Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. And clearly, the scene at the end is not mine but just a nice bookend that I borrowed.
Hello Muggles and Wizards alike! I hope you are all doing well and I'm sorry this is not a chapter of Christmas in the Highlands – I promise I haven't forgotten about it. However, after being rather ill myself and spending far too much time reading Harry Potter fanfiction, I decided I wanted to try my hand at a Lily-Snape story and voila! A nice, long story that is a one-shot and therefore finished. I hope you enjoy it!
Lily Evans stood up from her desk in the dungeons, gathering her books and parchment. She was fastening her bag closed when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned around. Severus was there, his face stoic and winged by his shoulder-length black hair. Lily smiled kindly which prompted the corners of Severus' lips to turn up.
"Hey," she greeted her friend. "How are you?"
Severus shrugged as the two turned towards the doorway.
"Okay, I guess. How are you? I haven't seen you in days."
"I'm fine," Lily replied happily. "I've just been really busy."
"What have you been doing?" Severus' voice was suspicious and though Lily noticed, she didn't comment on it or let her tone convey annoyance.
"The usual," she said. "Studying mostly."
"That's it?" Severus prodded and Lily glanced at her friend, frowning slightly.
"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked.
"Is it true James Potter asked you out again?"
Lily laughed but stopped when she saw the hurt look on Severus' face.
"Yes, he has," she replied. "But I didn't accept. I never do, you should know that by now."
"I suspect that will change eventually," Snape muttered, climbing the stairs. "Potter always gets what he wants and it's no secret that he wants you."
"I don't know why it bothers you so much that James keeps asking me out," Lily replied, pushing open the door at the top of the stairs. Brilliant sunlight met their faces, a stark contrast to the dark, cold dungeons.
"You're too good for him," Severus answered. Lily didn't reply apart from sighing.
"Don't be mean to him," she said. "You know what he's like. It's better to just ignore people like him; they're not worth your time."
"I wish you wouldn't stand up for him," Snape sneered. "He doesn't deserve it."
Lily sighed again.
"Do you want to have lunch together?" she asked and the smile returned to the Slytherin's face. Together the fourth years walked into the Great Hall and Lily followed Severus to his house table. Generally speaking, they weren't supposed to sit at tables other than their own but they could normally get away with it during lunch. The Headmaster as well as Professor McGonagall had witnessed the occurrence on numerous occasions and neither said anything about it. Professor Slughorn even came and spoke with them once, inviting them to a Slug Club dinner.
Lily and Severus served themselves from the various dishes and began to eat.
"What did you think of Potions?" Lily asked, twirling pasta on her fork. Snape shrugged.
"It was easy," he answered. "As always."
"Really?" Lily asked. "I was having a hard time keeping my cauldron at the right temperature. It was too hot most of the time and the potion burned slightly."
Severus was in the middle of explaining how to keep the cauldron from heating up too fast – coating the bottom with the frog grease prevented the heat getting to the liquid in the pot – when James, Remus, and Sirius came into the Great Hall, Peter trailing behind them.
"Evans!" Potter called, spotting her at the Slytherin table. "Come join us. You shouldn't be sitting with Snivellus."
Lily frowned.
"Leave him alone, James."
"Oh, sticking up for him, eh?" James asked, laughing as they approached the table. "What's it to you? Making plans for a date in Hogsmeade?"
Snape's face went red but Lily stood up.
"No," she answered coolly. "We're talking about Potions."
"Why?" James asked blankly. "What a waste of time."
"It's an attitude like that which kept you from being invited to Professor Slughorn's dinner party last week."
"Why would I want to spend an evening listening to that old bat drone on about his best students? The only one I'd be interested in hearing about is you."
"In your dreams, Potter," Lily replied. James turned to Snape.
"Did you enjoy the evening?" he asked. "You're in the Slug Club, aren't you?"
Snape, barely making eye contact, nodded.
"Let me guess, you sat next to Evans, didn't you? Couldn't keep your eyes off of her?"
Severus didn't reply but his face turned a deeper shade of red.
