What Fools These Mortals Be

"If you call me 'Mudblood' one more time," Lily said deliberately, "I will hex you so badly you will not have any blood left, of any kind."

"Playing with the Dark Arts, Evans?" Severus Snape's eyes were lit with a kind of unholy glee, an I've-got-you-now expression that made him look even less attractive than usual - if that was possible. "Wouldn't your boyfriend disapprove?"

"Potter? That arrogant prat is not my boyfriend, thank you very much."

"I still don't see why I should bother helping you."

"You're not helping me. I'm hiring you. I'll pay." She didn't add that he looked as though he could use the money. His robes were awfully shabby and there was a hole in one of his scuffed boots.

He scowled anyway. "What are you going to use it for?"

"None of your business."

"Then you're not getting it." Snape folded his arms.

Lily sighed. If she told him the truth, he'd probably want in on it, and that would be a disaster. "It's just girl stuff. I think Alice is stealing things from the dormitory."

"And exactly how is Polyjuice going to help you with that?"

Damn, damn. Neither said anything for a moment. She looked at the floor, then at the wall sconce over his shoulder, and then finally at Snape's smirking face. "All right. James and his friends are up to something, and I want to find out what."

Yes, that got to him. She could see the wheels begin to turn. "So you're going to pretend to be one of them?"

"Remus, probably. And I'll see if I can worm it out of Peter; he always seems so anxious."

He grinned. "I'll come with you. It would even be worth having to be one of those bastards."

"Oh, no. Absolutely not."

"I don't see that you have a choice."

"I'll brew it myself, then." They'd learned the potion earlier that year. It was complicated, sure, but she could do it.

He laughed, an unpleasant sound. "And where are you going to get the ingredients? Boomslang skin? Full-moon fluxweed?" He lowered his voice and leaned closer. "Unless you fancy breaking into the Potions stores, perfect prefect Evans, you'll give me what I want."

She backed away just a little at that. The way he leered at her, his thin lips twisting unpleasantly. God, wouldn't that be horrid. Yes, there were much worse things he could have asked for.

"All right," she said slowly. Maybe she could figure out a way around it. The potion would take 21 days to brew, after all.


Pulling the invisibility cloak tighter about his shoulders, James slipped out the door. Lily's red hair bounced as she hurried down the corridor, a shining beacon for him to follow.

She'd been acting awfully peculiar over the past few days. Remus had said she'd asked to talk with him, citing prefect business, but had then nattered on about inconsequentialities. Peter had said that she had been following him around. Maybe she fancied him, he had said, ducking his head and blushing. Like there was any chance of that . No, Lily was up to something, that was clear. And now she had an armful of robes in one hand and a furtive glance on her pretty face, and she was sneaking off in a most un-Lily-like manner, and he had to know why.

Down the corridor, down one flight of steps and then another, a quick left to a hallway and then a right and - damn. He'd been hanging back so she wouldn't hear his footsteps, but clearly he'd been just a little too far behind.

He looked up and down the empty hall, all closed doors and blank portraits. Well, he thought, she had to be somewhere. He put his hand on the first door and pushed. Nothing but a deserted classroom.

Quickly he tried one door after another. By the time he was halfway down the corridor he heard voices, muffled but obviously angry, and traced them to a door on the right side. He pressed his ear up against the door.

"...never have let you use fingernails! Think you're clever, don't you!" Lily sounded furious. Pity the poor bloke on the receiving end of her tirade, thought James. Although the way her green eyes flashed and shone when she worked herself into a state, it was almost worth it.

The other voice was quieter, and he couldn't make out the words, but it sounded like - Remus? He pushed the door open and quickly slipped in and to the side.

Two heads swivelled toward the door. "Peeves?" called Remus, uncertainly.

Lily stalked to the door, and James flattened himself against the wall even though he knew she wouldn't be able to see him. Looking out into the corridor she grumbled under her breath, a stream of obscenities that James was surprised she even knew, then slammed the door and walked back to Remus.

"Does anyone know you're meeting me here?" she demanded.

