THE VISIT

Lily sat on the sofa, emotionally exhausted. Her mind was still buzzing from what had happened just hours earlier. Her eyes were still slightly red. As she lay back, a knock came from the door, short and sharp. It was not the first, various wellwishers had arrived in the last few hours, the last group insisting on taking her new fiancé to the Leaky Cauldron. She slowly walked to the door, and saw a pale face looking back at her

"Severus!" she said with a note of surprise, though she knew in her heart of hearts she had really been expecting this.
Snape didn't speak, he merely looked into her eyes.
"Er, come in, Sev" she muttered, and he fumbled behind her into the sitting room. She couldn't help but noticed that he looked terrible. He'd never been one to take great pride in his appearence, but his hair had a slightly wild look to it, his robes were shabbier than usual, and his face looked very pale, eyes wide. She retook her seat, and he sat across from her, still staring, but not making a sound. Finally he spoke, softly
"I can't believe it Lily"
"Sev-" she began, looking at him with pity, but she wasn't sure how to continue
"Lily you know, I, I love you Lily"

"I know you do, Sev, I know you do". Suddenly Snape spoke with conviction
"Don't marry him"
"Sev, maybe I should-"
"But-"
"Sev, I love him"
"You, you, we hated him" he persisted
"That- was- before"
"We've only been a year out of school! You, you don't-"
"I do"
"He hasn't changed, Lily, he really hasn't"
"Sev, your a death eater!" she said, louder than she'd intended
"You've got it wrong, its not- what you" but this time he couldn't finish
"Sev, maybe you should-"

"THEY ALMOST KILLED ME, LILY! DO YOU KNOW? DO YOU KNOW THAT?" he had stood up, several green sparks shooting from his wand, his face contorted and ugly. Lily, however, stayed in her seat, staring at the carpet
"Leave"
"DON'T MARRY HIM LILLY! DON'T! PLEASE LILY-" he stopped suddenly, and sat back down. She glanced up into his eyes, a look of begging now on his face.
" please"
"No Sev. No. Now please leave" She expected him to refuse, but he got up, took one last look into her face, both their eyes prickling with tears, and walked out the door. She sat down again, a few lone tears running past her nose. As he left, Snape glanced round at the house, the house that James and Lily would spend their lives in.
"Be happy" he whispered, then, feeling the coldness of the night sky, he turned, and apparated, back to his master.

Lily heard the crack from outside, and buried her face in her hands. He'd only been inside for minutes, but it had shaken her up completely. Before the visit she'd be looking forward to James' return, now she was dreading it. She ran Snapes comments through her mind, over and over. She was sitting, still as a statue, waiting for a sound to tell her that her husband to be was back. The cat appeared through the door and slowly walked over to her, leaping onto her lap. She absent mindedly stroked him, many worrying thoughts raging through her head, making her feel sick.

James sat back in his chair, warmness spreading throughout him, despite the chilly atmosphere inside the pub. "She'd said yes" he thought. After all these years, he was finally going to marry Lily Potter... He looked around at the people around him, laughing and joking. There was Remeus, standing over him, beaming down, and Peter, sitting next to him, laughing with him. Then of course Sirius was sat opposite him, his greatest and most loyal friend, sitting across the table. Of all the congratulations he had received, it had been that from Sirius that had meant most to him- and he'd looked so honoured when he told him he'd be best man.
"1,2,3, whey!" he shouted with his best friend, as they downed another shot of firewhiskey.

"You can never drink me under the table, Sirius" giggled James
"Oh yeah, I can get the table over you!" replied Sirius, pointing his wand at the table "Win-wingardium Leviosa!" he said drunkenly. The table gave a slight wiggle.
"Ah well"
"Now its really time for me to go" he said, and turned to apparate home.
"No, no" shouted Tom, the barman, and James stopped
"I'm not 'avin another arm left behind in me bar! I've got some floo powder James, take the fire home"

"Ok, ok" he said, and accepted the powder. He walked over, threw the flames into the fire, and stepped in, a huge grin across his face, at the thought of seeing his new fiancé again.