Lily ran over to defend her best friend, her hair like fire rippling in the wind. "LEAVE HIM ALONE!" she shouted and she shoved, pushed and pulled her way through the eager crowd. Inwardly, she wondered how so many people could be so selfish as to watch someone else get hurt and laugh at them. It was bullying and, most importantly, it was wrong.
"All right there, Evans'?" said a deep, husky voice from behind her as she looked at her friend suffering. She glanced at Potter, her eyes set in a look of deepest disgust and anger. He was playing with his thick, midnight black hair so it looked like he'd just jumped off of his broom from 20 feet.
"Leave him alone," she repeated, her voice more steady, but showing much more rage, "What's he done to you?"
James, remembering the crowd around him, aimed to please, "Well, it's more the fact he exists, if you know what I mean." A smug look was on James' face. Everyone sniggered and some, like Peter, openly laughed. James looked into Lily's eyes and felt instantly ashamed, but he didn't back down. Snivellus deserved this, whether she liked him or not.
"You think you're so funny but you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag Potter. Leave him alone," said Lily as she refrained from using worse language and several illegal hexes. Severus sat by the tree, looking from one to another and, sadly, saw the chemistry between them. He hated seeing this. He had loathed Potter and Black the second he laid eyes on them in the carriage in first year. James' had been infatuated with her ever since, but Severus was so sure he just wanted her to be a notch on his bedpost. Anger was simmering, slowly getting worse to bear.
"If you will go out with me. Go on... go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old-Snivelly again," Potter said, very quickly so Lily couldn't interrupt him in between. James forgot about everyone, his eyes only for Lily, as if his life depended on the answer but he kept up his arrogant look, so she didn't think he was a coward.
Lily made a noise of disgust in the back of her throat; "I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid." James tried to hide his defeated look from everyone. Severus, on the other hand, was in no mood to hide his mutual loathing for James. His anger was at boiling point as he leapt to his feet and threw a spell at James. James will never deserve Lily, he thought. Lily was perfect and Potter was just some jock with an ego the size of Jupiter.
"Bad luck Prongs... OI!" Sirius shouted, as the spell hit James' face. Instantly worried about his brother in all than blood, his eyes flashed to James. There was an eight-centimetre gash down James' cheek, the blood trickling down his face like melting butter. The pain didn't last for long, apparently, as James flourished his wand before Severus could make a second move and used Severus' own spell against him, not that James was aware of it.
Snape was hung in the air by his ankles, the bottom of his robes flapping around his face as his boxers were on show for everyone to see. His face flushed in embarrassment as everyone laughed spitefully or cried in repulsion at his intoned, spindly legs. Lily was even wondering how his legs got so thin, but it wasn't her main priority. She wanted her first ever friend in the Wizarding and Muggle world to be safe on the ground again.
"Let him down!" she cried, a hint of desperation lingering in her voice. She felt as if she was practically begging him, and expected him to laugh at her.
Unpredictably, he replied, "Certainly," but he let him down with no kindness. He landed with a thump on the soft grass, he robes still not sorted so a little of grey was still poking out. Before Severus could defend, or at least dress himself properly, Sirius had pulled out his wand and shouted "Petrificus Totalus!"
James looked at Lily and saw that she was near breaking point. She seemed to be keeping in a lot of the irritation and distress she was feeling. It was true, she wanted to growl, to kick and to punch like they did in the Muggle movies, but she held back and, through gritted teeth, she said, "Leave him alone." Now she had opened her mouth, the fury was much harder to contain. She whipped out her wand and pointed it straight at Potter, who always seemed the worse offender.
"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," he said, a little more fervour and affection in his voice.
Lily noticed this and decided to use it against him, "Take the curse off him then!" She was ready to scream, but she kept it together for her Sev.
Sighing, he casually flicked his wand, which pulled Severus out of his solidity. He felt Lily shove past him to help Snape, and he felt a rush of jealousy. Snape hated anyone of her blood, so why did she like him? He knew, near enough, every piece of dark magic under the sun, so why would she go near him? As much as James hated it, Lily was the best weapon against Snape, who hated to feel weak and overpowered. "There you go; you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus, otherwise-"
"I DON'T NEED HELP FROM FILTHY LITTLE MUDBLOODS LIKE HER!" Severus snapped, his voice full of venom. He glanced at his Lily, and felt immediate remorse for what he had just said, but he hid it as quick as he could.
James saw her stiffen next to him, like she was in shock. He had a moment of complete happiness until he saw the look on Lily's face. She was angry but she also looked as if she wanted to cry. James' heart filled with pain, as what was hers was his. He wanted to protect Lily, but he didn't know how.
