"Lily," Severus Snape huffed from behind her, jogging up to her, "Please Lily, wait."
"Sev," She said, using the old nickname, "I don't want you following me."
"Lily, give me a chance will you?" He begged and Lily stopped then turned around. He was stood in the shade of the large willow tree, black robes covering his tall lanky body. Lily avoided his dark eyes as she knew that they would be swimming with tears.
"Severus," She swallowed and could see him stiffen out the corner of her eye at the name, "Don't make this worse than it is."
"Lily," He paused and stepped forward into the late sunset. He twisted his hands together and looked back up, "I know you won't forgive me yet, but please. Give it time. Give us time."
"Sev," I repeated, "There is no us, I- I don't want there to be anything more to us when you continue to-"
"I'll give them all up to be with you!" He interrupted and closed the space between them, "I will, in a heartbeat!"
Lily, feeling uncomfortable, tried to step out of his enclosure but ended up moving sideways into the castle wall, "Sev, I gave you that chance. Everyone knew, everyone still knows about you and..."
She trailed off and Severus surveyed her, mentally groaning. He tried to wipe the image of the only equals he could relate to from his mind and continued trying to get through to his one, his only.
"Lily, please," He murmured and placed his large cool hands into hers. She flinched but did not pull back, which he took as a good sign, "I can't apologise enough for what I said, but-"
"But what?" She exclaimed, wrenching her hands away and wiping the traitor tears furiously from her eyes, "We be friends for a while again and then you slip- you say to someone- say to me that I'm a- a mudbl-"
"I would never, ever again-"
"But your friends would," Lily cried, combing her hair back roughly with her hand, "And they would continue and continue-"
"I told you!" He said again and grabbed her hands more desperately than before, "I would let them all go in a millisecond for you to forgive me-"
"I can't go through the pain again," Lily said, squeezing her eyes shut, "I mean, what, I'm fifteen and I've been betrayed by you so badly I feel like I'm an old woman gone through war!" She laughed lightly but more tears rolled down her cheeks. Severus exhaled and gently leaned his forehead against hers. Lily sobbed as a memory flashed past her mind.
Ten years old. Sitting in the park with Sev, laughing about the flower she was manipulating in her hands. Sev watched as she made it flap around, petals whirling and giggled. They leaned in together, friends.
Severus acted on impulse and while Lily gently cried he pushed his cheek against hers and touched her lips with his. As soon as he did, fire exploded within his cold mind and he wanted more of her, more of his sweet Lily-
"Get OFF!" She screeched and a sharp blow hit his face. She'd slapped him. Lily had slapped him.
Severus, caught off guard, stumbled back into the shade and watched as she almost crouched, heaving.
"No, no, no," He mumbled, "Lily, I'm-" He started but was cut off by someone else.
"STAY!" The stranger roared, jabbing his wand so long sparks flew the 10 feet, singing him, "AWAY!" He shouted again, walking ever closer, "FROM!" Severus fell to the floor and moved back quickly as the figure approached, "HER!"
Lily gasped as James Potter came to a halt, wand pointed at Sev and immediately rushed off, realising he must've seen the whole thing. She ignored the pleading person on the floor and the threatening person above and ran. James saw her flee and with one more loathing glance at Snape, hurried after her.
"Lily, wait-!"
"Get away from me Potter!" She said, running to the doors of the castle. James easily caught her up and followed her inside where she slowed her pace, breathing heavily and wiping moisture from her face.
"Why the hell did you do it?" He said eventually, boiling over. Lily stopped and he did too, both staring each other out.
"You think I wanted to?"
"He- he forced himself-?"
"Not like that! But you don't have any business trying to- to protect me or whatever!" She screeched.
"What?" James said, baffled, "He- you- Lily, just one week ago he called you a mudblood and now you're snogging-"
"Just- just stay out of my business, okay?" She yelled and ignored the tears again, "For once and for all, James Potter, LEAVE ME ALONE!"
There was a long pause where James looked at the girl in front of him, hair messy, eyes streaming and a horrible look plastered all over her face yet she still looked beautiful to him. Her harsh words however, cut through the infatuation.
"Okay." He said quietly and Lily froze. James threw her a look and said, "I will." Before walking away, wand gripped tightly in his hand.