Rec: A Friend of a Friend by GoldenEmpire

Title: A Friend of a Friend

Author: GoldenEmpire

Canon: Harry Potter Series

Pairing: James Potter/Severus Snape; side of Lucius Malfoy/Severus Snape

Rating: Not Rated [NC-17]

Word Count: 53,071

Summary: James really wants to go to the New Year's ball with Lily, but she has one condition - James has to befriend her best friend and his archenemy, Snape. The Gryffindor sets out on this daring quest of being nice to the Slytherin, and accidentally learns things he never though he would about the boy and his past. Suddenly James finds himself with a lot of complicated feelings that could ruin everything he thinks he has with Lily. Maybe he doesn't want to go to the ball with her after all...

Recommendation: This is the very first time that I am recommending a story AFTER is was deleted from it's original archive. In full fairness, I'd planned to rec it before I just didn't get to it in time so it is archived on the Internet Archive now. I loved this one so much. I loved the gentle growth of James and Severus's relationship that quickly deepens beyond the ulterior motives at its beginning. I also adored the author fleshing out James's family, that was wonderful.

Link to the Story on Internet Archive

Recommendation #2,979