"Stir clockwise twice, countered once," Lily muttered, following the tricky potion's recipe. Behind her, a light bell rang, signaling the entry of a customer.

"Oh, bugger. I'm in the back! I'll be right with you!" she called out, continuing to stir the cauldron.

Add powdered unicorn horn. Sprinkle evenly for best effect.

As she added the flowery white substance, the door to her brewery opened to reveal a face she hadn't seen in quite a while – and for good reason.

"Severus Snape", she said with a curious, albeit acidic smile. "What a pleasant surprise." She waited until he was on the other side of the cauldron so she could keep an eye on him before she glanced back down at the recipe.

"Stir counter-clockwise twice."

Lily looked up with a start to find him watching her over the simmering cauldron.

"Do you memorise all of your notes?" she asked, a smile tugging at her lips.

"No, I just know this one rather well."

She raised an eyebrow as she stirred the potion. "Even though you never 'got all the kinks out,' as you so put it once? Or is it 'because'?" The potion took on a mother of pearl sheen and Severus glowered lightly at her.

"That's a pretty big batch," he said instead, and Lily shrugged off the compliment as she turned off the fire. She leaned over the potion's surface and he joined her, his face not far from her own as they each tested the potion for its signature scent. Her eyes closed, Lily inhaled the familiar scent of greasy hair, musk, and fresh grass. She was lost in the potion for a moment before her companion cleared his throat. Her eyes flew open and she found herself staring into the playfully suspicious and wary eyes of Severus Snape. She blushed lightly and stood up, her lips pursed, but he took another whiff before standing as well.

"That's good stuff."

She smirked – something she had picked up from him, not that she admitted it much. "My Amortentia is my specialty." She stepped away from the cauldron and picked up a case that, when opened, contained a dozen small, glass vials, and dropped them delicately on the rim of the cauldron. One by one, she filled each with the potent love potion and capped them.

"It is a good seller, then?" Severus asked quietly, still watching her.

"Very," she replied with a mischievous grin. "You'd be surprised how many marriages depend on this stuff." Lily winked mischievously. He nodded quietly, and she dropped the tender subject. In silence, he watched her fill the small capsules with the same accuracy he and all other master potion-makers seem to naturally have. It was easier to say nothing than to breach the topic on his mind.

"Do you have something you wish to add?" she teased.

The smirk he gave her was best interpreted as a devilish grin.

"Nah, I wouldn't want to spoil a great batch of Amortentia just to satisfy my... hazardous curiousities." A couple bad events crept into his mind. "And besides, I wouldn't want to get your pretty face all messed up. Someone might kill me."

She chuckled lightly, though her eyes were sad. It was hard to believe it had been so long since they'd been friends. But they'd chosen separate paths, it was understood. He'd not taken well to the separation, but he'd done a good job of staying out of her life – an unexpected blessing she was grateful. But the mention of a significant other reminded her of another man who had asked for a second chance. "Say, Severus, did you ever get a wedding invitation?"

"A what?" His sneer disappeared to an expression of simple and undeniable confusion.

"A wedding invitation," Lily repeated as she capped the bottle in hand and turned to her desk, rifling through some papers and sifting through a couple drawers, writing the lie out in her mind, until she produced a white card that was meant for the shopkeeper next door and with a little 'Aha!' handed it to him. "I'd asked James to pass them out a week and a half ago. I was wondering why I hadn't recieved an RSVP from you." She forced a kind smile. "Even if you couldn't go, you'd still respond."

Severus gave her a sneerish, sheepish grin as he opened the card. Inside, engraved in thin, golden letters were the words "Mr. and Mrs. Adonijah Potter and Mr. and Mrs. Mark Evans invite you to join them in celebration of the bonding of their children, Lily Evans and James Potter, in holy matrimony, on Saturday, May the 27th."

"I'm sorry. James – bastard – must not have sent one to you on purpose," she added quickly. It was hard to lie to him, but the truth would hurt him so much more. Severus simply nodded, the ghost of a smile she'd expected sneaking on his face, looking back down at the paper.

Here it was, the tangible proof that confirmed his greatest fears. The rumours were true – Lily, his Lily – would be marrying James Potter, that arrogant glamour Wizard who'd given him a life debt. She'd even given him an engraved invitation to the horrendous event. Irony was a cruel mistress.

"So, you're actually going through with this?"

"Of course!" Lily replied almost too quickly. It was too reminiscent of the last parts of their friendship – the questioning. The accusations. She turned away from him, trying to hide her anger, wondering why she was humouring his presence, as he was already testing her kindness. She picked up the crate of potions and began to make her way past him. "Oh, you can follow me, I'm done here," she added, bitterness creeping into her voice as she turned to back through her swinging door. He followed her out and continued to read the card out loud, though it was only because he had to hear himself say it.

