The next week went by quickly. In no time at all, they were already done their first week back. It was anything but uneventful. Peeves the Poltergeist was still worth two locked doors and a trick staircase if you met him when you were late for something.

Even worse than Peeves, if that was possible, was the new caretaker, Argus Filch. He and Marlene had managed to get on the wrong side of him on their third morning. A rather unfortunate occurrence. They had accidentally trailed mud in, and they had offered to clean it up and apologised, but he was sure they did it on purpose. He started threatening to lock them in the dungeons when they were rescued by Professor Dumbledore who was passing by.

The man was completely barmy.

Filch owned a cat called Mrs Norris, a scrawny, dust-coloured creature with bulging, lamp-like eyes just like Filch's. She patrolled the corridors alone. Break a rule in front of her, put just one toe out of line, and she'd whisk off for Filch, who'd appear, wheezing, two seconds later. The students all hated him, and it was the dearest ambition of many to give Mrs Norris a good kick.

At least things were going much smoother with the prefects.

Lupin had finally started acting more like a Prefect, and besides one or two incidents, there was little trouble between him and the Prefects. That being said, Severus still thought it was weird whenever he looked down and saw the red badge pinned to his chest that read: Head Boy.

Several years ago, he wouldn't have thought it possible. Now, however, he found himself enjoying it, and playing a little game on the way to class, after lunch.

"Is it a plant?"

"Nope."

"Is it edible?"

"Nope." Most certainly not.

"Is it something found in this school?"

"Nope."

"People," Mary whined desperately to Alice and Lily, as they walked down the corridor, "I need help."

"This is a more difficult one," agreed Lily, pensively. Even she was having difficulty.

Severus smirked. They weren't even close.

"I'm surprised at you all," he said. "Such a pity."

"Oh, get off your high hippogriff," Marlene said with a snort. "Can we go over what we know so far?"

"Temper. Temper," he said, lips quirking upwards.

"Oh, shut it, Snape!" said Marlene.

"We're here," announced Severus, still oozing mirth.

They had just arrived at the Transfiguration classroom, their last class of the day.

They weren't the only ones waiting outside for their professor.

"Say, Evans," James Potter said, strutting over, "when are you putting paid to Snivelly?"

"Potter, why don't you find someone else to pester?" he sneered. "I assure you, your presence here is unwanted. Nay. Unwarranted."

Severus enjoyed the look of offence that appeared on the other boy's face.

"I'm not talking to you, Snivellus," Potter replied. "Lily?"

"I don't plan to," stated Lily, venom in her voice. "I'm perfectly happy with Severus, Potter."

"How?" he sneered. "He's –"

"Shut it, Potter!" warned Lily. "For the record, if you ever wanted me to give you a chance, tormenting my best friend wasn't the way to go about it."

"Oh, come on, Evans," said Potter. "You won't even give me a chance."

Lily rolled her eyes then suddenly stopped, pulled Severus to her, and kissed him passionately. She then looked over at James Potter with an innocent smile on her face and asked, "Any other questions, James?"

Amused at the look of being hit with a bludger James was wearing, he smiled and put his arm around her. He doubted Lily's attempt at discouraging Potter would really work, but it was nice to be the recipient of said attempt.

It was then that Professor McGonagall appeared, opened the door, and marched back inside.

"Who does he think he is?" said Alice.

"I know," grumbled Lily.

"All right then," she said. "Mister Bones, kindly come here and hand back the homework - Miss Moon, please take this box of mice - don't be silly, girl, they won't hurt you - and hand one to each student—"

That comment did not seem to reassure the girl at all, but Professor McGonagall just ignored her. It wasn't long before Edgar Bones handed back Severus' essay; He took it quickly and saw, to his chagrin, that he had only managed an 'E'.

"What did you get?" asked Severus, under his breath.

She tilted her essay towards him, revealing an 'O'.

"Great," Severus grumbled, before getting a look from McGonagall.

Lily just smirked.

"You cannot pass a N.E.W.T," said Professor McGonagall grimly, "without serious application, practice and study. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve a N.E.W.T in Transfiguration, as long as they put in the work – Yes, that includes you, Mister Stebbins."

At this, there were some snickers coming from the Gryffindors. Severus couldn't help but be amused.

"Now, most of – Sirius Black, if you do not stop doing that to the mouse you'll have detention – As I was saying, most of you have now successfully done cross-species switching," McGonagall said. "Today, we shall be practising the altogether more difficult type of cross-species transfiguration. Now, this will be a lot more difficult than you will have found previously. This type of transfiguration becomes more difficult with the complexity of the transfiguration. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner."

Several students were looking slightly anxious.

"The incantation we will be working with is mutatio faciem," McGonagall said. "Can anyone tell me the difference between cross-species switching and transfiguration?"

Lily put her hand up.

