A love Unknown
Chapter two: Snape's Worst Memory
Disclaimer: Not mine! Actually, in this chapter, most of it in fact, isn't mine at all. The characters and spells and all that good stuff belongs to her highness, J.K. Rowling, and so does everything in bold. It was taken from Order of the Phoenix Chapter 28 entitled: Snape's Worst Memory. I warned you so don't sue me please
Slight HBP Spoiler Warning just to be safe
a/n: This chapter took me a lot longer to write than I had hoped for. Then I decided to wait until I read HBP to post a new chapter, even though half of this was already written. After I finished the book, (I loved it! It was rather sad… but still an incredibly awesome book) I revised a little from chapter one, so you should probably re read that before starting this chapter. Thanks everyone who reviewed! This chapter is dedicated to you and my best friend for ever and ever, the fabulous… Laila! (Who doesn't normally read fan fiction, but helped a LOT with this one)
Anyways… here's Chapter two…enjoy
Lily was answering the last question on her written exam.
Describe the Unforgivable Curses.
She wrote a long, well written response. Each of her answers had been like that. She took only a few moments for each question, but nailed them all.
All that studying did me well, she thought, I bet Potter is a wreck.
She glanced over to James, who was two seats in front, and one row over. He was turned around in his chair grinning to someone. Lily turned her head to her left and Sirius giving James the thumbs up.
Her eyes widened with shock.
They are finished before me? They didn't even study! Not one bit! NOT FAIR!
For a moment, her insides raged with jealousy, but then she just rolled her eyes and smiled.
That Potter is just too damn smart for his own good. He is so full of himself! But that is only because he can back it up. The lucky bastard. He is just gifted, I guess. But he so doesn't deserve it!
Oh, what an awful thing for me to think! Is he conceited? Annoying? Oh yes. But I'm sure that deep down, under his messy black hair, lies a wonderful guy.
In fact, he didn't deserve such a harsh rejection from me when he asked me out earlier. I think I'll apologize.
Not that I would actually agree to go out with him. I don't want to get used and hurt like everyone else. I bet he isn't really interested in anything but a good snog from me. Its not like girls mean anything to him.
But he didn't deserve to be shut down like that. I'll tell him 'I'm sorry that I was so rude. I'm sure you're a great guy, but I am just not interested, but I'd like to be friends,'…just like the good old days.
And so that settled it. She would apologize to Potter as soon as she had the chance.
Who knows? I might even be able to help him deflate his gigantic head.
James was done with his exam.
Ridiculously easy, he thought, as he was sketching a snitch on a bit of spare parchment.
If only getting Evans to like me was that easy, he thought. But no, she is Lily Evans. She isn't easy at all. She is worth working for, though. We're perfect for each other! Why can't she see that?
"Quills down, please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!"
More than a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backward off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, to hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him onto his feet again.
"Thank you… thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"
James looked down on the parchment he was doodling on. He had subconsciously traced the letters 'L.E.' when he was thinking about her. He hastily crossed out the letters, jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam question paper into his bag, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join him.
Lily and her friends gathered and instantly began chattering.
"Lily, where did you go when you left the library? You left me there bored stiff! And when I left to look for you, I couldn't find you!" complained her friend, and fellow Gryffindor, Ginevra Prewett.
"Sorry. I was taking a walk. Had a lovely chat with Potter though, that prick just couldn't stop bragging," Lily responded.
"Oh Lily, he just wants to impress you!" she said.
The girls were heading outside, along with the rest of the Hogwarts population. It was a gorgeous day. It was bright and sunny, but not blindingly, and the weather was nice and warm.
"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius as they emerged into the entrance hall.
"Loved it," said Lupin briskly. "'Give five signs that identify the werewolf.' Excellent question."
"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" said James in tones of mock concern.
"Think I did," said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds.
"One: He's sitting on my chair. Two: He's wearing my clothes. Three: His name's Remus Lupin…"
Wormtail was the only one who didn't laugh.
"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes, and the tufted tail." He said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else--"
"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run around with a werewolf once a month—"
"Keep your voice down," implored Lupin
…
James and his three friends strode off down the lawn toward the lake.
…
"Well I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Sirius said. "I'll be surprised if I don't get Outstanding on it at least."
"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.
"Where'd you get that?"
