Silver Side Up, a harry potter fanfic

Title: Silver Side Up

Author: Megan Andres

Summary: A back-story to my other story called The Four Heirs. I wanted to develop a back-story for SS/LE. So if you want to know about Snape's feelings about Lily, read this. It crosses the whole seven years at Hogwarts for Snape and Lily.

Disclaimer: My therapist says that I am not JKR. I still don't believe him. Hallelujah belongs to its author, Leonard Cohen. Faith of the Heart belongs to its author, Diane Warren.

Dedication: For Maga.

Silver Side Up

James smiled as Remus clapped their friend on the back. "You okay, Padfoot?"

Sirius coughed harder and took a sip of his pumpkin juice. His voice was raspy. "I'm fine. Moony, cut it out!"

Remus snickered quietly and left Sirius alone. "It's not THAT big of a deal, Sirius."

"Not a big deal? A Gryffindor has been seeing a Slytherin for the last three months! How is that NOT a big deal?"

James shook his head and answered, "It's only that Evans girl. What does it matter? It's not like it's Arabella or Molly."

Remus agreed, "Molly would rather die a horrible death than be caught with a Slytherin. And Bella would commit suicide."

"Of course I would." Arabella Davis sat down next to James and smiled at Remus who blushed before looking down at his plate. "And Molly would, too. If Arthur didn't get to her first." She laughed. "Those two are inseparable."

"They should get a room." A weak voice came from James' other side.

Bella looked over and noticed Peter Pettigrew. "They have one. Arthur uses his Head Boy privileges to get them one. Damn seventh years!"

"I agree. Won't it be great when we're seventh years?" Sirius exclaimed. "James will be Head Boy. Moony will be the knight in shining armor, and I'll be as weird as ever."

"Padfoot, we have six more years to go." James answered.

"I know!" He snorted at his friend. "I was just saying."

Remus sighed into his breakfast. "Back to the original question, though? What does it matter to you about who Evans is seeing? I mean, she used to be Slytherin after all."

"Yeah. But now she's Gryffindor. And it's a mortal sin to be caught with a Slytherin."

Arabella looked at James. "Why did she get resorted again?"

He shrugged, "She should never have been sorted into Slytherin in the first place. She's just lucky no one found out about her being Muggle-born before Dumbledore did. That Lucius kid would have done some pretty nasty things, I'm sure."

"She was lucky." Remus continued for James. "From what I've heard, Snape knew. He promised her that he wouldn't tell anyone, though."

Sirius snorted in disbelief. "Snape promising to keep a secret like that! Yeah, sure. When I'm blamed for something I didn't do."

James smiled at his best friend. Sirius could never take anything seriously. Especially Severus Snape. James had to admit though that he was really good at Potions, even better than the Evans girl and that was saying a lot. He thought they deserved each other.

"Padfoot, just leave Evans alone. I think she misses him." James looked down to the end of the Gryffindor table and watched the thin, redhead pick at her food.

Remus followed his gaze. "She looks like she's lost some weight."

"Only you would notice such a thing," Bella smiled indulgently at the quiet boy. "Sweet, polite Remus."

"Hardly." Sirius shot back. "Besides, I thought I was your favorite."

Arabella stood up and circled the table to stand behind Remus and Sirius. She leaned down and kissed Sirius' head lightly. "You'll always be my favorite, Sirius Black. No matter what you do. No one can change that."

Sirius stuck his tongue out at Remus and winked at Bella as she walked away.

James asked, "So she's your older sister's friend?"

"Yeah. This is her sixth year. She's pretty good friends with Molly and Head Boy over there, too."

"How is your sister by the way?" Peter whispered.

"She's good. She loves it at Beauxbaton. This exchange program did her a lot of good. It got her mind of our parents." Sirius gulped down the last of his juice. "Come on. We've got to get moving if we're going to beat Snape to Potions. If he gets there first…"

James finished for him, "We won't be able to curse his cauldron."

The three boys made for the door with Peter following closely behind. There was mischief to be done.

******

Lily sighed into her oatmeal. She was sick of everyone staring at her. And she was sick of being the first student in forty years to have been resorted. She was sick of a lot of things, Malfoy included.

She gathered her bag and papers and stood up. She pushed her way to the door leading to the main hall. She had Potions in a few minutes and she wanted to be early. It was one of the few times in the day that she could have even a moments peace from both the Gryffindors and the Slytherins.

"Are you okay, Lily?"

She spun around and drew her wand. She blinked in surprise at the figure in front of her.

"You won't curse me, Lily." Severus Snape bent down to grab her bag. He settled it against his and offered her his arm. "You'd regret it later."

Lily whispered in shock at him, staring at his arm. "They'll see you talking to me!"

"So? What can Lucius possibly do to me?"

"Anything. I'm a Mu… a…"

Severus grabbed her arm and stared into her eyes. "Don't ever say that word, Lily! Lucius should never have called you that. If I ever hear you refer to yourself as a Mudblood, I'll…" he thought for a minute. "I'll drop pixie wings into your next potion."

Lily gasped, "You wouldn't!"

"Of course I would. I'm a Slytherin."

"I wish the headmaster would have resorted you, too."

Severus smiled at his friend, "So do I, Lily, my lady. So do I."

The two had arrived at the Potions' dungeon. Severus held the door open for Lily and hefted their bags onto the closest table. He noticed that the Dream Team was already in the classroom and that they seemed to look too innocent for his tastes. He pulled Lily closer to him. His whisper was dry in her ear, "Potter and his friends have done something. Be careful."

Lily nodded quickly and positioned her cauldron at an empty table near the back of the class. She wanted to sit with Severus but that was impossible. Lucius would hurt him if he caught Lily anywhere near him. She couldn't imagine why Lucius hated her so much. He had been like this before finding out that she was Muggle-born.

It was almost as if… Lily watched Severus moved gracefully around the classroom, gathering items he needed. His long black hair was brushed back into a loose bunch at the base of his neck. His robes swirled around his body in delicious ways. She sighed dejectedly.

It was hard. Petunia thought she was a freak because she was a witch. And while her parents supported her, a lot of her friends agreed with Petunia, even that fat boy that followed her sister around. What was his name again? Oh, Vernon. Lily hated Vernon. He was slippery and cruel.

She stood up and tried not to look at the four boys sitting around their cauldrons. Severus was right. They must have done something. She just hoped that they hadn't done anything to her cauldron. She didn't need that right now.

Severus looked up as Lily took her bag from his table. "You can sit here."

Lily shook her head, "No, Lucius would get mad. And besides it would only make things worse with the Gryffindors."

He nodded and watched her go back to her table. Slowly the other Slytherin and Gryffindor students filed into the classroom. A blond haired boy dropped his bag next to Severus' table. He looked down at the boy bent over his cauldron.

