Just One Day

Just One Day

By JessieHeart

Chapter Three

*

Sirius Black had his wand pointed carelessly at the Marauder's Map and had began to speak. Severus felt his heart plummet. He had no idea what the enchantment was, but from what he had gathered, if Black was allowed to finish, his entire day of careful planning would be for naught.

Black spoke to the parchment lazily, "I solemnly swear I am-"

Severus acted quickly. He didn't care how, he just told his body to do SOMETHING. As if out of his control, his hand-- rather, Potter's hand-- lashed out, knocking a goblet of pumpkin juice all over the strange map.

"Prongs!" Black shouted. Severus didn't care. He quickly snatched up the dripping parchment and stuffed it in his bag. The three Marauders were looking at him as if he had grown a second head. He could feel his own face burning with embarrassment. He had to get out of there.

"I, I uh… I need to go to the, uh, Hospital Wing, stomach ache…" Severus ran from the dinning Hall, sputtering excuses. He didn't bother to see if the Marauders were following him, didn't even care where he was going, he just ran.

"I'm so stupid!" Severus cried out loud. "Idiot!"

He came to a stop in front of a portrait of a large woman, desperate for breath. He punched the wall, furious with himself. He heard a clock somewhere in the vicinity count off the hours… Six o'clock. His last hour as James. Severus quickly drained the last of his Polyjuice Potion.

"James?"

Severus realized that he was not alone. Lily Evans was coming up a staircase. She approached him cautiously. "James, did you forget the password?"

"The-?" Severus began, confused. He jumped as the tapestry beside them spoke.

"Password, dears?" the Fat Lady asked. Severus, mouth agape, wracked his brain for ideas.

"Moonstones," said Lily carelessly. The Fat Lady swung open, revealing the Gryffindor Common room. Severus hesitantly followed Lily inside. A shiver ran up his spin as the door clicked shut.

Sealed inside a lion's tomb, he thought.

Lily opened her bag and pulled out a rather large box. She settled herself on the floor and began to riffle wordlessly through her things.

"What's that?" Severus, whom always hated awkward silences, asked.

"It's from my parents," Lily said shortly. She muttered a spell and the tape binding the box flew off. From out of the box, she lifted a Muggle item foreign to Severus' eyes. "My record player!" Lily exclaimed with glee. Her smile was radiant, her fiery hair bouncing… Severus, for the second time that day, had to remind himself that she was a 'Mudblood.'

"I thought most Muggle items didn't work at Hogwarts," Severus said, this time interested for real. He eyed the record player cautiously.

"This may come as a bit of a shock for you, Potter, but you're only half right. Electronic things won't work inside Hogwarts," Lily said, looking at him with those piercing green eyes. "But this particular record player doesn't run on electricity."

Severus raised one of James' rogue eyebrows.

Lily blushed. "Okay, so I had to put a load of spells on it, but it should work."

She pulled a record out of her bag and placed it on the machine. After another spell or two, she set the needle on the spinning disk, and sure as rain, music wafted throughout the room.

"I love this song," the Muggleborn said dreamily. She looked at Severus, her eyes drifting closed, and said in a tone only half-sarcastic, "So, let me guess, there's a Hogsmeade visit coming up and it would really do me good to go with you."

Severus opened his mouth, but instead of making excuses, a question crossed his mind. He asked without really thinking, "What is it, exactly..." the dark-haired boy asked cautiously, "That makes you hate Pott... me? I've asked you out so many times, any other girl in the school would have said yes."

Lily looked away, staring intently at the floor. "Well, that's just the problem, isn't it? Every other girl in this school would love to go out with you, and you know it. It's made you arrogant, you and your half-wit friends think you run the school. What about poor Emerson?"

Severus was taken aback, her question not registering in his mind. "Who?"

"Emerson!" Lily said a bit too loudly. The portraits of past Gryffindors shuffled and watched the pair with interest. "Philip Emerson! He's a Ravenclaw, you put a curse on his soup at dinner, turned his face all blue, remember? He'd just gotten high marks on the Transfiguration exam, too, and you spoiled his moment of triumph. You didn't even care! Sometimes, I think, the only one you care about is yourself. THAT is why I say no when you ask me out, every single DAY!"