"The vow will be performed by Albus Dumbledore." That made him pause in curiousity. "You've asked Dumbledore to do it?"

"Yeah," she replied with a soft smile. Ah, that'd been a fun conversation. And so hard to explain to her parents. She tried not to think of Petunia's refusal to attend the 'freak show'. "James insisted. I don't know why he was so adamant about it, but... I didn't have a problem with it. I just didn't realise Dumbledore did weddings!" Lily gave a giggle as she sat her crate of potions on the shelf below the one labeled 'Amortentia'.

"Yes..." muttered he, still a little distracted by this turn out. "So, in a month and a half?"

She nodded and began putting the vials on the shelf among the other love potions. She did her best to focus on the task at hand, and not wandering about with everything else that was going horribly wrong. The Order. Her sister. The rumours about Snape's having turned to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. She told herself he wouldn't dare – wouldn't dare – come to her shop if he'd truly taken on that mark. He wouldn't. That's what she told herself.

"Great," he replied, trying to keep the worry from his voice as he slipped the card in his pocket. How would explain the need for his absence? "Say, I'm going to need some Polyjuice Potion."

"No, you won't," she scolded lightly, offended. The hostility caught her by surprise.

"I'm not talking about your wedding, Lily."

"Oh..." She blushed, realising he was trying to be cordial about this – and "this" was actually business. Why was she taking it so personal? "Sorry. Do you want your recipe back?"

"No, it's not that I don't have the recipe anymore, I just don't have the time to brew it," he answered quickly. Damned 'work' kept him so busy. And he couldn't do it at the apothecary – his master would ask questions, questions he cuoldn't answer. "Polyjuice takes a while to mature, after all."

She nodded in agreement and held out the crate for assistance. He happily obliged. "Alright, but let's finish this first, okay?"

"Of course."

They worked in companionable silence, each secretly enjoying the forgotten pleasure of the other, and only touched when the door bell rang from the front door. For a moment, they stopped and looked to each other, unsure of what to do. She was the first to blush.

"Sorry," Lily muttered, and she leaned around her old confidante to see her customer. "Oh, good day, Mrs. Appleby! I'll be with you in just a moment, okay?"

"Oh, not a problem, dear," the old woman replied when she saw Severus, a sneaky smile on her face. "Do take your time."

Neither of them needed to be a Legillimens to catch the witch's insinuations. "I can finish this for you," he offered quickly.

"Thanks," she whispered, and handed him the already half-empty case and joined Mrs. Appleby by the Simple Ailments section.

"How can I help you today, Mrs. Appleby?" Severus heard Lily ask the elderly witch sweetly.

"Oh, not much, dearie, I was just wondering if you had a good stomachache potion, because Henry hasn't been feeling too good lately."

"Oh, yes, it's right..." Severus sneaked a peek over to find Lily stooped down and smirked as he turned back to his work. "Here."

"Oh, thank you, my dear."

"Yes, let me bottle this up for you." Severus watched Lily disappear into the back, a glass in his hand. He quietly placed it among the others, then picked up the last two vials and stocked them as well. Wondering to himself what to do next, he saw Lily come back and disappear again behind the shelf. He spun the empty crate in his long, nimble fingers as the customer paid for her goods and departed. As soon as the ringing of the bells ceased, Severus came out of his hiding space.

"All finished," he reported awkwardly, holding up the empty box for her to see.

She smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, Severus." A similar emotion tugged at his lips and he let himself sneak a lopsided grin as she scratched a note on what was doubtless her ledger. She was still so beautiful... She excused herself and replaced the potion on its shelf – again, Severus didn't miss the chance to steal a peek.

Obviously oblivious, she returned to him and took the crate, placing it under the counter on which she had the cash register situated and sat on her stool, arms resting on the tabletop, and smiled at him.

"So... what do you think?" Lily asked, lifting a hand to mean that she was referring to her humble shoppe. Severus looked around sincerely – not that he hadn't done so before. The first time he'd seen it, and the third and fifth, but seeing as he'd come in twice before during busy hours, without the nerve to reveal himself, she wouldn't know.

"A lot cheerier than most places, I'll give you that," he answered honestly. "And a lot more organised."

She laughed wryly. "Yeah, I try to keep it user friendly. But you know what they say about organisation..."

"...It's for people who aren't smart enough to find things for themselves." A proverb known to potion makers – everyone knows an apothecary is one of the most confusing places to shop in if you're unfamiliar with the craft. Most shoppes are organised by rarity and effect, rather than name or most common purpose.