"How are you today, Snape?"

Severus bit his lip to keep from snapping at him. "I'm wonderful, Lucius. And yourself?"

"Fine." Lucius motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to take the table behind him. His eyes swept the room and spotted the girl in the far corner. "Look who it is, boys."

Crabbe and Goyle looked in the corner and started laughing. Lucius slapped Severus on the back and kept going, "Look at the little Mudblood. Guess resorting her didn't help her get any friends. It's too bad the hat let her pollute our good house. I can't…"

Severus shot up out his seat and grabbed Lucius' robes. "Go to hell, Lucius!"

Malfoy simply smiled and motioned for Crabbe and Goyle to step back. The roars from both Gryffindor and Slytherin students were almost deafening. "Well, now that we know you're a Mudblood lover..."

Snape set him down and swung his fist out. "Shut up! Don't you ever call her that again!" Snape lunged at the blond boy and began striking out wherever he could. Soon, hands began pulling at him. He swung back and the room became deathly still.

He turned to see Professor McGonagall with her hand at her mouth. He saw that Potter and Black wore matching looks of shock on their faces. He must have hit the professor without realizing it.

"Professor, Lucius and I… we…" Severus began.

"I do not want to hear what was going on, Mr. Snape. You will accompany me to the headmaster's office immediately." Minerva calmly responded. She knew that this boy wouldn't have caused such a disturbance for no reason. But she hadn't heard what the Malfoy boy had done. "Let's go, Severus."

Severus nodded

and collected his bag. He left his cauldron on the table and sadly gazed back at Lily before he followed the professor out of the room. He steeled himself to stand before the headmaster as they walked down the myriad hallways to the gargoyle outside Dumbledore's office.

Minerva looked at the gargoyle, "Snickers."

Severus tried to calm down. He knew that being angry with the headmaster wasn't going to help things much. He trudged down the stairs and watched the older man closely as McGonagall told him about what had happened.

Albus sighed and motioned for the Slytherin boy to sit. "Severus, fighting is not…"

Snape blurted out, "He called her a Mudblood, sir!"

"Unfortunately, it doesn't matter. While I agree with you on this matter, I must settle a detention for you. Fighting with the students is not proper conduct. You could have seriously hurt each other." Albus stared at the boy. "The detention will not be for fighting Mr. Malfoy however. I'm afraid you'll be serving your detention with Professor McGonagall for the unfortunate black eye I'm sure she'll have later today."

Severus nodded slowly, "I'm sorry about that, sir. I didn't mean to hit the professor." He looked briefly at McGonagall who was smiling slightly. "At least I didn't hex him, huh?"

Albus chuckled and answered Snape, "Of course, Mr. Snape. I'm quite happy of that fact. I do know that tonight Professor McGonagall also has detention with a Gryffindor student."

Severus scowled. With his luck it would be Potter or Black. He could stand Lupin, but there was something about Potter and Black that rubbed him the wrong way. He was sure that they picked on Lily when he wasn't around. Lupin had a look in his eyes often that confirmed that fact for Severus. "Yes, sir."

"Who is it this evening, Minerva?"

The pretty professor smiled, "Lily Evans, I believe Albus. You remember the cat pincushion she created and then blew up in my class?"

"Ah, yes. Quite talented that one. Although, I think that she fares better in Potions and Charms. Don't you agree, Severus?"

He was staring in disbelief at Dumbledore. "Lily doesn't have detention, sir!"

"She does now. Don't argue. It's impolite." Minerva chided him. She watched the boy's face light up. He looked like a totally different person. She continued, "And if Mr. Malfoy runs his mouth again, come find me. Do NOT fight him. Is that clear?"

Severus nodded excitedly. "Thank you, sir, ma'am."

Albus dismissed Severus and laughed when he heard him pass the gargoyle. "Now there's a happy student, Minerva."

"Yes. I agree. I wish we could have re…"

"I know. Something tells me that Severus Snape is not going to have an easy life. But then again," he paused. "Maybe it will make him a better person. You see how he defends Miss. Evans."

"Of course."

"How is she doing, Minerva?"

The brunette slid into the chair that Severus had vacated seconds before. "No one speaks to her unless they have to. I've seen a couple of Ravenclaws smile at her occasionally. But her classmates in Gryffindor are quite negative toward her."

"Including Mr. Potter and his cohorts?"

"Absolutely. The only one of that group that even seems to notice that Lily exists is our special case."

Albus frowned, "He sympathizes with her I'm sure. He sees what could happen to him in what is currently happening to her."

"Remus will often stop James and Sirius from teasing her. Although he will not approach her himself." Minerva sighed. "She can't go through Hogwarts like this, Albus."

"I know. That's why she's become such a troubled student. Coming late to your classes all of the time. It's a shame that it drives Mr. Snape to act out in class."

Minerva smiled. "I understand, Albus. Have a good day." She stood up and ascended the stairs, leaving Albus to think about the upcoming full moon.

******

(Two years later…)

"I'm coming." Lily grabbed her notes and ran down the stairs. She nearly ran into a blond boy starting up the stairs. "Sorry, Remus!"

He smiled at her and continued on his way up the stairs. "Have fun, Lily!"

The portrait hole shut with a bang. He knew that the Fat Lady would be a little upset by the noise, but Lily always got away with all sorts of things. Especially with McGonagall ruling House Gryffindor. He pushed open the door to the boys' side of the tower and then entered the third year dorm room. James was sprawled out on his bed snoring while Peter was playing exploding snap with Sirius on Frank's bed.

"Frank is going to kill you guys if you burn his bed again."

Peter looked up and grinned, "He won't know. I got the charm right!"

Sirius nodded quickly before laying down a card. "He did, Moony. Wormtail's finally getting it."

Remus was happy for Peter. He sometimes worried that the pudgy boy was a Squib. But there were times that Peter's colors truly shown. "I'm proud of you, Peter."

The boy grinned brightly. "Thanks, Remus! I wrote mum and everything!"

"Ah yes," Sirius waved his hand in the air. "Mum was quite pleased."

Remus looked over at James. "What's with him?"

He noticed the change in mood that came over the two boys on the floor. He grimaced, "What did I do to him?"

Sirius set his cards down and looked up at the werewolf. "Nothing, Moony. He's just tired."

Remus watched Peter closely and saw that his ears were a bright red. "Try again, Sirius."

"It wasn't a big deal. Madame Pomfrey said he'd be fine. You just swatted him pretty hard the other night. He'll be okay." Sirius stood up and pulled the drapes closed around James' bed. It may have hidden the smaller boy, but his snores still carried around the room. "He's got a bruise on his left side. That's all, I swear."

