𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒆 (DISCONTINUED)

Black Hair

He says to be cool but, I don't know how yet.

A few days later, James was sitting at dinner with the Marauders. As usual, Remus had his nose in his book and Sirius was planning pranks on other students who were 'substitutes' for Snape.

James had tried to talk to Snape every time he saw him, but it was no use. He decided today that he should try and apologize to him. Properly apologize to him. Without any sarcasm or any fighting.

James quickly ate his plate of food while Sirius gave him a confused look. Peter was dazed out, looking towards the wall with a focused look on his face. Peter was getting more and more distant as the days went on. Hopefully, they could figure out what was wrong with their close friend.

"Why are you eating so fast, Prongs?" Sirius asked with a mouthful of peas. "I have to keep up with this prank that we decided to start," James answered with narrowed eyes, Sirius had barely been of help. Remus was the one that truly helped with this whole thing.

"Oh, right," Sirius muttered, looking down at his plate. "Up for a game of exploding snaps when I get back?" James challenged with a smirk; Sirius looked back up with a mischievous smile. "You bet!"

James finished his food in the next few minutes and stood up, heading towards the library after leaving the Great Hall. Snape was always in the library, he might as well live there, so there was a big chance he would be there today again.

Once James reached the library, he took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair before entering. Three Hufflepuffs were studying together towards the front and a raven-haired one towards the back. Bingo.

James made his way toward the back of the library behind the tall shelves with hundreds of years' worth of books.

Snape was sitting alone at a table, two books sat before him along with an empty chair. James pulled the chair and sat in it.

"What do you want, Potter?" Snape didn't even have to look up to know that it was James. How was he able to do that?

"Hello, Severus," James spoke steadily. "I told you not to call me that," Snape said through clenched teeth, his eyes finally leaving the book he was reading and landing on James' hazel eyes.

James gulped, nervous about what the Slytherin was going to say. "Look, I'm not here to be mean or to play around with you. I want to talk, civilized." James professed with his hands held out, showing his 'innocence'.

Snape reflected on James' words for a few moments, puzzled. "Fine." He finally mumbled out as he closed his book and James had a triumphant grin on his face.

James took a few seconds to bring all his words together, "I wanted to apologize. Like sincerely apologize. I've bullied you for years and years with no explanation. You were just another kid trying to attend Hogwarts like me, but I could never see that and treated you like absolute shit. You never deserved that, and I ruined your friendship with Lily just because I used to have feelings for her. I've humiliated you hundreds of times and I know no words or gift could ever make up for that. But I wanted to try, I want to start over. I want to try and be friends with you." Snape had an astonished expression on his face from the amount of sincerity that had come out of James' mouth, especially directed towards Snape.

"I- I don't forgive you, Potter. I'll never forgive you for what you've done. And I don't want to be your friend. I don't want to be associated with you." Snape responded quickly as he turned his attention back to his potions book.

James bit his tongue, having to bite back a rude accusation that was going to slip out of his mouth. "Okay, reasonable. You don't have to accept the apology. But I just want to be your friend and start over." James admitted absently. Of course, these were empty apologies. He didn't mean it. He was just saying it for the prank.