Disclaimer: I own nothing. Thank J.K. Rowling for these amazing characters.
About a week had passed since the incident with he and Lily. For the entire day, Snape was unable to pay attention in his lessons, leaving him with disgraceful remarks from teachers and multiple detention slips. He could not worry about this trivial matter now, however, because he had a plan. He had finally swallowed his pride and was going to attempt another apology to Lily, this time actually telling her how he felt. He hoped that if he told her that he loved her, she would be able to forgive him. He checked himself once more over in the mirror beside his bed, making a hopeless attempt to add some life to his limp, black hair. Giving up, he shook his hands and exhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves. He strode gracefully over to the stairs and up into the Slytherin common room.
"What's that look for Snape?" Mulciber shouted over to him, regarding the nervous expression on his face. "About to go ask the Queen to go with you?"
"Piss off Mulciber. I really don't wish to speak to you right now." Ever since Lily had expressed her dislike of them, Snape began to drift away from Avery and Mulciber. He didn't want to drive her away anymore than he already had.
"Oohh… touchy, touchy. What's got you're knickers in a twist Snape?" Mulciber was relentless. "Maybe it's that mudblood. Still thinking about her eh?"
"Don't talk about Lily that way! If I hear you say one more bad word about her, I'll- you'll regret it." Hoping to avoid a duel, he quickly ran up the stairs and through the portrait hole, stepping out into the main dungeons.
It was nearing seven o' clock, and right about now, Lily would be on her way out of Transfiguration. On any other day, they would have had double potions together, but that would not be the best place to have this conversation. He walked slowly up the main staircase to the first floor. Red rose in hand, he lingered at the end of the corridor that Lily would have to walk down to get to the Great Hall, hoping to catch her alone.
"Lily, I'm sorry. I know I've said it before, but I really mean it. I didn't mean to-"
"To call me mudblood? I know! You've told me many times. I just don't see how I'm different from anyone else of my birth. I mean why am I better?"
"Because- 'cause I…"
He was brought back to his senses by a great sound of thirty chairs being pushed under desks and immediately after that, a great rush of footsteps on their way to eat. He heard her laugh and shook his hair into his face, fully aware that his cheeks were turning a bright shade of red. He quickly looked around the corner to see the cause of her laughter and almost screamed. She was walking with Potter, whom she once knew as a snot-nosed toe rag. Their voices neared, then stopped.
"Evans er- Lily, wait." There was a slight tremble in his voice, something that Snape was not used to hearing. "I'm really glad we could be friends, but ever since Sirius told you how I felt about you, I feel like we've been… I don't know. Everything's been so awkward."
"James, what are you-" She sounded small and nervous, just like she had on the first day when she met Snape, the little greasy-haired boy with mismatched clothes.
"Listen, I'm not trying to ask you out again or anything, I just want to-"
"No, I want you to ask again. I want to see what it feels like to say yes." They resumed their walk down the corridor to supper, her hand in his. Lily tripped over something, almost falling but quickly regaining her balance. She looked down to see a single red rose, broken in two.