Remus sighed and pulled the drapes open quickly. He lightly pushed James until he woke up. "Sit up, Prongs."

James sat up and blinked his eyes wearily. "Wha…?"

"Just taking a look is all." Remus pulled up the boy's shirt and gasped. The bruise covered his whole left side. It was a deep purple and black. "James! What the hell?"

"Moony?" James tried to push his shirt back down. "It's not a big deal. Right?" He looked at the fuzzy figure that he hoped was Sirius for help.

Sirius put his hand on Remus' shoulder. "Come on. Let him sleep." Remus didn't let go of the shirt. "Remus… come on. He'll be alright. He won't die."

"But he could have…" Remus' whisper was tight with emotion.

"I'm bloody fine!" James reprimanded his friend. He grabbed for the nightstand and his glasses. Finally he could see what was going on. "I was stupid and didn't wait for Padfoot to catch up. It takes both of us to control you. You know that. This could've happened no matter what."

"It's okay, really." Peter mumbled. "The headmaster was a little upset. We told him that Malfoy beat him up."

"Really?" Remus began to feel a little better. "What happened?"

"Malfoy is serving detention for the next three days with Filch."

"The squib?"

"Yeah." James responded. "Now, sod off and let me bloody sleep!"

Remus smiled weakly, "You should watch your language."

"Sod of…" James began to snore again.

******

Lily groaned, "It's supposed to be bright blue! It's green!"

"Is green such a bad color?" Severus responded from his perch on the Potions Master's desk.

"In your case, yes!" She tossed a Faeroe pouf at him. "You're a smug bastard."

"Thank you." He grinned. "I try hard you know."

"You try? I thought it was in your blood?" Lily stuck her tongue out at her best friend.

He laughed and hopped off the desk. He pulled his hair back quickly and stood next to her. "Let's see what you did wrong."

"Me? Why is it always me?"

"You're always driving the cauldron when these things happen. That's why." He ran over the list of ingredients. "Did you put in the asphodel?"

"Yes."

"The fennel?"

"Yes."

"The rose petals?"

"Yes! I didn't leave anything out!"

"How about the unicorn water?"

Lily picked up a half-empty bottle of clear liquid. "Does it look like it?"

Severus laughed and continued running down the list. He heard some muttered words next to him and he looked up. Lily was smiling brightly.

"See? It's fine now."

He looked down into the cauldron and saw a blue liquid. "You charmed it. That's cheating."

"Ugh!" She took her wand and hit him. Sparks flew out of the end as she chased him around the Potions classroom. "You are a slug, Severus Snape!" She dodged a table that he was hiding behind. "I'll get you… you… slimy git!"

He stopped running and let Lily slam into him. He laughed as she fell to the floor. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." She growled and stood up. "It's you who's going to need to visit Pomfrey."

He grabbed her wand hand, leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Don't I always say you can't curse me? You would regret it."

"Not this time." She stared up at him defiantly. Her indignant face suddenly disappeared. "Hey! You're doing this on purpose!"

"Whatever do you mean?" Severus dropped her hand and started putting ingredients away.

"You lost the bet! You have to sing the song!"

He groaned, "Can't it wait?"

"No!" Lily folded her arms across her chest. "You'll somehow make me forget."

He closed the Potions cabinet and sighed. "Fine. Which one again?"

"Hallelujah."

He nodded and sat down in the nearest chair. He counted to himself for a moment before starting. "I've heard there was a secret chord that David played, and it pleased the Lord. But you don't really care for music, do you?" He took a breath, "It goes like this: the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift. The baffled king composing Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

"Your faith was strong, but you needed proof you saw her bathing on the roof. Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you. She tied you to a kitchen chair. She broke your throne, she cut your hair, and from your lips she drew the Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah.

"Maybe I've been here before. I know this room. I've walked this floor. I used to live alone before I knew you. I've seen your flag on the marble arch. Love is not a victory march. It's a cold, and it's a broken Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. There was a time you let me know what's really going on below. But now you never show it to me, do you?

"I remember when I moved in you, your holy dark was moving too. And every breath we drew was Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Maybe there's a God above, and all I ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you. It's not a cry you can hear at night. It's not somebody who's seen the light. It's a cold and, it's a broken Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah." He finished and closed his eyes. He always thought his voice sounded bad, but for some reason, Lily liked it when he sang.

Lily clapped. "It was beautiful as always, Severus."

"Yeah. Whatever. Your turn." He settled back in his chair and waited. "Anytime now."

Lily smirked and stood in front of him. "It's been a long road, to get from there to here. It's been a long time, but my time is finally here. And I will see my dream come alive at last, I will touch the sky. And they're not gonna hold me down no more, no they're not gonna change my mind, Cause I've got faith of the heart. I'm going where my heart will take me. I've got faith, to believe, I can do anything, I've got strength of the soul, but no one's gonna bend or break me. I can reach any star. I've got faith. I've got faith, faith of the heart."

She bowed quickly and Severus smiled. "Very good. Now…" he winked. "Back to the cleaning of this classroom. Darn McGonagall for giving us detention!"

Lily laughed and went over to dispose of the potion they had been making. Her charm had permanently changed the color of the concoction to a light blue, hardly the neon blue it was supposed to be.

"We have to hurry or Lucius will be out of his detention." Severus called out.

"Why don't we just wait for him to be done?"

"And what are we going to do?" Severus asked.

Lily took a deep breath and answered him. "Remember what we were talking about last week during detention?"

"Yes. Something about how the Dream Team seems to have taken an interest in you."

"Well, it's kind of changed since then."

Severus sat down on the dusty floor and waited for his friend to join him. "Like how?"

"Remus told me a secret about James." She leaned against Severus who wrapped his arm around her.

"What?"

"That he likes me."

Severus tightened his grip slightly. "Stay away from him, Lily. Promise me?"

"I will. I don't like him. He likes picking on kids with those pranks of his. He's the Gryffindor equivalent of Lucius."

"I wouldn't go that far, but I think you should be careful. Potter is egotistical. He only cares about himself and occasionally his friends. Look at how they treat that Pettigrew boy. It's like he doesn't even exist sometimes."

Lily nodded. "I just… Life shouldn't be this difficult. Did you hear about the last Divination class? Cissa was there."

"She was whining about something."

"Trelawney foretold my future. Want to hear it?"

Severus smiled, "Of course."

"I was going to marry a tall, dark and handsome man. And I was going to be a very powerful witch."

"Anything else, Lily?" Severus chuckled.

"Oh, yeah. I was going to die after my first child's born."

Severus groaned. "What is with that woman? If one semester passes without someone dying, then she feels it's a personal affront. I can't believe that she even said that to you!" He hugged Lily to him. "I know for a fact that you will have many happy years with whomever you marry."

"Oh?"

"Yes."

