A/N: Yay! Have finally gotten round to re-posting this, cos I like my story, dammit!

DISCLAIMER: This chapter that I'm using to start the story is taken from 'Snape's Worst Memory'  in OotP. All I have done is change the view point to James in the first person and added a few thoughts and an ending of my own. 

The Harry Potter series and merchandise belongs to J.K Rowling, Warner Bros, Bloomsbury, Scholastic, etc. Please do not sue me – I am making no money from this, it's just for a bit of fun. No copyright infringement is intended.

 "...however, there have been no sightings of Basilisks in Britain for at least four hundred years."

"Five more minutes!"

Flitwick's voice startled me and my full stop after 'years' squiggled down the page, causing me to sigh inwardly. What a fabulous last impression for the examiners:

"Although James Potter shows remarkable knowledge on the subject of Defence Against The Dark Arts, we, the Wizarding Examinations Authority, cannot possible award him Outstanding as he seems incapable of correctly manoeuvring a quill. In other words, you can stuff all your prospective career options as even Quidditch players need to know how to sign autographs." 

I can see it now, I really can. Bloody hell, I'll be just like Wormtail. How depressing?.

I dropped my quill, almost in disgust at my feeble writing attempts, and pulled the yellowy parchment towards me. I skim read it quickly - it looked okay, I guess - and then relaxed a little with a yawn and running my stiff fingers through my already messy, and slightly sweaty, hair. I cast a glance over my shoulder to see where Flitwick was. At least half way down the aisle by now. Good.

I turned right round in my seat and grinned Sirius who returned my dazzling smile with a thumbs up. Stupid Cassie Amuns was eyeing him up in the seat behind him without much luck. Out of the corner of my eye I caught sight of Remus looking tired and near him, Peter.

And by Peter...

...was her.

Her.

She was sitting with her long creamy-white legs crossed under the table, her robe skirt just that little bit too far up her thigh that made all my hormones go berserk. Her hair was down today, exactly the way I liked it (not that I would ever tell her that fact). I loved the way the sunlight would hit the ruby waterfall of her hair and shine like the finest red wine as it spilt over her dainty shoulders and swung around her face. I knew that if she only looked for a split second in my direction I would see her strange, entrancing emerald eyes. They were like pools of spring meadow grass, framed with almost oriental almond shaped eyes.

To put it short, she was the most beautiful thing that had ever graced the hallways of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

While I gazed at her I almost absent-mindedly doodled on some scrap paper -  a snitch and, before I knew it, two initials in the thick black ink.

L.E.

Lily Evans.

AKA  - Her.

Lily, Lily, Lily Evans. Lily...Potter? Yeah right.

"Quills down please! That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect you parchment! Accio!"

I ducked as about a hundred and fifty rolls of parchment zoomed overhead and then hastily scribbled out the L.E. This was not something I needed Padfoot teasing me about if it happened to end up in his hands.

Looking over again at Lily, I heard a thud and a few laughs. Professor Flitwick had been knocked over by the rush of papers and was now being lifted off the floor by two Hufflepuffs.

"Thank you...thank you. Very everybody, you're free to go." panted the professor somewhat ruffled.

I didn't need anymore encouragement. I jumped up, tossing the things on the small desk into my bag and waited for Padfoot.

"Hey there, Prongs - how'd it go for you?" he and I began walking towards the Entrance Hall.

"Meh, okay, I guess," there was no need for me to tell him of my marvellous quill-holding - Sirius would just laugh at me, tell me I was paranoid, "How'd you find it?" I asked as the other two joined us.

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" Sirius added as we went through the doors.

"Loved it: Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question." Remus replied with his serious face, broken only with a twinkle in his brown eyes.

"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" I said with my best reassuring-and-concerned-friend voice.

Moony sighed dramatically, nodding, "Think I did. One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin." Me and Sirius cracked up whilst Peter looked all anxiously up at us.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail, but I couldn't think what else - "

Jaysus, Peter and his stupidity would be the death of me, I was certain. Exasperated I began, "How thick are you, Wormtail? You run round with a werewolf once a month - " before being cut off by Remus - "Keep your voice down."

"Well, I thought the paper was a piece of cake. I'll be surprised if I don't get an 'Outstanding' on it at least." Sirius said cockily. Never one to be out down I added a swift, "Me too." Then reached into my robe pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it."

I didn't have to expand on my reasoning for having a Snitch. Although I was Chaser for the Gryffindor Quidditch team. The school had plenty more of them and I was one of those people who always had to have something to fiddle with. In a non-dodgy way, obviously.

We sat down under the large beech tree near the lake. The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing Gryffindor girls sat with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water. From where I was sitting I could see Lily.