"Oh!" James laughed. "I think Snivellus has a crush on you, Evans. You can do better, much better."
"I'd go out with Severus ten times before I'd go out with you, Potter," Lily replied angrily. There was a brief look of shock on James's face but he recovered quickly. He turned to Snape again.
"Did you hear that, Snivellus? You could have a chance with her though I bet she's doing it just to be nice."
"Don't talk about her that way," Snape said quietly.
"What, don't say she's nice?" James replied. "Why else would she sit with you?"
"Leave her alone." Severus snapped, standing up and glaring at James. They were the same height and Snape's cold black eyes met James's angry hazel ones.
"What are you doing to do about it?" James asked, his voice no longer jovial but increasingly angry. "Are you going to curse me? Malfoy said you've been learning some of the Dark Arts spells."
"Enough," Lily said, putting her arm between the two boys. "That's enough. Potter, since the Slytherin table seems to be beneath you, go to the Gryffindor one."
James and Severus held each other's gaze a moment longer before James took a step back.
"Come on, guys."
The four Gryffindor students turned and walked towards their own table and Lily looked at Severus.
"Sev," she said with a sigh.
"Don't you dare defend them again," Snape replied, sitting down and picking up fork, the angry expression still on his face.
"I wasn't going to," Lily replied, sitting next to Severus. "I just wish you wouldn't let them get to you, it only eggs them on."
"They were insulting you," Severus muttered. "I don't care what they say about me but I couldn't let them say those things about you."
Lily knew that her childhood friend very much did care what James Potter and his gang said about him but she smiled softly.
"Thank you," she said. Severus glanced at her and smiled back shyly.
Later that afternoon, Lily was walking towards Gryffindor tower and she heard footsteps coming up behind her.
"Hey, Evans," James greeted, falling into step with her. Lily sighed discreetly.
"Hello, James," she said, tightening her hold on her books.
"About what happened at lunch," James began.
"I don't want to hear it, Potter." Lily interrupted.
"You don't even know what I was going to say."
"I can guess and I don't want to hear it."
"That's not fair, Lily."
"Neither is the way you treat Severus," Lily retorted. "You don't know him."
"He's dangerous business, Lil." James insisted. "Lucius was saying how much time he spends reading books on the Dark Arts."
"Why were you talking to Lucius?"
"I wasn't exactly." James muttered. "I was eavesdropping."
"Didn't they see you?" Lily snapped. "Why would Lucius keep talking about the Dark Arts with you right there?"
"Uh, well, it's complicated." James replied, choosing not to disclose his invisibility cloak. "But the point is that you don't want to get caught up in his lot. They're nasty business, especially for someone like you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lily asked shrilly.
"You're a half-blood," James explained. "And while we all know it doesn't make a shred of difference, Malfoy and the Death Eaters care."
"If Sev is a Death Eater and they care about my blood status, why does he still talk to me?" Lily shot back.
"Because he fancies you." James replied as if it were the most obvious answer in the world. "He's hoping to convert you."
"Nonsense." Lily retorted. "We're friends and we have been for years."
"So you won't go out with him?"
"No," Lily replied. "We're not like that."
"But you won't go out with me?"
"No," said Lily firmly. "I meant what I said at lunch, James. I'd go out with Sev ten times before I'd even go to Hogsmeade with you."
James sighed.
"Just be careful, Lily. He's trouble."
"Sod off," Lily snapped. "And please just leave him alone."
Lily's mood did not improve over the course of the day and she was still annoyed with James when she went to dinner with the girls from her dormitory. She caught sight of Severus at the Slytherin table and gave him a small smile, which he did not return and Lily sighed again. One of the girls asked her a question and in her normal way she smiled when she answered but inside Lily was worried about her friend.
Severus Snape was used to being teased and jeered at. Even the stares had become normal and they no longer bothered him. He told himself they didn't matter – sticks and stones – but there was someone who loved him more than anyone else could: Lily Evans. It didn't matter what James Potter or his group of morons thought of him. Lily knew who he was inside and she always stood by him, even if it was a friendly smile across the dining hall.
