Lily Evans walked through the corridor past Filch the caretaker and his cat, while he checked everyone off a long list, making sure they all had permission to go to Hogsmeade. Alice was walking next to her, messing fussily with her hair, which she was trying to tuck into the red and gold striped hat on her head. It was February the fourteenth: Valentine's Day. Alice was going to be spending it with her boyfriend, Frank, and Lily… Well she didn't know what she was going to do.
She thought she might go to Honeydukes, although she still had plenty of chocolate and other assorted sweets left from her birthday two weeks ago. Lily parted ways with Alice at the gate—Frank was waiting there—and went into the Post Office. She might try to send a letter to her mother and father, thanking them for the wonderful gifts they had given her. She sat down to compose her letter in a little excluded corner of the shop.
There was somewhat of a commotion when the door opened and a bunch of boys walked in, talking loudly, not minding the previously silent atmosphere or heeding the witch at the desk telling them to keep their language appropriate. It was Severus and his group of wannabe Death Eaters. Lily looked up as inconspicuously as possible through her hair, trying not to lift her head, or give any noticeable sign that she was watching the boys.
Severus was carefully extracting himself from his friends. He hushed them up, sweeping a hand around the shop to disperse them and get them distracted, then he began making his way over to the corner. Her corner. She quickly flicked her eyes down to the paper, but wasn't writing anything. It had been almost a year, when was Severus going to except it? They weren't friends anymore.
"Lily." Lily pretended to notice him for the first time, looking up and feinting surprise, then exasperation when she was who it was—the reactions she had gone through when he had first entered.
"I told you Severus, I don't want to speak to you anymore, and I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone."
"I thought you might have forgiven me by now." Lily sighed.
"I would have forgiven you, if that was the first time it had happened, but you go around with Nott and Avery and all your other friends, and you're all just so awful! You go around using that word. Calling every muggleborn that name. It's not right Sev, and I'm sorry. Good-bye." Lily stood up, tucking the letter away in her bag, she'd use one of the school owls to send it later, and walked out the door, down the street, into the Three Broomsticks. Lily could spend the afternoon there.
The Three Broomsticks was lightly decorated in spirit of the holiday. Red, pink and purple hearts lined the walls, connected by streamers. Most of the tables were filled, but there was one in the back of the room that was empty. Lily ordered a Butterbeer and sat down, pulling out her letter and a quill and pot of ink.
-It's been snowing here a lot, more than usual. Thanks again for books, and the scarf and tell Petunia I said hi. Lots of love,
-Lil
"May I sit?" Lily looked up with real surprise this time, almost upturning her ink bottle onto her newly completed letter. "Sorry, did I startle you?"
"Remus! Uh, yes, just a little bit, and go ahead and sit."
"Thanks."
"You aren't going to attract the rest of the posse are you?"
"If you mean Sirius and James, no, they're in detention, and Peter's back at the castle, trying to catch up on homework. I thought I'd spend the afternoon here."
"I was thinking the same thing. So, how are you Remus?"
"I'm very good, thank you, and you?"
"I just had a run in with Severus. I don't get it, he's become as persistent as James."
"You didn't tell him that, did you?"
"Severus? No. I just left him in the shop." Remus pointed to the letter Lily was now folding and replacing it in her bag.
"What's that you've got there?"
"A letter to my parents thanking them for the birthday gifts they gave me."
"Oh, that reminds me, I almost forgot, James told me to give this to you if I saw you today. I think it's a Valentine." Remus was rolling his eyes as he spoke, drawing a slightly crumpled envelope from the pocket of his tattered jacket. Lily looked at it, sighing, before ripping it open to reveal the contents inside.
The card was decorated with a little kitten sitting in a lush green field, wearing a flower crown, and Lily had to admit, it was cute. Inside was written:
"If I had a single flower for every time I thought of you,
I could walk forever in my garden." – Claudia Ghandi
Underneath the printed quote, he had written in ink, "I hope you have a fantastic Valentine's Day Lily, From James." There were no cheesy sayings or offers for a date. He hadn't even written "Love" James. It was sweet.
"Tell James I said thank you." Lily said, looking up from the letter.
The two of them spent the rest of day exchanging on and off conversation, each slowly sipping their Butterbeer. Finally, as large flakes of snow began falling heavy and fast from the black clouds overhead, Lily stood, bundling her scarves and robes around her tightly, and gathering up her things, set off into the blustery, cold winter storm.