James Potter really, really hated Severus Snape.
Ever since their first trip to Hogwarts, he already detested the boy who eagerly wanted to be Sorted into Slytherin. When he was young, his parents told him about the Gaunts, a family that could speak to snakes just like the legend of Salazar Slytherin and wondered what kind of Dark Magic they had used to gain such ability.
For him, Godric Gryffindor's virtue: brave, loyal and selfless was the ultimate personalities he wanted to have and be. Lions, he thought, had always faced their foes head-on, unlike serpents where no one ever knew when they would strike another man.
And so, he and his partner-in-crime, Sirius Black originally teased Severus Snape simply because of him being a lowly poor Snake. His shabby appearance certainly had helped too in increasing their taunts toward him.
It was in their third year when their pranks turned more vicious on both sides and to be perfectly honest, James almost had no qualms when Sirius told him that he had sent Snape to Remus' werewolf jaws. However, the thought of being sent to Azkaban was more terrifying and he reluctantly saved the boy from his death. The life debt was nice to have too.
But the fact that Severus Snape was made as the stand-in Prefect and later managed to take his Invisibility Cloak from the Headmaster under the pretense of it being a forbidden object to bring to school… no, that just wouldn't do. That item had been passed down to the Potters for generations, and one Slytherin boy had won it over along with the great Albus Dumbledore's wand? And said student was now the Head Boy?!
James smelled something fishy was going on.
And for knowing more of that, he needed to spy on Snape.
"Come on Pete, you're our only chance," he whispered to the pudgy boy during their Transfiguration class with the Ravenclaws. Professor McGonagall was droning about Animagi and the processes on how to become one but they tuned their ears out, already accomplished said transformation in their fifth year.
Sirius smirked, "Yeah, come on Pete. I'd say you had the most useful form amongst us all." Why not? Peter Pettigrew singlehandedly had been the main source on creating the Marauders' Map, and they didn't want to lose their other valuable item into Snape's hand. Besides, he was the only one whose Animagus form wasn't being restricted by the red collar around James and Sirius' necks.
Peter gave them a nervous grin. "Um, I'd really want to, but I also heard Snape's got a sharp ear, so…" he trailed off; the three of them were reminded of the event where the Headmaster lost the two items.
"We'll back you up man, don't worry about it," James reassured Peter with a pat on his shoulder. "Marauders do stick together, remember?"
Someone cleared their throat and the three boys turned to Lily Evans, who leant toward them as she spoke, "You're spying on Severus? Why?"
Sirius snorted, "He took something from us, and we wanted it back."
"It's very important to me, Lily," James added, trying his best to give her his doe eyes. "Please?"
Lily bit her lower lip.
James clicked his tongue, "Look, we won't hurt him or anything. Peter here is just going to sneak in the Slytherin common room, get into Snape's room if he can, and then we can think another time to take it."
The redheaded girl furrowed her brows. "Wouldn't it be easier to just ask him about it?"
At this, the three Marauders snorted in amusement. "No offense Evans, but you've known him for seven years. I'd imagine honesty won't work with him."
Lily rolled her green eyes – those that James liked the most about her – in mild annoyance. "I'll follow you… see if he'd get into trouble along the way. He can be quite unpredictable, surely you've known that."
By the time the bell rang, the four Gryffindors grinned before going to their next class.
After their classes were over for the day and checking the Marauders' Map, they quickly found the dot labeled 'Severus Snape' was in the library and went inside the room for a while before leaving Peter in his Animagus form there. James, Lily and Sirius hid behind a nearby corridor; the two boys briefly lamented that Remus won't be joining them.
A few minutes later, Snape walked out of the library and they watched a rat scurrying after him. Sneakily, they then tip-toed, following their target. They tried not to be so close with the rat and subsequently Snape, but as they walked into another corridor, they froze.
The dot labeled 'Peter Pettigrew' was not moving on the Map. And Snape's dot was approaching it.
From afar, they could see Snape had his wand out.
Albus Dumbledore really wasn't lying; Severus Snape did have such sensitive hearing!
The three Gryffindors didn't dare to do anything else, and could only watch as Snape picked the unconscious rat by its tail and closely inspected it.
If they didn't intervene now, Peter would be dead and no one would know a thing.
"Snape!" James shouted and headed toward the Slytherin boy, with Sirius and Lily followed suit in unmasked fear.
The raven-haired teen sneered when he saw them, "Ah, if it isn't the legendary Marauders. Got a new member already?"
As much as James wanted to boast that Lily finally had fallen into his arms, now wasn't the time. "T- That's mine," he stammered as he pointed to the incapacitated animal, "It, uh… It escaped from my grasp just then. Thanks for catching him." He then held out his hands in silent plea that Snape would let it go.
He should've known that no one dared to lie to a Slytherin. And Snape seemed to revel over his helplessness as seen with his glittered onyx eyes.
"Why should I give it back?" he asked and James watched as Snape began to spin the rat - his friend! - by its tail slowly before gaining speed. "I still didn't avenge my pet's death, now do I?"