"Of course not." Remus sounded as calm as ever, and James felt a slow burn ignite somewhere deep in his body. Damn right nobody knew. If he had known that Remus was meeting his girl -well, technically Lily wasn't his girl, wouldn't give him the time of day, true, but it was just a matter of time. She couldn't hold out forever. It was only a small consolation that she sounded as annoyed at Remus as she usually did at him.

"I'm sorry, but I didn't think it would be a good idea, having you along," said Remus. "I'd best get started." He turned toward the door.

"You bitch," snarled Lily. She reached for her wand, fumbling in the pockets of her robes. Alarmed, James closed his fingers around his own wand and took a few steps into the room; Lily was a witch to be reckoned with, and this close to the full moon Remus might need some help.

Remus looked over his shoulder at her words. Lily was coming at him like a harridan, thought James, and he wasn't at all surprised to see his friend blanch and make a quick dash for the door.

Unfortunately, James was still in the way.

They went down in a tangle of arms and legs, the invisibility cloak bunching up and puddling between them. Lily laughed, a sharp bark that did not sound at all like her usual musical laughter, as James and Remus pulled apart and brushed themselves off. Remus looked at him oddly and reached out to finger the cloak.

"Followed Lily," James mumbled. "Didn't know you'd be here."

Lily laughed again, and Remus shot her a glance that looked almost guilty. "Well, I. Uh. Prefect stuff," he finally got out, stumbling to his feet.

James didn't believe that for a moment. He looked from one to the other; Lily was smirking while Remus looked distinctly uncomfortable.

"Come to think of it, Lupin, you do have somewhere to be, don't you." She smiled sweetly first at Remus, then at him. "I suppose I have to admit it, Potter. That is -James." She fluttered her eyelashes at him, a move he'd seen from other girls but never from Lily; it was a bit ridiculous, he thought, but he couldn't keep a warm flush from spreading through him. "I've been secretly mad about you for ages. Remus was kind enough to give me advice."

He looked at Remus, who'd gone a peculiar colour and looked as though he was trying to say something but couldn't quite get it past his lips.

"Well, then. That's good, isn't it?" he said, clapping Remus on the back.

"Urk."

"So you will come with me to Hogsmeade on the week-end?" She'd turned him down when he'd asked three days ago. He always asked, and she always turned him down. It was almost like dancing, really.

"Of course," she said, as Remus made another strangled noise. Then she gave him a look that sent his pulse racing. "But I'm not sure I want to wait that long."

She advanced on him like a cat stalking a mouse. Who knew Lily in love would be so - so predatory? One hand reached up to caress James's face as she turned over her shoulder toward Remus.

"You've got forty-five minutes left. I suggest you take advantage of it."

"Don't you dare," said Remus, scrambling to his feet. "I can't believe you want to --"

"You have no idea what I want."

"But it's - it's me - you can't -"

"And it's entirely your fault, isn't it. Thought you'd be clever." She tossed her head, sending a shining wave of red across her back. "I'll take it as payment."

"But James -" Remus looked over in his direction, and he shrugged helplessly. He'd already given up trying to figure out what the two of them were on about.

"You're wasting time."

"Remus," said James, his voice plaintive, "would you mind telling me -"

"No," said Remus, sharply. He looked at Lily. "All right. But I'll settle with you later." He made as if to go, then stopped and bent to lift the invisibility cloak in his hand. "James, can I borrow this?"

"Of course."

Lily watched with apparent amusement as Remus slipped on the cloak and disappeared. "Great," came his voice from the empty space where he'd been. "I'll see you back at Gryffindor Tower."

The door opened, then closed behind them. Lily still had that look of faint merriment on her face, as if someone had told a joke only she could hear. Finally she looked at him again, and smiled, and it was as though a great owl was fluttering around in his rib cage. "Alone at last," she said, and her voice was husky. "You don't know how long I've been waiting for this."

"Lily," he murmured, moving forward to take her in his arms. For a moment he thought he saw a quick flash of irritation cross her face; then she shook her head and placed a finger to his lips.

"The only thing I want to hear from you now is a Transfiguration spell." She delicately nipped at his jawline and then pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. "If you make us a comfortable bed, I'll dim the lights."

