Snape's love potion scheme didn't work exactly the way he had planned. Potions had ended minutes after he had given Lily the Amortentia-spiked water. Sadly for Snape, Lily's behavior was so ridiculous that everyone noticed right away that something was wrong. On the way out of class, Lily had sprinted to Snape's side, clutching a skinny arm tightly and blinking in to his eyes. She had even, to everyone's horror, run a small hand through the lank, greasy locks that fell to Snape's shoulders, whispering "I love you Sevvy," over and over. Snape, while excited, had also seemed undoubtedly uncomfortable, smiling awkwardly as she gazed into his eyes. The climax had come when, about twenty steps from the dungeon door, Lily had grabbed Severus by the shoulders and pressed her lips against his violently. Snape's lips remained pursed in utter surprise while Lily's were open and enthusiastic. The scene was rather disturbing and Dorcas, walking a few steps behind Lily, had grabbed her arm.

"Lily," she said. "I think you left your quill back in the classroom. Why don't we go get it?"

"I can get another quill," Lily said breathlessly while staring seductively at Snape.

"But that was your best one," Dorcas continued, looking accusingly from Snape to Lily. "Your mum gave it to you, remember?"

"It's just a quill," she said quietly, leaning in closer to Snape and throwing her arms about him.

Dorcas looked at Snape, her eyebrows raised and a look of 'so what now?' on her face. He scowled back angrily, though obviously contemplating things. While he stood there, Lily grabbed his face and kissed him again. A few Ravenclaws, including Cade Bradley and Muriel McKinnon, watched judgmentally as they passed. Evan Rosier let out a "Way to go, Greaseball. You snog that mudblood," as he passed with an arm draped over a smirking Victoria Avery.

Lily didn't even register the insult; she was so enthralled by Severus. Snape looked at Rosier and laughed, weakly.

"Come on Sevvy," Lily bit her lip seductively. "Let's go somewhere more private." With this comment, she glared at Dorcas out of the corner of her eye.

Snape looked horribly conflicted. Dorcas stood there watching him, waiting for him to make a decision. He watched Lily rubbing his chest appreciatively, looking up at him with green eyes glazed over with lust.

Dirk Montague whistled and winked sarcastically at Snape as he passed, and immediately burst into laughter with Adrian Pritchard. Snape glowered, his lip twitching, and hunched over a little. He glanced at the two Slytherins through his eyebrows and then looked at Lily in all of her ridiculousness. Snape looked completely defeated. He scowled, acutely aware of all the humiliating attention he was getting for this little stunt.

"Sevvy?" Lily asked, running her finger down the side of Snape's cheek.

"Come on," he said, taking Lily roughly by the hand and leading her back to the Potions room.

"I can't believe I kissed him," Lily scowled. "Twice."

"It was awfully disturbing," Dorcas chuckled slightly. "You and Sevvy were awfully cozy."

Lily made a face. "Oh Merlin, I called him Sevvy too! I am never going to live this down."

Dorcas smiled. "It will be a topic of interested conversation for quite a while, I'd say."

The two girls had gone directly to the Gryffindor Common Room after Slughorn had administered the antidote to Lily. Charms would have to be put on hold for a day. They were on the couch, Lily sitting slouched and Dorcas curled up, her legs under her.

"Can you imagine what's going to happen when Potter finds out?" she asked, exhaling loudly.

Dorcas broke out into an actual laugh. "I think it will definitely be something I'll have to watch."

Lily laughed too, releasing some of the tension in her body.

"SNAPE!" James screamed as the figure rounded the corner. "STUPEFY!" he yelled, but the red light hit the wall instead.

"Sectumsempra," he heard bellowed in his direction. He jumped as a cut appeared on the back of his right hand.

"Damnit Snivellus," James yelled. "You're going to pay for this."

He continued running after the boy, turned the corner and found himself in a bit of a crowd. "Petrificus Totalus!" he yelled again at Snape's back. Snape froze and fell to the ground face down. A few students stepped away from the person now lying at their feet. James walked up to him, arrogantly wiping his forehead with the back of his hand and then fluffing up the back of his hair.

"You bloody little fink," he snarled. "Who the hell do you think you are? Doing something like that to Evans. Remember, I told you that you weren't even worth a fraction of her. You're a disgusting little rat."

"STOP IT," James looked up from the back of Snape's immobile head. Lily Evans had emerged from the, now growing, crowd. "I can fight my own battles, Potter."

"But he… Evans…."

"Shut up Potter," she fumed, walking closer to him. "It doesn't matter what he did, you still have no right to attack him like that."

"But he's such a …he's so," James was shaking with rage.

"You're not much better," she said.

James' mouth shrunk into a line. "Come on Evans…"

"I can take care of myself, Potter," she spat. "Try to remember that next time."

"But he...Think of what he might have done," James gaped

"He didn't, did he?" Lily rolled her eyes.

"Only because other people were there," he said.

