This was inspired by the Maroon 5 competition on HPFC. I actually pulled a different song and I'm using a different pairing for my actual competition piece, but then this story got stuck in my head and I had to write it. I've been looking for an excuse to do a Lily/Severus for ages now, and after listening to this song on repeat I don't think I'll ever be able to associate it with any other couple!
This fic inspired by Maroon 5's One More Night, which I encourage you to look up the lyrics for-Lily/Sev really fit it so, so well!
Some notes: It's unclear what year it was when Sirius tricked Severus into following Remus, but the boys hadn't perfected their animagi forms until 5th year, so that scene is set during their 6th year. Also, I think Severus joined the DEs after school, but I shifted it back to 7th year for my own purposes.
"I said I'm sorry!" The boy sprinted after the girl as she exited the castle and stalked towards the lake.
"You also said I was a Mudblood, Severus, so you'll understand if I don't particularly care what you have to say anymore." Lily angrily flipped her hair behind her shoulder and kept marching away from the lanky boy attempting to keep up with her.
"It's not—I didn't mean to call you that, Lily. You know I would never—"
Lily spun to face her childhood friend and, until recently, her closest confidante. "Well, you did call me that, and you believe it. I know you do. I've listened to you talking to your buddies—you're all convinced that next to you and your precious blood purity, I'm nothing." She paused to take a breath before continuing, "And you know what? That's fine, Severus. You just—go ahead and think that. I know better, and I have friends that know better, too. It's just too bad that you can't include yourself in that list of friends."
Severus opened and closed his mouth several times, clearly trying to decide what to say to soothe her. But no amount of apologizing could take back the things he'd said to her in anger, and they both knew it. Because she was right—he did believe it. Or, he had, until he'd met her.
Full of sadness, the green eyes met the black, and most of the fight drained out of Lily. "When we were ten," she said softly, "you promised me it didn't matter."
"But I—"
Lily held up a hand, interrupting whatever Severus had been about to say. "My point, Severus, is that either you were lying to me then—or you're lying to yourself now. Either way, you're still a liar."
Tears welled in Severus' eyes, and he angrily ground a knuckle into his socket to stop the embarrassing display of emotion. "Lily, please. I just want to be your—your friend again. Like before."
"Nothing's like before, Sev, don't you realize?" Lily took a step forward, her hand raised as though to brush his hair back from his face like she always did, but she stopped mid-stride and the hand fell to her side. She started to speak but thought better of it, instead giving Severus a small, sad smile before turning and walking away.
Severus crumpled to the ground, his head cradled in his hands, before springing up and firing hex after angry hex into the nearest tree.
"Here's the powdered root of asphodel."
"I put your chopped spleen on your cutting board."
"Watch the cauldrons for five minutes while I get the wormwood infusion."
"This one's just bubbling, I'll add the ground belladonna once it comes to a rolling boil."
To a stranger, the polite conversation across a laboratory table may not have seemed at all odd. To anyone who actually knew Lily and Severus, however, the clipped tones revealed a wealth of emotions. Trust, betrayal, dislike, longing, friendship, distance—it was all there, layered as finely as a complex multi-step potion.
Both had been too proud to request a new partner in Potions class, so they continued on as civilly as possible. If one occasionally had an opportunity to "forget" to check the other one's cauldron while they were busy slicing and dicing, well, who could really blame them? Each gave as good as they got, and no one else dared interfere. Only a few months after the scene at the lake, their feud had gained legendary proportions; and most of their classmates were far more wary of an explosion between the two top students than they were of an actual potions explosion.
One Friday evening found them left behind in the dungeon classroom after just such an explosion. Professor Slughorn hadn't been able to decipher who had been at fault—both parties claimed innocence and Horace hadn't wanted to choose sides. (Outwardly, anyway.) Now, long after the final class period, Lily and Severus were alone and attempting to re-brew the potion from class that day. It was fairly safe to say that both were tired, agitated, and thoroughly convinced of the other's wrongdoing.
"Stop! Don't add the acromantula hairs now, you'll ruin it."
"It's a bit late to ruin anything if you've been using that sterling silver stirring rod this whole time!"
Harrumphing, Lily stormed off to the supply cabinet. Severus sulkily turned up the flame under the cauldron and double-checked the next few steps of the procedure, making notes in the edges of his book.
"Inventing evil curses again? Maybe if you paid more attention to what you're supposed to be doing, we wouldn't be stuck here on a Friday night!" Lily tossed the Sopophorous beans onto the lab table and glared at Severus' book before beginning to chop the slippery things.
