Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of these characters, except for Siobhan, J.K. Rowling does and I'm extremely jealous. Mary is actually someone in the book, but I changed her full name because just Mary is so pedestrian, don't you think?

A/N: I always wanted to write one of these Lily/James things and they are amazingly fun. I highly recommend it. Just so you know, I'm going to put this chapter up first, just to see how it goes. It's going to be a long time until Chapter 2 comes up.

The rhythmic click of the clock's pendulum woke me from my trance. There was only ten minutes left, and I was thinking of lunch? My last question, the one I skipped, was 'Give five signs that identify the werewolf'. Didn't I go over that in my notes before breakfast this morning? Why couldn't I remember? I was usually good at these things. The snout was different wasn't it? It was shaped unusually. I quickly dipped my quill in my blue ink and wrote it down. I hoped they didn't want anything specific, or I was toast. Er – what's the next one? The tail? It was bigger wasn't it, or more puffy? Oh, honestly, why would you need to identify a werewolf? If a bloke's growing access hair all over his body and growling, you run! You don't need to identify him.

"Five more minutes!" Professor Flitwick called out from the front of the room. I was in trouble. Okay, how about the eyes? The pupils are different, I think. I wrote that one down along with the snout and tail. What else? C'mon Lily, just make some rubbish up! I scrawled out something about the paws and ears. With a sigh of relief, I threw down my quill and leaned back in my chair. Finally, OWLs were done!

Professor Flitwick announced the test over, then summoned the papers. The parchment zoomed towards him and knocked him over on his back. A few people laughed, most of them Slytherins. I went to go help him, but several other students had already got there, and placed him safely on his feet. "Thank you, thank you," he said, steadying himself. "Very well, everybody, you are free to go!"

There was a mad rush out of the Great Hall, but I stayed behind at the door, waiting for my friend, Wilhelmina. She was at the back of the room, so I expected her to take a long time. Suddenly, she appeared beside me.

"Merlin's pants, Will! You scared me!" I said, my hand on my heart in an attempt to slow it. "Have you learned to Apparate or something?"

"Lily, you know you can't Apparate of Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds," Will scolded. "And no, it's not my fault you are unobservant. C'mon, we have to meet Siobhan outside."

"Isn't Mary coming?"

"Nah, Flitwick wanted to see her. She just told me."

I followed her to the grounds where we waited at the front door. Will took out a book and began going over the DADA test with me, but I soon became distracted. I saw Potter with his friends by the lake. He was showing off for some giggling Ravenclaw girls, catching a Snitch and messing up his hair every once in a while. I wished he would put that stupid thing away. Black was sitting lazily against a tree and looked handsome and haughty as always. Peter was watching Potter in amazement. Reamus was looking rather ill and had his nose in a book. He was the only agreeable Marauder and a prefect; we got along quite well.

Potter put away his snitch and began watching something with enthusiasm. Black, noticing his gaze, joined him. They were both perfectly still, like lions hiding in the shadows waiting for an unsuspecting zebra. I knew those looks, and I knew who the prey was.

Sev, who was previously studying in a clump if bushes, put his papers in his bag and started making his way to the doors. Potter and Black stood up, too. They took their wands out of their pockets.

"All right, Snivellus?" Potter called. Severus, rightly anticipating a prank or a possible curse, hastily dropped his bag and dug his hand in his robes for his wand. He did this quickly, but not quickly enough. His wand was halfway up when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!" His wand flew out of his hand and fell with a soft thump ten feet behind him. Students who were watching laughed. Black let out a bark of laughter.

"Impedimenta!" Black shouted and Sev, who was searching for his wand. Severus fell loudly on the dirt. I was furious. How dare they? What did Sev do to them? I stood up, my wand out, ready to curse them, but Will held me back.

"Don't Lily," she commanded, disarming me with a smooth wave of her wand. She placed my wand safely in her pocket. "You don't want to get in the middle of that. You could get in trouble or worse, hurt."

More students turned to watch, most entertained. They saw the Marauder's cruelty, and thought it was funny.

Sev was panting on the ground and struggling to get up. More people laughed. I noticed that the crowd of bystanders grew bigger. Reamus and Peter left their spot by the tree to get a closer look. I wondered heatedly how Reamus could've ever been friends with these – people. They were arrogant toerags, the whole lot of them.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" Potter asked, his wand pointed at him. They were closer to the lake's edge now.