Lily pulled away and stood up. "We need to get going. We've wasted enough time today."

He took Lily's hands and let her pull him up from the floor. "What?" She had an odd look on her face.

"Remus pointed out to me that James is tall, dark and handsome."

Severus frowned, "Don't start that again."

"So I told him to sod off." Lily grabbed her bag and went to the door. She turned back to her best friend. "And I also told him that you were, too."

The door slammed as Lily exited the classroom. Severus stared after her for a moment. He smiled wickedly, "Leave it to you, Lily. You've scared Lupin enough to keep him away from you. He won't let Black and Potter touch you for fear of me." He took the door handle in hand and stepped out into the hallway on his way back to the Slytherin common room.

******

(One year later…)

"You what?"

Severus rubbed his arm. "I fought him. I tried. Lily, I…"

She stepped forward and pushed the sleeve of his robe up his arm. She stared at the mark there. "You father made you do this?"

"I even bit him in front of the Dark Lord. Three of them had to hold me down."

"Oh, Severus." Lily put her hand to her forehead. "What are you going to do? Do you know what the Death Eaters do?"

"Yes. I… I'm going to… I have a plan." He wiped his eyes. He just wished that Lily would cry or yell or do something more than just stand there.

"What?"

"It's nothing. I'm going to tell my father that I will never serve that thing he calls lord. If he forces me to go to Vol… the Dark Lord, then I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago."

"Severus, what are you talking about?"

"He thinks that we're better than everyone else! If he knew I was your friend, he'd… but that doesn't matter to me. We've always been friends. I won't let him control my life! He has no bloody right!" Severus yelled.

Lily took a deep breath. "Severus, he'll hurt you if he finds out. I won't let him do that."

"What are you saying, Lily?" Severus could now see the tears in her eyes. He grabbed her arm and looked down at her. "Lily?"

At that moment a rush of students came through the hallway outside the Great Hall. Leading the charge were none other than James Potter and Sirius Black. Lily took a deep breath and gazed up at her best friend, her light. She reached up and… slapped him hard. "I hate you! Damn you, Snape! You're just a greasy bastard! Leave me alone! Let me go!" She struggled to pull away from Severus.

He stared down at her in shock. What the hell was she doing? "Lily, I…"

"I don't want to hear it! I don't deserve it anyway! I'm only a Mudblood!"

He cringed, "I tried to…"

"Go to hell, Severus Snape! You just might like it there!" With a final tug, Lily pulled free from his grip and ran down the hallway away from the cluster of students who had been watching the spectacle. As she ran, she sobbed. She wished it could have been different, but it was too late. She had made the choice for both of them. She stopped in front of the Fat Lady and dropped to her knees. She curled up and wrapped her arms around herself.

A quiet voice startled her. "Are you okay, Lily?"

She looked up at Remus Lupin who was standing over her. "I'm…"

He sat down next to her and took her hand. "What did James and Sirius do this time?"

"Nuh… nothing." She gasped.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Lily wiped her eyes and looked at Remus. Other than Severus, he had been the only one who even seemed to care about her. "I had a fight with… Se… Snape." She whispered. "I hit him."

"Did he hurt you?" Remus tried to keep the accusatory tone out of his voice. He knew that it would take a lot for Snape to hurt Lily.

"He's… he's a Death Eater, Remus."

The werewolf gasped in surprise. "You can't just accuse him of something like that, Lily! You don't have any proof, and you'll regret it later."

"The mark's… on his… arm." She began crying again.

Remus closed his eyes and sighed. How could Snape do this to her? After defending her to Malfoy, how could he even think this was acceptable? "Oh, Lily." He wrapped his arms around the girl and rocked her as she cried.

The two sat there for a half-hour at least before voices approached the portrait hole. Sirius and James looked down at them. By now, Lily had fallen asleep, and Remus was stroking her hair softly. Remus looked up at his friends, "What happened?"

"She slapped him. She hates him." Sirius shrugged.

James looked sadly down on the redhead in Remus' lap. "Is she okay?"

"She will be." Remus sighed. "How would you feel?"

"She'll be better off this way, you know. He is a greasy bastard."

James scowled at Sirius. "Don't say stuff like that around her!"

"Why not? She was the one who hit him!"

"Because I said so. That's why."

Sirius frowned and then nodded. "Fine. Let's get her inside, huh?"

James smiled, "Can you handle her, Moony?"

Remus shifted Lily lightly. She mumbled as he put his arm behind her back and lifted her legs. "Just… a… minute." He managed to stand up without spilling her onto the hard floor. He stood quietly, with Lily in his arms, as James spoke the password. The portrait swung open and Sirius entered. He stuck his head back out the opening. "No one's here."

Remus stepped into the common room and followed his friends to a nearby couch. He motioned for James to sit down. The boy did and was surprised to find Remus laying Lily on the couch next to him. Remus pushed his blond hair out of his face and spoke to James. "She shouldn't be alone. And Sirius and I have to meet with Filch. Can you watch her?"

James nodded.

"Come on, Moony. Filch's 'meeting' will be worse if we're late."

Remus smiled slightly and took one last look at Lily before following Sirius out of the common room through the portrait hole.

******

Lily rubbed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Hmmph."

"Hey! Careful!"

Lily sat up quickly and groaned. "What do you want, James?"

"I was trying to be nice, but noooo…"

"Just shut up. Okay? You guys won in the end so what does it matter?"

James reached out and grabbed Lily's arm before she could get away. "Listen. We never wished this on you. Our business with Snape was our business. It had nothing to do with you." At Lily's snort of disbelief, he frowned. "If you ever got caught in the crossfire, it wasn't our intention to hurt you. Whatever he did…" James whispered, "I'm sorry he hurt you."

Lily stared at him shock. "What?"

"I'm sorry. If he doesn't know how to treat you, then he doesn't deserve you."

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

James looked into her green eyes and smiled. "Because I like you. You're a good person. And…" he paused. "Because I've liked you since second year. I'm sorry for everything, Lily. For all the things I used to say. For all the things I've said. For anything I will say. I'm just… sorry."

Lily leaned forward and kissed James on the lips. "Thank you."

James didn't know what to say. "Uh… you're welcome."

Lily stood up and went to the stairway that led to the girls' dorm rooms. She went to her room on the third floor. As a prefect, she had the right to her own room that would serve her well these next few weeks.

******

(Six months later…)

"Are you serious?"

"No! He's Sirius!" James laughed as Lily frowned at him.

"I wish you two would cut that out. That joke is older than my grandmother."

Remus smiled, "I agree." A pillow flew at him from across the room. "Hey! Why didn't you hit Lily?"

Sirius winked at the blond, "Because she'd kill me."