A few people in the crowd started to shout retorts back at Snape and most of the others grunted in disapproval. Lily straightened up and every ones neck seemed to crane towards her, trying to hear if she would guard Severus like she always had done.
Lily was beside herself with fury and grief. All she wanted was to walk away and cry for days, weeks, years; whatever it took for her to forget what had just happened. Yet she knew she had to say something to him, to say that she never wanted to be friends with him again, something that would hurt him even just a fraction of the amount he had hurt her.
"Fine, I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you…Snivellus."
She had hit the spot; a look of pain slashed across Snape's face as he realised the extent of what he had said and done. He looked into her eyes, and saw the pretty girl who was slowly turning into a beautiful woman. He saw the girl who would support him when he had done something terrible. He saw the girl he imagined spending the rest of his life with yet, with his world crashing down around him, he didn't see how this was possible.
Lily began to walk away as the tears stung her yes. She wanted to get away and hide as promptly as she could. James wanted to grab her, hold her and let her cry into his shoulder, but he knew she would accept neither, or anything, from him now. So he turned back to Snape, rage lighting his hazel eyes to look like they were attempting to melt bronze. "Apologize to Evans!" he roared with a terrible anger that made everyone around him get goosebumps. He wanted Snape to feel terrible for what he had done to Lily. He wanted him to beg for death. James' couldn't care less about the people surrounding him, thanking the wizard God that they were not in Snape's place.
Lily mistook his ferocity for practiced heroism and scoffed, "I don't want you to make him apologize! You're as bad as he is…"
Potter was caught off-guard by this comment, "What? I'd never call you a… a you-know-what!"
Her rage seemed to catch up with her despair and sadness, which stopped the tears immediately. "Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broom stick, showing off with that stupid snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can." She was shouting by now, letting the whole school know where her loyalties lie. "I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!" She added as an after thought. She turned and walked as briskly as possible to her dormitories. James' antics were the least of her problems at this point; she couldn't be bothered with him.
"Evans? Hey, EVANS!" she heard Potter call from behind her. Leave him be, she thought, one day he'll get over her.
She stormed the rest of the way into the castle, determined not to bump into her girl best friend Alice. A concerned girl is not what she need right now. Right now, she needed to be alone. She ran up the stairs full pelt, not bothering to go any shortcuts as she couldn't think straight enough to use the right one. Thick tears had won against her resistance to cry in public and they streamed down her face like the Niagara Falls. Blinded by the salty tears, she ran into someone, but she didn't take a second glance like she should of, she just kept on going, not listening to the protests behind her.
Severus had been her first ever friend. Petunia had seen to anybody who even considered having Lily as a friend for ten years; Tuney was to be the only sister in Lily's life, and that was that. Lily's heart seemed to be breaking tenfold. Betrayal filled her mind as she remembered all the times he had told her that being a muggle-born didn't matter. When he had first told her what she was, he said she was going to be great at everything. She had had her doubts, but she knew she could do it if she wanted to. Desperately trying to fit in all these years, she had read nearly the whole of "Flourish and Blotts" bookstore, learning as much as she could about this way of life. She thought he had accepted her for who she was, but he obviously hadn't; she was just a filthy little Mudblood.
Who to turn to now seemed unclear. He had always been there when she was hurt or lonely; he had been her best guy-friend. Now she only had Alice, and a few other people in the school that admired her for being clever. Clever, she thought, if she was clever, she would have foreseen this in the way her Sev had been acting in the past few months. Going off with that pair, Mulciber and Avery, even going around with Sirius' brother, Regulus Black in the year below.
After finally reaching the Fat Lady, she said the password ("Erised") and slid through as quickly and as gracefully as possible, trying not to give away the fact that she was ready to weep until she had no tears left. She walked across the common room and was nearly at the stairs, which would take her to her dormitory when someone stood in her way.
James' Potter stood there, his face seemingly creased with stress and worry. Lily wondered vaguely what he was doing there. He appeared to be stuttering for words, but she couldn't deal with him right now. She brought her hands forward, ready to shove him out of the way, when he grabbed them and spoke very quickly but with feeling.
"I'm really sorry about putting you in an awkward position. I had no intention whatsoever to include you in my jibe of Severus today. I apologize because, if I hadn't done that, he would still be your friend. I am so, so sorry. Please forgive me!"
