'You're ever so good at this Severus!' Lily went on her tiptoes and looked over her friend's shoulder. 'How are you doing that?'
Severus blushed, an embarrassed smile spreading across his lips. 'It isn't that difficult, really.'
Lily snorted. 'Well, maybe for you but I don't think the same can be said for me.' Lily gestured at her failing potion, which had been giving off bad smells for the past ten minutes.
Severus glanced quickly in Slughorn's direction before saying hastily, 'Move aside and I'll take a look.'
He tried to ignore Lily's triumphant smile as he stepped in front of her workplace and peered over into her cauldron. He grimaced as the smell of rotten eggs and sour milk filled his nose. Looking at his friend with narrowed eyes, it took all of his willpower not to laugh at what looked like a pile of sick at the bottom of her cauldron.
'What did I do?' whispered Lily trying to look concerned but failing.
Severus gave the potion a stir and smelt it again before answering. 'Hum... Nothing that can't be fixed?'
Lily giggled. Did I put the unicorn hair in too soon?'
'Sort of…' Severus grimaced at Lily who had the decency to try and look sorry. 'Swap?'
'What?'
Severus had difficulty keeping his mouth straight. He had to admit, a tiny part of him enjoyed this. 'Let's swap cauldrons. Quick! Before Slughorn's sees!'
They hurriedly swapped cauldrons and Severus, without a moment's ado, emptied the contents of Lily's cauldron. He had to start afresh if he wanted to get anywhere.
The two of them worked in silence for the next twenty minutes. Concentrating hard, Severus rapidly cut up his roots, already catching up with the rest of the class who really should have been fifteen minutes ahead of him.
Finally, as the last few minutes of the lesson ticked by, Severus wiped his forehead and looked down at his potion. Satisfied, he took a few steps back only seconds before Slughorn's voice echoed off the walls of the dungeon.
'Step away from your cauldrons!' Severus caught Lily's eye and she smiled. 'Fill up a phial with your potion for testing.' Continued Slughorn's booming voice.
Severus magicked his potion into the phial and brought it to Slughorn's desk. It took all of his willpower to keep his anger at bay when he saw Black and Potter laughing at him as he went. Scowling, he returned to his bench to pack up his books and left the room without a word, Lily closely following him from behind.
'Just ignore them,' she said. 'You're better than they are. They're just jealous because your potion was better than theirs.' Lily winked at Severus who smiled despite himself.
'Think so?'
Lily nodded. 'Oh, I know so.'
Heart beating furiously in his chest, Severus felt a warmth spread over his body. Tentatively he reached out and took Lily's hand in his own. An explosion of emotions coursed through him when she didn't pull her hand back but smiled at him instead. His happiness, however, was short-lived.
'Ugh, d'you see that James! Snivellus is holding Evans' hand!'
Severus closed his eyes and stopped walking. He noticed Lily's hand tighten around his own. Stay calm, he thought.
James looked in Snape's direction and laughed. 'Oi, Snivellus! Be careful! You don't want to make her hand all greasy. I don't think she would appreciate that!'
Potter and Black laughed nastily and Severus was mortified to hear that several other students had joined in too. Instinctively he tried to pull his hand away from Lily's, however, Lily would not let him.
'Ignore them,' she hissed. 'They're provoking you on purpose.' Nudging her friend, she started walking again, fingers interlocked with Severus' as they continued their way to the library.
'Ah see that! He won't let her go!' Sirius' words were greeted by more guffaws from James and other students.
'She'll never like you Sna-'
'Don't you dare speak for me, Potter!'
Severus gaped at Lily who had spun around, her hair flaming red as though on fire. She had let go of his hand and was now marching purposefully towards James and Severus noticed that she was slightly taller than him.
Lily whipped out her wand and pointed it at James who started to back away, spluttering as he did so, 'I-I-'
'One more word from you about who I walk, talk or hold hands with and I swear to Merlin, Potter, I will hex you into next week!' Quivering with fury Lily gave him a cold stare before marching back up to Snape. 'Come on, Severus. We're leaving.'
Lily grabbed a shocked Severus' hand and walked him to the Library.
'I thought I was meant to be the one ignoring them!' whispered Severus, staring up a Lily Evans in awe.
The corner of her mouth twitched upwards as they rounded the final corner however she did not say anything. Severus smiled as he watched the beautiful girl next to him walk to the library. He felt special knowing that she had picked him and not Potter. At that moment she meant everything to him.
'If there ever comes a time we can't be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever!'
Just finished reading the Half-blood prince for the hundredth time. The ending always breaks my heart! Celebrating my birthday with a Harry Potter marathon next week! So excited! :) Have a great day and I hope you enjoyed this fic! :)