"Miss Evans."

"When you are doing cross-species switching, you're transforming two targets simultaneously, and merely switching traits, Ma'am," said Lily. "Cross-species transfiguration in focused on one target and you are actively changing the species."

"Precisely, Miss Evans," said McGonagall.

Black raised his hand, and Professor McGonagall acknowledged him.

"Hypothetically could you change a human into a pig, Ma'am?" Black asked.

"I certainly hope you did not ask that Mister Black!" frowned McGonagall. "You will take this seriously, or you can leave."

"Sorry, Ma'am," said Black.

Professor McGonagall shot him a glare.

"Detention tonight, my office, at Seven O'clock. Be there, Mister Black," she said.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Lily glanced over at Severus, before grumbling, "That git!"

"Let it go," Severus whispered.

The professor continued to explain the process and finally, they were sent to work. They were to change their mice into ferrets.

This was by far one of the most difficult spells they had worked on.

As they were practising Professor McGonagall paced around the room observing and correcting wand movements.

Severus was having a little harder time than Lily had with the transfiguration. It took several attempts, but eventually Lily got it. She then had corrected Severus, and they had both managed to vanish their mice.

"Excellent work, Mister Snape," McGonagall said, congratulating him. "Ten points to Gryffindor."

"Thank you, Ma'am," said Severus. Lily was greeted similarly.

As she walked around the room, Severus quickly scribbled a note to Lily that read: Do you think your action before class will get through to Potter?

He slid it over to Lily. She read it, scribbled an answer, then looking to see if McGonagall was watching, slid it back towards Severus.

She'd written: Not getting my hopes up, but, either way, I enjoyed kissing you!

He smiled and wrote: You're not the only one! Glad I could be of service.

He gave the note to Lily, who read it and rolled her eyes. Smiling, she stuck in inside her textbook.

"Good attempt, Miss Moon but I do believe I said a ferret, not a weasel," McGonagall said. She frowned at Black and Stebbins' attempt and praised LeClerc who had done reasonably well, as did Potter and Lupin. By the end of the lesson, Potter had almost done it perfectly except for the off colouring.

By the end of class, a handful of people had managed it successfully. They had also been assigned two feet of parchment on Cross-species Transfiguration, once everybody's mice had been transfigured back "Good attempt, Miss Moon but I do believe I said a ferret, not a weasel," McGonagall said.

"Well, it's something," grumbled Stebbins, holding up a long wriggling mouse-tail and dropping it back into the box Lupin was passing around.

Severus couldn't help but start laughing at the pathetic attempt.

He received a glare from Stebbins which he steadfastly ignored. Shooting him a look of superiority, he put his arm around Lily and walked out of the room.

"You're shameless," said Lily, giggling.

"Oh, indubitably," Severus snickered.

"Well, it was funny!" Marlene said with a grin. "Stebbins needed to be taken down a peg."

"True enough," said Lily.

Severus just rolled his eyes.

They prattled on about nothing, in particular, all the way down to Herbology.

They hurried through the grounds to the greenhouses and went inside.

"Welcome back," said Professor Sprout. "We'll be starting a new project of mine. You're going to be repotting baby Fanged Geranium plants and raising them, taking care of them and keeping a journal on what you observe about their growth. Can anyone tell me of them?"

Severus immediately raised his hand.

"Yes, Mister Snape."

"Fanged Geranium or Pelargonium texere is a common garden plant that is known to bite or attack if not taken care of," Severus said, without hesitation. "Its fangs are used in many simple potions and in cooking."

"Very well said, Mister Snape," said Sprout. "As you will all notice, these plants have sharp teeth, and they will bite."

It wasn't long before they were each grabbing a baby plant, a pot, and set to work. At least it was easier than repotting the Mandrakes. It went to bite.

"Oh, come on," Severus sneered. "I'm almost finished here. Behave for five seconds."

"Such an affinity for plants," teased Lily. "Oddly, not your smoothest subject."

"You think that things going to answer you, Snivellus?" Potter said mockingly.

"Oh, belt it," Severus said with a snort.

"Leave him alone, Potter," said Lily, glaring at the git.

"Give me a reason," Potter retorted.

Severus ignored him and watched as the plant retreated, and seemed to be waiting to see what happened. Severus finished covering it with dragon dung then transfigured the pot into a green china pot. He then set to watering it, and then set it back on the matching drainage plate.

"He's such a git," said Lily.

"It's fine, Lily," he said.

"No, it's not, Sev," said Lily. "I'm sick of him being such an insufferable toerag."

"Aren't we all," Severus drawled.

"Rather an unorthodox method there, Mister Snape," Professor Sprout remarked, now standing beside him. "Well done."

"Thank you, Ma'am," said Severus, his signature smirk on his face. He then shot Potter a rather smug look. Take that.