Her hands were not warm even though they were more or less quilted in his large, soothing ones. She looked at him properly. Not a look of distaste or a scathing look, but a sceptical look. First, she wondered why he had bothered to come and see her when she obviously didn't want to see anyone. Yet, secondly, she wondered why someone, even Potter, hadn't come any sooner. She needed comfort more than ever; she could feel it. The tender warmth of a human body was needed more than the feeling of loneliness on her own mattress. Tears continued to stream down her face, clouding her vision, but she could still see the look of anguish in his eyes. She wasn't sure she could put up with his declarations of passion for her right now, so she began, "Look, Potter, I really don't think…"
But he cut her off "You are upset by whatever is in Severus' brain which made him say such a terrible, out of order thing." He replied, his heart beating a little faster when he realised she hadn't pulled her hands out of his soft but firm grip. "Being angry and upset isn't something you would choose to be. My undoubtedly immature behaviour today was unacceptable as it has been for many years. And, although I may have my reasons for it, I was still stooping to his level, which means I was wrong. For which I am sorry," he finished, only just realising how much passion was in his voice, and he wondered what this must make Lily think of him.
"Hello… James," she started, not sure how to form the question, taking place in her mind. Liking the new use of his first name, he encouraged her to carry on with eager eyes. "I was just… wondering why – if there is a reason – you came to see… me. I was horribly rude. But you felt the need to be… sorry?" She felt a little stupid as her question wasn't well said, but he seemed to understand perfectly. He gave her a comforting smile, and it warmed her heart a little. It was the most genuine thing she had seen those lips do.
"You have never particularly liked me very much so, of course, I should have expected those things that you said. Any anyway, as I said, it was my stupid actions that led to you falling out with Snape, so I deserved what you said."
A soft but happy smile touched her lips as she felt a great amount of gratitude to him. He had just apologized for all the horrible hexes he has used against unexpected victims. Her tears ceased and, for that James were glad, but he wanted her to say something.
"Apparently, you aren't as cold-hearted as I thought," she teased, trying to break the tension. It seemed to do the trick as his shoulders relaxed and the grip on her hand loosened a little. This gave her the chance to pull her hands out. He looked slightly affronted by the action, but his cheerful mood was back when she placed both hands on his arms. She decided that now was the time to be truthful to him, as he had been with her, so she signed and carried on, "This may sound pathetic but, right now, I really need to reminisce the good times I had with my lost friend, so I think I need to be alone, unless you want to listen to me moan like girls do. Or even listen to me blubbering like a 5 year old…" she glanced up at him as she realised she had been blabbing, but he looked amused but tender at the same time.
"I actually wouldn't mind being your shoulder to cry on. My friends have told me my shoulder is very waterproof and shock absorbent," he replied, with a wink as he held out his arm for her to take, "I know the perfect, most peaceful place we could go, you just have to trust me."
Looking up at his face, he seemed determined to make her happy again, but as light-hearted as one can get. Trusting him was another matter though. She had never really trusted him with anything, never mind taking him somewhere secluded. But, in this mood, she would take any kind of reassurance. She nodded, a tad reluctant. Before she could ask where they were going, however, he pulled put his wand and said "Obscuro!" Her eyes were immediately blindfolded and she couldn't see a thing.
"POTTER! What are you doing?" she demanded, ready to take a fit. Yet, his toned arms were already picking her up like a baby and she could feel herself going towards the portrait hole.
She swore and cursed all the way down some path. Lily could tell it was a path, as his feet would stomp all the way down. Laughing seemed the only noise he could make in return, as he never said anything, nor did he need to. She would forgive him when she saw this most amazing place.
Finally, they reached their destination, and he tore off the blindfold. "Here we are!" he declared. Lily's eyes adjusted to the light by blinking numerous times, then she gasped in pure shock. He had brought her to a small shed-like building, except it had a little stone chimney on top. The stones were dark grey, but inviting all the same. There were a few steps which then led to a dark, wooden door that looked crooked but reminded her of the little shed in her back garden at home. A grin formed, stretching from ear to ear as she stumbled forward. "Whoa there Lily, hold up, eh?" he said teasingly. She turned slowly to face him, her eyes alight with curiosity and excitement, but the bright green emerald still held foreboding despair in them.
"This is Hagrid's house…" he began, but Lily cut him off with a look of disgust. "NO, no, he's letting me come here, he's away on a trip and he said I was to feed Fang for him. If you don't want to go in, that's fine." She visibly relaxed and headed towards the house again. She reminded him of Peter in first year; so eager to try something new. He sighed; the thought made him feel a lot more comfortable.
"Let's get his show on the road," he said to himself, and he strode after her to the small, stone cottage.