Severus finished his dinner and left the Great Hall, shivering to himself and pulling his cloak closer.
"Snivelly!" a voice called and Severus, despite not caring what they said, groaned as James Potter's voice carried through the corridor.
"What do you want, Potter?"
"I had a chat with Evans," James said, the mischievous grin on his face.
"So?"
"You know she won't actually ever go out with you, right?"
Severus frowned, unsure of what James was saying.
"Oh, don't look so confused!" James scoffed as Remus and Sirius, never far behind, joined them. James glanced at his friends.
"Sniv here thinks he might actually have a chance with Evans," he said and the three burst out laughing.
"I didn't say that," Severus replied quietly. "I never expected her to go out with me. I've never even asked her to."
"That so?" James asked, raising an eyebrow. Severus nodded. "Good, you know she's above you, then."
Severus frowned.
"No, she's not. She's Muggle-born, I'm half-blood."
James and his friend fell silent.
"Are you saying that you actually believe that crap about blood status?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.
"I'm simply stating it as a fact," Severus replied, keeping his tone even and forcing his eyes to stay trained on Potter's face.
"But you said she's not above you. You think you're her superior. Well," James continued smugly. "If that's the way you want it, I'm pure-blood which means I'm completely justified in saying that as far as you're concerned, you're way below me … nothing more than a problem that I should take care of."
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"But then you're admitting to believing in all that … what did you call it? Crap?"
James stopped.
"Don't take my dismissal of your ludicrous Dark Arts theory to mean that I won't take action against it," James growled. "I have half a mind to tell Lily."
"She'll never believe you," Snape shot back though there was a seed of fear planted in his mind.
"We'll see about that," replied James.
"Prongs," Remus muttered quietly and the entire group, including Severus, turned to see Lily coming out of the Great Hall. James glanced back at Severus.
"Go before I change my mind about putting you in the Hospital Wing for saying such awful things about her."
More because he didn't want to upset Lily, Severus followed the advice and left the hallway, starting down the stone steps to the dungeons.
"James, Remus, Sirius …" Lily's voice trailed off, her eyes following her friend down the stairs. "What was that about?"
"Nothing," James said somberly. "You remember what I was telling you earlier about Snivellus's blood status thing?"
Lily rolled her eyes.
"Not this again, Potter. It's getting old."
"No, I'm serious," James replied. "He just said that he's superior to you because he's half-blood while you're Muggle-born."
Lily raised an eyebrow.
"How many times do I have to tell you that he doesn't think that way?"
"As many times as it takes me to tell you that he's becoming a Death Eater whether you like it or not."
"He did say those things, Lily," Sirius added and Lily frowned.
"Then there must've been some sort of context that you're not telling me."
"There isn't," Remus said with a sigh. Out of all of James's friends, Remus was the quietest and gentlest – and the one Lily had the easiest time believing. Lily sighed.
"I've got work to do," she said. "See you later, guys."
With that, she walked away from the group but she had to admit she was slightly worried by what Remus had said. Sev – Severus – couldn't be becoming a Death Eater … could he?
Severus sat down at one of the white marble tables in the common room with his Potions book and began doing his assignment. It was laughably easy and he finished it within the hour. Grateful for the sanctuary of his own common room where James and his good-for-nothing friends couldn't bother him, he stretched out on the sofa in front of the fire, still shivering from the cold.
He woke up to Professor Slughorn shaking his shoulder and when he opened his eyes, Severus saw that it must be light outside – the green shining in from the lake wasn't as dark as it had been when he went to sleep.
"Professor?" Severus asked, noting with annoyance how his voice broke when he spoke. "What time is it?"
"It's nearly time for breakfast, Severus," Slughorn said kindly. "You must've fallen asleep on the sofa last night."
"Obviously," Severus muttered, pulling his cloak closer. He was shivering again and he sneezed. Slughorn looked concerned.
"Are you alright, Severus?"
"Fine, Professor," Snape lied, standing up quickly. "It's just a trifle cold in the common room this morning."
