CHAPTER THREE

Sirius' Prank

"Why are the first years so tiny?" Sirius asked James. "I swear, I was never that small."

They were sitting against an oak tree that had to have been as old as Hogwarts, relaxing and being thoroughly bored.

"Yes, you were," James replied. He pulled the poor, battered Snitch he'd stolen the year before out of his pocket, releasing and catching it. "You were almost as small as Wormtail, he just stopped growing."

"Hey! I'm right here!" poor Peter piped up.

James grinned. "Yeah, I know."

Across the lake, Severus Snape was muttering darkly under his breath, wandering here and there across a small patch of unoccupied grass. Ocassionally, he shot a look over at the Marauders, but his eyes mainly stayed fixed on Lily Evans, who was relaxing with her friends. James sat up suddenly, stowing the Snitch back in his pocket.

"Look! Look at Snape!" he shouted suddenly. Snape was now staring intently at the oblivious Lily and still muttering.

"He's cursing her!" Sirius exclaimed, but James didn't hear him. He was halfway around the lake already, his wand out and his face set to grim.

"Stupefy!" he shouted, and a blast of red light shot from his wand, hitting Snape squarely in the chest. James jogged the rest of the way around the lake.

A large crowd was milling around Snape's innate body by the time James made it to his side. "Ennervate," he muttered, rather reluctantly.

Snape looked up and around at all the people staring down at him. "What is this?" he spat, keeping his eye fixed on James. "What did you do?"

"I could ask you the same question," James snarled. Most of the crowd had dispersed by now, but about five curious first-years were still gazing hopefully for a duel.

"Scatter," Snape sneered at the kids, who promptly obeyed. He scrambled to get up, but James prodded him, making him stay down.

"Explain why you tried to curse Lily Evans," James ordered. The words seemed to contain a quiet power.

"Lily Evans? What's she got to do with you, Potter?" Snape sat up, and James didn't push him down again.

"She's my friend, Snivelly, which is more than you can say about anyone." Menacingly, he pointed his wand at Snape's throat. "Explain."

Just then, Sirius came running around, panting, and laid a hand of warning on James' shoulder. "You'll have to forgive my friend, Snivellous," he said calmly, giving James the shadow of a wink. "He's just jealous of you."

Wary and expecting some sort of ill-conceived plan, Snape looked at them sharply. "Jealous of what?"

"You mean you don't know?" James asked, feigning shock.

"Know what?" Snape snapped.

"I guess he really doesn't know," Sirius murmured to James, who shook his head gravely.

"We should tell him," James decided.

"Tell me what?" Snape was thoroughly peeved by now, and he suspected even more strongly that they were playing with him.

"Lily's in love with you," Sirius told him, earnesty in his every expression.

Something that almost looked like hope sparked in Snape's eyes, but was quickly extinguished by his better judgment. His right hand closed around his want, slowly, carefully, but James spotted him.

"Petrificus totalus!" he exclaimed, and Severus' body went ramrod straight as it keeled over. His black, angry eyes stared directly at James, full of hatred. James leaned over him. "Are you going to play nice? We're trying to jump start your love life here."

"The least you could do is show a little appreciation, mate," Sirius added.

Snape continued to stare them down. Of course, there really wasn't much else he could do. James realized, however, that there was more to his stare than the gaze of an eye. "No need for legilimency, Snivelly. We're not lying."

Despite James' insistence, Snape continued to attempt to penetrate his mind, unsuccessfully. Sirius chuckled. "Are you done?"

Snape turned his cold eye to Sirius, who chose to let the Slytherin into his mind. Sirius focused his thoughts on the recent potions project they'd been assigned, and the way Lily laughed at nearly everything Snape had to say. He did his best, as well, to keep his distaste as hidden as possible. With a rather avian grin, he undid the body-bind curse, allowing Snape to sit up.

"If you're lying," Snape admitted grudgingly, "you're good at it. I wouldn't put it past either of you." Still, a wistful gaze across the lake earned him a timid smile from Miss Evans, and James was rather certain that Snape was blushing. The redness in his cheeks, however, could have also been from the alternating splotches of red still receeding from his fruitless attempts at legilimency. It was difficult to say.

"What are you waiting for?" Sirius asked Snape. "Go ask her out."

Snape stood, and gave the Gryffindor duo a look so frightening, James was rather relieved that looks couldn't kill. "I still have my dignity, though you continually attempt to diminish it," Snape said, with a tone of false, deadly calm. "Leave. You have no further business here."

"Whatever," James replied with a casual shrug.

"Just remember. . ." Sirius advised, "she loves you. So don't be afraid to take your chance. . .while it's there."