Mismatched Identities

Chapter 1 of the Lydia Lye Series

by Lucathia

Part 3/7: Couple Up?

I knew he would figure it out, but I still rolled my eyes at him. My memory of my previous years at Hogwarts slowly seeped back into my mind. I know why Snape can't kill my body and then flee back to his own.

"Oh yeah, whatever! You won't succeed, I'm telling you that."

"How come?" Snape was starting to get impatient.

I smiled secretively. He'll never guess...he never will guess why unless I tell him.

Snape glared at me again. "Stop smiling that damn smile of yours. You say I can't kill your body? Of course I can." With that, he stepped up to me and embraced me. My body immediately tensed up and I pushed him away from me angrily.

"What are you trying to do?" I demanded. Here I was, trying to tell him why killing me wasn't an option, and he comes up and hugs me? Is he out of his mind?

Snape smirked and pulled out a dagger. "I know I always carry around a dagger. Pity you didn't take it off my body when we switched. If you did, then you wouldn't have had to die right now."

Exasperated, I rolled my eyes again. "Do you want to go to Azkaban, Snape?" My mind quickly registered the name of the prison for wizards. The memory charm on me was disappearing fast now, and I finally started remembering more things about the wizardry world. After all, I am a Ravenclaw. Ravenclaws are famous for quick thinking. "If you kill me, you'll have to go to Azkaban."

Snape's facial expression did not change as he stated another fact. I was hoping he wouldn't figure it out, but he's pretty intelligent for a Slytherin. "If I stab your body with this dagger, people will think you committed suicide. No suspicions will come to me."

He held up the dagger, ready to plunge it through my stomach. I need to stop him. I can't die now...I'm only fifteen! I can't die so young...okay, calm down. He can't kill me because my powers would stop him.

I blinked.

My powers, that's it! The memory charm evaporated entirely. My special powers were the ones that made me swap bodies with Snape. I have the power to enter other people's thoughts. How could I have forgotten this?

Even though I can't switch consciousness with other people with my powers, I can read their thoughts. I never tried this before except on my deceased mother. It's such a scary power. I don't want to know what other people think of me! What if they hate me?

I think I know why I switched bodies with Snape. The potion I was brewing in class today was called sensus muto. It's actually a potion that can let the user sense other people's thoughts. When my cauldron exploded, the potion spewed all over me. The unfinished potion must have made my own powers even stronger.

And then, Madam Pomfrey cleaned me off with a spell. What was that spell called anyway? That spell must have had some weird side effect on me and caused me to be forgetful.

Then, she went and helped cure Snape. I heard him wince...and I pitied him. I wanted...to take his place to suffer for him...

Why did I ever think that way? He's trying to KILL me right now!

I blacked out after I thought about taking his place. When I woke up, Madam Pomfrey did another weird healing charm on me...and that caused me temporary memory loss. That must have been another side effect. That wasn't supposed to happen.

Okay...end of my reasoning. Right now Snape is trying to kill me. How can I stop him from doing that?

Too late. Snape plunged the dagger through my body. I gaped and jumped forward and pulled the dagger out of his hands. Throwing the dagger away violently, I saw a little blood running down his, or I should say my, robe.

Grimacing with anticipation, I ripped open the robes to examine the wound.

I blinked in surprise again.

The dagger did not go through.

I smirked and pulled Snape up. "Too cowardly to suicide? Thought it would hurt too much? I flicked a piece of his greasy hair from my face and snickered.

He looked away and swapped away my hand. "I'll let you live for a while longer."

Just as he was saying this, there was an urgent pounding at the door. I turned around and then turned back to Snape. "Who do you think that is?"

He shrugged and went over to open the door. When he did, three boys came tumbling into the room. Those three boys were James, Sirius, and...Remus.

Snape snarled, making my face look really menacing. "Are you eavesdropping? I thought I told you guys to leave!" Even though he made me look really mean, he still sounded too feminine. The scene...it was just hilarious.

And so I laughed.

Sirius glanced at me with a bewildered look on his face. He turned to James, who had just pulled himself up and was staring at me. Remus was looking at Snape and me oddly, again.

Sirius whispered to James. "Have you ever heard Snape laugh before? James and Remus both shook their heads."

"Never this sweetly."

I stopped laughing and turned towards Snape. Why did he say that? I glanced at Remus, but he was looking down. Sirius looked surprised and James was, well, composed I guess.

Snape glided over (literally) and held my hand. "Let's go, Severus," he said in my voice. What is he trying to do?

He pulled me out of the hospital wings and down the corridors. Is he trying to do what I think he's going to do? I felt rage rising inside of me. I stopped abruptly and broke free of his grip.

"Enough is enough! What are you trying to do?" I hissed angrily. "Remus is going to think I like you or something! And I'm telling you, I will not let you let him think this!"

Snape just stood there and smirked. He ran his hands through his long hair (or my long hair) and pouted. "How can you say this to me, my dear Severus? Don't you like me?" He came up closer to me and hugged me for the second time that day.

He leaned his head (or my head) next to my head (or his head). I could feel his breath against my neck. I stiffened immediately. Then he whispered into my ear. "If you don't switch our bodies back, I will make everyone in Hogwarts think you are a complete idiot. I'll act so weird that you would prefer to be DEAD and not alive. And this is the first step. I want people to think that Lydia Lye, the smart Ravenclaw, is dating Severus Snape. I know how people will think of you after this. Everyone will think you are out of your mind for dating someone out of your house."

I grimaced and whispered back. I mean, how dumb is his plan? "Won't your house be angry at you too?"

Snape snickered. "I knew that wouldn't fool you. Of course that isn't the reason. The real reason is--Lydia Lye will never date Remus Lupin if she's already dating Severus Snape. I will ruin your LOVE life. You'll feel sorry, oh you will."

That struck a nerve. How can he be so cruel? How can anyone be so cruel? I like Remus so much...I don't want him to think I'm dating Snape! I don't want him to hate me!

"You dare..." I mumbled.

Just then, I heard someone turn away. Someone saw us embracing in the halls? Who could it be? What if that person spread rumors? What if Remus hears about this? What if...

And I never got to finish that thought because my dreams were already shattered. I could feel the walls closing in on me. Remus saw.

"Remus, don't be sad." I could hear Sirius Black's voice. I want to turn around. I want to explain everything. But I can't. I can't move. I tried to pull away, but then...

Snape pressed even closer to me and locked his lips on mine. He pulled me into such a hard embrace, I could feel his arms wrapped around my shoulders and neck.

No...this can't be happening! This can't be happening to me! Snape has no right to abuse my body. That is my body he's controlling! And...to make Remus think Lydia Lye is kissing Severus Snape, that is just too cruel.

Too cruel indeed.

"Let's go Remus. She's lost game," James said.

I could picture Remus agreeing. I could feel the three of them leave. I could feel myself losing this battle.

And I know...

Remus is lost to me.

Forever.

end part 3