He thought his heart would burst right out of his chest.


From under the invisibility cloak Lily watched, silent and furious. That bastard. When she'd handed him the fingernail clippings and told him they were Sirius Black's, her only thought was to keep him from tagging along. She'd thought it would be amusing to see Snape turn into her double. See how he liked having tits!

She knew he wouldn't be happy, but he'd be stuck. She hadn't thought he'd be able to do anything about it!

But there "she" was, lounging on the low mattress that Potter had conjured, undoing the top buttons of the extra Gryffindor robe she'd scavenged from the laundry. What was Snape's game, she wondered. He'd already set her up to go to Hogsmeade with Potter -was he going to lead the other boy on, give her a reputation as a tease? Or worse, she thought darkly, watching Snape's hands slide down his back and pull him into a kiss.

Snape's kissing Potter, she realized numbly. He's really kissing him. And his little breathy moans did not sound artificial in the least. Was this what she sounded like when she kissed a boy?

"James, please," whispered Snape in her voice. His hands - her hands - pulled at Potter's robe, unfastening, unbuttoning, sliding the cloth from his broad shoulders. Fingers reached inside, caressing, smoothing across skin, and Potter moaned as well, arching into the contact.

Snape leaned over him, rubbing his borrowed body against him, reaching down - he was reaching down to his groin, she realized, and wasn't sure if she was more horrified or amused at the expression on his face.

"What's wrong, sweetheart?" Potter sounded more anxious that he'd be left with blue balls than worried about her, she noted sourly. His hands were on "Lily's" breasts -she'd slap him if he kneaded her that way, no gentleness or subtlety at all -and his hair looked more dishevelled than usual.

"It's just -it's different. Girls are different, you know."

"Believe me, I know," he said, squeezing her breasts again. Under the cloak, Lily winced in sympathy.

"I've never done this," Snape went on. "My responses are...surprising." I'll just bet, thought Lily. It had felt so terribly strange transforming into Remus's shape, feeling a penis form heavy between her legs. What an awkward thing to have, just hanging there, she thought. It twisted awkwardly in the cloth of her knickers and felt as though it would be constantly in the way. And never mind trying to ride a broomstick!

"We don't have to," said Potter, but he clearly hoped that they would.

"I want to," said Snape, leaning close to Potter's chest and kissing him on the neck. "I want you to be the first."

God, Potter would be insufferable after this. Maybe she could Obliviate them both -no, better wait until their clothes were off, as horrid as that might be. But if they were both naked then their wands wouldn't be close to hand, and she'd have a chance at getting them both.

Potter was working the robe from Snape's shoulders, exposing her breasts. Look while you can, she thought grimly, it's not like you'll get another chance. Although the reverent look on his face was actually rather nice. He bent to mouth each nipple in turn, licking and sucking, his eyes closed and his expression beatific.

Snape, on the other hand, looked stunned. Lily wasn't sure if it was from the fact that Potter's mouth was around a breast, or from the fact that he had breasts for him to put his mouth around. She'd only allowed one boy that liberty so far. It had felt nice, she remembered.

Just thinking about that feeling and watching James Potter doing it made something...twitch. Now that was a strange feeling. She moved a hand to investigate, and just as she did, Snape moaned.

Potter answered it with a moan of his own and a murmured, "Oh yes, love." And that made her penis twitch again. Jesus God, she was getting hard.

This couldn't be happening. She should be horrified at the sight, not aroused, watching her double do things she'd never considered doing, to a person she hardly liked. It must just be that she was in Remus's body, and Remus would have been aroused to see her and James like this, all mouths and hands and moans and sighs. She wasn't like this - and neither was she like that wanton that Snape was making her out to be, undoing Potter's robe and muttering wild encouragement as his hands mapped a body they had no right to touch.

But the body she was in seemed to like it very much. Lily's hand had been unconsciously rubbing small circles across the unfamiliar flesh, feeling it harden and thicken and Jesus, it felt good. She leaned back against the wall, letting it take her weight, as she stroked herself to a pleasant, edgy arousal.