"If I—" Indignant, spluttering, Severus drew himself up to his full height. "You are the one who refused to add one clockwise stir after every seven counter-clockwise. We would still be brewing the original potion now if we were to continue at your pace!"
Lily made a face at the Sopophorous beans. "That's because the book doesn't say to add a clockwise stir! Honestly, are you so certain that you're smarter than—" she flipped her book to the front cover, "—Libatius Borage? I didn't realize my Potions partner was actually a world-renowned Potions master! Here, will you autograph my book? I can't wait to tell all my friends that I met a celebrity!"
"Oh, very amusing. But if you want me to sign your book, of course I will oblige, my lady." Severus leaned forward with his quill but Lily batted his hand away. "You know, you'd release the juice of those beans better if you simply crushed—"
"Enough, Severus! I don't want to be the test niffler for all your little potions experiments. I just want to brew this draught, bottle it, and get the bloody hell out of here for the night. Please, let's just finish this."
Lily returned her attention to the Sopophorous beans in front of her. Severus remained still, watching her furiously and fruitlessly try to slice the ingredient. He was about to offer to juice the beans himself when he heard a distinct sniffle.
"Oh, hell, Lil, please don't cry. Here, let me do the beans." He moved closer, but Lily elbowed him in the stomach as he approached.
"Just leave me alone!"
"I don't wish to fight with you," he admitted softly.
This was apparently the wrong thing to say, for Lily slammed her knife onto the cutting board and turned to face him, wiping a stray tear off her cheek as she did so. "Oh, really, Severus? What do you want, then? I'm all ears!" Rolling her eyes, she was about to turn back to their work surface when Severus curled one hand around her upper arm.
"I want—I—" The words wouldn't come, so he did the only thing he could think of, and he kissed her. Severus attempted to show Lily everything he wanted as he wrapped his arms around her slender form and angled his head. For a moment it seemed to have worked, for Lily's arms slid up his chest and she kissed him back for a fraction of a heartbeat.
But then she pushed him away, the tears falling more freely now. "Damn you, Severus Snape!" she hissed before grabbing her bag and racing from the room. He watched her go dejectedly, and he rather thought that this, not their previous fight, truly marked the end of their friendship.
"I owe you an apology."
The soft whisper drifted on the dusty air in the library, whirling around and finally settling near Severus' ears. He did not budge, however, but continued to scribble notes on his parchment. Perhaps if he ignored the whisper, it would go away.
"Severus. I know you can hear me."
He hunched his shoulders further, grateful for the curtain of hair blocking the view of his face from the world. He heard an exasperated sigh but still he kept his gaze riveted to his homework.
"Fine, if that's how you want to act... You don't have to say anything, just listen. I'm sorry, alright? James told me what Sirius did to you, and I—"
"It's James now, is it? Whatever happened to 'Potter, the arrogant toerag'?" In his anger, he made the mistake of looking up at his former best friend just in time to see the small smile grace her features.
"We've...become friends, I guess," Lily mused, the stupid smile still lingering on her lips. "But that's not what I came to say. I—"
"Bloody wonderful. Yet another sycophantic follower for precious Potter. Just what he needs. Tell me, does he let you lick his boots, or do you have to earn that privilege?" He surged out of his chair and began to haphazardly scoop his books and parchments up.
"That's not fair, Severus!" Lily tried to grasp his arm, but he shook her off. "They're not that bad, honestly, and you have no right—"
"Not that bad?" Severus growled, slamming his books back onto the library table. "What exactly did you come here to apologize for, then, if you consider that group of puffed-up pixies to be not that bad?"
Lily opened her mouth to answer, but Severus shook his head once and bent to retrieve his books again, his movement jerky. "Nevermind, Evans," he snarled, purposefully using her last name. "We are no longer friends, remember? An apology is therefore unnecessary."
He was three steps past her on his way to the door when he heard her speak again.
"Sev, I..." She cleared her throat before continuing, her voice stronger this time. "I am sorry. What they did—it's horrible, and you didn't deserve it. No one deserves it."
Squeezing his eyes shut momentarily, Severus fought the urge to turn back and accept her apology. But he firmed his resolve and continued out the door without a backwards glance.
Why should he accept her apology when she had refused to accept his?
"Lily? Wake up."
"Sev? What are you doing?"
The sleep-roughened voice tugged on his heart, but Severus squashed his protective instincts and continued to hover outside the window of the seventh-year girls' dormitory.
"Can you meet me outside?"
