Severus was in the great hall eating dinner
It had been almost a year since Lily had stopped talking to him, months since he had stopped trying to apologize, but he still the sound of her distressed voice drew his attention instantly. She was standing up at the Gryffindor table, bottle green eyes locked on James.
"James! Not again!" Lily was nearly shouting
"Lily! That's not how I meant it" James grabbed her hand, trying to tug her back to her seat "Lily! I haven't done anything!"
She jerked her arm, trying to re-claim it. Severus tensed automatically, moments away from springing to her aid but before he could move Lily managed to tug herself free of James. She turned on her heel, dark red hair swinging around, and stormed out of the hall. Severus gazed after her, then shot an evil look at James, that arrogant pig headed showoff, he didn't deserve her, never could deserve her. Though when he dove too deeply into that thought it only took him back to that horrible day, when he had made the unforgivable mistake. "I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her"
"Hey, Severus, you there mate?" the broad faced Avery joked as he cuffed Severus's shoulder good-naturedly jerking Severus from his painful brooding.
"We're going to go try some things out tonight" Dolohove said, dropping his voice to a whisper, smiling at Severus in a darkly mischievous way.
Severus shook his head "tonight's no good, I've got some….things … to work on tonight."
"Spells?" asked Avery excitedly
Severus shook his head "potions" Avery seemed to be about to ask another question but Severus put up his hand "not now."
Dinner ended and he left his usual companions, all heading out to practice more dark magic, for the Slytherin common room to experiment with his potion.
His feet echoed eerily off of the stone passageways of the dungeons, he was in no hurry so the rhythm of his feet was slow and the echoes dull, as he neared his common room though he heard another set of feet. Not moving as slowly as he, the echoes from their feet were slightly higher pitched and sounded like they were pacing. Not wanting to be seen he lifted his wand to perform a disillusionment charm, but before he could utter the incantation, the person came into view.
"Lily?" he asked excitedly, he had not seen her alone in so long, then remembering their estrangement asked more coolly "what are you... uh doing here?"
She shrugged while looking at her shoes. Severus noticed they were not the school regulation black, but bright acid green.
She cleared her throat sharply and looked up at him with her beautiful almond green eyes. "I was just …uh …walking around." She coughed slightly "needed some air."
"What here in the dungeons?" was his first, but unvoiced thought, instead he said nothing, staring into her eyes, he knew she needed a friend.
"Want to uh…walk around a little?" she asked haltingly.
He nodded and they set off down the hall.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Severus asked her.
She looked at him a little nervously biting the inside of her lip slightly. "Not really."
A tiny smile crossed Severus's face; it was if they were right where they had left off.
"Well I've been doing fine" Severus said, in an attempt to lighten her mood "experimenting a little, though it's been pretty quite for me since you started…." Dating James. The words stuck in his throat and he stopped, not meeting Lily's eyes. He could tell she was looking at him, really wanting to say something. With an effort he forced himself to look back into those bottomless emerald eyes.
"It's just that he's so reckless, Sev!" she cried "and so….oblivious sometimes. I mean I asked him to stop jinxing people just because he can, and …and he doesn't do it around me but he still does, he doesn't understand people's feelings! And then there are these once a month night trips that he goes on with his mates, he still won't tell me what that's all about. I mean if he can't trust me then how can I trust him?" she was crying now, silvery tears sliding down her rosy cheeks and dripping off her chin. Severus could stand it no longer, his heart panged with every sob, he stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her. She leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder.
"He is no good for you" Severus said coldly, feeling his hatred of James rise icily in his chest. She turned her tearstained face upwards toward his
"But Sev…what should I do … I …I care about him"
Severus looked down at her, meeting her eyes "but he does not care for you as much as you care for him, if he did he would never let you cry like this." He said forcefully. Their noses were inches apart.
"there are others…" he said quietly " who would care for you" their faces were even closer now, "who would never make you cry like this" he moved closer to as if to put his lips on hers, but something infinitesimal in her eyes had changed and as if she had snapped out of a dream she pulled away from him. Her brows knitted inwards and she backed away from him looking at him in an almost bewildered way.
"But you did." She said softly. Severus went cold,
"N...No!" He said desperately "No! I never meant…Lily!" His memories sprung to life, echoing in his head.
I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her
He could see Lily's face change as she turned the hurtful emotion into a more easily manageable form, anger.
"But you did!" she said, this time stronger, her face flushing red.
Filthy little Mudbloods like her
"Lily! Please I never meant…"
Her hand flew up to stop him "Save it, you slimy little Deatheater, your just as bad as the rest of them." She spat the words out.
"But Lily I'm not a…!"
"And you know what," she said, anger carrying her into a storm "James, even with all his faults, is ten times the man you are Snape!"
His heart felt like it had been pierced by white hot iron, he could not think of a response.
She looked at him for a long moment, anger coursing out of her stare, then she spun around and stalked off leaving Severus alone in the dark hallway.