"You're asking a lot, Lily," James frowned, eyeing Snape. "But if it's for you, I'll gladly do it."

"How very *noble* of you, Potter," Snape said, anger forming in his eyes. "Perhaps you're doing it not only for her sake, but for yours as well. It's actually a very smart move. I wouldn't want to cross me in a duel, either."

James narrowed his eyes. "Are you saying that I'm too much of a coward to challenge you?"

"That," Severus sneered, "is for your own interpretation." He glanced down at Lily, who looked a little tense, then looked back up at James. "Well, sadly, I must be going," Snape said. "See you around, Lily."

"Thanks for stopping by, Severus," Lily said softly.

"I'm glad to be of service," Snape bowed, then walked out the door, completely ignoring James as he passed.

"How can you stand him, Lil?" James asked, sitting down.

"Well, for one thing, he and I aren't rivals."

"Very true," James said. "But the only reason we're rivals is because of the way he acts. He always thinks that he's so superior compared to everyone else."

"Only if that 'everyone else' is you Sirius, Remus and Peter," Lily grinned.

After they finishe their butterbeer, they walked around the village, passing many shops along the way. Then they headed toward the Shrieking Shack, walking slowly, hand-in-hand.

"It's such a beautiful night," Lily whispered, gazing up at the stars. "I wish it could last forever."

"Yeah," James said, gazing at the reflection of the stars in Lily's eyes. "Forever..."

He pulled her into a soft, sweet kiss, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She kissed him back with a gentle passion. Their silhouettes were softly illuminated in the moonlight.

*******************************************************************

Severus had gone to the Shrieking Shack after he left Lily and Potter at the Three Broomsticks. It was a place for him to be alone, a quiet place to think. He couldn't believe that Marcus Lestrange had convinced Malfoy to join the Death Eaters. What could he have been thinking? And why had Malfoy made his decision so quickly? The Death Eaters wasn't just some random little club that you joined to have fun. Once you were in, you were in for life. And nothing could change that.

But why did Lestrange want Severus and Lucius to join? After all, they were mere boys at the age of sixteen. What use would they be to the Dark Lord? Severus wasn't ready to sell his life to Lord Voldemort. Not yet.

Severus was interrupted from his thoughts when he saw two figures walking near the shack. He looked more closely. It was Potter and Lily. 'I should have known,' he thought to himself. 'They're probably waiting for Black and Lupin, as usual...'

But as he watched, he saw Potter move closer to Lily. She smiled, and Potter leaned down....and kissed her.

'Get your dirty hands off her, Potter!' Snape's mind screamed. 'Tell him off, Lily...'

But now Lily was kissing him back. Severus sank down to his knees, as if in shock. This couldn't be happening... A soft moan escaped his lips. His cold heart ached as it never had before. "Lily..." he whispered softly to himself, his voice wavering.

'Well what did you expect, Severus?' said a cold voice in his head. 'Did you think that someone as wonderful as Lily could ever love you?' He laughed bitterly. 'I'm such a fool,' he thought. 'I don't deserve her.' He glanced back at James and Lily one last time, then thought, 'but neither does Potter...'

With that, he fled to the forest, disappearing into the darkness.