"I was watching him," Black answered with a bark of laughter, "his nose was touching the parchment. There'll be great grease marks all over it; they won't be able to read a word." Several people joined him in laughter, including Potter and Pettigrew.

Severus was still struggling on the ground. He was trying to get up, but the hex was still holding him. Concern washed over me, temporarily replacing the rage at Potter. "You – you wait! You – wait!" he panted.

"Wait for what?" said Black haughtily. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?"

Severus muttered a string of curse words and hexes. Those words surprised me; he never used that kind of language when I was around.

"Wash your dirty mouth, Snivellus," Potter said with a grin. "Here, Scourify!" Pink bubbles appeared in Sev's mouth. They filled his mouth, and he began choking. That was enough.

I escaped Will's hold and grabbed my wand with little difficulty. "Wait, Lily, stop!" she called out from the stone steps. I didn't care. These monsters were going to pay. Severus didn't do anything to them; they just liked seeing him in pain. I wanted to see them in pain, see how they like it…

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Everyone turned to face me. Potter smiled a mature, pleasant smile. I didn't let that fool me. That smile was as phony as a boggart's form. A wolf in sheep's clothing, I thought grimly, looking at that kind smile.

"All right, Evans?" Potter asked. His tone changed to match his smile. I loathed him and that stupid countenance. I put my wand in my pocket and crossed my arms.

"Leave him alone," I ordered. I shot him a look that I could only describe as 'pure venom'. "What has he done to you?"

"Well," he began, pretending to think, "it's more the fact he exists, if you know what I mean…" His excuse for embarrassing and tormenting Severus, nearly choking him was because he exists? If I didn't hate him before, I hated him now. He was horrible and proud and utterly revolting! Girls wooed over this bloke?

The surrounding students chuckled, as did Potter, Black, and Pettigrew. Reamus's face was stiff, and he was looking at me in worry. He mouthed an apology for his friends, but I didn't take it. They weren't sorry, they weren't ever sorry for their stupid pranks.

"You think you're funny, Potter," I said. "You're not. You are just an arrogant, bullying toerag. Leave him alone." Potter lost his smirk for a moment, and then he grinned more than ever. I wanted to hex him, but I didn't. I did not want to be like them. I bawled my fists until my knuckles turned white.

"I will if you go out with me, Evans. Go out with me, and I'll never lay a wand on little Snivelly again." Really, this is what it had to come to? How many times had I rejected him? And yet, he still came back, prouder than ever. Behind him, I saw Sev's curse was wearing off, and he was reaching for his wand. I didn't say anything; I just continued to glare at Potter.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," I said, refusing as always. Why couldn't he just give up? I was never going to accept, why couldn't that just get through his thick skull?

"Oh, bad luck Prongs. Looks like you have some competition now," Black said, hiding a chuckle. His face went cold as he turned to look at Sev.

Severus grabbed his wand just as Black was opening his mouth to stop him. A curse shot out from Sev's wand, directed at Potter. His face splattered with blood from large, deep gash on his cheek. With another flash, Severus was upside down, his robes over his head and his grey underpants out for everyone to see. I nearly smiled, but caught hold of myself.

"Let him down, Potter!" I turned away from Sev, stifling a giggle. It was funny, but horribly cruel and evil and immature. Don't laugh, Lily, I urged internally. You'd be just as bad as them.

"Whatever you say," he said with a snicker. He flicked his wand and Severus fell in a crumpled heap on the ground. Straightening his robes, he jumped up and was about to perform a spell. Black yelled, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Severus fell over again, stiff as a board.

"Why can't you just LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I screamed. I held my wand out, ready to curse at any given moment. Potter and Black eyed my wand warily and then shared a look. I felt Will's presence behind me.

"Ah, don't make me hex you, Evans," Potter said sincerely.

"Take the curse off him then!" I ordered. He sighed and muttered the counter-curse. Severus stood up and brushed off his robes. I looked at him, but his expression showed no sign of gratitude, only – hostility.

"There you go," said Potter. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus –"

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

I blinked. My body turned cold as he glared at me in disgust. Did he – did he just call me a Mudblood? I opened my mouth to speak, to ask for some sort of an explanation, but no sound came out. I swallowed loudly. Finally, words came from my lips, just as hostile and wounding as his.