"Nicked it," said James casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away and seizing it again, just as he had done earlier that very same day with Lily; his reflexes were excellent. Wormtail watched him in awe.
He is so talented! Thought Wormtail, I'd give anything to be that good at Quidditch!
Wormtail gasped and applauded as James flew into a dive and caught the snitch an inch from the ground. Peter looked at the girls across the lake. They watched James with an expression of awe across their faces, Lily included. Envy fumed inside him.
James noticed his attention from the ladies, but there was one red-head in particular he was interested in seeing where her eyes were fixed. He then noticed Lily's emerald green eyes stare straight at him, her mouth gaping.
He grinned, messed up his hair some more (if it could get any messier) and turned away. If she wants to watch me, I'll let her.
The majority of the fifth year girls from every house were following Lily's group to the lake. Lily and her best friends: Emmeline Vance, Ginevra Prewett, and Alice Levine; the 5th year Gryffindors, took off their shoes and socks to cool their feet in the water. Other girls followed their lead.
The fifth year Gryffindors were easily the most popular among the other fifth year students at Hogwarts. No one knew quite why; maybe the bravery to stand out? Possibly; because they each had their own unique qualities.
Ginevra Prewett, more commonly referred to as Ginny, was Lily's best friend. She was a red head, although her hair was a light red, thin, and straight, as opposed to Lily's dark, thick, wavy red hair. Ginny's eyes were brown instead of Lily's astonishing emerald green, although no one's eyes were quite like those of Lily. Ginny was beautiful, though, and like Lily, had a very caring heart.
She however, was not nearly as clever as Lily was. She put forth a lot of effort and received marks well below Lily's. She didn't mind, of course. She appreciated what she did have instead of dwelling on what others had that she didn't. Ginny's older sister, Molly, and she were very close, whereas Lily and her sister, Petunia, didn't get along at all. Ginny pitied Lily for this, and hoped someday Petunia and Lily would share loving bond.
Alice Levine was a round friendly-faced brunette. Short and pudgy, she was looked upon as the baby of the group, but her skill as a witch should not be underestimated, for she was nearly as gifted as Lily. She was an excellent friend and, no matter what, she could never, ever speak ill-minded of another soul, a quality that Lily adored, and tried her best to imitate.
Emmeline Vance was blessed with thick black hair, blue eyes and fair skin. She was quite tall, and had a muscular build, a size perfect for her job on the Quidditch field; she was one of the Gryffindor Beaters; and had been since third year. She was not as book smart as Lily was, but had a knack for knowing the exact spell to be used for useful things—like hexing any prat who deserved it. She was tough, but dignified all the same. Her three best friends were each extraordinarily kind, which inspired her to try hard herself, but she also was able to use her talent to jinx one severely, when her friends were too nice to do it themselves.
"Did Potter ask you out again?" Emmeline asked Lily.
"Yeah… of course…" Lily replied. Some of the other girls looked at her with envy in their eyes. "I feel bad about turning him down though, because I was quite a bit rude, and looking back, he didn't really deserve it. I'm going to apologize when I see him next though,"
"So you're going to go out with him?" asked a jealous Hufflepuff.
"Oh God no! James really isn't my type... but we could be friends, I guess," she answered.
There was a sigh of relief among many of the gathered girls.
"Speaking of the devil…" Ginny motioned to across the lake where James was playing with a snitch.
Lily looked at him, wide-eyed, and mouth open. She now had second thoughts about apologizing as she remembered that this was the very reason she had yelled at him in the first place.
"That show-off. This is exactly why I turned him down! If he wasn't so damn full of himself..." stated Lily.
"Ooh! Look how good he is!" cried a fourth year.
"I bet he could play chaser and seeker at the same time and still be as brilliant of a player!" some girls were saying, watching him with passion in their eyes.
"Are you kidding me? He just wants attention!" Lily exclaimed.
What do they see in him? There's a bunch of other Quidditch players at this school. What makes him so damn special? Even I can catch a freaking snitch off the ground! It's NOTHING to be intrigued with! Lily's thoughts formed. She was definitely not apologizing.
"Put that away will you?" said Sirius, finally, as James made a fine catch and Wormtail let out a cheer. "Before Wormtail wets himself from excitement."
Wormtail turned slightly pink but James grinned.
"If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket. Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off.
"I'm bored," said Sirius. "Wish it was full moon."