"Can we get back to the topic at hand, please?" Lily groaned. "So you hit Malfoy?"

"Yes. He was being a bloody prick, Lady Lil. I had to defend Nina's honor." Sirius replied matter-of-factly.

"Are you crazy?"

James nodded emphatically, "He is. He was certified over the summer."

"So now what are you going to do?"

The black-haired boy cringed. "Not sure yet. But Jamie here doesn't want in. And I know Moony won't help. So, I thin…"

Lily's eyes lit up. "I'll help! Lucius deserves it for calling me Mudblood all the time."

James shook his head, "Don't Lily. Sirius is bound to get nailed on this one. McGonagall is waiting for him to screw up. She enjoys catching him."

"No. I want to do this. It'll be fun." Lily smiled wickedly.

Remus sighed and stood up. "Time for bed, children."

Sirius glared at his friend, "Yes, mother."

Lily laughed and kissed James deeply. She pulled back and licked her lips. "See you later. Night Sirius."

James stared wide-eyed after his girlfriend. "Wow…"

Remus smiled, "No kidding."

******

Lily stormed into the common room. Tears were coursing down her face. How could he! He could have killed him! "Sirius Black! Get your ass out here right now!"

James tried to grab hold of Lily as she ran past him. "Lily, he didn't know what he was doing!"

"Damn right! He had no clue how badly he would piss me off with his little stunt! He sent Snape to die, James! Where is that bastard? Did he even think of what he would be doing to Remus!"

"That was his problem, Lily. He didn't think." James tried to calm her down before Sirius came down the stairs. "He never thinks."

Lily growled at her boyfriend and screamed, "Black, get down here right now or else you'll wish you never met me! And I am VERY serious!"

The tall boy appeared at the top of the stairs. He steeled himself and started down the stairs. "Lady L…"

"Don't even call me that, you bloody bastard! How could you! I told you he was off limits! What the bloody hell is wrong with you!" Lily yelled out.

Sirius cringed, "I'm sor…"

Lily shrieked and broke away from James. She lunged for the stairs as Sirius hit the landing. She reached back and… SMACK. She was so angry she was shaky. She continued pummeling him with her fists while James simply stared at her.

"You! I hate you! How… You…" Lily was so angry she couldn't speak.

James finally broke out of his shocked silence and ran forward to pull Lily off of Sirius. She fought and clawed at the boy below her as James tried to grab her wrists. "Lily! Stop!" He moaned as one of her fingernails dug into his skin. "Cut it out! Gods, Lily! Stop!" James was shrieking now. Finally, he sank down and rubbed his mouth. She had punched him to get him to stop!

A set of hands grabbed Lily's shoulders and almost threw her across the room. "Stop, damn it!"

James looked up and saw that Remus was pulling Sirius up off of the ground. His face was bloody and his nose looked crooked.

"Are you okay?" Remus looked closely at Padfoot.

Sirius moaned in pain. "She hid be."

"You deserved it." Remus' voice had a calm yet dangerous quality behind it. "What the hell, Sirius? Do you know what you've done? Snape knows now."

Lily was curled up in a ball on the floor. James could see that she was cradling her right hand. He moved closer to her, "Is you hand okay?"

"I think I broke it."

Remus sighed. "James, take Sirius to Madame Pomfrey. He needs to get cleaned up before Dumbledore finds him." He walked over and helped Lily to her feet. "I'll calm Lily down."

James took Sirius by the arm and led him out of the common room. Remus put his arm around Lily and guided her to the portrait hole. There was only one person that Remus could think of that could calm Lily down. And after last night, he figured that her office door would be open.

He helped Lily through the hallways to the Charms classroom where Professor Figg held court. "Bella?"

A calm voice came from the storeroom behind the teacher's desk. "Can I help you?" Arabella Figg smiled as she came into the main classroom. She took one look at Remus and Lily and frowned. "Is she okay? Did Lucius do this?"

"No. She attacked Sirius. I think her hand's broken."

"Why didn't you take her to the infirmary?"

"Because James and Sirius are there now. Lily needs to calm down before she goes anywhere near Sirius. He's got a broken nose and that's going to take a while for Madame Pomfrey to fix."

Arabella nodded, "Come here, Lily. Let me look at it."

Lily held out her bloodied hand and hissed as Arabella touched it lightly. She wiped her eyes with her left hand. "Is it broken?"

"I think so. Poppy will have to look at it."

Remus groaned, "That's all we need right now."

The teacher smiled, "Albus won't do anything to you, Remus. You didn't do anything. This time Sirius screwed up royally. It's very serious."

"He could get expelled. That's how serious it is. Besides, I don't think Lily will be talking to him anytime soon. And James might also ignore him for a while."

Lily snorted, "He deserves it!"

"I agree. Sirius needs to learn to grow up. Or else he'll be making these mistakes for the rest of his life. Someone or something needs to wake him up soon. This may do it. He nearly killed another student and placed James in danger. He almost made you into what you don't want to be: a bloodthirsty monster." Arabella touched Remus cheek in comfort. "Maybe he needs to fall… to lose everything. But I think by then it will be too late for him."

"Do you kn… I mean… " Lily stuttered.

Arabella could sense that she wanted to know if Severus Snape was alright. "Mr. Snape will be fine. He only had a black eye from the damage caused by James. He's very lucky."

Lily sighed. She was glad that Severus was okay. She just wished that she could see him. As it was, he was probably going to tell the world about Remus. And she wasn't sure if she could forgive him for that.

"Albus made him promise not to tell anyone about what happened last night. Mr. Snape agreed reluctantly." Arabella continued.

Remus smiled weakly. "He didn't have to do that."

"He wanted to Remus. Albus wants you at this school. You're not dangerous. You just have to believe that. Now, " she gazed at the clock in her classroom. "Get Lily to Poppy. I'll make some sort of arrangement to keep Sirius out of Gryffindor for a few nights."

"Thank you." Lily's whisper was tainted by a hint of anger.

"Go on. James is probably worried sick about the both of you."

******

(Three years later…)

"Two more days!" Sirius yelled.

Everyone in the common room rolled their eyes and ignored him.

"Until what, Padfoot?" James asked innocently.

"Graduation, you dolt!"

Remus laughed, "Ah, yes. The countdown has begun. Soon we'll be moving on to our last summer vacation. And then…" he paused for dramatic effect. "James will be moving onto the Ministry as an Auror, Sirius will be working on his Muggle contraptions, Peter will be working for the Minister of Magic, and I…" he winked at Lily. "I will be locked in a shack indefinitely."

Sirius groaned, "That was a stupid joke, Moony."

James shook his head. "I agree completely."

Lily smiled sweetly, "What about me, Remus?"

"You my dear," Remus took her by the hand and pulled her up from her chair near the fire. He swirled her around the room. "You will be the best damn Charms teacher I've ever seen."