"What—"
"Just toss a robe on and go, Lily," he bit out, uncertain how much longer he could maintain his position in the air given the amount of pain he was in. "I'll meet you near the greenhouses in fifteen minutes."
He didn't wait to listen to her grumbling. Turning his broom, he flew as fast as he dared, trying to avoid any large dips or spins. Dropping gratefully to the ground at the greenhouses, he stared blankly at his left arm. Judging by the bright color of the bandage, his newly acquired tattoo was still bleeding.
He wasn't quite sure just how long he'd been there when Lily finally arrived, but he registered that she had indeed just thrown a robe on and—he was most grateful for this—she had come alone.
That was something, he supposed.
"What are we doing out here, Severus? You know I shouldn't be out of the castle after hours."
"You're Head Girl. Dumbledore won't punish you." Even to his own ears, his voice sounded odd. Higher pitched, certainly, and lifeless, somehow.
"You're acting peculiar. If you don't have anything of importance to say to me, I'm going back inside." Despite her words, Lily stepped closer and peered down at him. Severus could not muster the energy to sit up, but remained slumped against the wall of greenhouse five.
A year ago, he would have rejoiced at the opportunity to have Lily all to himself for a moment. Now, however, all he could feel was an odd sense of betrayal mixed with vengeful satisfaction. And pain. There was a great deal of pain.
The physical pain was nothing really, he supposed. He'd suffered worse injuries playing Quidditch. But the psychological pain—he'd wanted nothing more or less to be comforted just now, and his thoughts had immediately gone to Lily Evans, for better or worse.
Now that she was standing in front of him demanding explanations, though, he began to think it was more on the "or worse" side of things. Attempting to sit up, he winced as he placed weight on his left arm.
"Severus, are you injured?" Lily immediately sank to her knees next to him, her concern instantly overriding any animosity she held towards him. She reached for his hand, but he leaned out of reach.
"It's nothing. I shouldn't have woken you." He made to stand, dragging himself slowly but surely upwards with the support of the greenhouse wall. He nearly fainted once he was fully upright, however, and Lily jumped up to catch him with an arm around his waist.
"Sev! What's going on? What's wrong?"
Looking down into her earnest gaze, Severus fought the pull of sharing his burden with someone who knew him. Understood him. Liked him—or had like him, at one point in time anyway.
In the end, the green eyes proved irresistible. "You're embracing a newly minted Death Eater," he said, aiming for a tone as arrogantly pleased with himself as he could muster. He feared it came out rather more frightened, however.
"What?!" Lily gasped and jerked her steadying arm away. Severus only just caught himself by thrusting his left arm out to brace against the greenhouse. Lily eyed the blood-soaked bandage now visible in the moonlight and pressed two shaking hands over her mouth.
"I shouldn't have said anything. Go back to bed, Evans," he sighed, resting his head against the cool glass wall. "This doesn't concern you."
For a long time there was only silence, and Severus thought Lily must have taken his advice and returned to the safety of the castle. Finally, however, he felt cool water on his arm, and then he heard Lily whispering a number of healing spells as she unraveled his makeshift bandage.
She gasped again when she revealed the roiling black tattoo, the surrounding skin still an angry red. Severus couldn't bring himself to look at her—he couldn't bear to see the condemnation in her eyes. What had he been thinking, bringing her out here like this?
Suddenly, his mind froze as he found himself wrapped in her embrace. He could feel her crying against his chest, but she made no sound. Uncertain how to respond, Severus slowly lowered his head to her shoulder and draped his right arm around her slender waist. They remained that way long into the night, neither one willing to break the fragile and temporary reprieve from their hostility.
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be celebrating with the Gryffindor golden boys?" Severus glanced up as Lily entered the library but quickly returned his attention to the heavy tome open in front of him.
"I could ask you the same question." She sauntered over and leaned one hip against the table next to his book.
"I hardly think Potter and his pals would welcome my company." Severus allowed his sneer free reign as he uttered the word Potter.
"You know what I meant. Why aren't you partying with the Slytherins? I'm sure they're up to something in that common room of yours. Everyone's celebrating graduation tomorrow."
"Except, it would seem, you and I." Meticulously marking his place and closing his book, Severus turned his eyes up to Lily's face. "Again, Evans, why are you here?"
Lily frowned at him and began tapping one finger agitatedly against her thigh. "I suppose I didn't much feel like smuggled Firewhisky and silly chatter," she bit out. "What's your excuse?"
One corner of Severus' mouth tipped upwards, but his expression was mocking. "The same," he drawled.
