A/N: Be aware that the chapters in this fic flip-flop from Harry's time to the pivotal or at the least, interesting moments in the relationship of Severus and James. Chapter 2 is a Sev/James chap. Also, yes Viciousness’ fic is the one with the same twist but I’ve talked to her (Vi is so nice!) and she actually helps we with some stuff. Our fics are, as Gwen Stefani put it “so different, yet so the same”. I hope you like where I take this.

FEEDBACK IS BEGGED!!!!!!!!!! I relish every review!
 

*    *    *

"Oi, James. Wait up." Sirius Black called, as he ran to catch up with his best friend.

James turned his head and looked over his shoulder and smiled. "If I wait for your slow arse any longer, Padfoot, my clothes will go out of style."

Sirius scuffed James on the back of the head. "Too bad you were never in style to begin with."

James clasped a hand over his heart. "Oh, you cut me to the quick."

Sirius just laughed and as they walked quickly towards the Dungeons. They had to hurry. Getting to their Fifth Year Double Potions with the Slytherins under Professor Nodel from Divination was quite the chore and Padfoot was not looking forward to the walk or the class.

"Bloody Slytherins. It’s not fair that Dumbledore put us in the same class with the greasy git and the blonde bat. It’s not bloody fair." Sirius griped.

"Hey, Snape’s not that bad Siri. He helped me pull up my grade in Potions." A feminine voice called from behind the pair.

James and Sirius turned to see Lily, the Marauders’ surrogate little sister, standing in the hall looking a little upset.

"What’d he do Lil, cast a curse on you?" James asked with a laugh.

"Shut up Jamie. He’s a nice guy. At least he is when he’s not busy defending himself from you boys and your childish antics."

Sirius leaned forward and gave Lily a quick kiss on the cheek. He wanted to kiss those beautiful lips but he was almost positive that James had already made a move on her. And his friendship with Prongs came before girls.

"We’re not that mean to the greasy git are we Lils?" James asked as they continued on down the hall. Remus had something to take care of with Madame Pomfrey for his next transformation in a few days and they were meeting him and Peter outside the dungeons.

Lily crossed her arms over her chest and harrumphed. "Yes you are! You both are and Moony and Wormtail are no better."

"Lily…."

"No. Dammit if you both love me you’ll ease up on him. He’s not doing anything to you at the moment, so can’t you just leave him alone?"

James put on his best pout and Sirius was muttering a very creative string of curses under his breath. But neither boy argued with her decree. She was rather good with Charms and they were not going to put them self at risk to the creative spells she was always digging up.

"Fabulous darlings. Now, do you think we can get through the class with out a blood bath?"

James simply nodded but Sirius growled a "If they don’t start it, we won’t finish it."

"Finish what?" A quiet, cheerful voice asked.

"Nothing, Moony." Lily said seriously. "You will be starting and finishing nothing next period."

"Wow. Is it her time of the month too?" Remus asked as the red-headed Gryffindor hurried ahead.

"I dunno WHAT’S up with her. Just woke up on the wrong side of the bed today." James said with a shrug.

"She must be going nutters. I mean, what else could defending that slime ball possibly mean?" Padfoot asked, another growl slipping past his lips. He didn’t like the idea of Lily spending all that time with Snape. The git had no right to breathe the same air as Lily Evans.

"She has been pushing this for a while." Prongs said with a shrug as her fire colored hair disappeared around a corner. "I mean, every time Padfoot or I say ANYTHING about the Slytherins she immediately jumps to Snape’s defense."

"Well he DID get her through potions last year." Remus said sagely.

"So? That doesn’t mean she has to extol his virtues as if he actually had any." Sirius snapped.

"Oi, Paddy, that was harsh." Moony said softly.

"Oi, Moony, he deserves it."

"Everyone has something good about them Sirius. Even Malfoy or You -Know-Who."

"Remus, that’s not funny."

"Children, children, please! Stop bickering or I’ll deduct house points." James said sharply, rubbing his temples in mock frustration. But it was within his powers as prefect to take them and threatening them seemed the fasted way to end the disagreement.

Remus and Sirius gaped at him. Sirius’s mouth opened and closed like a dying fish and Moony just silently stared.

James just sighed and kept walking. They only had five minutes to get to the dungeons and the stairway the three Marauders were headed towards had picked that moment to move.

