It was the night of the Christmas Dance and the castle was buzzing. Peter had indeed asked Chloe when he had gone back from their Hogsmeade trip early, and she had accepted, not knowing what he had done to her about a month previously.

Severus sighed as he looked at himself in the grimy Slytherin boys' bathroom mirror. He would never be considered 'hot' by girls and he knew it. He hated how he looked. His skin was extremely pale, and much as he tried to get a decent tan, it never seemed to make any difference. He also had a long hooked nose that made him hate how he looked, and his hair didn't help matters. It was long, like Black's, but it was greasier because his parents had never seen fit to buy him anything to wash it with. They were firm believers in plainness and they did not want their son using hair products, as his father had said, "How girly!"

He would never be considered desirable by anyone, so why did Black and Potter see fit to torment him so? What had he ever done to them, except, as Potter had said, "It's more that he exists, if you know what I mean."

He knew who he wanted to go to the dance with. Too bad the girl he wanted to go with was already taken. By his enemy too, much the irony. She was the only person his age who had ever understood him, and she had known him from her childhood, before she had known she was a witch. He loved everything about her - the way her beautiful hair would bounce about her when she moved, the way her green, almond shaped eyes would sparkle with excitement and most of all, the way she didn't judge people based on their houses. Even though she knew he was from Slytherin, she still hung out with him.

She hadn't talked to him since he had blown it with her. The word he had spoken had opened up a division between them, and ever since them she had sided with Black and Potter against him. Ever since he had publicly refused her help, out of humiliation and spite, ever since he had called her what he had once sworn never to call her, she hadn't come back to him. Even though their families lived close by, she never came to see him after that incident, back in fifth year, when he had called her…

A Mudblood.

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

He screwed up his face, making it look even worse than it normally did, remembering his worst memory…

"This will liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is..."
"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."
Harry turned to see what Sirius was looking at.
Snape was on his feet again, and was stowing the O.W.L. paper in his bag. As he emerged from the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. Lupin and Wormtail remained sitting: Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows. Wormtail was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.
"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly.
Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack. Dropping his bag, he plunged his 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 laughter. "Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand.
Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained.
Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.
"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."
"Leave him ALONE!"
James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand jumped to his hair again.
It was one of the girls from the lake edge. She had thick dark red hair that fell to her shoulders and startlingly green almond-shaped eyes -- Harry's eyes.
Harry's mother...

He couldn't remember. It was too painful.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.
"Take the curse off him, then!"
James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the countercurse.
"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

Why had he said it? And if he hadn't said it, would she have considered going to the dance with him? Would he have worked up the courage to ask her? Would she perhaps fall in love with him?

Would he be better off than he was today?

As it was, he could only see one way forward for him. This was the path that many Slytherins took, and the very path that Lily had been so convinced he would not venture down. The path to Lord Voldemort, and to being a Death Eater.

Why not? He had nothing to live for. His father was abusive, his mother didn't care, the only girl he had ever been friends with… maybe even loved… hated him, and then there were Black and Potter.

Sirius Black and James Potter. Two of the most popular- no, the two most popular boys in their year. Both extremely good looking and good at Quidditch. Both with a secret…

A secret that he had discovered.

He knew their secret. He knew what Lupin was, and why the four of them - the Marauders, Merlin, what a stupid name! - disappeared for a night each full moon, and where they went.

He hated it, too. Because of their stupid club, Potter had saved his life. And that was why he could not hate him. Sure, he tormented him and bullied him harshly and had done ever since they had come to Hogwarts, but because that arrogant bully had saved his life he could not condemn him as he could Black.

Black, who had led him there, who had told him to go to the Whomping Willow on the next full moon, and to press the knot in the trunk and go down the tunnel and passageway and see what he found. Black, who had almost killed him.

Now, Black, he could condemn.

Yes, he would join Lord Voldemort's ranks and maybe, just maybe, one day he might get his revenge on those boys that had and still make his life a misery. And maybe he would enjoy it.

xXoXx

"Ohmygawd!" Mel shrieked, panicking, "We only have an hour to get ready! One hour!"

Lily snorted, pulling on her good lacy bra and doing it up at the back, "Geez Mel! Chill pill!"

Mel huffed, "Easy for you to say, Lils. You're not the one going with Hogwart's most notorious player of all time! What if he dumps me at the dance and goes back to Tara?! What then, Lily?"

"Oh Mel," Lily sighed, pulling her best friend into a tight embrace, "I know this didn't work last time, but Sirius really does love you. I mean, you're going with your dream guy to the Christmas Dance! What could possibly go wrong?"

"A lot," Mel said softly into Lily's shoulder.

"Awkward," Kendra proclaimed into the silence as she entered the room dressed in her gorgeous dress.

"And how come you're all ready?!" Mel said, hyperventilating madly, "I'm the only one not ready!"

Lily laughed, "I'm in my bra, Mel! Believe it or not, I'm planning to wear more than just my bra to the dance!" she replied jokingly.

"No way," Mel grumbled, but she had obviously calmed down somewhat, "Now where's my dress?"

xXoXx

It was now twenty minutes until the dance started. The boys were all in the common room waiting for their respective dates.

"I mean, geez! How long does it take to get ready for one of these things?" Sirius complained, grumbling and glancing at his watch.

James nodded understandingly, "I know what you mean, mate! All they have to do is throw on their dresses, do their makeup and their hair and make themselves all perfumey! So why does it take so long?"

"It's just one of those girl things," came a voice from the top of the girls staircase.

The boys turned and gaped at the four girls standing up there, looking down at them equally stunned.

Peter was drawn to Chloe's appearance. She was wearing a gorgeous light blue dress with a waistband at the waist and a slitted top. The bottom half was long and pleated and she looked stunning in it.

The boys were all wearing tuxes and looked very handsome.

James' brown hair was still messed up and sticking up at the back, Lily thought amusedly as she looked at her date for the evening. She could easily see how most of the female population at Hogwarts lusted after this boy. Maybe she did too.

What?

Where had that thought come from? She didn't like James Potter in that way! Sure, he had matured hugely in the last few months, but she didn't like him as more than a friend! She didn't!

"Shall we go then?" Sirius asked the group at large, and they began to walk towards the Great Hall with their respective dates.

Hey guys!! Just a quick note - the songs that will be in some chapters are just songs that sum up the feeling of that chapter and no one is writing them. The songs might be more relevant to some characters and pairings than others, but no one is writing or dreaming the songs! Sorry I didn't make this clearer!

Thanks,

xx

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