Lily stood up a little straighter. "Well, next time no one else comes to Potions, I'll be sure not to drink anything he gives me. Now let him up"

James was silent. He looked back at Snape and then back at Lily. She gestured sarcastically for him to release Snape. He did so reluctantly, flicking his hands upwards. When the curse was lifted, Snape was writhing on the floor. Immediately he pulled himself to his feet, scowling.

"I don't know why you have such a hard time getting her, Potter," he spit. "She's a rather easy little mudblood. She's was all over me, it was rather disgusting."

"PETRIFICUS TOTALUS!" James bellowed, and Snape returned to his previous position, through he was angled a little differently. "NEVER TALK TO EVANS THAT WAY, SNIVELLUS! I WILL HEX EACH AND EVERY APPENDAGE OFF OF YOUR BODY. EVERY APENDGAE!"

"HONESTLY POTTER!" Lily yelled, "I was going to deal with that myself, you bloody show off." And with that, she stormed off.

"What does James have to do for detention?" Dorcas sat down on the top of the large desk and faced the front of the empty classroom on the 4th floor. Sirius was propped up against the wall she was facing, his hands on his hips.

"He's cleaning up after the firecrabs for Professor Kettleburn," Sirius said, making a face.

"Lovely," Dorcas said, leaning forward slightly. "So what did you want?" Sirius had grabbed her in the hall as she was just about to enter Griffindor Tower. She hoped no one had seen them rushing to an abandoned classroom. Sirius had kept her reputation intact. She didn't want him to inadvertently ruin it now.

"I need information," he smirked, that playful look back in his gray eyes.

"About Lily?" Dorcas asked, now leaning in the opposite direction and supporting herself with her arms.

"Yes," Sirius rolled his eyes. "About Lily."

"This whole idea was really stupid, you know," Dorcas drawled. "I don't have any information."

"Why are you being such a bitch about this, Meadowes?" he asked, shifting his weight angrily. "We had a deal."

"I know," she said, a bit of anger invading her voice. "Don't call me a bitch, by the way."

Sirius stood up straight and walked closer to her, placing his hands on the desk on either side of her hips and leaning right into her face. "I'll call you anything I want, you owe me."

"Don't you have just the tiniest amount of guilt about Julia?" Dorcas asked, staring him coldly in the face and not looking particularly scared considering that a rather tall, strong teenage boy was in the perfect position to pounce on her. "Especially after what happened?"

Sirius stood up straight and frowned. "That wasn't our fault."

"I know," she shrugged. "But I do wish we hadn't made her life horrible before it happened. Don't you?"

Sirius scuffled around restlessly, moving his feet, and scratching the back of his head. "Yeah," he conceded.

There was an awkward silence for a few seconds as they each searched for a way out of the Julia topic.

"Too Fresh a wound," Sirius thought.

"You still have to give me dirt on Evans," Sirius said, leaning back against the wall. "How did she really feel about the speech? I know you were lying to James."

Dorcas shook her head. "No, I wasn't. She did say it was impressive. She also said that we all knew James was obsessed with attention."

"Well, he is," Sirius shrugged.

Dorcas smiled oddly at him, and went on, "But you should have been watching her when he was speaking, she was absolutely mesmerized by him." Dorcas chuckled. "She called it his "foray into maturity'."

"So nothing's changed," Sirius said, pushing his hair out of his face.

"Well, I don't know" Dorcas raised her eyebrows. "I think she almost called him attractive the other day in Potions. Well, before she found Sevvy so alluring."

Sirius perked up. "Well that's a start, isn't it?"

"I'd say so," Dorcas nodded.

"So all we need now is another attack, so James can give another speech," Sirius smirked.

"You'd better be joking"

"I am, don't worry."

"Alright there, Prongs," Sirius asked. He was really beginning to hate this term. James was brooding again.

"I just don't see why he would do such a despicable thing," James said without looking up from the Defense Against the Dark Arts book he was not reading.

"He's Snivellus," Sirius said, as if that was evidence enough.

"But this was...it crossed some line," James looked up.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Love potions are pretty popular, James. Every girl I know has used one at one time or another."

"But Snape with Evans?" James had a truly concerned look on his face. "Can you imagine the perverted things he might have done with her if the scheme had worked?"

"James..." Remus said. "It wasn't going to work. He was just trying to look cool."

"Too bad it backfired," Sirius smirked.

"Horribly," Peter laughed.

"I just want to know that he'll never do anything like that again," James shrugged. "I mean, Evans, well...she's..."

"Yeah James," Sirius clapped his friend on the back and rolled his eyes. "We know, she's 'special'."

"Shut up Sirius," James blushed a bit.

"Oh look Moony," Sirius said in mock concern. "Our little Prongsie is in love."

"And that's news?"

James looked awfully tense with his furrowed brow and pursed lips. He was messing his hair up again, but not in the arrogant way he usually did. Instead it was a sort of nervous twitch. Sirius observed his friend and could tell exactly how much James really did care for Lily Evans. It wasn't as if Sirius didn't already know, but James was wearing his true feelings (minus the ego) on his face. It was at that moment that Sirius felt a deep protective streak flare up. He would take care of Severus.