Again, Severus' mouth was open, but no words came out. He hadn't the faintest idea of what to say, but he knew she was right. Though he was not guilty of James Potter's other crimes, he had cursed a stranger without a second thought. Did that not make him just as bad as Potter? Severus felt his face grow red, both from embarrassment and anger. He retaliated with a spiteful voice, "I'm not asking you out NOW, am I?!"

Those eyes seemed to be ablaze with emerald fire. A long, tense moment passed between them, neither daring to speak. At long last Severus reckoned he should say something, maybe he SHOULD ask her out to keep up James' persona.

He was about to speak the first James-like phrase that came to mind, but Lily's green eyes poured into his. Severus felt all of his previous anger fall away, the emotion replaced with a wave of guilt. Lily was the only one in the room. She was the only one he would be lying to. She would believe his lies, she would have no reason to doubt him… and all so he could keep up appearances. He tore away from those green depths and looked at the floor.

"No. I'm not going to ask you out any more tonight," he said quietly. A silence passed between them. At last he looked up, and saw that she wasn't shocked or angry, but smiling.

"Good," said Lily. Her eyes were apprehensive. Severus couldn't read her expression, which made him nervous. Life would be a lot easier if he could tell what people were thinking when they stared at him like that! His knees suddenly felt very weak, and he sank gratefully into the ruby-coloured couch behind him. Lily had gone back to the box that had contained her record player. Suddenly, she let out a surprised noise. "There's a letter in here!"

Lily gleefully stood and sat next to Severus on the couch. "My family never writes; they haven't figured out owl-post." She tore open the letter. Severus watched her eyes scan the note, and felt an odd sense of regret when her smile turned to despair.

"What's the matter?" he asked, trying to see her face, but she wouldn't look at him.

"It's from my sister, Petunia," said Lily. "She wants me to stop writing home for my things. She's asked me to leave her 'well enough alone.'"

Severus didn't know what to say. He had no words of comfort, no brilliant insight that surely James could conjure. He forced himself to stare at the portraits on the wall, until…

"I don't have any family either." His words were emotionless, yet seem to come from somewhere deep, very deep within.

Lily looked over at him. She was taken aback to see a look of immense thought on his face; the way his amber eyes looked not at physical things, but as if through them, inside them elsewhere. James Potter really was incredibly handsome, but it was his words that kept her attention rapt.

"Well, I have family, but none I really like to speak of…" Severus said. He was not thinking of his disguise, of James, but of himself. Surely he could speak the truth but still maintain his physical lie…? He swallowed, still looking off distantly. " Of course, I like my bloodline… The benefits of one's… last name… can be useful… at times…"

He turned to Lily. The screams of 'She's a Mudblood!' had quieted in his mind. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'm saying."

It was true. His thoughts were confused, jumbled. He liked his last name, it had given him character, a purpose. He was a student 'up to his eyeballs in dark arts'… It was what he had always been. But not today. Not now. He could be what he wanted, not what he simply WAS… It made no sense, it made his head spin to think about it…

Lily's gaze met his. Severus felt as though he had something in his throat, he wanted to speak, ask her something he never would have if not for that moment.

Lily didn't notice. She was busy losing herself in James' face, those features, that soul… A thought unconsciously strayed across her mind... that maybe, someday, somehow, she could fall for a man like James Potter.

"D'you think…" Severus whispered, "Maybe… you would like to go to Hogsmaede with me?"

Lily didn't lower her eyes, but she did look hesitant. Severus added quickly, a little bit more confidant, "You don't even have to spend the whole day with me, just an hour, we can have lunch."

Was it just Severus' imagination, or were they drawing closer?

"I think," Lily said slowly, "I can do that."

Surely he was imagining, but it did seem they were a bit too close…

She spoke again, whispering, "An hour without your friends, just us."

Too close… Much too close… But never stop.

He could feel her breath against his lips, he parted them slightly… Lily suddenly pulled away.

Her voice was not normal, rather she sounded confused. "What's the matter with your eyes?"

Severus jumped out of his seat and ran to a mirror on the wall. His fears were immediately confirmed. His eyes had turned from almond-brown to the pit-black of a starless night. Already his nose was starting to lengthen, to hook in its natural fashion. A grandfather clock began to chime the seconds until seven.

Severus' hand flew to his nose. He grabbed Potter's things, and without so much as a good-bye to Lily Evans, he fled the Gryffindor dormitories. He ran almost blindly, content to ignore the screeching prefects ("No running in the halls!") and did not stop until he was outside the Room of Requirement. He dropped the book bag to the floor and collapsed on his hands and knees.