She laughed and wrapped her arms around Remus' neck as he spun her around the common room.

"Careful that you don't drop her, Moony. I'd hate for your nose to look like mine."

James chuckled. "Your nose looks fine. She didn't rearrange your face. She just gave you a love tap."

"You call me being soaked in blood a love tap?" Sirius gasped. "I don't think so, James Andrew Potter!"

Remus held Lily tightly as he set her down. He looked her in the eyes and smiled. "I'll miss you all. So very much."

"I know." She whispered, "We'll miss you, too." She leaned forward and kissed him. "Be careful. Promise?"

Sirius' voice cut through the noisy room. "Better watch Moony closely, James, my boy. Seems he's setting his eyes on your girl."

Remus laughed and ruffled Lily's short red hair. "Hardly. If I remember correctly, you were the one who tried to steal her away from Prongs."

Sirius snorted in disgust. "How could you accuse me of such a trespass?"

"Because it's true, Padfoot." James answered calmly. He watched as Lily bent over to kiss Sirius on the forehead. She then made her way over to Peter who was sitting curled up reading a Potions book.

"Peter, come on. Get up!" Lily grabbed the book from his hands and ran off with it. The pudgy boy cried out in surprise before taking off after her.

"Lily! Give it back! I have to study!"

"You've done enough studying for tonight! You'll turn into a book if you don't stop!"

Peter began to huff loudly as he tried to catch up to Lily. "Lily, please!" He begged.

Lily frowned, "Fine." She handed the book back. "You need to have more fun, Peter. You're too serious." She reached out and brushed some of his hair back before kissing him on the cheek. The boy blushed wildly as he found a seat near Sirius.

Lily dropped into James' lap as he spoke to her. "You know, for a Head Girl, you're quite wild tonight."

She batted her eyelashes in a ditzy way and crossed her eyes. "I'm just practicing."

Remus sat down on the couch next to Sirius and leaned against him. "For what?"

Lily had an odd look on her face as she observed Sirius give Remus a shove, "The future." She kissed James. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I think we'll get married and have lots of kids and they'll all go to Hogwarts and be Gryffindors." James winked slyly.

"Married, heh?" Sirius grimaced. "No way! Not me! Not ever!"

James noticed the sad look that floated across Remus' face but shook it off. He knew his friend was worried about what would happen after Hogwarts. "You sure, Padfoot? I mean, think of all the wonderful things you can do if you're married to someone you love."

"Uh uh. Never. Moony'll get married before I even think about it. And you know what a prude he is!" Sirius swatted Remus' shoulder who moved slightly away from his friend.

Lily decided to stop this before it went any farther. "Come on, Remus. Let's go to dinner and leave these gits to their fortune telling." She stood up and held out her hand to the werewolf.

Remus looked up shyly at her and nodded quickly.

The two twined their hands together and walked through the portrait hole. James watched them carefully. "Padfoot?"

Sirius mumbled, "What?"

"Do you think something is wrong with Moony?"

The dark haired boy's blue eyes flashed, "What do you mean?"

"He just seems to get quiet whenever I talk about Lily and I after Hogwarts. It's like he's jealous or something."

Sirius roused himself from the couch and laid down on the floor at James' feet. "I was kidding when I accused him of trying to…"

"I know, Padfoot. I don't think he wants Lily. I think he's not telling us something is all."

"All we can do is be there for him, Prongs. He'll tell us soon. Moony's never been one to keep secrets." Sirius folded his arms across his chest and stared up at the ceiling. "He's fine."

******

(Three years later…)

"Do you, Lily Anne Evans take James Andrew Potter to be your lawfully wedded husband? To have and to hold from this day forward? Through sickness and health? For richer for poorer as long as you both shall live?"

Lily smiled at her fiancée. "I do."

"And do you James Andrew Potter take Lily Anne Evans to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold from this day forward? Through sickness and health? For richer for poorer as long as you both shall live?"

James grinned, "Absolutely!"

A low laugh broke out over the crowd in the church. Even the minister smiled. "Then I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss th…"

James leaned forward as he blocked the minister's final words out. He kissed Lily chastely and then circled his arms around her waist as he deepened the kiss. Their tongues brushed together slowly as they clung to each other. Finally they came up for air.

The minister winked at them and called out, "May I present Mr. and Mrs. James Potter!"

The crowd cheered loudly. Lily hugged Arabella, her maid of honor, and then kissed Sirius on the cheek. He was James' best man and whispered in her ear, "You've made him so happy today."

Lily smiled brightly as tears sprang to her eyes. "I know." She whispered back.

James took Lily's hand and walked her back down the aisle. He had given in about the Muggle wedding when he saw how much of a fuss Petunia had put up. He knew it hurt Lily that Petunia hated the Magical world. So he placated the woman this one time. He nudged Remus as the couple walked past and he smiled at Peter who was sitting in the middle of the Ministry's row.

He couldn't imagine being any happier than he was at this moment. But he knew that wasn't true. Nothing topped last night when Lily told him that she was pregnant. To think, in seven months there'd be a little boy or girl running around calling him Dad. They had decided to tell everyone at the reception because Petunia refused to attend and that way no one would spoil it.

He pulled Lily of to the side of the front hall of the church and whispered a few words. He had his hand in his pocket wrapped around his wand. They disappeared with an audible pop just as Sirius and Arabella came into the hall.

Sirius shrugged, "Guess they needed some time alone."

Bella raised an eyebrow. "Alone? He practically jumped in front of the minister!"

Sirius laughed loudly, "That's my boy!"

Bella simply groaned and pulled her wand out of her bouquet of flowers. "You ready?"

"Always."

The best man and the maid of honor vanished in a flash to join Lily and James at the reception which was being held at the Three Broomsticks.

******

Remus was shocked. "You're what?"

Sirius stared at Lily as she answered.

"I'm pregnant." Lily smiled sweetly at her friends. "Are you guys okay?"

Sirius made a whooping noise and grabbed Lily by her waist. He spun her around and hugged her tightly. "I'm gonna be an uncle!"

Remus smiled, "Or a lap dog. We're not sure which yet."

Sirius glared at the blond man before kissing Lily on the cheek. "How long?"

"Seven more months. James is hoping for a girl. He wants to name her Rose."

Sirius smiled proudly, "That'll make my sister happy!"

Remus hit him in the shoulder. "You are an idiot, Padfoot."

"I want it to be a boy. And I like the name Harold. What do you guys think?"

Sirius frowned. "That's too much name for a little baby! If you really want to stick the poor shmuck with THAT name, shorten it. People will tease him!"

"You mean people like you will tease him," Remus said.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean, Moony." Sirius put on an innocent face. "I think I'll go congratulate Dad!" He walked off leaving Lily and Remus standing alone.