Every now and then I would release the Snitch before grabbing it back before it went to far. Each grab was met with applause from Wormtail. Quite unnecessary applause I thought, but I loved being appreciated. I was the pinnacle of attention seeker-ness.

Sirius sat for a while looking bored, displaying the air of someone far above the rest of the students milling about on the grass. Only I could see the faint flicker of sadness in his eyes that meant he was thinking of his family, particularly  into the Dark Arts. Remus was reading, as normal. And all the time, Wormtail was screaming over my amazingness and I kept gazing at the lake, or to be more exact, Lily.

"Put that away, will you," said Sirius finally, as I made a fine catch and Peter let out a cheer, "before Wormtail wets himself with excitement." I just smiled at this comment while Peter looked embarrassed.

"If it bothers you," I said, stuffing the Snitch back in my pocket.

"I'm bored. Wish it was the full moon." Sirius said sulkily, glowering at the sky as if to guilt the moon into skipping a week.

"You might," replied Remus from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here.." and he held out his book. But Sirius just snorted.

"I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all -" but I interrupted.

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," I said quietly, "Look who it is.." Sirius's head turned to follow my gaze. He became very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."

 Snape had gotten up and was stowing the OWL paper in his bag . As he left the shadow of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and I stood up.

"All right,  Snivellus?" I called loudly, mockingly. The git span round, dropping his bag. He plunged his arm inside his robes and his wand was halfway through the air when I shouted, "Expelliarmus!" I was always too quick for him

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 and then pointed his own wand, "Impedimenta!". He was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand.

Some people had gathered round us. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained while Snape lay panting on the ground. We advanced on him, wands raised, I glanced over my shoulder at Lily again. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging round Remus to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" I asked.

"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."

Several people watching laughed. Wormtail sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You - wait," he panted, staring up at me with an expression of the purest loathing, "you - wait!"

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

Snape let out a stream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," I said coldly, raising my wand, "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed form Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him -

"Leave him ALONE!"

Sirius and I spun round and my free hand went immediately to my hair.

It was Lily.

"All right, Evans?" I called pleasantly.

"Leave him alone," she repeated. She was staring at me with every sign of great dislike and I prayed, prayed, that the ground would swallow me up there and then. She HATED me. "What's he done to you?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."

Many of the surrounding students laughed, Sirius and Wormtail included, but Lupin, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and nor did Lily. Instead she fixed me with an icy stare and I felt my pride evaporate inside me.

"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone. "

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," I replied quickly - too quickly. I couldn't believe I said it. "Go on... go out with me and I'll never lay a wind on old Snivelly again."

Behind me, I knew the Impediment Jinx would be wearing off. Somewhere in the back on my mind I heard Snape spitting out soapsuds.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Sirius briskly , and turned back to Snape. "OI!"

But it was too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at me; there was a flash of light and a sharp pain on my cheek, blood spattered my robes. I whirled about: a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside-down to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered; Sirius, me and Wormtail roared with laughter.

Lily, whose furious expression had twitched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"

"Certainly," I said and jerked my wand up, but Sirius said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE  HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. Me and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," I said earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

I sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go," I said, as Snivellus struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus - "

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

Lily blinked.

"Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."

"Apologise to Evans!" I roared at Snape, my wand pointed threateningly at him. My heart was racing and the blood was pumping through me like crazy. How dare he! How dare he insult her!

"I don't want you to make him apologise," Lily shouted, rounding on me. "You're as bad as he is."

"What?" I yelped. "I'd NEVER call you a - you-know-what!"

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

She turned on her heel and hurried away.

"Evans!" I shouted after her. "Hey, EVANS!"

But she didn't look back.

"What is it with her?" I said, trying and probably failing to look as though this was a throwaway question of no real importance to me. But the truth was her words had crushed me. She really, really hated me and I really, really didn't hate her.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited, mate," said Sirius.

"Right," I said furious, "right -"

There was another flash of light, and Snape was once again hanging upside-down in the air.

"Who wants to see me take off Snivelly's pants?" I shouted.

A look of horror  crossed Snape's face. Then a look of pure, unadulterated hate. And in my mind I saw Lily's face with that same expression. That look of revulsion that rocked me to the core of my soul.

I stepped back.

The crowd was heckling, almost baying for blood. A bit of excitement. Sirius and Peter chanted something beside me.

I looked at the wand in my hand and then up at Severus. Wand, Severus. Wand... Severus.

I swallowed and turned my back to him and slowly, so very slowly, I walked away.

I walked away from the crowd. Away from Snivellus. Away from my friends. Away from James Potter. The arrogant, bullying toerag.

As I walked my footsteps became faster. Faster and faster until I broke out into a jog, a run, a full out sprint as I tried desperately to get away from Lily's voice in my head:

"You make me SICK... YOU make me SICK... YOU make ME SICK ... YOU MAKE ME SICK..."