"Oh, come off it." Lily shoved one of his shoulders roughly. "We're going to be gone from here for good tomorrow, you know. Can't we just—can we just get along, tonight? Please?"
He would have refused her request—in fact, he wanted to—but her eyes had entranced him long before he'd even met her, and they were now gazing at him with such a pathetic plea that he was helpless to refuse. "Very well. What do you wish to discuss? Shall we prattle on about the weather, or perhaps frivolously describe our plans for life after school?"
Lily's tongue crept out to wet her lips nervously, and Severus fought the sudden stab of longing her actions evoked in his gut. Was it just him, or was she inching closer to him on the desk?
"I don't wish to discuss anything." Her voice dropped as she spoke and Severus clenched one fist in an effort not to reach for her.
"A silent evening in the library, then. What a thrilling way to spend your last night at—"
"I don't wish to talk at all," she continued, speaking over him. Now she was definitely moving closer, and before he had an opportunity to react, she had slid onto his lap. It was as if she'd hit him with a Petrificus Totalus. He was afraid to move, afraid to breathe, lest she change her mind and run away. And he was afraid that he might have misinterpreted her actions, somehow.
"What are you—"
Lily placed a finger on his lips. "Ah ah, no talking!" They stared intently at each other, and Severus was sure she must hear his heart racing. Then she removed her finger from his mouth...and replaced it with her own lips.
Every cell of Severus' body leapt into action at the contact. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her closer, burying the other hand into her mane of red hair, angling her head. He opened his mouth over hers and plundered her sweet lips with his tongue. Lily shoved her hands into his hair and moaned, tangling her tongue with his enthusiastically.
Their heated kisses spun out into minute after minute, until Lily began to thrust her hips against his. He stood abruptly, lifting her with him. He detached his lips from hers just long enough to sweep his book off the table and lay her down on its hard surface. Then he was on top of her, kissing her again and running his hands down her sides.
Lily immediately wrapped her legs about his waist, locking her ankles behind his thighs. Severus growled hungrily and yanked her robes open at her chest, burying his face between her breasts. Lily arched into his openmouthed kisses, holding his head to her. Surging upwards again, his lips meshed with hers once more as their hands began to frantically undress one another.
The sound of a door slamming in the hallway brought both their heads up. Lily looked at Severus and her heart stuttered a bit. He was scowling in the direction of the sound, his tie was loosely hanging around the top few undone buttons on his shirt, and his hair had been rumpled—by her hands. The fierce line of his eyebrows brought a nostalgic smile to her face.
Then he looked back at her, and she blushed at the intensity of the hunger in his gaze. She could tell by the brush of air against her legs that he'd hiked her skirt up, and she was fairly certain that at least one of her blouse buttons was gone for good. She couldn't bring herself to feel regretful, however.
Lily was just reaching up to bring Severus' lips back to her own when he stepped away, hastily combing his fingers through his hair. "You—I'd better go," he murmured, attempting to redo the tiny buttons on his collar. He quickly gave up and cursed softly. Lily sat up, watching as his eyes roved everywhere but in her direction. "It's after curfew."
Her lips twitched in a smile. "We graduate tomorrow, Sev. I don't think they're going to put us in detention for breaking curfew." She waited for his customary smirk, but none came. Her stomach began to sink when he still refused to look at her. Abruptly, she wasn't in the mood for joking around with him anymore. "There isn't even any curfew now that school's over for the summer hols," she growled. "Come back—"
"Nevertheless, I have no doubt that we both need our rest for tomorrow. I—" Finally, his eyes met hers, and she flinched at the coldness there. It was as though the passionate boy from just a few moments ago had completely gone, leaving this heartless shell in his place. He seemed to read some of her shock in her eyes, though, for his voice softened as he said, "I'll see you tomorrow, after the ceremony. Goodnight, Lily." Gathering his loosened tie and abandoned robes around him like a shield, he marched out of the library while Lily remained on the desk, dumbfounded.
He was as good a liar as ever, Lily reflected as she continued to stare at the door, half hoping for him to return. His expression, his eyes, his speech—nothing had given him away, and she was nearly as familiar with his facial expressions as her own. But still, she knew: he'd lied when he'd promised to see her after their graduation.
A/N: This chapter is all of the "Hogwarts era" scenes, and I have one more chapter on the way with post-Hogwarts scenes. I always envisioned Lily and Severus having these clandestine "angry snogs" after The Mudblood Incident, so here you go.
Sadly, I am neither JK Rowling nor Maroon 5. Nor wealthy, actually.