A/N: Okay, you people, I just wanted to let you know that I am not the 'slash type'- that thing about the puckering between Snape and Black (yes, disturbing, isn't it?) was really meant only for a bit of humor, nothing more. Thanks for reading, and if you guys don't like it, it's okay, no biggie, I can't please everyone, but I don't accept flames, either.

Disclaimer: Never owned 'em-I doubt if I ever will!!! Have a fun time reading, and you don't have to review if you don't like it! Greetings, Candygirl, Thank you for the title, and no, Michael Montana, just so you know is not based on Roswell's Guerin.


Chapter 3: I Spy


Entry in Lily Evans diary, Friday evening:

It's almost Christmas. As usual, the decorations are absolutely enchanting. Prof. Hudson, the Charms teacher has outdone herself. The Christmas trees can practically reach the ceiling!

Teachers aren't very considerate, though it's the Yuletide Season. There's so much work to be done. For some apparent reason, teachers cannot make up their minds.

So far they've given us four research papers, three essays, two projects and one test, all scheduled in a few weeks' time. I can't believe they expect us to do all those things.

The library closes in two hors- I'd better hurry if I plan to survive until Christmas!!!

Sirius Black brushed the spine of the books on the shelf with his finger horizontally. 'Damn, where's a Guide to the Sorcerer's Eye, A key to Potions?' Prof. Teagarden is going to kill me if I don't submit my homework next week!'

He looked impatiently at the clock on the wall. Only two hours until the library closed and he still had a lot of things to do.

"Hey, Sirius, any luck?" James asked, holding a book in one hand as he walked over to where his best friend was.

"Do pigs fly?"

"You're joking. Have you found the two secret ingredients to the Serpent's skin potion?"

". . . "

"All right, all right." James said, running a hand through his messy hair. "Here, try this book." He handed Sirius the large, hardbound book, and both sat down at a table nearby. A few minutes later, Sirius saw Lily enter the library.

"Hey, Lils," He grinned and cocked his head to a chair nearby. "Hello, Sirius-James" She said in an exasperated voice. "What's wrong?" James asked. "Nothing. That is, if you don't count the piling homework." Lily answered.

James smiled at the pressured redhead. "Why the hell are you so worried, anyway? You usually pull through." Lily rolled her eyes. "Not this time. The teachers are all on a craze about giving us homework."

"I know what you mean. Sirius is practically tearing his robes off trying to find a good reference for Potions."

"Oh, shut it, Jimmy-boy!" Sirius told him as he flipped through the pages of a book. "I'm not just tearing my robes. Now stop rubbing it in; or I'll start burning your ass over here aswell!" Lily raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you we reendowed with an ass, James? At all?"

"I've got a big, round, sexy one, honey."
Lily turned to Sirius. "See what he gets from staying with you all the time?" Sirius' eyes widened. "Why is it MY entire fault?" "Oh, please! You've been like that since you were a fetus, that's MY belief, anyway. I've only been like this since I met you." James said. "So, where are you having a hard time in, Evans?"

Lily sighed. "Well, Transfiguration, actually. I'm confused with the whole concept of Animagi."

James smiled slyly. "Ah, Animagi, eh? It's all pretty easy actually-"he lowered his voice. "It's easier to APPLY, though." "You mean you can understand it more because you." Lily asked and trailed off as he nodded in agreement. The Marauders' mammal identities were all top secret, and being a close friend, she was one of the few who knew.

"I guess there are still a lot of good sides about our being Animagi. I mean, I don't regret helping out with Remus at all." James told her.

Lily nodded. "It was really nice of you to share your empathy that way." James shrugged casually. "It was the least we could do. I guess I saw myself in his place. How would I feel if I was a werewolf? If I had to be secretly put in this abandoned house every full moon?"

"You'd feel like a wreck, look like a wreck and act like one, as well, James."

Remus flashed them a kind smile and took a seat beside Sirius. "You're too hard on yourself," Sirius told him." You're not a complete wreck; you just look like one, right, Peter?"

Peter smiled shyly as he neared the table. "Well."

Lily laughed. "Aw, you guys are mean!" Remus grinned. "Just crazy, Lily."

"And brain damaged" Sirius put in.

"No, no, no, the term is 'misunderstood'!" James exclaimed.

"So which ward at St. Mungo's do you occupy?" Lily asked sarcastically. "The one on the thirteenth floor," James told her. "Isn't that right, Sirius?"

'Yeah, but Loopy and I are in the dangerous ward, though."

The four ducked behind their books as the librarian passed by, gagged with laughter, and all completely unaware of the pair of dark, glimmering black eyes, watching between a gap in a nearby shelf. ***@*** "Hey Severus, where have you been? I've been looking all over for you!"

Snape looked up at Lucius Malfoy's smirking face. "Oh, just wandering about." 'And spying.'He thought.

"Oh." Malfoy sat down beside him on the common room couch. "Anyway, I really was looking for you because I got news about this. Snape nodded and answered in monotone replies as Lucius drolled on, not really paying attention. He hadn't really planned on spying on Potter and his gang, what more any other Gryffindor, but he'd seen them while he was doing his Arithmancy homework and decided to watch.

He'd seen all of them, laughing and fooling around when they should have kept quiet in the library. So maybe he had nothing against Evans, yet he was irritated by the apparent noise they had made, except when the librarian passed by.

He didn't really hate Potter at first sight. Hell, they even sat in the same train compartment on their very first day at Hogwarts. Sure, he was annoyed that Potter actually wanted to get into Gryffindor, though.

What really annoyed him was how all of James' other housemates kept on trying to rule the school, overlooking the Slytherin house. Moreover, as the years passed by, that Black never stopped bragging about and finally even crossed the line when he deliberately tried to kill him.

The other thing was, James got more and more popular, which made things harder. Why? Well now Severus had to think of ways to repay him for saving him, considering that it seemed like James' life was perfect (A/N: Even if it's not)

Had it been a normal evening Severus wouldn't have bothered thinking about any Gryffindor. It was the stupid debt that kept at him, nowadays.

Sure it was just a debt; or was it?

No, it was a Wizard's Debt. It involved Magic beyond human understanding. Even a Slytherin like him knew it was a vessel of all human values: Love, Faith, and Humility.This certain debt nagged and nagged at you, making you remember that dreadful, but otherwise fortunate moment when you were saved by a fellow human being from death's hungry call.

Severus sighed. He made his excuses to the seemingly over-excited Lucius ("But you haven't even heard the best part of the domination!") and went to bed that night with an uneasy mind.


End of chapter 3:


A/N: How was it? I hope it was good enough; I'm not exactly the best writer, so please don't be too critical. The suggestions and comments will be accepted gratuitously, but the flames will only be put out with water, which the Marauders cooled with the same charm in chapter one. *GAG*


Greetings to all my eccentric and sira-ulo friends who are reading this, or might be, if you aren't mentioned here, I'll mention you later:

Attila the Hun

Princess

Burning Ent (Oh and by the way, Genjo Sanzo is MINE)

Carat

ArtificialIntelligence/ A.I. Thanks for taking time to review! Try to check out A.I.'s anime fanfictions in the same site, her author name is Kaldea. God bless everyone and hope you keep reading!!!