"It is, isn't it?" answered Slughorn. "I'll have to ask the House Elves to make the fires bigger until it warms up outside. Off you run, Severus, or you'll miss breakfast. Most important meal of the day you know."
"Yes, Professor," Severus replied, hurrying to his dormitory. In truth, Severus had every intention of skipping breakfast but Slughorn had decided to wait for him and they went to the Great Hall together, parting as Slughorn went to the Head Table and Snape sat down at Slytherin's long table.
His stomach churned at the sight of the bowl of porridge one of the prefects pushed towards him – Severus always had a big bowl of porridge every morning – but he picked up his spoon and forced himself to eat lest someone ask questions or his stomach start to grumble later in lessons. By the time breakfast was over, Severus was miserable. His back was sore from the night on the hard sofa, his head was spinning, and his stomach threatening to expel his breakfast. Moving on autopilot, he picked up his bag and went to his first lesson – Care of Magical Creatures. In hindsight, Snape should have skipped this lesson for three reasons. First, it was freezing cold outside on the grounds and snow was blowing into their faces. His hair was instantly white which prompted endless teasing about dandruff and offers to borrow shampoo from Potter. They were the second reason Care of Magical Creatures was miserable for Severus – they never stopped pestering him, even if it was just quiet jeering they thought no one but him could hear. Lily heard some of it and told them off but it was no good. Those four were determined to push Severus as far as he could go in hopes of getting him into trouble. The final reason Snape wished there was an Absent by his name on the register was because of Lily. Normally she was the highlight of his lecture schedule – any class with her was at least somewhat bearable – but today she hovered.
"Sev," she greeted him, frowning slightly and the Slytherin student sighed. James must've told her what he'd said last night.
"Not now, Lily," Severus said, brushing her off. "I'm trying to find my quill."
Pretending to dig through his bag until she went, Severus glanced up and was relieved she had joined her fellow Gryffindors again.
The lesson went on and Snape felt worse and worse. His wet robes stuck to him and he shivered so hard his teeth chattered. This did nothing to calm his stomach and twenty minutes before the final bell, Severus felt the bile rising in the back of his throat and ran away from the class, dropping to his knees only when he began vomiting.
"Severus!" Lily called, running after him. Their professor abandoned her lecture and followed Lily, both of them stopping behind Severus.
"I'm okay," Severus muttered, his face turning red.
"Up to the Hospital Wing, I should think," the professor said in a kind, motherly sort of tone. "Miss Evans, will you please go with him?"
"Of course," Lily replied, holding her hand out to Severus. His face still red, Severus took it and Lily helped him up. Snape was disgusted that his knees were shaking.
"Just get to the castle," Lily murmured. "And then you can lean on me."
She seemed to know that Severus was afraid of the Gryffindors seeing him so weak and he nodded, gritting his teeth. It was exhausting work trampling through the snow and by the time they reached the Entrance Hall, Severus collapsed onto the marble floor.
"Shh," Lily soothed, brushing his hair off his face. "You're alright, just get your breath back."
Severus closed his eyes, trying to calm his breathing. He felt Lily gently squeeze his hand and he was grateful that she was here. It was the closest thing to home he had.
"Miss Evans?" Professor McGonagall's voice carried down the stairs in the Entrance Hall and Severus groaned under his breath. He didn't want anyone seeing him like this and he tried to sit up.
"Mr. Snape, what's wrong?"
"He's ill, Professor," Lily answered. "I'm supposed to be helping him up to the Hospital Wing."
"Rightly so, it would seem," McGonagall answered, concern etched onto her face. Pulling out her wand, she conjured a stretcher and Snape was lifted into the air.
"May I please come, Professor?" Lily asked and her Head of House nodded. Together, they walked through the caste and Snape kept his eyes closed. Lily could see his face flushed red and knew it wasn't necessarily from illness. Lily was also aware that Severus had let go of her hand as soon as Professor McGonagall had called her name and she decided not to take it personally. Together, the trio entered the Hospital Wing and the matron hurried over. With Severus still on the stretcher, she laid her hand on Severus' forehead and took a thermometer from her pocket. While it was in his mouth, she took his pulse and then glanced at the thermometer when it beeped a moment later.