Lily looked at Remus closely. "You need to tell him, Remus."

"Yeah, right." He tried to avoid the topic.

"Remus, you love him. Tell him that. He won't hate you." Lily wrapped her arms around the thin man. "You're a Gryffindor. Tell him."

"I wish I could, Lily." Remus sighed and buried his face on her shoulder. "I wish I could."

Lily felt tears in her eyes. Of all of them, Remus was the one who deserved the most happiness. Instead he was trying to hide his love for Sirius behind a mask of friendship. A week before graduation from Hogwarts, Remus had come to her in tears because he had seen Sirius with some Ravenclaw girl. She couldn't figure out why he was so upset until he told her that he was in love with Sirius.

"I'm happy for you, Lily." Remus pulled back and asked, "Can I?"

She nodded and watched Remus' hand settle against her stomach. "You can't feel anything yet."

"I know." Remus said in awe. "I just… it's wonderful."

"I know," Lily giggled. "James can barely keep from listening every chance he can get."

"He must be so excited."

"I am." James nodded at Remus who pulled his hand away from Lily. "Very happy. I've got everything I've always wanted. Nothing can ruin this for us. Not now." He gazed into Lily's eyes. "Not ever."

******

(Seven months later…)

"I'm going to kill you, James!" Lily shrieked as she tried to keep her mind off of the pain running through her body. "You think you're getting another couple of these things! You've got another bloody thing coming you bastard!"

James paled. The medi-wizard simply smiled and pushed James toward the door. "They're always like this, Mr. Potter. Your wife will be back to her usual self after the baby is born."

James coasted on autopilot out into the lobby where Peter, Remus, and Sirius were waiting. He sat down and put his head in his hands.

Sirius jumped up. "Is she okay? We could her screaming in here? What the bloody hell is that moron doing to her?"

Remus smiled and rubbed James' back. "She's fine, Sirius. She's just in pain and a little angry with James right now."

Peter mumbled something to Sirius who started pacing around the room. "Gods! I just wish this was over with! I…"

He was interrupted by a piercing scream from the delivery room. He looked in pity at James and sat back down. "Guess she's not having a wonderful time, huh?"

James laughed quietly, "Guess not, Padfoot." He looked at Remus. "I think she's going to kill me."

Remus shook his head. "No way, Prongs. She'll feel better as soon as your baby is born. It's just too much for her right now."

"She wanted her wand."

Peter whistled, "Damn. She's gonna kill him."

Sirius elbowed him roughly. "Shut up, Wormtail. Don't scare him."

"I'm sorry, Sirius. I jus…"

"Whatever." Sirius stood up and began pacing again. Suddenly, a wail could be heard coming from the delivery room. Sirius blinked in surprise. "It's already over?"

James looked as white as a ghost. "Huh?"

Remus smiled indulgently. "Padfoot, make sure James is okay. I've got to go."

Peter had a confused look on his face. "But why, Moony?"

He sighed, "It's illegal for me to touch the baby, Peter. You know that. This is a public place. I can't be seen doing that. And if I'm here, it'll hurt more that I can't hold…"

The medi-wizard pushed open the door to reveal four men standing at attention. He smiled and held out a small bundle to James. "Here he is."

James looked down at the baby in his arms… his son. "It's a he," he whispered. He gazed into his son's eyes… Lily's eyes. "He's perfect. Isn't he?" He looked at Sirius.

"He's beautiful, Prongs. Just beautiful." Sirius touched the baby's cheek softly. "He has Lily's eyes."

Peter smiled and looked at the baby. The boy's hair was a pitch black like James' hair. And it was just as wild. "He's amazing, James."

James looked up and noticed that Remus was gone. He must have walked out as soon as the medi-wizard had brought his son in. He sighed, "Your uncle Moony isn't here right now. But he loves you. Just as much as your uncle Padfoot and uncle Peter."

Peter gasped, "Did he smile?"

Sirius shook his head. "No. Probably just gas. Look at what he's looking at." He laughed. "What's his name, Dad?"

"Harry. Harold James Potter. Lily said something about shortening his name." He held out his son to show his friends. "This is Harry."

Sirius waved at the baby. "Hi Harry!"

Peter laughed at Sirius. "You're a bloody nerd!"

"Padfoot, you take him. I want to go see his mother." James handed Harry to his godfather. That had been decided many weeks ago. For some reason, Sirius had been acting strangely around Remus since Lily's fifth month. It was probably You-Know-Who's activities of late. It had been rumored recently that he had started recruiting dark creatures… like Moony.

******

(Fourteen months later… October 30, 1981)

"He's a handful." Lily smiled down at her son who was crawling around on the kitchen floor. "Sometimes I fear for the day he starts blowing things up."

Arabella laughed. "He couldn't be worse than Sirius was. I still remember that. And Rose was even worse."

"That's explainable. It's the Black genes. Carrie was the only one who turned out a proper young woman."

Bella smiled sadly, "It was hard on Siri. He still misses her."

"I know. We all do. I think it brought Rose and Sirius closer together though."

"So… tonight's the night, huh?"

Lily nodded, "We're leaving tonight. James is finishing up some work for Albus and then…" her voice broke.

Bella grabbed Lily's hand. "It'll be okay, Lily. Remus and Sirius will get him, and it will all be over."

Lily tried to keep the tears from forming. "Why us? What did we do? I understand why he might hate me, but…" she looked at Harry who was laying on the floor next to her feet. "Why does he hate James?"

"I don't know, Lily. I wish I did." Bella sighed as her friend fought off the feelings of sadness about leaving. "We'll miss you, Lily. And James." She let go of Lily's hand and leaned down to pick up Harry. "And especially my godson. You know what…" she talked to Harry who seemed fascinated by her earrings. "You two can stay away. In fact, as long as we get little Harry back, we don't need you two. Right, Harry?"

Harry cooed innocently as he managed to grasp one of Bella's earrings in his tiny hand.

Lily smiled, "Nah, he'd miss us too much."

Bella pried her earring loose from Harry's fingers and laughed. "You're right. Although you wouldn't be able to tell with how spoiled he is."

"You're right of course. But…"

"But what?" Bella tweaked Harry's nose to his delight.

"I wish Remus would come around more often."

"Lily, you know that technically it's illegal for him to be near Harry."

Lily sighed, "But still… Harry adores him. They sat for hours on the couch and just slouched. James thought it was hysterical. They were leaning against each other, and Remus started snoring." She laughed, "Then Harry started snorting. James couldn't breathe he was laughing so hard."

Bella giggled, "Did anyone get a picture?"

"Peter did. He gave it to Remus after he woke up."

"Sirius told me that James gave him his wedding ring."

