Starts straight from the last chapter.
Lily sat in Transfiguration berating herself. She knew she had been too harsh, but she just couldn't cope with his drastic changes at the moment. She knew full well there was a softer, much more appealing side to him and for the last two weeks she had been willing to see past the arrogant side of his personality, but an incident that morning had tipped her over the edge.
Lily had been up early to get in a couple of hours worth of revision for the looming exams, so she had been one of the first people in the common room. As it began to fill up she watched people come in and out. She saw Frank waiting for Alice who bounced from their dormitory, a hug grin on her round face, before the two of them departed for breakfast. She watched a couple of 1st years play a game of wizards chess before they rushed off to fill their stomachs. And finally, she sat and viewed the marauders as they swept into the common room amidst an explosion of laughter. The first thing that she noticed was the new set of gashes that graced Sirius' face and the way Remus was holding his arm carefully. For a moment she marvelled at how she could have been so oblivious before as to this deep running secret ailment or affliction. Her attention was soon captured though, by the boy that had kept her enthralled for the past two weeks.
James was wearing his Quidditch robes and held a squirming snitch in his hand. Amidst the usual swooning as he and his friends stalked into the common room, a first year girl was brave enough to speak to him.
"Wow, you look so handsome in those robes, but I didn't know there was a match today."
Lily smiled as the girl spoke. True she felt a pang of jealously as he beamed at her too, but she knew it had taken the girl some guts to speak.
"No there isn't," he pronounced running his free hand through his hair, "but, you don't become great at anything without practise, you should remember that."
Lily's mouth dropped open in horror, it had been a few days since she had seen his arrogant side and the veracity with which it returned surprised her. He was practically preaching to this girl as if he was God, Lily thought as she watched him swagger away, not glancing again at the girl who was now bright red.
Presently, Lily turned to look at him sitting near the back in Transfiguration. Yes, she could easily admit to herself now that she liked him. He was handsome and he made her laugh uncontrollably sometimes and he could be, when he wanted to be, very kind. But it just wasn't enough. She couldn't get past the dirty veneer that sullied his perfection and she didn't think she ever would be able to if he remained like this. So, she resolved to distance herself from him, making it easier on them both.
James saw Lily watching him and he knew he had blown it big time, but he didn't understand why. He had just been himself and recently she had seemed to like that.
"Dude, don't sweat it, she'll be back soon enough," his best friend saw what captivated his attention and tried to console him.
"Not meaning to further dampen the mood, but I doubt it Padfoot, Lily was giving you a chance James, and it took her five years to do so, I doubt you will get another," Remus' words were laced with regret as he looked sadly at his friend.
"I agree Moony, she just doesn't like me enough at the minute," James sighed dejectedly, "but, don't worry guys this doesn't mean I am gonna give up I am just gonna have to find a way to impress her, win her back over."
Sirius grinned, but Remus rolled his eyes and returned to the mouse that was squirming in his hands.
It was the final week before the exams and almost all of the older students were either crammed into the library or crowded into their common rooms revising. A large group of Gryffindors had horded together over ten tables in the library. Amongst them were Lily, Alice, Frank, James, Sirius and Remus. Peter was receiving extra schooling from Professor McGonagall. Lily and Alice sat testing each other on likely topics for the Defence Against the Dark Arts exam whilst Frank lounged across Alice's knee rereading his notes on Care of Magical Creatures for the third time that day. At the other end of the group James sat quizzing Remus and Sirius on the characteristics of a werewolf.
"James, I think this is just a bit pointless," Remus interjected after the third question, "we know that if this question comes up in the exam that we have all pretty much aced it."
Sirius quickly agreed with his friend "Yeah, Moony's right, I could really do with revising that last bit of Potions that we did, I was a bit distracted in those lessons," his eyes flashed across to a blonde girl sitting on the next table.
"Really? We didn't notice!" James smacked Sirius playfully on the shoulder and looked across the tables himself.