"You might," said Lupin darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration; if you're bored you could test me…Here." He held out his book.
Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."
"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is…"
Sirius's head turned. He had become very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.
"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."
Snape was now on his feet, stowing his O.W.L. paper in his bag. As he emerged from the shadows of the bushes he was sitting by and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting: Lupin was still staring down at his book, thought his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.
"All right, Snivellus?" James said loudly.
Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes, and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.
"Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand.
Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.
Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.
"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James.
"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."
Snape's body flooded with embarrassment. He was trying to get up to charge at James and Sirius, but James' jinx was still holding him down by invisible ropes. He struggled to get up.
"You—wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. "You—wait…."
"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What are you going to do, Snivelly, wipe you nose on us?"
Snape let out of stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but his wand being ten feet away nothing happened.
"Wash out your mouth!" said James coldly. "Scourgify!"
Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him—
Lily's head turned away from James after he had put the Snitch away, which appeared to be on Sirius' orders.
The girls were now engaged in conversation about a 6th year Hufflepuff called Magenta Behgin going out with Sirius Black.
"He is so sexy. You're so lucky Mags" commented Magenta's friend, Casity.
Lily agreed. He was no doubt blessed in the looks department. She turned back around to glance at him.
Her eye caught a ghastly scene. There was Snape struggling off the ground, with James towering over him, wand pointed threateningly, as a gathering crowd played witness.
Lily raged with anger.
That jerk is just always trying to pick a fight to make himself look good!
She quickly got up to approach the scene and defend the innocent Snape.
"Wash out your mouth," she heard James' voice say. "Scourgify!"
Lily quickened her pace, and arrived at the scene, watching with distress as Snape choked and gagged on pink soap bubbles emerging from his mouth.
"Leave him ALONE!" she yelled at James, who seemed to be amused by Snape's sufferings.
James rumpled his hair as soon as he spotted Lily behind him.
The soap bubbles stopped descending from Snape's mouth, but he was still bound by invisible ropes to the floor.
"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. "What's he done to you?"
"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…."
Lily's glare hardened, as the others laughed at James' reply.
"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans," James said quickly. "Go on… go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out excess soapsuds as he crawled.
How dare he have the nerve to ask me out!
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.
"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly, turning back to Snape. "OY!"
Snape had directed his wand straight at James, and in his mind, said the word 'Sectumsempra;' a flash of light blazed, and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James seemed not let the pain bother him, for he whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants.
Many people in the small crowd watching cheered. Sirius, James, and Wormtail roared with laughter.
Lily was, with all her might, fighting back a giggle, but did not want to give James the satisfaction. She also felt a wave of pity for poor Snape, not having deserved his torment. "Let him down!" she demanded.
"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upward. Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but before he could acquire vengeance, Sirius said, "Locomotor mortis!" and Snape keeled over again at once, rigid as a board.
Lily was close to tears in her struggle of defending Snape and reprimanding James. It was all so frustrating! Why couldn't James just stop being such a prat and just stop persecuting Snape?
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she yelled, pouring her aggravation into her cry. She had subconsciously pointed her own wand at James and Sirius, them eyeing it cautiously.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.
"Take the curse off him then!"
James sighed deeply.
She is not easy to please, now is she?
He then turned to Snape and muttered the countercurse.
"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus--"
Snape's dignity was punctured.
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!" He remarked, feeling a little bit more repaired.
Lily however was a bit offended. She had gone out of her way to defend Snape, yet he chose to repay her by insulting her! She blinked away a tear.
"Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
James detected Lily was trying to conceal her dismay.
I can't believe that Jackass! She was helping him!
"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.
He can call me whatever he wants, but he's not getting away with speaking to Lily like that! Especially when she was HELPING him!
Lily, however, was not going to let James try to be the hero after what he had done.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is…"
"What?" yelped James. He was appalled that Lily could possibly compare him to that scum.
But Lily! I love you! I would never say anything against you! James thought.
"I'd never call you a — you-know-what!" he said.
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."
She turned on her heel and hurried away.
Damn it! I can't do anything right, can I?
James was enraged with himself.
"Evans!" James shouted after her, hoping she would come back and he could explain to her that he had never meant to offend her. "Hey, EVANS!"
But she didn't look back.
"What is it with her?" said James, trying and failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to him.
"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius.
