Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any other characters from the books. And those characters that you don't recognize are just ones assumed to be there to whom I've given names. So, really, I don't own a thing except the names and, possibly, the plot but that just keeps running away from time to time.

Sins of Angels: Hello again. I know it has been longer than it usually takes me to update, but a lot has been going on. I'm sorry, rowling-wannabe, but this chapter is about the same length as the last ones. I appreciate the advice and I do plan to make the chapters longer, but I do have a busy two weeks ahead of me, and I didn't want to leave you guys without an update, even a small one. For now, this is all I can give you until I graduate high school next Thrusday, most likely, and then I shall have time to do work on this. So, I hope you enjoy this chapter! And, of course, thanks to all reviewers, you make me sooooo happy! And all my readers, I'm glad you like it enough to keep reading! Please review and let me know what you think! Other than that, enjoy!

Chapter 3 – The Beginning

Lily Evans, while in full fuming mode, suddenly realized something. She had left James Potter alone in a room with her body.

Wheeling around and running back in, she found him scanning the books from the private library they had. He looked at her from behind her face, and, not for the first time, she felt as if it was all a dream. A nightmare, actually.

James grinned. "What's the matter? Is the wall not a good conversationalist?"

Lily sighed and sat down on the sofa next to him. "Shut up," she muttered. But no, James Potter just kept going. As she knew he would.

"Did it insult your mother? Did it say your father smelt of elderberries?"

"Only you can ruin Monty Python for me," Lily muttered, rubbing her eyes into her head with her palms.

"I saw it at the Muggle pictures," James said simply.

"You mean the movies?"

James paused, and scratched his head of very long, red hair. "Yeah. Sure."

"Potter, how on Earth did you ever get through primary school?"

"I didn't go to primary school."

"Oh, that explains everything," Lily said with a hint of realization in her voice.

"My Mum taught me everything I needed."

"Well, you must not have absorbed any of it. As if that's surprising."

"I resent that, Evans, I really do. I'm not a complete moron, not by a long shot."

"You got our bodies switched by a powder you not only made without thinking about an antidote, but also overdosed on, and you're trying to tell me you're NOT a moron?"

James paused and considered this. He shut his eyes and shook his head. "Look, maybe the current situation isn't exactly exemplary of my true behavior."

"Be careful, Potter, you might trip over the words you can't spell that are coming from your mouth."

"You mean your mouth, Evans, and I was just practicing sounding like you."

"I do not talk like that! And besides, we're going to Dumbledore!"

James's eyes widened, bringing out the vivid green from Lily's face. "We can't go to Dumbledore!"

"And why not, Potter? Pray tell why shouldn't Iask the best wizard I know to give back my bloody body? No, wait, whatever you're going to say, I'd rather not hear it. I'm going to Dumbledore."

"Evans, wait! You can't go to Dumbledore!"

"Potter, get off of my arm! Your body has many more muscles than mine, and I'm not afraid to use them to push you and my body, if I have to, into a wall!"

"Evans, Evans, wait! Please wait!" James panted. Lily paused, her hand on the door knob.

"What could be more important than getting my body back, pray tell?"

James sighed, and tried to run his fingers through his hair. After declaring this to be quite a difficult task with Lily's curly, uncombed hair, he stopped. "Look, Evans, what do you think I did this summer for the powder, eh?"

"From what you told me, it was a potion," Lily said, staring at him.

"Yes, yes, a potion. But I don't have the luxury of the potions room at my house, now do I?"

"Are you saying you used magic during the summer holiday?"

"As always, brilliant," James said somewhat mockingly. "What else did you expect? And it's not like I can say my mother or father did it, they work most of the day, and they sleep during the rest of it."

"James Potter, you have broken a law!"

"Yeah, I know, but the important thing is that if you tell Dumbledore, I'll be expelled!"

"Oh, so selfless of you! What about me? I don't want to be stuck in this bloody thing for two weeks!"

"I take offense at that, I'll have you know!"

"Good! Listen, Potter, you did this to yourself the moment you broke the law. What happens now, the chain of events you sparked, it's all you fault and your responsibility! Own up to it, for once!"

"For once, Evans? When have I not admitted my mistakes? No, not my shortcoming, but my mistakes? When have I, in the seven years you've known me, not respected the responsibilities given to me?"

"Now, Potter! You're Head Boy and you did the one thing that the Ministry of Magic can snap your wand for!"

"I'm not talking about the bloody school rules, Evans! Have you seen me ever turn my back on a friend? I'm talking about the things that count!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go to Dumbledore!"

"I'll give you three. One, because I'll deny it and make it so believable that even Dumbledore himself wouldn't be able to tell that I am in your body. Two, not even Dumbledore can reverse it, I made sure of that. And, three, if you don't care about me leaving school, care about everyone else. I want to be an Auror, and think of all the people I won't be able to help without my wand! You know that I can make it, I have the skills that are most prized and, if you look past your hatred for me, you'll see that I am brilliant at Defense and Transfiguration! And even if you think my talents aren't needed, do it for Remus. For Peter. For Sirius."

"They can live without you."

"No, Evans, they really can't. Trust me on this. My birthday is in a week, Evans. I'm coming of age then. Just once, would you please be nice to me? Just this once?"

"Nice to you, Potter? When you've been so nice to me?" Lily added sarcastically.

James tried to run his fingers through his hair again, but failed. "Look, you see the best in everyone. I know that. You do it for everyone, everyone gets a second chance, and you bring out the best in people. You don't see the best in me. I don't know why, and I don't know what I can do to fix it, but at least give me a chance!"

