Snivellus

"Hiya, Severus."

Severus peeked between his lank hair at the bubbly redhead girl standing in front of him.

"Hello, Lily."

She sighed deeply and flopped down next to him. They sat in a comfortable silence in the cool shade of the whispering willow tree.

"Will you believe what Potter did today, Severus? He tried to ask me out, again! I'm really done with trying to turn him down nicely, I think it might be time to just flat out tell him no, but I wouldn't want to hurt his feelings, he does seem sort of decent when he's not being all...Potter-y…"

Severus glanced up from his book.

"Does he realize we are eleven, and have plenty more years to go before deciding who our 'one true love' is?" he asked, heavy with sarcasm.

Lily shrugged. "Oh, well, it is Potter, I suppose the thought hasn't yet crossed his mind. Never will, either."

Severus scoffed derisively, returning his scowling eyes to his book.

Lily raised an eyebrow at him. "Well, what's got you in the most joyous of moods?"

He slammed his book shut and looked at Lily with angry black eyes. "I don't know how you even talk about him! He makes me feel sick, with his idiot followers, and loud attitude, and-and terrible hair, and-"

"Severus!" exclaimed Lily, shocked. "I've never seen you like this!"

He shook his head, biting the inside of his mouth hard. "You never see it, but they curse me, all the time...little jinxes here and there, just enough where they won't get caught, but they'll still get a good laugh out of it."

"Surely just Black, though, not the others?" Lily inquired, screwing up her nose at the thought of the cocky boy.

"No, Potter especially, along with Black," Severus spat, as if their names were poisonous. "They won't quit calling me that horrendous name, and it's spreading, too, the entire first year calls me it now-"

"Perhaps if you didn't retaliate, hex them back when they attack you-yes, Severus, I know you hit them back-they'll get bored, and leave you alone."

He shook his head fiercely. "They won't stop. They hate me, I know it."

"Well, what about Remus, or Pettigrew?" Lily asked, trying to be calming. "Pettigrew I don't know as well, but Remus is very nice, he studies with me sometimes."

'"I don't care for the lot of them," Severus said darkly. "Gryffindors…"

"I'm a Gryffindor," Lily said, slightly hurt. She stood, blinking, and giving her friend a confused look.

Severus bit back his words. "Not you, Lily, you're different. You're my friend, I trust you."

She smiled a small smile. "Thanks, Severus."

She skipped away, red curls swinging.

Severus blew a deep sigh. Though Lily held a growing distaste for Potter and his friends, he found that they seemed to be her favored topic of discussion when the two friends were alone.

Severus didn't want to talk about the bullies. He wanted to spend time with his pretty friend, and discuss the magical world, like they did back home.

He shook his head. He wouldn't get much more reading done now.

As Severus made his way back to the school, he kept his head down, allowing his hair to fall like a curtain to shield his face. He wouldn't want to attract attention to himself.

But, alas, no such luck.

He heard their dreaded voices first, Potter's-

"Oi, Snivelly!"

Cue the mocking laughs-Black, loud and barking, and Pettigrew, unsure.

Severus continued walking, though he knew what was coming. He heard their running footsteps approaching. He slipped a hand into his pocket to grip his wand.

"Ah, don't be rude, Snivellus, you shouldn't ignore people who are calling you!" Black's mocking voice rang out, very close.

Severus continued walking. He felt the eyes of the bystanders, heard their whispers.

"Well, isn't he a rude one. I think he needs a lesson on manners, don't you think?" Black continued.

The last one, Lupin, quietly said, "Sirius, just leave it…"

Severus whipped around as James Potter's all too familiar triumphant laugh pierced his ears. He was too late, pulling out his wand, because Potter's jinx was already sailing to him, and hit him awkwardly in the collarbone.

Severus found that he was no longer in control of his legs, which were dancing wildly.

The watchers laughed, the laughter ringing in Severus' ears and burning his face as he finally steeled himself and turned to give the four boys a fiery glare.

"Ooh, Snivelly doesn't like lessons, I think," Black snickered, tossing his sleek hair back. Several girls watching giggled and preened.

Severus wasted no time. Wand already out, he took careful aim and yelled, "Flipendo!"

He winced mentally, remembering what Lily had said, "Perhaps if you didn't retaliate…"

The jinx hit Potter square in the chest, and he went flying backwards.

Black roared angrily and drew his own wand, and roared, "Locomotor Wibbly!"

Severus spun to avoid the Jelly-Legs, and readied his wand to fire another spell, but he froze as a familiar voice split the commotion.

"STOP!"

Potter's casual smirk dropped onto his face and he ruffled his hair. Black groaned, Lupin looked relieved, Pettigrew fret. Severus turned around again and faced a livid Lily Evans.

"What on earth do you think you're doing?" she spit.

Potter grinned. "Evans! Nice of you to join the party. Go out with me?"

Lily didn't even respond, she was looking right at Severus, who felt slightly guilty, but kept his face cool.

Lily's fierce green eyes were disappointed, but there was some resigned surrender, too.

"Are you alright, Severus?" she asked, walking towards him.

Severus waved a vague hand, legs still dancing. Lily drew her own wand and ended the jinx.

"Aw, you're no fun, Evans," Black whined.

Lily's eyes flashed and she glared at the Gryffindor boys. "You! Who on earth do you think you are, throwing hexes at him when he didn't do anything to you!"

"But he did, Evans," Potter said earnestly.

"Yeah, he walked around with that hair," Black cut in, chortling. The watching students chortled along with him.

Lily pursed her lips. "Oh! You-you-toerags! I hate you, you-"

"But I love you, Evans!" Potter was quick to put in, joking and a bit panicky.

"You heartbreaker, Lily Evans," said Black, shaking his head.

"Guys, stop," Lupin said, shoving Pettigrew to get him to stop giggling.

Severus' face burned. He stormed away, shoving his wand violently into his pocket. Lily called after him, but he kept walking, tromping farther from the scene.

He distantly heard Lily shout one more indignant remark, and Potter's desperate sounding voice.

Severus found himself seated in a secluded corner of the library. It was a nice, quiet place to be, among the History of Magic-related section, so no one ever came by.

He just sat there, leaning against the bookcases, glaring at his wand spinning between his fingers.

He thought Hogwarts would be everything he dreamed of-learning magic and excelling, sticking with Lily, coming home and making his mother proud.

Things had gone downhill from that first train ride. And then he and Lily had been split, he with the cunning snakes and her with Potter and Black…

He felt he couldn't escape the tortures of his parents arguing while at Hogwarts. When the others hexed him and made fun of him, it felt like another blow his father left on his thin body, or another shouted word from his Muggle mouth.

Severus released a long sigh, letting his wand drop to the floor.

Lily hadn't found him yet. She always did, eventually, but Severus had only hidden here a few sparse times before. She'd probably look around the lake, or the clock tower, or the empty dungeons first.

For now, Severus would relax in the solitude of his quiet library corner.

Hi guys:)

I got restless so I wrote this. I like dipping into different HP time periods, like with my Draco one-shot.

Buuutt...

As much as I love Harry Potter I was thinking of writing a fic for something different, but I don't know what you guys would want to see from me.

Let me know, give any suggestions. Or, look on my profile for things I'm interested in.

Hopefully this will be the last time I need to say this...

Kind of Not an Evil Queen only needs ONE MORE REVIEW before an update! It's been about two months since I posted the last chapter, and since then I've written two more chapters for it, four chapter of a new story, a Draco one shot and this one. Hint, hint...

Thanks for reading!