'You've chosen your way and I've chosen mine,' Lily said as turned around and walked straight through the portrait hole, back into the common room. She took the armchair next to where her friends Mary and Sandy were sitting. She sat stiffly for a few moments gazing into the fire. Severus's stricken face looked back at her from the burning logs.

She was shaken out of her momentous disconcert when Mary called out to her. 'Lils, we got Transfiguration tomorrow! Buck up!'

Seeing the pile of notes in front of she was quickly awoken to reality. In a rush to grab her text book that was lying under at least a hundred sheets of parchment, she sent her wand that was kept on its side flying. She bent down to retrieve it and while getting up, bumped her head into the table.

'What's up? Are you all right?' asked Sandy. Lily looked at her friend, a little confused. She thought there was more to the question. 'Yeah,' she said quickly getting over her discomfort. She spent the next few hours revising so desperately that she completely forgot about Snape.

However, the emotions appeared as soon as she lied down into her bed. Her bed hangings were shifted and Mary sat down on the bed beside her. 'What happened with Snape? You didn't look too happy when you returned,' she whispered cautiously, not wanting to arouse the curiosity of their room mates. Lily recounted the episode that had happened outside the portrait hole. 'I'm never going to make excuses for him again, Mary. We're now going our separate ways,' she ended determinately.

'Why are you so depressed, then?' asked Mary.

'I'm not depressed,' said Lily quickly. She continued an afterthought later. 'You know, I thought he was my best friend, till recently. I never thought he would be someone who could think of using Dark Magic. When we were small, before Hogwarts, he would tell me about magic, but never about Dark Magic. I never thought he would actually be interested in them. When I used to hear people talking about his exceptional performance in Dark Arts, I assumed it was something he had learnt from his mother to use against You-Know-Who. But, apparently, he did learn them, to be with You-Know-Who.

'Before joining Hogwarts, I had bought some books for background reading. I had read stuff about Dark Arts. At that time I had decided that whatever I did, I would never fall in to that business. After coming here, that idea was altogether reinforced.

'I never expected my best friend to do something that I absolutely loathe. It hurts me because somewhere, I feel responsible for his behavior. I failed as a friend. For the past year, I've been trying to put some sense into his head, thinking that if he considered me his friend, he would change. But, he doesn't. He wouldn't listen to me. Today, when he called me Mudblood, I decided that if he wanted to end our friendship forever, I won't stop him. When you told me that he was threatening to sleep outside our dormitory, I got angry because he was using me. I couldn't be friends with someone whose principles are so much against mine. I guess my reaction back in the common room was because I was both hurt and sorry that I had lost my best friend.

'Somehow, he's always been my connection to this world. He was the one who first told me that I was a witch. It's not like that any more. I belong here as much as he does. I won't let him use me anymore!'

She gave a small smile. Mary returned it and wishing her good night, returned to her bed. Lily too went to sleep soon afterwards. She had seen this coming for a long time now and had been ready for it. Between her worry for her examinations and whether Voldemort would take over the wizarding world, Snivellus was way back on her mind.

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Severus Snape stared after Lily, as she turned around and walked into the Gryffindor common room. Tears formulated in his eyes, but he quickly brushed them away. He would not let go her go so easily. Why did he have to call her a Mudblood? That James Potter, he would kill that bastard. No, he wasn't about to lose Lily so easily. He would go to her tomorrow, immediately after the exam and beg her to forgive him, on bent knees if necessary. He rushed back to his dormitory, determined.

As the stone wall parted, he was welcomed by an almost empty common room. It was unnatural for it to be this empty at this time. It was hardly nine. Then he saw Avery and Mulciber sitting in two separate couches, both with glum expressions. As Snape entered, Avery gave him a dirty look and handed him a letter. The letter was addressed to the three of them, and apparently had been read by the other two.

Avery, Mulciber and Snape,

This is to inform you that your present behavior in your school is highly unappreciated. Any form of mutual contact with Mudbloods or Blood-Traitors can lead to the termination of the contract that enables you to join the Death Eaters two years hence.

Yours sincerely,

Lucius Malfoy

His mouth went dry. He looked up to see Avery staring daggers at him.

'Neither of us has been in "mutual contact" with any filth,' he growled. 'It is you who hangs around with that Mudblood. Where were you just now? Saying sorry to that bitch for telling her what she really is?'

'That Mudblood whom you have this affliction with doesn't give a damn about you. One solid proof that you have a contract with Lucius Malfoy and that he is a Death Eater and she will turn you and us in, to serve a term in Azkaban -'

'No! That's not true. Li – I mean Evans would never do that –'

'You wouldn't say that if you had heard her telling her friend exactly what I said a mere few hours ago,' said Mulciber dangerously. 'You can go and blow your future as much as you like, but just get this into your head: if you go and get our contract terminated, I won't think twice before killing you and your Mudblood.'

With that, they both headed back to their dormitory, leaving Severus behind to pull back his own thoughts.

What had he decided when he had seen his disgusting Muggle of a father abusing his mother every time she did something that reminded him that she was a witch? That, he would destroy each and every Muggle who thought that wizards were nothing more than pieces of shit and remove all impurities from the wonderful magical world. When Lord Voldemort has surfaced, he had decided that he would join him and clear the world of people like his so called father.

And then, Lily had come. Although Muggle-born, she was never that kind of an impurity as described by the Dark Lord. He had liked her a lot and still did. But as per what Avery just told him, she didn't care about him. She would be happy to hand him to the Dementors. Why did he care about her so much? No reason, right? And the Dark Lord? He was his future. Nothing in the world mattered more to him than that future. How could he let a Mudblood spoil his future?

She hated him. He knew it now. She hated him. Fine, so be it. As he wept in his bed that night, he was overtaken by a new emotion. Anger. Anger against Lily. Fine. If she didn't want to be with anymore, he wouldn't inflict himself on her. He would live without her. He would rise to be the Dark Lord's favorite, powerful and then she would see. She would see what she missed. But then, if she wanted to return to him… well, he'll see.

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