A/N: Yeah. Not written anything in like, years. That's probably a good thing. I'd like to think my writing has improved. Not too sure if it or not. Surprisingly, this isn't a parody/mess around fic. Shocking I know.
This is just a silly oneshot that came to me when I was listening to "You to Me Are Everything", by the Real Thing.
Dedication: James Haggie, who sang the song in Theatr Clwyd's Rock 'n' Roll panto, Jack and the Beanstalk, playing Billy Bungalow. He is the BEST idiot that theater has ever seen! Seriously! AND if they don't get him back next year, I will not go and see it. Well, I will. But you get what I mean. Or maybe you don't. Anyway.
Having fallen in love with the song (I saw the show three times), I went to look for it on the wonderful invention that is YouTube. I proceeded to hum and sing it until everyone around was just about ready to kill me. Then I thought "That would so fit a Lily/James senario!" And voila. This is the result. With a bit of a twist. In the shape of a certain Severus Snape.
Actually, when I first thought about this, I looked on the internet and the song was at the top of the British charts for 3 weeks in July 1976. It therefore fits it the timeline!
Disclaimer: Yes, it's all mine! I am JKR! In disguise!! MWHAHAHAHA!! Or not. OK I'm sorry! Please don't sue!
On with the story…
"Is it true?"
Lily didn't need to look up from her essay to know who had caused the shadow to fall across her desk.
"Is what true?" She feigned ignorance, her head down.
He was fuming. She could practically feel the resentment radiating off him.
"About you and Potter." He spat out the last word, as if it was dirt in his mouth.
"What about James and I?" He knew she was playing with him and she knew that he knew. She wasn't ashamed to say that a small part of her was enjoying this.
"Are you going out with him or not?!" Now he was angry, already knowing the answer but not wanting, not willing, to believe it.
"I'm going to ask you to never raise your voice to me like that again. And if you don't want to be kicked out, shut up. Madam Price is in a black mood." Lily finally looked up, placing her quill gently on her now finished essay and gathering up various pieces of parchment. "Anyway, what is it to you if I am, Severus?"
His breathing sped up ten fold, "He…you…You hate him! You've always hated him!"
"Look, if that's all you've got to say, I don't want to hear it. No, listen." She said as he tried to butt in. "James Potter has changed. He's not the arrogant idiot he used to be. He's…" She didn't notice the warmth that came into her voice as she spoke about him, but Severus did and he hated it. "He's different." She eventually decided on, and her voice became quiet as she said, "So are you."
"What?" She was turning to leave. This was the longest conversation they'd had in months. He couldn't let her get away now. "What do you mean? Lily! Wait!"
She faced him, her books hanging away from her chest slightly, her beautiful green eyes looking straight through him, as they always had. "I mean Severus that you're not the little boy I met in the park. You're not the person who became my best friend." He looked away, uncomfortable, knowing only to well where this was going.
"You've become so mixed up in the Dark Arts," She went on, "So…so twisted that I don't know you any more. I tried to help you, I really did, but you've gone somewhere I will never, ever be able to go. Even if I wanted to. Because it goes against my very nature, my own blood, never mind my believes. And I'm sorry, Sev. Sorry that I lost to you those…people. I'm really, really sorry."
He didn't try to stop her as she left this time. He kicked the leg of that table that she had been sat at and instantly regretted it as pain seared through his toes and up his leg. How the hell had it come to this?
Lily sighed as she lent against the wall, putting her head back and looking at the ceiling of the corridor. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, counting to ten. When she opened them again, she thought about Severus. Thought over their conversation. They all seemed to go along the same pattern nowadays. Always ending in bad feeling. She smiled when she remembered his orgingal reason from coming to see her. Oh, James…
She was warming to the idea, going out with James Potter. Then she would then be able to justify her increased heart rate when he walk into a room, the way she hoped all day, every day, that she'd turn a corner and he'd be there, that he might smile at her as he passed, that maybe he'd stop and they'd chat about the next prefect meeting and other such things.
It wasn't as if he didn't like her any more. He just wasn't so persistent. Well, having said that…
--A few days previously--
In years to come, outside the Great Hall, a whole new generation would watch their most beloved troublemakers leave. The crowd then could only be rivalled by the one outside that same hall now. And in the middle of it all? Who else, but the Marauders.
Lily was running late as it happened, Monday morning and so on. She'd reached the top of the staircase when she noticed the crowd.
She sighed, "And there was me thinking they'd packed all this in."
But then she saw something even stranger, with the foursome, in the centre of this gathering, they had instruments. A drum kit, keyboard, guitar and…microphones? What the hell was going on? What was even stranger was the way everyone was looking at her, whispering, giggling, and moving out the way as she descended the steps. Remus, Sirius and Peter were gathered round James, seemingly giving him words of encouragement.
"James," She called as she came to the last few steps, "Remus, what are you doing? What's going on?"
Peter just grinned at her as he pulled the guitar strap over his head. Remus gave an apologetic shrug, and stepped behind the keyboard, adjusting his microphone on its stand slightly. Sirius winked, settling himself behind the drum kit, leaving James standing, a microphone in his hand. There was a lull in a crowd, and Lily couldn't help noticing that James wouldn't meet her eyes.
Then the music started…She recognised it at once. The Real Thing. You To Me Are Everything. Petunia had been listening to them incessantly over the holidays. Although she wouldn't have admitted it, she liked them, despite complaining about it. To her shock, she realised James was singing, he was actually singing and the strange thing was, it didn't sound that bad.
