In your skin

In the Hogwarts Express

Unlike James had thought, he didn't spend the trip back to King's Cross with Lily. Instead, he had to spent hours in a cabin with several Slytherins that he hated, listening to them say shit about Gryffindor and the others houses. He wanted to defend himself, but he knew he couldn't, so he just stayed quiet for the biggest part of the trip. When they were around half an hour from the station, the wagon's door opened and a ginger haired girl poked her head in. Lily. Lily!

"Sev? Sev!" she said contently as she saw him, and for a moment James was confused, only then remembering that he was on Snape's body. Okay, maybe that wouldn't be as easy as he had thought. He could feel the disgust coming from the Slytherins around him. She walked closer and took his hand, making James' heart beat faster. She had soft hands. So soft. "Hey Sev. Let's go to my cabin! We need to stick together so we don't get lost once we arrive in the station." She said, and that sounded like the most rational thing he had heard in the entire day.

"Sure Lily. Bye" he said, standing up and pulling his bag from the roof rack. He tried not to sound too happy, since Snape never sounded very content with anything. Even so, he couldn't help himself when he relaxed as soon as they left the Slytherin wagon. Lily seemed to noticed, because she turned to him with worried eyes.

"What is it Sev? Were they making you do things again? Are they treating you badly?" she asked, and James wasn't very sure about what to say. He thought Slytherins treated Snape nicely. What would Snape say in this situation?

"Better than Potter, for sure" he said, a bit nervously, and that didn't seem to be the correct choice, because Lily furrowed her eyebrows and seemed to get even more worried.

"Potter and his friends are twats. You know that. They will never stop teasing you, will they? It doesn't matter how many times I tell them to stop, they don't. I'm so done with having to deal with them" she said, and James felt a bit offended. They weren't so mean.

"They are not that mean" he said, and then shut himself up. She gave him a confused look and he sighed. "Just... They are childish. They obviously just do it for fun"

"It doesn't matter Sev. For fun or not, they are assholes. They shouldn't treat someone bad just because they don't like said person. Just like Slytherins shouldn't treat muggleborns bad just because we were born from muggles! They are just as mean as them" she said simply, and James felt his heart hurt a bit. She really hated them.

"Let's not talk about this. It doesn't matter. What matters is that we are going to spend winter together, right?" he asked, hoping she changed subjects. She seemed to calm down, finally arriving to the now empty cabin where she was before with her friends.

"Yeah. It will be so fun. I'm just sad you can't spend New Year with us. But I understand. Your mum wants you there" she said, and James frowned. He wouldn't spend those two weeks with Lily? What the hell?

"Um yeah... I have to spend a bit of time with my family" he said, and suddenly he started to regret that entire plan. He would have to spend a week with Snape's family? That would be hell for certain. Lily smiled at him and nodded slowly.

"I just don't understand why you never let me come to your house" she said, frowning lightly, and he just shrugged. He didn't know why either. He wasn't Snape.

"Perhaps this time I'll let you come. If my mum lets me" he said softly, and Lily smiled widely, jumping on her seat and then hugging him tightly.

"Oh Sev! That's the best gift you've given to me! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see your house! Ah, this will be the best vacation ever!" she giggled, hugging him tighter, and James felt his body warm up. He just wished she would do that with him too. Snape was so fucking lucky. He hated it. They spent the rest of the trip hugging, her head on his shoulder.

James wished that trip could last forever.

Severus woke up when the trip to the station was almost ending. He was asleep in one of the cabin's couches, and he could hear voices that slowly became clearer. The marauders. Great. He slowly sat up, rubbing his face and squeezing his eyes to see something. Potter was really blind.

"Here, Snape" he heard one of them saying and grabbed what they had given him. Potter's ridiculous glasses. He needed to see so he could find a escaping plan. He put them on and looked around, seeing how Black smirked at him while the other two, Lupin and Pettigrew, stared at him a bit worriedly.

"You three" he growled, and Black shushed him with a chuckled.

"Don't be so pissed off, Snivy. You'll have the best Christmas of your life. Seriously. The Potters are great" he said, but Severus wasn't exactly in a good mood.

"Look Black, it's not my fault that no one else but you best friend's family likes you, but believe me, I don't want to spend a week in the Potters'. Especially looking like their son. So excuse me. I need to find Potter" he said, standing up, and but Black also stood up and pushed him back down.

"You're not going to find him, Snape. Lily and him are going to her house, you wanting that or not" he said, and then Severus growled deeply, staring at him.

"I don't care! I don't care if he wants to spend his entire life with Lily! There are things that I worry more than a useless twat spending time with my best friend!" he said, but Black didn't hesitate. Lupin, however, seemed a bit taken aback.

"I think we should talk to James and end this story" he said, but Black rolled his eyes.

"Bullshit. Snivellous is only saying that so James gives up spending time with his girl" he said, and Severus growled again.

"She's not his girl, and I don't care!" he said, and then both boys that were standing lost balance. The train had stopped. Fuck.

He didn't have much time. He pushed Black out of his way and ran out of the cabin, looking through the crowd of students that were leaving their cabins to get out of the train. He couldn't let Potter go. He couldn't lose him.