Just One Day

Chapter One

*

"YES! AND POTTER'S GOT THE SNITCH! GRYFFINDOR WINS!"

The crowd roared its approval. The Quidditch match had been superb; Gryffindor versus Slytherin, both teams playing at the top of their form. The Chasers fought at World Cup level and the Beaters were ruthless. Each play was more heroic than the last. The audience was hooked until the very end, where James Potter broke the tie by catching the Snitch.

It seemed the whole school had attended, when in fact, one student had not.

Severus Snape, a Slytherin fifth year, sat alone hunched over his potions homework. From his spot in the library, he could hear every detail of the Quidditch commentary. He shook his head when the Gryffindor victory was announced.

Severus was a good student, worked hard for all A's and never got into trouble. (Never got *caught,* that is.) He'd always scored second in exams, Remus Lupin being first. He had no friends to distract him from studying, for unfortunately, his looks weren't as good as his grades. His nose hooked unfashionably and he never really could get the potion residue out of his hair. Not that he really cared. Looks were for pretty boys like Potter. Looks were for stuck-up Quidditch players.

The commentary flared up again. The announcer sounded amused.

"Oh, it seems Potter's started a victory lap around the field!"

Severus groaned. He felt his mouth curl into a sneer. Of COURSE Potter had started a victory lap. When did James EVER pass up an opportunity to flaunt his huge ego? To remind the school of his superior perfection?

"Perfect Potter," Severus muttered, emphasizing each alliteration, "I'd like to poison pathetic, perfect Potter with a-" He stopped short, his eyes resting on a name that fit handsomely into his sentence. He said it slowly, thinking out loud. "Polyjuice Potion…"

Severus' mind began to race. Though his current form was undesirable, James had it all. Everyone idolized him. Anything James did was seen as "cool," as acceptable. No one ignored James, no one dared laugh at him. Severus felt himself long for such things. It seemed now that the answer lay in front of him-- To take Potter's form meant to take Potter's life…!

Severus picked up his copy of _"Moste Potente Potions."_ Though you needed special permission to use the school's edition, no rule banned him from owning his own. He leafed through the ingredients. The list named some pretty rare stuff, but nothing too difficult to get. He was, after all, the top potions student, no matter _how_ hard Lupin tried to beat him. Polyjuice would take a month to brew… That was the hard part.

"Where in the world can I keep a cauldron for a month?" Severus wondered aloud. The empty classrooms were useless, (there was always someone or another snogging their girlfriend in them,) and someone would notice a bubbling pot in the boys' lavatory. He needed a room that only a few people knew about, and he could access whenever he wanted…

"The Room of Requirement!" he said, almost too loudly. Only people from old, ancient wizard families knew about it. That fit the bill nicely. Severus smiled at his cleverness.

"I'll make the Polyjuice Potion in the Room for Requirement. Then, in a month, I'll be Potter for a day."

*

A month passed, and the potion was made. It was difficult, as Polyjuice Potions have to be "just so." Severus skipped a few classes to stir it or add the ingredients at all the right times. Not that the ingredients themselves were hard to get. He simply had to take what he wanted, and if questioned say, "It's for educational research, Professor." No one ever doubts a straight-A student.

Just as Severus' patients was about to run out, the thirty-first day came. The potion was done and ready for drinking. It bubbled promisingly-- if you could call a thick muddy-brown promising. Only one thing was missing; Potter's hair.

Severus knew it had to be carefully planned. If the assassination attempt on James' dreadlocks didn't go smoothly, the whole operation was kaput. If he tried to get it while Potter's friends were around, they would be all over him in an instant. He needed Potter to be alone. So he did a little eavesdropping.

"Padfoot," Lupin said to Sirius Black during breakfast. The Marauders were sitting together, conversing over toast. None of them noticed Severus only one table away, pretending to read his book on Cheering Charms. "The all-girl defense class is meeting outside today. You want to go watch? They're going to practice being ambushed."

"Girls tackling each other? I wouldn't miss it," Black said. He grinned at Peter Pettigrew, who blushed so deep red you could see his hormones flaring. Black then turned to James. "What about you, Prongs?"

James Potter swallowed the last of his pumpkin juice. "Nah. I've got Quidditch practice at five, same time as the girls' defense class. I checked."

"Won't be the same without you." Black said with a shrug.

Severus grinned. So Potter would be alone around five o'clock. James' little friends would be watching girls while he skipped on off to Quidditch practice. Then Severus would get him, he knew some pretty powerful sleeping hexes. All he had to do was wait…

*

"Come on, Evans, got out with me."

"Drop DEAD, Potter!"

From inside a closet, Severus half-listened to James and Lily's voices argue. Five o'clock had come, and the Slytherin boy had planned on attacking Potter as he passed the janitor's closet. However, Fate had her whims. James had spotted Lily and started asking her on a date. Snape had to wait for James to be alone… Hopefully it wouldn't take too long for Evans to turn him down.

James tried again. "Just one visit to Hogsmeade with me, I promise you won't regret it."

"I said no," Lily said, getting annoyed.

James' tone suddenly turned deep and intimate. "What about all that time we've spent alone in the common room, talking? I've bet you've told me more things about yourself than anyone else. About how you somehow think your red hair is ugly, about how your sister hates you…"

"Just go away. I don't want anything to do with you, Potter. Sure, you may be nice when we're alone, but around everyone else you're a conceited git!"

Severus heard loud footsteps. He could only hope that it meant Lily had stormed away. He heard a heavy sigh, followed by James' voice.

"What's WITH her?"

Footsteps started up again, then a shadow at the foot of the door. James was passing by…

Severus took his chance. He flung the closet door open and jumped out. James whirled around and saw his hated foe. He reached for his wand, but his enemy's was already out.

"STOPTRA!" Severus bellowed, casting a powerful sleeping curse. James' eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor, limp. Severus chuckled. His spell would keep Potter in an unaware dreamland until someone lifted the hex.

Severus kicked, rolled and dragged Potter to the Room of Requirement. He could have lifted the boy into the air magically, but what fun would that have been? Once inside, he gleefully pushed James into a corner and left him there.

"Tomorrow," he promised to the boy's sleeping face. "Tomorrow I get to be you."

*

End of Chapter One