Mmm…I would take the stars out of the sky for you
Stop the rain from falling if you asked me to
I'd do anything for you
Your wish is my command
I could move a mountain
When your hand is in my hand
She was shocked, her mouth hanging open. James Potter was serenading her. He was seriously serenading her. Here, in front of the whole bloody school.
Mmm…Words can not express how much you mean to me
There must be some other way to make you see
If it takes my heart and soul
You know I'd pay the price
Everything that I possess
I'd gladly sacrifice
Oh, you to me are everything
The sweetest song that I could sing
Oh baby, oh baby
To you I guess I'm just a clown
Who picks you up each time you're down
Oh baby, oh baby
Then came laughter. Although his singing was average, his dancing left much to be desired. It was awful. Truly awful.
You give me just a taste of love
To build my hopes upon
You know you've got the power girl
To keep me holding on
So now you've got the best of me
Come on and take a rest of me
Oh baby
He was enjoying himself now, so were the students. Even McGonagall, who had appeared it see what all the noise was, seemed to have the shadow of a smile across her face.
Mmm…Though you're close to me
We seem so far apart
May be given time
You'll have a change of heart
If it takes forever girl
Then I'm prepared to wait
The day you give your love to me
Won't be a day too late
You to me are everything
The sweetest song that I could sing
Oh baby, oh baby
To you I guess I'm just a clown
Who picks you up each time you're down
Oh baby, oh baby
The applause was thunderous. But James didn't seem to notice any of it. He was just looking at Lily, right into her eyes. Unblinking, questioning. She smiled back, giving a little half laugh, as if to say, "you're mad, you're absolutely nuts". But then McGonagall was there, telling everyone to move along, they were blocking the door and Lily had no choice but to obey and get her breakfast, sitting amidst the other girls from her house, who seemed to think that Lily was mad for not leaping into his arms there and then. But she just smiled and drank her tea, before being saved by the bell and swept into a day of lessons.
-- End flashback--
And they hadn't spoken since. Well, not properly. He'd been polite, and so had she. They'd exchanged pleasantries. But what she really wanted was a chance to be alone with him. To tell him how she really felt, but it never seemed to come. There was always someone around. Sirius, Mary, a horde of prefects, teachers. It made no difference.
There were the rumours that mere months ago she had denied instantly but now wanted nothing more than to confirm them. That she and James Potter were an item. A couple. She didn't want it to be Lily and James any more. She wanted it to be Lily-and-James, their names just rolling off tongues, as if one. She wanted to be able to honestly say that she loved James Potter and she was his and no one else's. So there.
But how the hell was that going to happen if she never managed to get him alone?
And then, as if by magic, it you'll excuse the pun, he was there. Alone. Walking up the corridor. He smiled at her, not seeming to find anything strange about her standing in a corridor on her own, but made no move to stop. He was going to walk straight on by, she could tell. Stop him, stop him for gods sake!
"James!" She called out, just after he had gone past. He turned to look at her.
"Yes?"
"I…uh…Hi."
"Hello."
There was an awkward pause.
"How are you?" He asked eventually.
"Fine. You?"
"I'm good."
Another, even awkwarder pause.
"Well, I'll see you …" He began.
"No don't!" She cried, the second she realised what he was going to say. He looked at her questioningly. Did she imagine that looking in his eyes? Was it hope? Or just her over-active imagination?
"I, er, I just wanted to, erm, you know, say thank you for the, erm, the song. That you sang. The other day. Outside the Great Hall."
He didn't say anything, but there seemed to be a smile turning at the corners of his lips.
"It was…erm, really nice of you. And it's a great song. I don't listen to Muggle music much, but it has to be one of my favourites. I never knew you could sing. How did you get the instruments to work?"
"Lily."
"I mean, I thought that electronics didn't work here. But then if anyone could get past that it would be you lot. Cos you're all so, you know, clever."
"Lily."
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
She looked down. "Sorry. Bad case of blabber-mouth-itus."
He came and stood in front of her and lifted her chin up with a finger. "Lily." He said again. She looked somewhat hopelessly into his eyes.
"I meant it." He said, "Every word of that song Lily, stupid as it was, I meant it. To me you…you are everything, you always will be. I…"
His hand had fallen to his side. She took hold of it with one hand and ran her finger in a circle round his palm.
"Lily?" He asked, some what uncertainly.
"Do you know what it means?" She asked.
"Sorry?" He said, shocked.
"Lily. The flower. Do you know what it means?"
He shook his head.
"It means…" Now or never. "It means I dare you to love me." She looked up, challenging him.
So he did the only thing he could think of. He bent down his head, and kissed her.
They were a while in that corridor. Eventually, he spoke.
"How did you know that?"
"What?"
"About your name."
"Oh," She laughed, "My mother's a florist."
Then she kissed him again.
She smiled. She had always had a special smile for him, even before she realised she liked him, not that she knew of course. It would come automatically to her lips the minute she saw him. When she answered the door and he was there. When he glanced at her as they stood, nervously, in front of a special man in a special building, surrounded by their friends. When she woke up next to him and when she went to sleep beside him. When he would return, having stormed out the house after an argument. When he finally arrived after hours of agony, and she was waiting for him with a tiny being that was them both, mixed up and jumbled. She would always smile.
And whenever Severus Snape saw that smile, another fraction of his heart would turn to stone.
A/N: Not sure about the last paragraph. Hmm…But yeah. Let me know what you think! Flames not appreciated. And I stole the lily meaning from the film "Imagine Me and You", which is amazing. Not sure if the meaning is really true or not. But yeah. No copyright infringement intended.