Luckily, James had been on it when it had swung downwards to an even lower floor but Remus and Sirius were still stuck on the higher floor with a round about stairwell. He laughed. Maybe Moony and Padfoot would start another of their pointless shallow bickering matches and end up throwing minor hexes. He could expect Professor Nodel to take a serious number of house points for his friend’s tardiness.

He was the first of the Gryffindors to reach the dungeons. This was not a good thing seeing as the majority of the Slytherin’s had already arrived.

Lucius Malfoy smiled wickedly as the Gryffindor prefect entered the Potion’s classroom: alone. Oh, but this was too good, he thought happily.

"Well well, what have we here?" Lucius moved towards James, flanked on either side by Victor Crabbe and Gerald Goyle  "A lone lion come down to the depths of Hogwarts without his harem? How fascinating."

"Bugger off, Malfoy." James snapped, walking over to his bench and setting his books down. He could not get into this, not by himself in a room full of Slytherins. No matter how good he was at magic, the sheer numbers of the Slytherins could result in something very bloody.

"No Potter, I don’t think so. After all, I haven’t had chance to comment on your performance on the Quidditch pitch last week. Honestly Potter, I’ve never seen a more pathetic display." Malfoy said with a viscous grin.

"Shut up, Malfoy."

"But it was so very comical when that bludger sent you flying. I didn’t know a wizard could fly that far without a broomstick. But you were quiet the little bird."

James said nothing. The last Quidditch match, and the first game of the season, had been one of the most embarrassing moments in his entire life.

It had all happened so fast, one minute he was chasing the quaffle and one of the Hufflepuff chasers near the Slytherin stands.  And the next a rogue bludger had collided with the tail of his broom, the impact knocking him off and sending him soaring had knocked James of his broom and sent him soaring.

But instead of landing on the grass of the pitch, he went in the directions of the stands.  And his luck ran out further when he landed in the lap of one Severus Snape.


He hadn’t had much time for it to register, though, because his landing had also sent his head slamming into the seat next to Severus. He’d been out cold not five seconds after landing.  



"You know, I personally don’t think you minded. I think," Malfoy said, his smile becoming even more wicked, "that you AIMED your landing. At least now everyone knows that you’re Severus’s bitch. Now you and Slytherin’s resident fag don’t have to keep your perverted little affair in the closet."



James swallowed hard and felt his hands curl into fists. That bloody bastard, James thought with shock and anger. It was a common occurrence for him to taunt James, the rest of the Marauders, and the rest of the school ruthlessly, but he’d never actually realized how cruel the Slytherins were to each other.



He shot a quick glance at the Slytherin in question. Snape’s already sallow skin had gotten even paler but his black eyes were glittering with rage. James watched as Snape reached discreetly into his robes and slowly started to withdraw his wand.



"So tell me, Potter, is he as submissive to you as he seems? Is the little fag a decent shag or are you just fucking him out of pity? All of us are simply dying to know." Lucius drawled. Crabbe and Goyle tittered like idiots and Narcissa Zambini and Felicia Bulstrode were giggling like the schoolgirls they were.



But Snape had on a mask of calm. And at about the same time Moony, Padfoot, Wormtail and a few other Gryffidors entered the dungeons James saw Snape whisper something and flick his wand in a small but definite gesture.



And Lucius started to shriek. It was a girly feminine scream and the Gryffindors who had made it to the classroom were rolling with laughter at the sight.



Lucius Malfoy’s hair had turned acid green and was falling out in clumps. Seconds later the pale face erupted into bright, red, puss-filled boils that immediately drew the blonde teen’s hands to his face.



Remus and Peter were watching Lucius run from the room with quiet, but enthusiastic chuckles. Sirius was actually doubled over he was laughing so hard. But James was silent, his eyes on Severus.



The quiet Slytherin slid his wand deftly into his sleeve and looked up. His black eyes met James’s bright blue, spectacled ones and nodded slightly. At the tiny gesture, James gave him a bright smile and then turned away.



Perhaps Lily wasn’t completely crazy, James thought as Sirius straightened up slightly and slowly made his way back to the desk where James was seated. Maybe Severus Snape had one or two redeeming qualities. After all, he’d never see Malfoy run that fast.

 

TBC
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%