"Fine, I won't bother you in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus," I said, cool as a cucumber, as thoughmy best friend didn't insult me with the most cruel and insensitive word in wizardry, as though he meant nothing to me. I felt a small tear roll down my cheek, betraying my tough demeanor. Will put her hand on my shoulder in comfort.

"Apologize to Evans!" Potter yelled. His wand was pointed against his throat.

"I don't want you to make him apologize!" I said, quickly wiping my face. "You are as bad as he is!" No, he wasn't. Sure, he hexed everyone and was conceited, but he never called me names. He would never do that, or anyone for that matter.

"What? I'd NEVER call you a – you-know-what!" Potter defended, surprised.

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off a broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down the corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!"

I turned and stormed off Will, and the very confused Siobhan at my side. I heard Potter call my name, but I ignored it. I didn't want to see him. He was a conceited, proud, arrogant, bullying toerag that I will never associate with again.

The look on Lily's face said everything. Her beautiful green eyes widened and she struggled to register his hurtful words. Her face went completely pale, bleached the second he said that word. Pain crossed her face. Deep pain. It was the face girls gave me when I broke up with them (or at least, tell them I just want to be friends. Lily's the only girl for me.), only a hundred times worse. Her mouth opened and closed, then opened again. When she did speak it wasn't what I expected.

"Fine, I won't bother you in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus." I felt like kissing her – well, more than usual. This is why I liked Lily Evans. She was – for the lack of a better word – spunky. She wasn't like the others.

Then I looked at her face. The hurt was still there. The angry words were meant, but they were also a show. A tear glistened on her cheek. He made her cry. Lily was in pain, and this bloke, Snivellus, did that to her. The greasy haired son of a bitch had it all, he had her, and he just gave it all away with one foul word.

"Apologize to Evans!" I bellowed, roughly pointing my wand against his throat. All the curses I knew spun around in my mind. He never deserved Lily, and he took her for granted.

"Hey, I don't want you to make him apologize! You're as bad as he is!" Ah, she looked so gorgeous when she was angry. Wait, what did she say? How was I bad?

"What? I'd NEVER call you a – you-know-what!" Did she really think that? I would never, ever, even at wand point, call her or any other muggle-borns – that name. It was evil and immorally wrong.

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off a broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down the corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you because you can – I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!" That surprised me. Yeah, I showed off, but I didn't think she noticed it. I didn't even think she looked at me, let alone known my habits. She actually paid attention to me, and that was good wasn't it, even if she insulted me?

She was leaving with her friends. She didn't even wait for my response, she just left. She must've been really upset. "Hey, EVANS!" I yelled, hoping she would turn around so I could see the expression on her face. She didn't.

Many tears fell that night. Many vows were made, including never speaking to Potter or Sev – Snivellus. Siobhan and Will convinced me to go out to the common room, for I had locked myself in our dormitory. They thought it would be good for me to converse. I would've refused, but they stole my wand. I was powerless.

At nine o'clock, the common room was packed full of Gryffindors that had nowhere to go and nothing to do. There was Gobstones, Exploding Snap, studying, and of course, the Marauders. They were up to something stupid, per usual. Their fan club (mostly older girls) was circled around them so tightly I couldn't see their new scheme, so I just hoped Reamus would stop them from doing something too dangerous.

"What do you think they're doing this time?" Siobhan asked, putting down her textbook and tucking her sandy hair behind her ear. We were helping her study for Muggle Studies, and since I was Muggle-born, she thought I was the best studying tool. As full witches, Will and Mary (actually, she was only half) were no help at all.

"Something stupid and childish, no doubt," answered Will. "Remember when they shrank all the Slytherin's quills? What did they ever do to them?" Immediately, Will noticed her mistake and began to apologize.

"It's fine, Will, really. Everything reminds me of him, so what am I going to do? Lock myself in a closet until I forget about him?"

Will and Siobhan exchanged glances. "Actually, Lily, you were planning on doing that. Good thing we have this," Siobhan said, waving my wand around with a smile.

"Hey, be careful with that! Don't just wave it around, willy-nilly! You might hurt it," I exclaimed protectively, trying to snatch it away, yet again. Siobhan laughed, but put it back in her pocket.

"'Hurt it'?" she repeated, a hint of her Irish accent just coming through. "These things are nearly indestructible, they're meant to be waved around a bit. It won't just break into pieces."

"Yeah," Will agreed. "I once dropped my wand from a third story balcony. It was fine, well after a good polish."