"I did it…" he whispered, his own black hair falling around his shoulders. "I was James Potter for an entire day…"

It took Severus a few moments to catch his breath. When he entered the Requirement room, he shook his head at the sight of James laying there, mouth open, snoring loudly. He felt a pang of jealousy when he thought of how easy it was for James to talk to Lily, to ask her out on a frequent basis, how James Potter always seemed to get what he wanted…

"You really are one lucky git," said Severus ruefully, giving James back his glasses. He changed from the Gryffindor robes to his familiar green ones. "_Damn_ you…" Severus pushed open the door and found that he did not have the strength to do the enjoyable task of kicking Potter down the hall. He pointed his wand at James and sighed, "_Mobilicorpus._"

James Potter's limp body followed as Severus led him back to the portrait of the Fat Lady. Severus leaned Potter against the wall-- let his friends think he fell asleep-and muttered the counter-curse to his sleeping spell. James let out a grunt, but otherwise rolled his head and continued sleeping. He would wake up on his own in a few hours.

Severus looked up at the Fat Lady's frame, and thought of Lily sitting just beyond the passage, listening to her enchanted record player.

A chilling realization struck him hard, sending a shiver up his spine, yet warming his entire being from the inside. "I almost…" he thought aloud, thinking of the conversation in the lion's common room, "I almost kissed Lily Evans. Lily Evans! The girl Potter makes sure no one would dare touch… I almost kissed her…"

But what scared him the most out of that entire realization, was that he wanted to do it again.

*

"I swear, Prongs, if you were any thicker, you'd have to be in Slytherin."

The Marauders were greatly amused, the next morning, at James' sudden lack of short-term memory and the fact that he had been snoozing outside their common room.

"Fancy the Fat Lady, do we?" Lupin asked with a wink. James, on the other hand, did not find the situation to be as hilarious. He'd been trying to convince hid friends all morning that he had no idea how he ended up next to the Fat Lady.

"Seriously!" James said, his voice hinting on panic. "I don't remember- Padfoot, stop laughing, Moony's not that funny! I don't remember anything that happened yesterday either. I recall walking to Quidditch practice… Then that's it."

Lupin and Black didn't seem to want to take James seriously at all Black started going on about Potter's brilliant performance in Binn's class, which had earn him a detention. Potter added hysterically that he didn't remember that, either, and his two friends began to laugh again. Only Pettigrew believed James' story.

"You certainly weren't yourself yesterday," he said consolingly. "I'm willing to bet that you were ill. You stuttered a lot and said some funny things. Besides, I could tell you weren't well when you were reluctant to bully Snivellus."

James raised a single bushy eyebrow. "Interesting… Maybe I was ill… C'mon. Double Potions with the Slytherins."

*

Severus was already in the Potions lab long before class was scheduled to start. He wasn't quite sure how early he was--two hours, three? What did it matter-he assembled his ingredients and cauldron, silently remembering the events of yesterday.

Potter and his friends entered the cold dungeon, flanked by several other Gryffindor admirers. Black eyed Severus, hand gripping the end of wand his wand longingly. However, under the protective gaze of the Potions Master, neither of the boys could do a thing.

Lily Evans strolled in, books slung over one shoulder. She sat sown and began to prepare the nessacary ingrediants for class. Severus smiled maliciously to himself; being one-up on the Marauders without them knowing it was the sweetest feeling he had ever known. They had no idea how close he had gotten to Lily, how he had gotten her to say yes to his Hogsmeade invites when potter never could--

Severus' wand fell to the floor with a clatter as his body went numb. Half-conscious thoughts raced through his mind.

Lily Evans is expecting to go out with James Potter in three weeks, he realised, But JAMES POTTER doesn't even know it! Even if the great lump figured that out, Evans said yes to me. ME. I should be the one she sees at Hogsmaede, I'd be letting her down otherwise.

Severus extracted the copy of "Moste Potenant Potions" from his bag. The book confirmed what he knew to be truth; the Polyjuice Potion took a full four weeks to brew. He had exactly three; the Hogsmaede trip was to take place three Fridays from that very day.