"James, wait." Her voice intruded; Snape was pushing Potter away from his naked chest, away from her breasts. He looked flushed and dishevelled, and he had hold of Potter's hand, Potter's hand that had been sliding down toward his...hah. She'd given him one of the robes with the Gryffindor crest sewn on, but he'd put it on over his own pants - or so she presumed, since he'd made her turn to face the other way. She, of course, hadn't needed to change since Remus wasn't much taller or broader than she was. Though her knickers were becoming more and more ill-fitting. But obviously Snape wouldn't want Potter to see "Lily" wearing the boys' pants which were doubtless in the same threadbare condition as the rest of Snape's wardrobe.

"Not yet, please, James." Potter sat back with a distinctly disappointed look; Snape smiled and lifted a hand to trail along Potter's bared chest. "Let me touch you first."

Potter could not get out of his robe quickly enough.

Lily had to admit that his posturing and bragging had some basis in fact, after all. In the dim light from the wall sconces his skin was burnished bronze, his muscles tight and defined. He did not even have the grace to look self-conscious as he stripped down to his pants; after a smile and nod from Snape, he pulled those off as well.

Oh, my. Long and thick and very, very hard from the looks of it. An impressive cock to go with the rest of his impressive physique, though truth be told she didn't have much basis for comparison. At that thought the only basis for comparison she had gave another little twitch.

Good God, was Remus bisexual? Or was this response coming from her mind, rather than her temporarily male body? Her hand stole back to caress her erection, which did not seem quite as large as Potter's but was certainly respectable, from the feel of it; and then Snape bent his head to take Potter's cock in his mouth, in her mouth, and it suddenly didn't matter quite where the response was coming from, because she was as hard as a rock and frantically, rapidly stroking herself through her clothes, doing her best not to pant aloud.

Potter, of course, had no such compunction. He was groaning incoherently, his hands fisted in the long red hair that streamed over both sides of his bare legs. An occasional, "God, yes, oh" was discernable; she wondered, if he were to call out her name, if Snape would bite him out of spite. She wondered what it would feel like to have James Potter's cock in her mouth. Or to have Potter's mouth - or even Snape's mouth, anybody's mouth - on her cock; and that image sent a strange-yet-familiar frisson of heat and electricity down her spine, through her tingling balls and her ramrod cock. Her hand moved faster, unconsciously synchronizing with Potter's moans, with the bobbing of the red hair up and down in his lap. She felt weightless, as though she were floating above them, watching them all; and then Snape made a soft moan, her moan, that cut straight through her body, and she tensed and jerked and tried not to gasp as she came suddenly in her knickers.

Oh God oh God, she thought, fearful that her intake of breath had given her away as she shuddered through the aftershock. Her legs were jelly; her whole body was jelly, limp and boneless, and she wanted nothing more than to slump to the floor but was terrified it would make noise and give away her presence. But neither of the others looked in her direction, and after a moment she leaned against the wall and carefully slowed her breathing as she watched James Potter come into her mouth.


The flood of semen in Severus's mouth was hot and bitter, but he swallowed it all down gratefully. It was James's semen, James's cock in his mouth, truly and finally, and it had been nearly every bit as wonderful as he had thought it would be.

"Lily," murmured James, stroking his hair, and Severus tensed involuntarily. The one thing that wasn't perfect. Having to do this in a borrowed body, in a girl's body. A body that didn't have a prick, a body that reacted in strange ways to the reverent touches of James's fingers. James would not have been so gentle with Severus's body; he would have gripped his shoulders hard enough to bruise, would have fucked his mouth with sure strokes instead of trying to hold back the thrusts that Severus milked from him with lips and tongue.

Actually, Severus had to admit, James Potter would not have touched Severus's body at all. Which is why when he gulped down the horrible-tasting potion and found himself turning not into Sirius Black but into Lily Evans, he had made the sudden decision to take advantage of the situation. To take advantage of Potter, all easy grace and long-limbed casual perfection, everything that Severus wasn't, yet wanted to be, wanted to have.

He felt his face being tilted upward. From the look in Potter's eyes he was still besotted, and Severus felt a fleeting pang of regret that the look was directed at who he thought Severus was, and not at Severus himself.