Siobhan and I gave her curious looks. "Would you care to repeat that, please?"

Will grinned wickedly. "It's nothing, really. It was summer, and I was just practicing some spells in the attic with my brother, because mum wouldn't let us downstairs –"

"Wait, what?" I interrupted. "I thought we weren't allowed to use magic outside of school."

"We aren't, Lily," answered Siobhan. "It's just the Ministry can't tell whose making the magic, they just know where it's coming from. It's a bit unfair to you, as a Muggle-born, but not enough people know to complain. Anyway, go on Willy."

"As I said, I was practicing some disarming spells with my little brother, and the balcony door behind him was open. He's a clumsy little bugger, so of course, when my wand flew out of my hand, he fell over and didn't catch it, and it flew out the door to the street."

"Did you go get it?" I asked.

"I tried to, but it landed on one of those Muggle contraptions, the ones that are like big broomsticks. What're they called? – notorsicles, I think."

"I believe it's 'motor vehicles', but nice attempt, Will. What did you do, then?"

"Well, my pig-nosed brother told my mum and she summoned it back. I had to wash the dishes with no magic for the rest of the summer."

"That's not that bad," Mary said, coming out of the portrait hole and joining us. "I once climbed out onto the roof of my dad's house to lick an icicle. I was grounded for two weeks, and had to spend it cleaning the house until it was spotless."

We laughed and Mary set her bags down and got comfortable in an armchair by the fire. She pulled out parchment and quill and started writing.

"I thought you didn't know your dad," Siobhan said. Will nudged her lightly and I sent her a warning look. Mary's dad was a Muggle, and didn't like magic. He left her mother when Mary was a baby because she told him she was a witch.

"Oh, I don't, not really. My mum thought it would be good for me to meet him, you know, have a father figure of some sort. That was before Hogwarts, so mum just convinced him I was a squib. I think he thought I was stupid, because of the whole icicle incident. He didn't like me very much, but then again, he had a whole bunch of suburban Muggle kids of his own. I think he was comparing me to them. And the whole gothic look I was sporting didn't really help the situation either." Mary mostly wore dark clothes. Her black hair was dead straight and looked to be cut perfectly with a ruler, with a couple colorful streaks. Unlike most Goths, she put on no make-up and wore thick square glasses. To most people, she looked a bit secluded and creepy, but she was actually really outgoing and smart once you got to know her.

"Where were you anyway?" I asked, changing the subject. Mary smiled and shook her head.

"It was nothing; just Flitwick thought that my Charms exam was dreadfully close to Narcissa Black's." She said this with a disgusted tone in her voice. "Like I would cheat off her anyway, stupid Slytherin, she probably cheated off me. He made me drink Veritaserum, and that was a long process."

"Don't they have anti-cheating spells on the quills anyway? How could anyone cheat?" Will asked, peering over Siobhan's chair, studying her work. She muttered something and pointed at the parchment. Siobhan quickly crossed the word out.

"I know, but apparently –"

A knock on the common room door stopped her. It was a quiet knock, like a reminder. Mary began tapping her quill against the table conspicuously. "Wow! Aren't the Marauders loud tonight!" We all looked at her, eyebrows raised.

"What was that?" Will asked.

"Nothing. What?" she said a little too quickly.

'Amaryllis, what was that?" I repeated.

Mary looked at me guiltily. "It's Snape. When I got back from Flitwick's, he was sitting there. He wants to talk to you, really badly. He even said that he'd sleep in front of the portrait hole until you came out. He refused to move. I hoped he would just leave after a while."

"He's been sitting with the Fat Lady for the past ten minutes, and you didn't tell me?"

"I knew that seeing him would upset you, so I didn't tell. I'm really sorry, Lily. I just didn't want you to be in more pain than you already are."

"Well, I don't want him staying out there all night and scaring the first years in the morning. I'm going to go talk to him."

A/N: Mary's story about the icicle was really mine. I was looking out the window at my friend's house, and there it was. It was like, four feet! I couldn't resist! So I just opened the window, climbed out and then, my friend's mom conveniently walked by the other window and put a stop to it. I was grounded for weeks. Then they destroyed the icicle to prevent any more incidents.

Question: What is a toerag? It's mentioned quite a lot during the series, but it's never quite clear on what it actually means…

Anyway, feel free to review, that's what the button for.