He examined the ingredients more carefully, looking for any shadow of reassurance. Fluxweed had to be plucked in the light of a full moon, which wouldn't come until after Hogsmaede. Daring to hope, Severus checked his private stores, and somehow, miraciously, he had some fluxweed left over from the last full moon. He read on and felt a burst of joy, the lacewings Polyjuice Potion required only had to be brewed for twenty-one days... If he started the fresh batch of Polyjuice Potion that very night, it would be ready to drink on the day he needed it most.

Severus grinned at his own cleverness. In a few short weeks he would be able to masqerade as James right under the Gryffindor's noses.

Speaking of James...

Provoked by his friends, James was santering over to Lily, undoubtably to ask her out. She had already said yes once... how confused would she be if James asked her out again?

Severus knew he had to prevent James from talking to Lily Evans. His scheme depended on it. Picking up a flask of foul-smelling potion, Severus walked as quickly as he could towards the Gryffindor boy. He was going to run into James head-on before they reached Lily. Severus walked a little faster, closed his eyes, he couldn't believe he was actually going to do this-

BAM

The two boys collided, potion spilling onto both of them. The remaining Marauders were there in an instant to help James up.

"What are you playing at, Snivellus?!" Black whispered furiously. James gagged at the horrible odor that now covered him. Severus, wiping potion from his own robes, couldn't help but sneer.

"I thought Potter could use a bath," he retorted savagely, "His smell certainly has improved, wouldn't you say?"

As soon as the words left his lips, two wands were pointed dangerously at his face. Glancing over at Lily, Severus saw that she was choosing to ignore the situation.

The potions master had found her way over to the would-be quarrel.

"What's going on here?" the Professor demaned. Her nostrils were flaring, and not even the Marauders could stand up to a teacher's fury.

"Nothing, professor. Just an accident," Severus muttered. The Gryffindors mummled a form of agreeance and took their seats. Severus returned to his own desk, his pride stronger than the smell that engulfed his robes.

*

Severus had to continue the charade for several weeks. Between making sure his potion was brewed perfectly and keeping James away from Lily, Severus was more on edge than usual. He jumped when someone said his name and had a constant look of paranoia about him. The Marauders must have though he was stalking them; the way he constantly jumped out of nowhere to prevent Potter's contact with Lily.

"He's trying to get us expelled," Sirius assured the others. Only Pettigrew really seemed worried about Severus' presence.

The long-awaited weekend arrived. Friday evening Severus enjoyed putting another curse on James and rolling him down the stone hallway. Severus stuffed the Gryffindor in the corner and cut off more hair... Probably more than necessary. Severus had four small vials, each with an hour's worth of Polyjuice Potion inside of it. He didn't need to be James for a full day, just long enough. Placing the vials in his robes and leaving James to snore, Severus returned to his dorm and awaited the following afternoon.

*

"NOT going to Hogsmaede? You sure? Honeydukes is having a sale."

Lucius Malfoy, a senior student, was trying to tempt Severus into going to the village. Lucius' girlfriend, Narcissa, stood by the common room door impatiently. The small vials of Polyjuice Potion containing Potter's hair tingled in Severus' pocket.

"No, I'm going to stay here, catch up on these OWL papers," said the younger boy. Lucius shrugged.

"Your loss. See you this evening then."

Narcissa and her boyfriend disappeared into the dungeon hallway. Severus waited in silence until he was absolutely sure the Slytherin dorms were vacant. Everyone was in Hogsmaede, and no one would see Potter emerge from the Slytherin common room entrance. Pulling out a vile, he uncorked it and drained its contents.

Severus went rigid as the transformation grasped him once more. In an instant he was consumed by Potter's image. He threw off his cloak. Underneath he donned casual Muggle clothes befitting James.

He exited Hogwarts' grounds as inconspicuously as possible, looking out for any sign of the Marauders. He reached the Three Broom Sticks and stood just by the door, hands nervously shaking at his side. Severus couldn't keep still; he kept looking around, shuffling on his feet, pushing James' glasses higher up on his nose. He'd never felt so out of place.

Where was she?

"James?"

It took Severus a moment to realize that someone was talking to him. He whirled around and his previous nervousness vanished, replaced with squirms of fear.

Lily Evans was standing before him in a simple Muggle dress, emerald green that off-set her fiery hair but brilliantly brought out her vibrant eyes. She smiled slightly, those eyes dancing… She was beautiful.

But that was not what made Severus so fearful. A dawning awareness had hit him, making his very thoughts dizzy with realization.

He was falling in love with Lily, and falling fast.