"Actually, you guys are right I have more worthwhile things to be doing right now as well," his caramel eyes had alighted on Lily as she stretched her arms above her head, a smile crossing her face as she listened to something Alice was saying. "She always laughed at my jokes when we were together, I'll go see if I can work some of my comedy magic."
"James, I think that's the point, you crack different jokes when it's just you two together…"
James cut his friend off, "Moony, come on lighten up, it's worth a try!"
With that he strode towards Lily, leaving his two friends rolling their eyes and shrugging their shoulders.
"So, you guys seem to be having a ball down here, thought I'd come join you," he announced cheerily, looking into Lily's perfectly clear eyes.
It was Alice that spoke up, "Sorry, it's invitation only," James didn't have to work hard to hear the venom in her voice and he quickly became aware that most of the Gryffindors were watching.
"What, and I didn't get an invitation? How rude!" He turned his head to the side in mock outrage before stalking back to his friends who didn't speak as he sat down again.
The rest of the Gryffindors went back to their frantic revision and Lily sighed heavily. Frank propped himself up on his elbow as Alice squeezed Lily's hand.
"I can understand you're decision Lils," he said in his soft and caring tone, "He really is a bit of a whirlwind. I mean yesterday, I saw him tutoring Pettigrew, real patient an' everything and then today, he's acting as if he's the best bloody thing in this castle! Which of course he isn't," he winked at Alice whose ears turned red.
Lily smiled at her friends before returning to her revision alone. She of course understood Frank completely, this was the reason she had broken it off with James in the first place, but, as she surreptitiously glanced at his strained smile and guarded eyes she wished that he wasn't the way he was. And at the moment she realised it was because she had fallen for the side of him that was masked by his vulgar and conceited persona. She hastily returned to her book. She couldn't think those thoughts when she knew full well she couldn't get past that part of him, that was something only he could do.
The marauders were sat on the grass beneath a rare scorching British sun.
(Okay, I don't like butting in like this, but you guys need to know that this bit is copied from the book, minus the bits like, "Harry turned to see what Sirius was looking at," because obviously Harry doesn't exist yet and we are not watching this in Snape's mind. I do not intend any copyrighty stuff here I am just borrowing a section from the book and am making no money whatsoever from it)
"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…" and he held out his book.
But 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' head turned. He became very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.
"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."
"All right Snivellus?" said James loudly.
Snape reacted so fast it was though he had been expecting an attack: dropping his bag, he plunged hid 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 a laugh. "Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked of his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.
Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had got to their feet and were edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive, other entertained.
Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised, James glancing over his shoulder at the girl on the water's edges as he went.
"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."
Several people watching laughed; Snape was clearly unpopular. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.
"You - wait," he panted. Staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing, "you - wait!"
" Wait for what?" Sirius said coolly. "What are you going to do Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"
Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand 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 -
"Leave him ALONE!"
James and Sirius looked around. James free hand immediately jumped to his hair.
"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.
"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "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 …"
"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 (I'm adding a little 'again' here) Evans," said James quickly. "Go on … go out with me (again) and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."
Behind him the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.
"I wouldn't go out with you (again) if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.
"Bad luck, prongs," said Sirius briskly, and turned back to Snape. "OI!"
But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James, there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James' face, spattering his robes with blood. James 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 greying underpants.
Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, James and Wormtail roared with laughter.
Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"
"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand tip upwards; Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Pertrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.
"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James an Sirius eyed it warily.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.
"Take the curse of him then!"
James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.
"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus -"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
Lily blinked.
"Fine," she said coolly. " I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
"Apologise to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him.
"I don't want you to make him apologise," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is."
"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a - you-know-what!"
"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 anone 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.
"Evans!" James shouted after her. "(JKR rites "Hey" but I'm changing it to "Oi") EVANS!"
So, there ends the great JK Rowling, putting me to shame.
Hope this was better for you guys : )
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