Lily sighed. She put up a hand to grab a strand of her hair, and then realized that the body she had now had relatively shorter hair than her own. "Fine, Potter. I give you five days."

"Ten."

"No, five."

"Alright, then, nine."

"Five."

"At least give me a week, Evans!"

Lily sighed again. "Fine. A week. You have exactly until your birthday. After that, the very next day, if this isn't fixed, we go to Dumbledore."

"Fine," James said, and extended his hand. "Shake on it?"

Lily did. Then she looked at her body, frowning. "Come on," she said simply and gabbed James's wrist.

"Where are we going?" he asked, being dragged in the direction of Lily's room.

"We have to get you to look presentable, at least. My hair…your hair…ugh! The hair is messy and I will not be seen in my pajamas roaming the building!"

"Does this mean I have to change my clothes?" James asked hopefully. Lily glared at him.

"No, Potter, this means I have to change your clothes, and you will close your eyes and I'll perform a sticking charm to my eyelids to prevent peeking. Don't push your luck!"

"But, Evans, I am certainly mature enough to do this all by myself."

Lily laughed sarcastically and dragged him in the room. She grabbed her brush and pushed him into the chair in front of the mirror. Carefully, using both her hands, she smoothed the hair down and gripped the top of James head while brushing out the knots.

"Ow. Ow! OW!" James complained. "Haven't you ever heard of magic, Evans? You must try it, it's wonderful," he remarked sourly.

"Shut up, Potter. Using magic on my hair makes it knot up!"

"Oh, yes, such a contrast from how it is right now. I do apologize, remind me to never question your better judgment again."

"Shut up already and hold still! This isn't easy, you know."

"You're not the one whose scalp is being ripped off," James muttered.

"Stop whining, Potter, I'm almost done!"

"Good. Are you like this every morning?"

"Yes. You better get used to it."

James groaned. Lily pulled the red hair into a ponytail and tied it. "Done?"

"I wish. Now turn around, I have to glue your eyelids shut."

"Evans, there must be another way to do this without putting me through torture! Isn't there a spell or something?"

"Look, it'll only last a moment."

"And what about you when you change, eh?"

"Potter, you are anything but shy."

"Shut up, Evans. An eye for an eye, if I have to do this, so do you."

"Fine! Just fine! I'll go look for a spell! You…you don't touch anything that isn't yours!"

"Currently all of this is mine."

"Stop trying to be clever and don't touch anything!" Lily said and left, getting out a charms book from the book case. She ran her finger down the index of spells, and, after ten minutes, she found what she was looking for. She went back in the room and put an outfit on the bed. "Alright, Potter, you had best familiarize yourself with this charm, we'll be using it a lot. Stand please."

James did, right in front of the clothes. "You're sure you can do this spell, right? I just…I don't want to end up as a…a pumpkin or something."

Lily stared at him. "Do you realize that you're talking to one of the best charm students in this school?"

"Oh, right. Go on then."

Lily reached over and took the wand off of the nightstand.

"Wait! That's your wand!"

"I know. That's why I'm using it. Genius."

"But you're in my body! What if it doesn't work right?"

Lily hesitated. He had a point. "Fine. Allow me to put your mind at rest. Wingardium Leviosa!" Lily said and attempted to lift the brush from the dresser. What happened was that it lifted, then went sideways into the wall. "Alright, where's your wand, then?"

James snatched the wand out of Lily's hand. "Accio James Potter's wand!" he said confidently and, sure enough, James's wand flew in and he handed it to Lily.

"Now that that's sorted out, listen carefully. Point at the clothes you wish to put on, that I will pick and fold for you."

"What, no private tour of your…less seen garments?"

"One, I told you not to hit on me while not in your body and I in mine. And two, never. In your life. In anyone's life. In eternity."

James frowned. "I'm sorry, Evans, but that's just the James Potter charm coming out."

"Well, stop. In order to fool everyone, you must act like me. And I am not lesbian."

"Fine. Don't have a fit, now."

"Shut up, Potter. The spell is simple. Point at the clothes and they will replace your old ones. Mutuviae!"

Sure enough, the old clothes replaced the new ones exactly. Lily smiled.

"That's more like it. Now you…I…now it's safe to go out in public."

"Not before you change!"

Lily looked down at the carefully chosen mismatching pants and very loose shirt. "What's wrong with the things you slept in?"

"I slept in them! They're not to wear! And, besides, my hair doesn't look windswept enough."

Lily rolled her eyes and took both her hands, rattling her hair. "Better?" she said as the long locks invaded her vision. James beamed at her.

"Loads. Now come with me and then we can go to breakfast."

"Remember, Potter, you have to act like me. So don't do anything stupid…as a matter of fact, be the complete opposite of yourself. Then you'll have everyone convinced."

"Oh, ha ha, Evans. You are so hilarious, it's amazing you aren't a comedian. I'll have you know I do possess some good qualities."

"They are few and seldom expressed, then. Alright, fine, I'll go change. You just…wait here."

James nodded and Lily left the room. Suddenly, however, James's eyes widened and he sprang up. "Evans! Evans, wait!"

Lily turned around, almost at the door. She sighed. "What now, Potter. Look, I have no desire to go looking through your things, I just have to change my clothes, that's all."

"No, no, Evans, I insist you let me do it. My room…it's…messy. Yeah. Very messy."

"Potter, that wasn't convincing at all. Surely even you could do better. And I don't care how messy your room is. I just want to get some bloody food!"

"Well, it'll go faster if I go get the clothes, won't it? I know where everything is…"

"Oh, alright, then, fine. Go in your room and get the clothes! Just hurry up, I'm starving!"

"You sound like me already!" James said with a proud smile.

"Potter?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up!"