"As I thought, you have the Muggle Flu. It's nothing that can't be fixed but I'm afraid you'll have to wait a few hours," she told Severus. "Professor Slughorn is currently brewing a fresh batch of Pepper-Up Potion. I used the last of my stores on a Hufflepuff student this morning."
"Fine." Severus mumbled, clearly not enjoying the current situation.
"I'll find you a pair of pyjamas and we'll get you into bed," the matron said before leaving and returning with the garments. McGonagall ushered the stretcher to the nearest bed and helped Severus transfer over, the stretcher disappearing as soon as it was no longer occupied.
"Here you are," the matron said, handing the pyjamas to Severus. "We'll wait outside."
She drew the curtains and bustled off, tending to something else. Professor McGonagall and Lily glanced at each other, Lily smiling shyly. Much to her relief, the teacher smiled back. Lily blushed slightly and let her eyes fall to the floor.
"Mr. Snape?" the matron called, hurrying back. "Are you finished?"
"Yes." Severus mumbled and the matron drew back the curtains. Severus had climbed into bed and looked close to being asleep.
"I'll alert his Head of House," McGonagall said to the matron, who nodded. "I shall see you later in Transfiguration, Miss Evans."
"Thank you, Professor."
"Feel better, Mr. Snape."
Severus nodded and Professor McGonagall left the Hospital Wing.
"You may as well return to your lessons," the matron said to Lily. "Mr. Snape needs to rest and there's nothing you can do right now."
Lily and Severus's eyes met and Lily sighed.
"Alright," said Lily finally. "I'll come back and visit you at lunch, Sev."
"Thanks, Lil," Severus mumbled, his eyes already half closed.
With a glance over her shoulder – the matron was placing a small cloth on Severus' forehead – Lily left the Hospital Wing and returned to Care of Magical Creatures.
"Where is Severus?" the professor asked as Lily rejoined the group in the knee-deep snow.
"He's still in the Hospital Wing," answered Lily, pulling her cloak tighter around her. "Professor Slughorn is making some more Pepper-Up."
"Very good," the professor said before returning to her lecture. The class ended half an hour later and the half-frozen students trudged back up to the castle.
"Snivellus probably loved all that attention. I bet he was faking it just so Evans would take care of him." James said to Sirius, though he was speaking loudly with the intention of Lily hearing. Lily spun around angrily.
"He's not faking it," she snapped. "And I think it's deplorable how you tease him even when he's not here to stand up for himself."
"He never stands up for himself," James shot back. "You always do."
"But he's ill and you're still picking on him. If I ever thought you had a heart, Potter – don't grin at me like that, I never really thought you did to begin with – I'm sure the one you have now is completely void of all emotion and compassion and exists for the sole purpose of pumping blood up to your arrogant, oversized head!"
The smile dropped from James's face and he started to respond but Lily wasn't interested in hearing it. Instead, she turned on her heel and stalked off to Transfiguration.
Lily kept shooting James extremely angry glares throughout the lesson and when the lunch bell rang she left before he could corner her. She quickly ate her lunch, tucking a piece of carrot cake into a napkin, and hurried up to the Hospital Wing.
The curtains were still around Severus's bed and Lily peaked around the corner before entering with a broad smile on her face.
"Hey, Sev," she greeted her friend. "How do you feel?"
Severus looked up at her, not smiling.
"Rubbish," he admitted. "I want to die."
"You don't mean that," Lily said brightly – she was a firm believer in positive energy – and fluffed up Severus's pillow.
"Yes, I do." Severus said flatly. "Because even once I feel better, I still have to deal with Potter and his buffoons."
"Don't pay them any mind," Lily advised. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent."
"What?"
Lily shrugged.
"It's a Muggle quote about not letting bullies get to you," Lily replied. "My mum says it sometimes when Tuney or I complain about being teased."
"Oh," Severus sighed. "They don't make me feel inferior, you know."
"I know," answered Lily, though she didn't know and was slightly surprised to hear it. "But still, don't give them any mind. If they think it's not bothering you, they'll stop doing it."
