Chapter Text
24th March 1978: 10:55 pm
“You did WHAT?!” James shouted. Seventh year James Potter always enjoyed a good prank but even he couldn’t believe what he heard his best mate did. Sirius, Peter, and James sat in the Gryffindor Common Room just talking about what they did while James was training on the Quidditch field.
“It was Peter’s idea!” Sirius complained. “Snivillus will be fine.”
“Sirius, it’s the full moon and you just sent Snape straight to Remus!” James panicked. “Are you saying you’re fine with a student getting killed?!” Siris’ eyes widened at what he did finally hit him. “You’re both insane!” James ran out of the room, breaking the silence barrier on the way, to stop Snape before he got himself killed. He never told his friends, but he just couldn’t allow his unrequited crush to die at the claws of one of his best mates.
11:39 pm
Severus Snape stood just outside of the Whomping Willow, considering what he intended to do. He glares at the hole in the ground, mentally berating himself for stalling. He couldn’t understand why, but something in the back of his head told him not to follow Lupin, that he would only find danger if he followed. Rolling his eyes, Severus took a step closer to the hole only for something to grab him from behind and pull him back. For a moment, he thought he stalled for too long and that the Whomping Willow became agitated again.
As he landed on his back, he found that not to be the case. Instead of flying through the air, he saw James Potter straddling his stomach and yelling at him about being more careful and asking if he was trying to get himself killed. For a long minute, Severus stared up at his long time, unrequited crush before remembering all of the horrible pranks the Gryffindor and his friends pulled over the years and sneered. He pushed James off him before putting his own two Knuts in.
“Sod off, Potter!” Severus shouts before storming away from the Gryffindor.
James watched Snape stomp away before his vision began to blur and images started appearing within his mind. At first, he thought his vision showed the future and hope blossomed that one day his affections will be returned. He saw him and Severus out by the lake on candlelit dates, secret kisses in hidden alcoves, and Remus, Peter, Sirius, and Lily covering for him and Severus while they stuck away to be together. He saw plans being made to be together after Hogwarts and how they planned to blood adopt several children.
However, he started getting confused when he saw Lily confessing that she was Asexual in their fifth year. He saw Remus and Sirius finally getting together in their fourth year and Petter crushing on a girl in their sixth year. As the images flew across his vision, he began to get the sinking feeling that what he saw were memories. He got his confirmation when he saw Sirius, Remus, Lily, Severus, and himself in Dumbledore’s office. He watched as Dumbledore petrified each of them before erasing each of their memories, replacing them with false ones where Lily and he were really together and Severus was an outcast.
When the memories finally ended, James let a broken sob escape his mouth as he stared at the ground. The stayed sat there on the cold ground, letting the tears fall until he finally felt calm enough to return to the dorm and went straight to bed, ignoring Sirius’ questions and falling fast asleep.
25th March 1978: 6:01 pm
James Potter moodily walked around the school the entire day. Sirius, Lily, and Remus couldn’t seem to get James to brighten up like they usually could and James noticed that Peter seemed to wear a look that said he was suspicious of James’ behavior. He also tended to stare at Severus Snape for long periods of time, longing to be with the man he loved but not knowing how to break the Obliviates on everyone.
He should have paid more attention to Pettigrew because if he did, he would have seen the rat talk to Dumbledore before the Headmaster summoned James into his office. James stayed stiff the entire time the Headmaster asked him about school and his life. Internally, James wanted to rip the old man’s head off and throw the body into the lake for the Giant Squid to eat.
He suddenly froze with Dumbledore’s eyebrow gave an irritated twitch and James finally noticed the stealthy presence within his own mind. Before he could move, Dumbledore petrified him and prevented him from moving. James then watched as Dumbledore pointed his wand at him.
“Imperius!” Dumbledore casted. “You will not think about your past relationship with Mr. Severus Snape. You will continue to date Ms. Lily Evans and think nothing of what I have done. You will be loyal to me and the light. You will then, one day, marry Ms. Evans and produce a child.”
James tried to fight off Dumbledore but soon enough, the fog covered his mind and he was lost to the spell.
3rd November 1979: 7:45 pm
It took Dumbledore two years to convince James and Lily to get married. Now James danced with his new wife to the music. They kept the guest list small, not wanting to draw too much attention to themselves as the war raged on. Then, in the shadowed corner of the room, James noticed a figure dressed in black standing there and woke up with a mental shout.
‘ SEV!! ’
He blinked a few times, getting rid of the last of the fog from the Imperius Curse. James didn’t know what to do now but he did know that he needed to be more careful around Dumbledore now. Before he could do or think of anything else, Lily drops a bombshell on him, leaving him unsure what to do next.
“James, I’m pregnant.”