Severus's POV

"She still hasn't replied."

"Has the owl come back?" I asked her.

"I don't know. It was a school owl." Her face looked so sad.

"Maybe she's still mad."

"How could she? It's not my fault. Why did it have to be me and not her?"

To this, I had no answer.

They were walking along the river when he saw her. The girl from the train. Her hair was tangled and messy, her eyes red. She was talking to that Slytherin, the one they had dubbed Snivellus.

"Come on James," Sirius called. "What are you looking at?"

"I'm coming," He muttered. What was her name?

"Oy! James!"

"I'm coming!" She was pretty, he remembered, though she didn't look it now. Her hair was a tornado of frizz that stuck out in the back.

Sirius threw him a disgusted look, then started walking back towards the castle. As though in a trance, James walked over to the beach tree and sat down, still watching them. He wondered how they had met. Wasn't she muggleborn? Just then, the girl, Evans, he suddenly remembered, Lily Evans, began walking towards the castle. The boy just stood by the edge of the lake, watching her. Once she was out of sight, he picked up a stone, and threw it out into the lake. It bounced once, then sank. Despite himself, James laughed.

"You!"

"Hello."

"What are you doing here?"

"It's not a crime to be wandering the school grounds," James said, slightly miffed.

"Were you spying on us?"

"Had a fight? Evans does seem to have a temper." James smirked, goading him.

"You were spying then!"

"No. Merely wandering the school grounds."

"Yeah? Well leave me alone. And Lily too!"

"Watch it Snivellus, I'll talk to who I like."

"You think you're such a big man-"

"Watch it!"

"Just leave us alone!"

James drew his wand.

"You wouldn't dare." Severus breathed, drawing his own wand. "Don't you dare hex me…"

"I will, if you don't shut up. I wasn't spying on you, okay? Just leave it."

Severus's shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry. It's just…we're good friends, and now her sister's being mean, and Lily's upset."

"It's fine."

"Hey James! There you are!" Sirius said. Then he spotted Severus, who still had his wand drawn. "Petrificus Totalus!"

"Sirius, you idiot! James bellowed.

"He was going to hex you!"

"We were just talking!"

"Oh-oh man, I'm sorry. Here." He reached over to help Severus up.

"Aguamenti!" Severus yelled. Both boys were instantly sopping wet.

"Severus, it was a misunderstanding-" James started,

"Yeah? Well now it's an understanding."

It was on this note that they all trudged back up to the castle.