He first hears the rumor at breakfast from two passing Ravenclaw girls. He keeps on trying to glance over at the Gryffindor table, but when he is able to sneak a peek when Avery and Dolohov aren't looking, the Gryffindor seventh years are just talking, as usual.
He tries to speak to her between classes, but whenever he catches sight of her long red locks they're gone as soon as they appeared. He sighs and tries to block out the students constantly whispering about the rumor.
He sees her walking by the lake, finally not surrounded by friends, and jogs up to her. She spots him coming. When he arrives, she turns to him.
"What do you want, Severus?" Her twinkling light green eyes that had cast him under a spell since the day they met in the park meet his with a threatening glare.
"Is it true?" he blurts out. "That you and Potter, are, erm,"
"It's really none of your business." She replies coldly.
"But, Lily, please, I'm your best friend, you've got to tell me!" He pleads. He has to know.
"We are not friends anymore, Severus, I thought we made that clear two years ago. And if it's really so important to you, yes, I am going out with James Potter. Now, are we done? Because, unlike you, I actually have a life with things to do. I'm going now." She turns on her heel and sets off toward the castle. He is left standing there, unable to move or speak. Even then, after he knew it was true and happening in this moment, he could not accept that the girl he had loved for all his life, was seeing his worst enemy.