"But it doesn't bother me."
Lily sighed.
"You know what I mean, Sev."
To avoid getting frustrated, she changed the topic.
"How's the stomach? I brought you some carrot cake from lunch if you want it."
Snape glanced at the napkin Lily had set on his bedside table and his stomach recoiled a little bit.
"Uh, I'll pass."
"Suit yourself," Lily answered. "Can I get you anything?"
"No, thanks," Severus said, leaning against his freshly-plumped pillow.
"Do you still have a fever?" Lily asked, her pale hand rising towards Severus's forehead. Snape reached up and stopped her.
"Please don't," he said. "I don't like you seeing me this way. Please don't treat me like I'm ill."
"You are ill," Lily replied with another sigh. "But alright. I should probably go, the bell's about to ring. Do you want me to visit you after dinner if you're still here?"
Despite what he'd just said, Severus wanted nothing else more.
"Yes," he said. "If you don't mind."
The smile returned to Lily's face and Severus noticed how her eyes sparkled slightly.
"Of course I don't mind," Lily replied, picking up her bag as the bell sounded. "I'll see you later, Sev."
Lily was nearly asleep in the History of Magic – Professor Binns was horridly dull and hard to listen to – when the door at the back of the classroom open. It took the sixth year student three tries to get Professor Binns's attention but when he got it, he glanced at Lily before speaking.
"Professor Slughorn wants Lily Evans to report to the Hospital Wing."
"Very well," Professor Binns said with a nod at Lily, who quickly gathered her things and left the room.
"Is everything okay?"
The older student, a Ravenclaw, shrugged.
"I don't know, they just told me to find you."
"Thanks," Lily said off-handed, quickly turning towards the Hospital Wing. There was a flurry of activity behind Severus' curtains as Lily pushed the door open. She set her bag down and proceeded.
"Professor Slughorn?" she asked, peering around the curtain.
"Ah, Miss Evans, good."
Lily stepped all the way into the small space and glanced at Severus, who was looking very ill and slightly panicked. Lily looked back up at the Head of Slytherin house.
"What's wrong?"
"Don't worry," Slughorn said with a kind smile. "He's just hit a rough patch. Fever's through the roof and stomach's a bit unsettled. He's only half-coherent but he kept muttering your name and we thought you might be able to calm him down somewhat."
"I can try," Lily said uncertainly. "Severus?"
Severus's eyes shifted towards Lily and she took one of his hands from on top of the blankets and held it in her own.
"Severus, it's me, Lily."
"Lily."
Her name came out as a long moan and Lily frowned.
"I'm right here, Sev," she said, smoothing back his hair. Professor Slughorn watched with admiration as she didn't wrinkle her nose at the sweat that was coating Snape's brow but instead reached for the cloth in the basin of water on the bedside table. She wrung it out one-handed and then used it to smooth back the hair again. Severus whimpered slightly.
"What is it, Sev?" Lily asked, bending over and speaking in a quiet, soothing voice.
"I'm sorry, Lily," Snape muttered. "I bet James told you what I said, didn't he?"
For being so ill, Severus seemed to be having some very coherent thoughts.
"What?" Lily asked. "What did James tell me?"
"That I said my blood status was better and it made me better."
Professor Slughorn gasped slightly and Lily looked at him.
"It's alright, Sir," she assured the teacher. "He and James Potter were having a row."
She turned back to Snape.
"It's alright, Sev. I didn't believe him."
"You should."
Lily frowned.
"What?"
"I'm sorry, Lily," Severus repeated. "I didn't mean to say it … it just sort of slipped out. I was angry and he was saying awful things about you and me. They don't understand."
"Shh," Lily soothed, still wiping Severus's face with the cloth. "It's alright, Sev. I know you didn't mean to say those things and I know you don't mean them. Just forget about James and his friends."
"I can't," Severus muttered.
"Why not?"
"They're everywhere."
Snape's voice was weak and childlike and Lily sighed, glancing at Professor Slughorn. She was pleased to see he had a disturbed look on his face and hoped that he would do something about the endless teasing Severus had to endure.