"Right," said James, who looked furious now. "right--"
Levicorpus, James thought to himself, wand pointed at Snape, it's his fault Lily hates me, so he will have to pay.
And with another flash of light, Snape was again upside down in the air, and humility was churning inside of him.
"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?"
The crowd cheered. Snape hoped against hope that James would find it in his heart to restrain himself, but to his dismay, he soon felt the air on his bare bottom half.
"Haha! Look at his pale arse!" roared a student, laughing hysterically.
"Looks like someone's package got lost in the owl-post!" remarked another, referring to his remarkably undersized how's-your-father.
"I see your boys haven't yet dropped…" called someone else.
Many young girls went pink and turned their heads, but no one was nearly as mortified as Snape, himself.
He will pay, that Potter. I want nothing more than for him to die at my hands…
"What's going on here?" a voice called.
James' smirk flew right off his face as he quickly dropped Snape to the ground.
Red in the face, Snape quickly jumped to his feet. The previously watching crowd fell silent, and stepped away, casually, trying to look as though they hadn't at all been involved in the scene.
The voice belonged to the Potions master, Professor Slughorn. Snape just happened to be a favorite of his, and as favored his mainly his Slytherins about all else, making James and the other three Marauders thorns in his side.
"Potter, what have you done?" asked the exasperated professor.
"Well… you see Professor…I… uh…" James was at lost for words. Usually he was able to use his Potter charm on teachers into letting him down easy, but he just couldn't think.
"Very well. I shall see you in detention for the next 3 Saturdays at noon,"
"Severus, come with me," demanded the Professor. "And someone take James to the hospital wing."
A vast amount of girls walked towards him to volunteer.
"Hospital wing?" questioned James. "What for?"
"Your face is bleeding," answered Slughorn.
James had forgotten Snape's hex, and saw from his bloodstained robes, that he was indeed bleeding.
"Well he did it!" James pointed his finger at Snape.
"I do not care who did it. I would like to see it gone. Now go,"
Professor Slughorn left for the dungeons with Snape and the Marauders, along with many girls, headed toward the Hospital Wing with James.
Lily was alone in her dorm, allowing tears to flow freely down her cheeks. She felt like an idiot, and had wasn't quite sure why she was crying.
There were several possibilities:
James was being cruel and a complete prat, which hurt her, because she felt as though she had really lost the old James, and could never see a friend in the monster that he had become.
Another factor was Snape not appreciating her aid, that she caused her a lot of yelling and glaring, two things she did not often do.
Also the fact that Remus, a fellow prefect, had not at all helped in ending the commotion, and had just… let it all happen, though, she could tell, reluctantly so.
Or maybe it was simply stress from her O.W.L.s, as she reminded herself she still had transfiguration to study for, which was her worst subject by far.
It could have just been a combination of all, and she just felt the need to let it all out.
She wiped her tears away, and picked up her Transfiguration book to bring downstairs to the common room and study.
Might as well get started, even if it is a losing battle, she thought.
a/n: yae! That's the second chapter, I still have more to add, but that's ok. I'll write it in chapter three because I'm really tired right now and want to get to bed. I wrote bits and pieces of other chapters, and I have a plan for what all is to come. I hope you enjoyed reading this, even if it did take a bit more time to write than I had hoped for. Please review. Au revoir
xoxo Anna
Thanks again Reviewers:
xsweetcatastrophex3: Thanks so much, Sasha, for being my first-ever reader! And for giving me all that love and support! And for helping me find better words and phrases to use! Kisses to you! I love you doll
wudnulike2kno: You're review made me smile from ear to ear! Thanks sooo much! I hope I don't disappoint you! I love your fic too! (Everyone: read it, it's great! It's called Getting there) you also get the honor of being my first REAL reviewer! (Sasha, I love you but you don't count because I know you)
JennyD18: Thanks for your review; I'm glad you enjoyed my first chapter! I think your fix is just fine without Peter (read hers too it's called The Plan and it's also brilliant) but gets pretty important later on.
Cheesytrees: Glad you liked it! Thanks for your review!
Pltzchen: Thanks for your review! I'm glad you liked my fic, even if it isn't s/r slash. (which I don't have plans for it to be, unless I feel particularly flamboyant one day lol) I'm glad you're gonna keep reading! Thanks a bunch!
Goodnight y'all. Zzz…