"That was amazing." Potter's voice was husky and low. "I can't believe - oh, sweetheart. I want to make you feel that good." Hands fumbled at Severus's robe.

Severus froze. Of course he wanted to come. But he wanted to shove his own prick down Potter's mouth, wanted to feel fingers up his arsehole and cupped around his bollocks. What was he supposed to do with this body? It wasn't as though he'd even touched a girl before, and although the pulsing between his legs felt familiar, the absence of the expected parts disconcerted him terribly, like an itch that he couldn't quite reach.

"Lily. It's all right, Lily, I won't hurt you," Potter whispered, and the hot muddled desire Severus felt became a cold burn. Lily. As if he needed any more reminder that it wasn't Severus that Potter thought he was touching. He was an object to be laughed at, to be hexed and taunted and tricked and scorned. Potter would never soil his well-shaped hands or his lovely cock by letting them come in contact with ugly, unpleasant Severus Snape.

To the Devil with them both, he thought suddenly. His plan had been to leave before his hour was up, to hide in the corridor until he changed back to himself, then saunter into the Slytherin showers and wank to his heart's content. But after listening to Potter's romantic babble he was not so much annoyed with Lily as he was furious with Potter. It would serve him right, to see exactly to whom he'd been making love. Oh, yes.

And then there was Lily. She'd looked so horrified when he approached Potter - had she really left, under the invisibility cloak? He wouldn't have, in the same situation; and in fact he thought he might have heard a little noise near the door, the sound of a breath caught and held, just before Potter had climaxed. How amusing it would be, if she'd been watching them the entire time. If she was still watching them.

"Just a moment." Giving Potter a bright smile, he rolled away slightly, then began to pull his underpants down under the robe. Then stopped, remembering that as soon as Potter saw his serviceable briefs, rather than the lacy knickers Lily doubtless wore, he'd figure something was wrong. He sighed and slid his robe off as well, hiding his underpants in a fold of cloth. He'd hoped to keep it on, to keep his wand close at hand. Instead he gathered his clothes into a careful pile on the floor near the bed, while Potter made appreciative noises.

"You're so beautiful, Lily," he said, in hushed tones. "Let me touch you?"

Severus nodded and lay back, leaning on his elbows to watch as Potter licked and caressed his way down Lily's body, his lips setting every nerve ending aflame. He could almost imagine it was his own body, with Potter's head blocking his view below the waist, and then Potter moved just a little farther down and there it was, a thatch of curly red hair and nothing else, destroying the illusion.

And then James Potter smiled at him, and moved again, touching his tongue to the place where a cock should have been, and a stream of fire shot down Severus's spine, sending him bolt upright and panting, nearly screaming.

James looked at him again, his eyes heavy-lidded with lust. "All right there, Lily?"

Severus nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Do it again, he thought fiercely, then lay back with a gasp as James indeed did it again, his tongue pushing apart the strange folds between his legs, flickering against whatever it was that girls had to give them pleasure. He squirmed and sighed and moaned, giving himself over to the sensation, and when fingers probed inside him he nearly cried out with amazed joy.

It was not quite like the intensity of coming, but it was brighter and sharper than a hand on his cock, a confused welter of sensation that made him breathless and hungry for more. He twisted against the tongue and fingers on him and in him, pushing and gasping and murmuring, "James, fuck, oh, fuck," not quite coherently, not quite audibly, holding back just a little because it was almost time now, almost, focus on the expanding ripples between his legs, focus, feel, fuck, NOW!

And as Severus shuddered with the force of climax his body shifted and changed, the pulsing nub between his legs lengthening into his familiar cock and spurting come all over James Potter's face.

For two seconds there was only the sound of heavy breathing. Then Potter pushed away, his face red and contorted. "Fuck!"

They both dove for their clothes in the same moment. Severus's hand closed around his wand and he pulled it from the pile and pointed it at Potter, who was still scrabbling in his pile.

"Expelliarmus," came Lily's voice from near the door, and his wand was wrenched from his grasp and went skittering across the floor.