"I know, Sev," Lily murmured. "I know."
Despite the topic of conversation, Severus seemed to have calmed down and his eyes slowly slid closed. Lily kept stroking his hair and holding his hand until he fell asleep completely and then she looked up at Professor Slughorn.
"James Potter and his friends are a real problem for him, aren't they?"
Lily nodded.
"They never leave him alone, Professor, and they're nasty to him."
"I'll see what I can do about it," Slughorn said. "But don't get your hopes up. The other teachers and I can make a point of watching for it but unless we see him being bullied, we can do very little."
"I understand," Lily replied, glancing at her friend again. "Thank you, Professor."
"On the contrary," Professor Slughorn said with a smile. "Thank you for calming him down."
"May I stay with him?"
Professor Slughorn nodded.
"The Pepper-Up will be ready in about an hour and once we administer it, Mr. Snape should feel much better."
Lily nodded and drew up the chair, still holding Severus's hand. With a discreet smile, Professor Slughorn left them. An hour later he returned with a vial of steaming potion and the matron stepped up to the bed.
"Mr. Snape," she said, shaking his shoulder. Snape's eyes fluttered open and his gaze flickered from the matron to Lily.
"What are you doing here?" he muttered. "Shouldn't you be in class?"
"You gave us a fright," Lily answered. "We have Pepper-Up for you."
Snape's eyes reverted back to the matron, who held up the vial. She and Lily helped Severus sit up and when he sipped the potion, steam began billowing out his ears.
"All of it," the matron said firmly and after she was satisfied, she insisted that given the circumstances, Severus stay in the Hospital Wing until the steam had abated. She and Professor Slughorn left the two alone again and Lily sat.
"Feeling better?" she asked and Snape nodded.
"But I hate the feeling of steam coming out my ears," he said. "It tickles and it's an awful racket."
Lily laughed.
"Only you would complain about something that can cure the common cold."
Snape shrugged.
"It's uncomfortable.
"It'll be over soon," Lily replied. "But I'm glad you're feeling better."
"What did you mean I gave you a fright?"
"Huh?"
"Earlier you said that I'd given you a fright. What did I do?"
"Oh," Lily said uncomfortably. "You were quite ill. Delusional even."
"But why were you here?"
"They sent for me. You were saying my name."
Severus's face turned a brilliant red which Lily tactfully ignored.
"What else did I say?"
"You apologized," Lily said carefully. "For what you told James Potter about my blood status."
Severus wanted to disappear in his clouds of steam.
"Lily,"
"It's alright, Sev," replied Lily easily. "It's over and done. Forget about it."
"But-"
"Forget it." Lily said forcefully. "Oh, and Professor Slughorn and the other teachers are going to try and keep Potter away from you a bit more."
"You told him that they tease me? Lily, why did you do that?"
"Because I'm sick of them getting away with it. The staff aren't going to do anything unless they see something but just, you know, be aware of it."
Severus sighed.
"I got mad at Potter for making fun of you being ill," Lily said, hoping to put a smile on Snape's face.
"You did?"
"Yes," Lily nodded. "I called him arrogant and big-headed. I thought you'd approve."
The much-desired smile appeared briefly.
"Thank you," Severus said quietly – so quietly that Lily had to lean forward to hear the rest. "For being here when I needed you despite what I said to Potter."
"Of course," Lily replied. "I'll always be here for you."
"You've kept him alive so he can die at the proper moment," Snape said slowly standing in the Headmaster's office. "You've been raising him like a pig for slaughter!"
Dumbledore's expression didn't change at the accusatory note in Snape's voice.
"Don't tell me now that you've grown to care for the boy?"
The question was subtle but Snape pulled out his wand.
"Expecto patronum," he muttered, waving his wand as a blueish light darted out of it. It took the shape of a delicate doe which bounced around the room followed by Dumbledore's wide eyes and then vanished out the window. Dumbledore looked at Severus in surprise.
"Lily," he said softly. "After all this time?"
"Always."
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