She nodded. "Exactly."

"Well, you must get a lot of stupid people, then."

She giggled again, a wonderful, robust sound, and he gave an unashamed, yet sneerish smile. "Say, didn't you order some Polyjuice?" she asked, remembering his purpose, rising from her stool.

"Yes, I did."

"Anything in particular?"

"Not really. Just... raw Polyjuice."

She stepped around another shelf and gestured for Severus to follow her. He stood at the end of the aisle and he glanced down the row and found ads for... well, equipment improvement.

"Wow, Lily," he teased.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped back lightly, a blush blossoming on her cheeks. "Again, you'd be surprised how often this stuff is used."

He shook his head, enjoying the amount of red he was putting on her face without really trying. "Not really." He was a male potions maker, after all. He couldn't keep on two hands the number of times he'd had a buddy ask him for a favour along those lines. Or how many times he'd actually done the favour.

She held out a jar and placed it into his hands. There was contact again, and this time she let her hand linger for a moment. "Here. Last jar of raw Polyjuice." Then she drew back, smirking devilishly. "Lucky butt."

Severus smirked as he followed her back to the counter. "Are you sure you weren't just saving this just for me?"

She shook her head coyly as she scribbled out a receipt for him. "How could I do that? You think I'm a Seer or something?"

He smirked. "Maybe."

She gave him one, too. "Well, I'm not." She held it out to him. "That's ten galleons."

"Merlin, Lily, no personal discount?" he scoffed.

"That is the personal discount, and a bit more off because..." There was a slight pause, and he waited for her to say something, anything, that might reassure him that there was a chance. If there was... "...well, I'm indebted to you for all of your 'tweaked' potions recipes."

He fought back the disappointment that tugged his heart into his gut. "Indebted?" he asked, softly, trying to cover the hurt with coy. "I should have remembered that."

She rolled her eyes lightly, trying to tell herself she wasn't watching his heart break. "Look, I know you know how expensive Polyjuice is, and that's why you're here, because you know you won't get it this cheap elsewheres, so don't do that to me."

He smirked. It wasn't worth it to be upset now. There were hours late at night that were better served for that purpose. He was here, now. Best enjoy it while he could. "Yes, ma'am..." he started, remembering another thing that annoyed her.

"Oi! I'm not a ma'am yet!" she argued.

He chuckled darkly. It was so hard to stay upset with her. "You could've fooled me."

"Severus Snape, you knock it off, or I'll sic my dogs on you!"

Severus mock-gaped at her. "I'm offended."

"As you should be."

"Do Lupin and Black know you're threatening people with them?"

She glared at him, her temper getting the better of her. "You started it!"

"And you're continuing it!.Who's the better person?"

"Neither!"

"Are you or are you not engaged, young lady?"

"Yeah, so? That has nothing to do with this!"

He scoffed. "If I was your fiancé and I heard you say that, I will have you know that I would be very upset with you."

She groaned. "Severus, you dolt, stop picking on me!" she said. "You always bring out my worst." She thrust out her hand. "Ten galleons!"

He made a face that would've made a less-informed individual think he'd planned the argument to weasel out of paying and failed. Of course, they both knew better. It was the banter of their youth – a twisted flirtacious ritual that they had taken part in several times, and even the years and paths between them couldn't fight that. Finally, he gave a heavy sigh and pulled out his purse and counted the coins.

"Thank you." She dropped the gold into the register and closed it. After a moment, she also sealed the store with a spell. "Now, is that all?"

"Oh, getting rid of me now, are you?" Severus taunted as he put the jar and coin purse in his cloak.

She grinned. "No, you're not getting away from me that fast. Do you have any plans for the next... oh, hour or so?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. I just thought maybe we could... I don't know... go get a drink?"

"Leaky Cauldron?" he asked with a cringe. He wasn't good company, not in these days. And if anyone saw him with a... Well, it wouldn't end well for either of them.

She smiled softly. "No, but there's this little Muggle pub down the street. My treat?"

It would work. No one who would see them would know, or if they did, they'd be too ashamed to admit they were in Muggle London to share it. Although he'd already made up his mind, he made to ponder it deeply, stroking his goatee lightly with a finger in thought.

She held up her hands as if she were praying, knowing the score. "Pleeease?"

He fought very hard to keep a smile from shining on his face. She is so cute, he thought to himself, a school boy again. He nodded in what seemed a reluctant way. "Fine."

"Yay! Let me go get my cloak and lock up..."

He let the smile shine when she dipped into the back and cherished it. And made a promise to himself that he would make the night a good one.