"I'll get you, Snape," roared Potter, turning on him, wand in hand. He had barely raised it when Lily repeated the disarming spell. Severus watched as first his wand, then Potter's, disappeared into the nothingness that was the invisibility cloak.

"There." Lily's head emerged from mid-air. "Why don't you boys sit down, and we'll have a chat."


James Potter's glare was pure fury as he clutched his robe tightly around his body. "You set me up with that...that dirty queer."

"I didn't!" She looked over at Snape, naked and smug, then back over at Potter. She raised her hands in mute appeal. "I didn't know."

"You didn't know," he said, mimicking her voice. "So he just happened to be transformed to look like you. Polyjuice, right? How'd he get your hair for it? Come to think of it," he went on, his eyes narrowing, "you were Polyjuiced into Remus. What's your game, Evans?"

She cut her eyes over to Snape again, who smiled maliciously. "You're on your own."

"I should just Obliviate the both of you," she muttered.

That got Snape's attention. "Don't you dare. That was the experience of a lifetime."

"That's the truth, Snivellus," snapped Potter. "You're not getting my mouth anywhere near your cock ever again."

"You certainly liked my mouth on yours!"

"Because I didn't know it was your mouth!" He shuddered. "You haven't given me any diseases, have you?"

"Shut up!" screamed Lily. This was all too much. "Look, Potter. I got Snape to make Polyjuice for me for...my own personal reasons. He, er, took one of my hairs -"

"Evans," said Snape warningly.

She sighed. "All right. I gave him a fingernail and told him he was going to be...someone else." She shot Snape a glance, and he nodded, a faint smile on his face. "But it was mine. I didn't know that you followed me or that..." She closed her eyes, could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks. "That he would seduce you," she finished in a rush.

Potter snorted. "It certainly surprised me."

Snape leaned back, a sly smile crossing his features. "I couldn't resist the chance."

"Fucking Slytherin ponce," spat Potter. "I'll just bet."

He fluttered his eyelashes. "One more kiss, James?"

"You stay away from me," he said, leaping to his feet. He gave Lily a scathing look. "And you. Every time I asked you out, it was always, 'Leave me alone, Potter.' Was that what you were after?" The scorn in his voice was palpable, and she flinched. "Well, it worked. I don't want anything to do with you and your ... partner."

"James, it wasn't -"

"Spare me, Evans." Straightening his robe, he walked up to her and held out his hands. "My wand and my cloak, please."

His face had a cold expression she'd never seen directed at her before, and she gave his things to him without a word.

And then he was gone. Lily watched as he strode away, straight-backed and confident; halfway down the corridor he threw on the invisibility cloak and disappeared.

"Sorry I got your boyfriend pissed off at you there, Evans."

"He's not my boyfriend." And never will be, a little voice in her mind taunted her. She wasn't sure why it bothered her, all of a sudden. It wasn't as though she was interested in him. She looked over towards Snape, who was slowly pulling on his clothes.

"Too bad," he said carelessly. "It was brilliant."

A dull anger surged up from her gut, and she pointed her wand at him. "You horrible git."

He rushed over abruptly, grabbed her hand. "Don't. Evans, please." He looked in her eyes. "Lily. Don't." He took his own wand from her suddenly boneless fingers, put his hands on her shaking shoulders, and smiled. "Thank you. As I said, it was the experience of a lifetime."

She did not even have the presence of mind to move away when he bent to kiss her, a quick brush against the edges of her mouth before he straightened and moved back to end the enchantment on the bed, set the room to rights, gather the rest of his things. She watched him, thinking of the taste, the smell that had been on his lips. The smell of James Potter. How very strange that she should be thinking about it now.

She was still standing by the door when he walked out, wearing his own Slytherin robe again, carrying the empty goblets they'd drank from. "All right, Evans?"

"All right," she managed.

He gave her a lewd smile, showing his uneven teeth. "Until next time."

"Go to hell, Snape."

Laughing, he sketched an ironic bow in her direction, then walked off down the corridor. She watched him go, wondering if she'd ever understand boys. Not in a million years, she decided. Not in a million years.


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http://hieroglyfics.net/hp/nope.htm | written December 2003 by Isis