Severus Snape's heart was breaking.
It wasn't a quick, sharp process either - fate had drawn out this agony over the course of several years. Always, he had stifled his feelings, always he had tried to summon the courage to tell her, only to meet those emerald eyes and see the huge pools of brotherly friendship she had for him. That was all. Friendship.
This, however, was the pinnacle of his heartbreak. This was sheer torture to experience, every single day without rest. He watched from the other side of the Great Hall as Lily Evans ate dinner happily, laughing and talking with her friends, not paying the slightest attention to him, her eyes not flickering towards him even once. There had been a time where she'd always scan for him and smile when their eyes met; but that wonderful time was lost. He felt a barb of guilt and pain spear him through the heart.
She was… So beautiful. And smart. And funny…. Severus had no doubt that Dumbledore would pick her for the Head Girl position next year. Nobody was in the same league as Lily Evans.
Suddenly, a pair of strong hands clamped over the green eyes that Severus had been staring at. He and Lily jumped simultaneously; Severus' elbow knocked into Avery, whose spoon clattered onto the table at the same time as Lily's - mumbling a quiet apology, he ignored Avery's grunt and was thankful that he continued his conversation with Mulciber instead of asking what had distracted him.
Lily Evans pulled the hands from her face, turning around to see James Potter grinning down at her.
Severus prayed that Lily would snub him.
Fate had never been kind to Severus. Lily's face broke in a laugh as she batted James' hands away from her face. He sat down on beside her, shovelling food onto his plate, the pair looking completely at ease with each other, and sitting far, far too close together…
"Oi, Snape, you not gonna answer?" Avery's thick voice brought Severus back to his immediate surroundings. He sagged slightly when he realised that Mulciber had just asked him a question; but he was smarter than Avery. Following the line of Severus' previous stare, Mulciber looked back at Avery and whistled, a smug smirk plastered across his face.
"Oh, lookie, Snape's still infatuated with that Mudblood." He stated, his face filled with childlike glee. Avery laughed.
"Don't be ridiculous." Snape snapped, knowing that their view of him was slipping downwards significantly. "I wouldn't dream of associating myself with muggleborn filth."
This pleased them, and they went back to scoffing chicken.
Severus hated himself.
Stealing a quick glance at the Gryffindor table, his heart sank. Potter was whispering into Lily's ear; they broke apart and she laughed; he joined in and she took the opportunity to swipe a carrot from his plate; he didn't seem to mind. Somehow, they had inched even closer together. Every time their gazes met, they seemed to hold for a few milliseconds too long.
Severus Snape's heart finally broke.