Lily POV

"Leave him ALONE!"

Potter and Black looked round. Potter's free hand immediately jumped to his hair.

"All right, Evans?" said Potter, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature.

"Leave him alone," I repeated. I was looking at him with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," he replied, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean."

Many of the surrounding students laughed, Black and Pettigrew included, but Remus, still apparently intent on his book, didn't, and neither did I.

"You think you're funny," I said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave himalone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," he said, quickly. "Go on, go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Severus was beginning to inch towards his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled.

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," I said.

"Bad luck, Prongs," said Black briskly, and turned back to Severus. "OI!"

But too late; Severus had directed his wand straight at Potter; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of his face, spattering his robes with blood. He whirled about: a second flash of light later, Severus was hanging upside-down in the air, his robes falling over his head to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of greying underpants.

Many people in the small crowd cheered; Black, Potter and Pettigrew roared with laughter.

My face turned into a furious expression. "Let him down!"

"Certainly," said Potter and he jerked his wand upwards; Severus fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Black said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Severus kneeled over again, rigid as a board.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" I shouted. I had my own wand out now, and Potter and Black eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," he said earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

He sighed deeply, then turned to Severus and muttered the counter-curse.

"There you go,' he said, as Snape struggled to his feet. "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus –"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

I blinked.

"Fine," I said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you,Snivellus."

"Apologize to Evans!" Potter roared at Severus, his wand pointed threateningly at him.

"I don't wantyouto make him apologise," I shouted, rounding on Potter. "You're as bad as he is."

"What?" yelped Potter. "I'd NEVER call you a - you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

I turned on my heel and hurried away.

"Evans!" Potter shouted after me. "Hey, EVANS!"

But I didn't look back.

That was the last time I had spoken to my ex-best friend, and the man that I thought I had been in love with. But then he had called me a mudblood, and it was then we stopped talking, as I knew that he had actually become a miniature Death Eater. That was three months ago. It was now September, and I was a sixth year. I had hoped to get him to finally date me this year with OWLs being over, but I wouldn't let that happen now. I had more respect than to allow myself to be in a verbally abusive relationship.

"Lily, wait up!"

It was Erica, my roommate. She and I met in first year, and we became more than just roommates or friends. We became like sisters, and honestly, she was more of a sister than my actual sister, Petunia. I slowed down to let her catch up to me, before starting to walk to our Transfiguration class again.

"Hey, so…Snape is looking for you again."

"Oh, joy." I knew that he would still be asking about me. But he needed to leave me alone. I wanted to get through this year without feeling sorrow about the fact that I had left him without me as a friend, even though I honestly felt that he deserved it. I had been his friend for so long, even though he basically made me look like a fool every time I stood up for him. Once he had called me a mudblood, he lost the right to look for me anymore. I lost myself trying to make sure he always stayed "my" Severus, that I didn't realize how much until that day.

"I told him to bugger off." I grinned at her. She really was the best. And it wasn't just because she was always there for me. If we weren't around each other, she never let anyone get her down. She was the biggest badass in our year, and everyone knew it, which was why she deserved the respect she got.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned around. It was Severus. He had found me at last, much to my sorrow.

"Can I talk to you?"

I sighed, pinching my nose. "Isn't that what you're trying to do right now?"

"Lily, please." He looked heartbroken, but I didn't care.

"You called me a mudblood Severus. If you wanted to talk to me anymore, you shouldn't have called me that."

"I'm sorry."

"Why would you be? You call everyone of my birth that. So why should I be different?"

"Because you're different, Lily."

"I don't believe that for one moment Severus, and you know it."

"Lily…"

"No. Now leave me alone…Snape." I had never called him that. I could see the hurt in his eyes as he walked away. But at that moment, I didn't care.

I turned around and ran past the class I was supposed to be headed to, and up to my dorm room, with Erica following close behind me.