Horrified realization dawned on the two Marauders; it would take a miracle for Peter to come out alive of this skirmish. Oh, they knew they could beat him (not to mention having the Head Girl by their side) but would it be worthwhile?
"Oh, how it will be so easy of me to wring its neck" – Snape suddenly stopped his treatment on the paralyzed rat and wrapped one of his hands around its throat – "Or should I slash its chest open with… Sectumsempra, perhaps? Just like what you did to my dear raven." Snape's fingers twitched minutely on his wand and it took all of James' efforts not to accidentally hex the Head Boy into oblivion.
"C- Come on, Snape; we… we didn't mean that to happen, we swear!" Sirius panicked. "We'll buy you a new one if you want!"
Lily then added with grief-stricken eyes, "I've said my apologies about the book to you Severus; please, just let James' mouse go. I- I will make sure they won't bother you again."
The three Gryffindors waited with bated breath for Snape's decision. The boy simply continued to spin the rat and James was surprised that Peter didn't barf right there. Or did he already got choked by his own vomit? Oh, what would he tell Peter's parents?
"I'm so sorry for your son's death; we just want to know what Severus Snape is up to."
...That very much sounded like what they would say to Snape's mother if Sirius' werewolf 'prank' had succeeded.
"Didn't know you would stoop so low as to have pesky vermin in your noble house, Potter," Snape spoke in a soft yet venomous voice, "but try as you may, I certainly am not going to kill a human." He then threw the unconscious rat to Sirius' face with such force that he ended up sprawling on the floor and left with a billowing of his school robes.
Speechless, James could only help Sirius getting up while Lily watched as Peter transformed back into his human form.
"T- T- Told you!" the pudgy boy shrieked in terror, beady eyes were full of tears, "Told you it ain't worth it! That Cloak's gone, James! Just forget it! I'd say Snape will use it better than you!"
The three other Gryffindors remained silent as Peter ran away to the Lions' Tower, still blubbering over his words.
Lily shook her head at James, "... Peter's right. If there's anything good I can say about Severus, it's that he would take great care of anything he have. I- I know that… Cloak Peter said may be important, but would you want to risk your friend's life over it?"
James looked at her vibrant green eyes, that hid nothing from others. He wondered if he could be honest just like her.
"...No," he finally said, being deeply ashamed of himself. Only Slytherins would betray one another, and he certainly was not one! Gryffindors were supposed to be the protectors to others!
When they left later on, James swore to himself that he wouldn't put his friends in such dangerous situations ever again.
Inside his room, Severus was desperately trying to calm himself down. His chest was heaving with breath as he replayed what happened just then in his mind.
...Did he almost want to kill a fellow student?
Ah, he certainly had had such morbidly vivid imagery of him torturing his tormentors for all they did to him, but never due to something so innocent like sneaking on him.
With a sigh, Severus went to lie down on his bed and looked up to the ceiling, seeing the blurry hovering form of his phantom raven, Rogue was giving him a curious look. It was thanks to the bird that he managed to send a Body-Bind Jinx to Pettigrew and confronted the rest of the Marauders.
Severus still couldn't forget the rush of rage and sorrow that ran its course over his body as he had held Pettigrew's Animagus form in his hand. They… they knew nothing of what he felt after learning of Rogue's death. How he really wanted to tear the rat's body apart in front of their eyes and revel in their expressions full of despair.
If it weren't for his Occlumency shields, he certainly would've done so with no regrets.
"...Do you want to seek revenge over your death so bad, Rogue?" he softly asked.
The spectral beast averted his gaze as if ashamed of itself before giving him a reluctant nod. Smiling weakly, Severus held out his hand and the phantom bird turned into its smaller form as it perched on his arm.
"I know…" he continued while carefully hugging it to his chest, "I… wanted to do it too, but… This is a school, and a murder would only bring in suspicion to us. We… We can get back at them after graduation, hmm?"
Rogue cooed softly in his ear and he chuckled, caressing its black feathers to which the soothing action almost brought him to sleep.
"Why being so humble, Prince?" a cold voice spoke suddenly, breaking Severus out of his daze. "No one would miss Peter Pettigrew, and his friends certainly could've learnt a lesson. A flick of the Elder Wand will do the job well."
Severus narrowed his eyes before rolling over in his bed, seeing the phantom figure of Death was in his chair. He didn't know what to make of the Grim Reaper; was it an ally or a foe? Their first meeting was absolutely daunting, and to this day he wasn't sure to trust it or not.
The Peverell brothers must had been the stuff of legends back then.
"I'm not sure you will take it lightly," was all he could say.
The cloaked figure laughed, "Death knows no one. Some souls were more valuable than others but ultimately they were just that: souls to be returned to the afterlife."
"You could've just took my life back in the Shrieking Shack."
"True, but had I? Would I?" Death glided over to his bed, its bony finger traced over Rogue's translucent form and his heart, "As much as I'd like to reap your soul, it certainly would be a waste of such good life."
"And why made you say that?" Severus couldn't help asking.
The Grim Reaper only gave him a skeletal grin before disappearing with a flourish of its black robes.