Lily nodded, "We decided that since we weren't going to be around anyone that we wouldn't need them."

"Them?"

"Yeah. I'm going to give my rings to a friend later tonight. Sirius is coming by to watch Harry."

Bella said, "That's kind of… a depressed view, Lily."

"I know. But I can't shake this feeling. That if we don't do this, we'll regret it for the rest of our lives." Lily smiled weakly. "It's noon, Bella."

"I know." Bella kissed Harry's cheek and set him down on the floor. She watched him scoot away toward the play area in the corner. She stood up and hugged Lily tightly. "Don't cry. Be strong. We'll be here when you get back."

Lily kissed her friend on the cheek and then let her go. Bella grabbed her wand and apparated from the kitchen. Almost as if on cue, Sirius apparated into the kitchen.

"Lady Lil!" He greeted his best friend's wife with a hug. "And where's my favorite Marauder?" He spotted Harry in the corner. "There he is!"

Lily smiled, "You're such a moron, Padfoot."

"No." He picked up Harry and tossed him up into the air. "I'm just a sucker for a pretty face. Right, little guy?"

Harry shrieked with laughter as Sirius threw him up into the air. "Tell Mom she can leave cause we'll be just fine."

Lily picked up her wand from the table and quickly apparated herself to Wales. She looked around the alleyway where she had appeared and sighed in frustration. She was out of practice. "Now, where the hell is it?" She walked down the alley to the main street and found a man waiting for a cab on the corner. "Excuse me sir, can you point me in the direction of the Watery Drought?"

The man smiled brightly, "Down that-a-way and take a left. You can't miss it."

"Thank you very much."

Lily followed his directions and found herself in front of a rundown bar. She couldn't believe that Albus had told her the truth about where Severus was hiding. The Severus she had known would never be caught dead here. But then, she had heard that he had changed so much.

She opened the door and walked into the darkened lobby. A man was standing behind a screen counting money. "Excuse me?"

He looked up and grunted, "Ten dollars cover. Two bucks for beer from the tap."

"No. I'm looking for someone."

"A lot of someones are here, lady. You got a name?"

Lily nodded, "Severus Snape."

The man hissed and coughed before he answered. "Snapy's here. Working the room I think before he leaves tonight."

"Working the room?"

"Snapy's got a lot of fans. Lots of people pay him a lot. Pays for his weird habit. Mixes all sorts of stuff."

Lily smiled. Obviously Severus was still a sucker for Potions. "Can I see him?"

"Sure, lady. Though you're not his type."

"I know that."

The man unlocked the gate and let her through into the main bar. She looked around and spotted a tall man leaning over a table whispering in another man's ear. She took a deep breath and walked over. She tapped the standing man on his shoulder.

Severus turned around. He thought it might be one of his fans coming to find out if he was free tonight. He gasped, "Lily?"

She smiled up at him. "Can we talk, Severus?"

He stared at her. "Does Potter know you're here?"

"No. And it's going to stay that way."

Severus nodded and took her arm. He waved off the man at the table and guided Lily to the bar. He sat down on one of the stools and watched Lily do the same. He frowned, "How's… um…"

"Harry? He's wonderful. Thank you for asking, Severus."

"I don't mean to be rude, but what the hell are you doing here?"

Lily took his hands in hers. "I faked it."

"What?"

"Our fight. I never hated you. It hurt so much for the longest time, but you would have done something stupid. I couldn't let your father hurt you because of me."

Severus took a deep breath and looked at his former… no, his best friend. "Lily?" He choked, "Why?"

"Because I loved you."

He squeezed her hands. "I've heard from… well, from some sources that Voldemort's after you."

"We're leaving tonight." Lily smiled, "He'll never find us. Sirius is going to make sure of that."

Severus nodded. "I'll miss you. I missed you." He pulled his hands away and rubbed his forearm absently. "Did you come just to…"

"No. There's a reason I'm here." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a silver chain. "I want you to keep these for me. Until I come back."

Severus took the chain and looked at the rings. "These are your rings. Your wedding ring?"

"James gave his to Sirius. I need you to keep mine. If anything goes wrong, I don't want you to forget me." She wiped at her eyes. "Please, Severus. Just in case…"

He frowned but nodded, "I expect you back in a week to pick these up." He put the chain around his neck and tucked the rings under his shirt.

Lily stood up. "I have to get back. Albus didn't want me to go out."

Severus grabbed her arm as she tried to turn away from him. "Lily? Know that I love you. I'll be waiting for you." He wrapped his arms around her. They stayed like that until Lily pulled away from him.

She looked into his dark eyes. "I'm so sorry for what I did that day. But I had to save you like you had saved me." She kissed him on the lips and turned to leave.

Severus watched her run out of the bar. He put his hand to his chest and felt the rings against his skin. He smiled, knowing that his Lily was back.

******

(One day later… Halloween 1981)

The sky was dark. Remus watched the moon with trepidation. Two more days until it was full. For the first time in many years, he would make the transformation alone. Sirius was in hiding, and James had taken his family away. Peter was God knows where. Only Sirius knew where they were. Remus sighed. For some reason he felt restless, but he crawled into his old bed and closed his eyes.

******

Peter bent his knee and smiled. He finally belonged. He had done what his Master had asked of him. And now he was going to be rewarded. He was finally the one with power. And he could sense the happiness coming from the man standing above him.

"You have done well, my servant. You have given me the Potters." Red eyes glowed with a sadistic pleasure.

"Yes, my Lord."

******

Sirius sighed and got ready to leave. Only one more thing to do before he went into hiding for good. He wanted to check on Peter; make sure that he was safe before he left. This was the perfect plan. Voldemort would never suspect Peter. And he would never find James and Lily.

He looked out the window at the moon and thought of his friend. The one he no longer trusted. "Remus…. Why?"

******

James smiled at his wife. She had fallen asleep in the rocking chair in Harry's room. He could hear his son babbling and realized that this is what he had wanted all of his life. He knew that there were times that Lily was sad. And he had a feeling that it had something to do with the rumors about Severus Snape.

He knew that his wife would never forget her time in Slytherin. And he also knew that that's what made her so special. He started down the stairs and wondered if his son would end up a Slytherin or a Gryffindor.

******

Severus watched Lucius prepare for the evening. "Where are we going?"

"Our Lord has called us to attack a home in Godric's Hollow. Your presence is not required." Lucius answered calmly.

"Who?"

The blond man smiled, "James Potter and his Mudblood whore."

Severus tried to hide his fear as Lucius picked up his wand and disapparated.

"No, Lily…" Severus grabbed his wand and focused on Hogsmeade. He had to get to Hogwarts. He had to stop this before it was too late.

******

(One day later… November 1, 1981)

Remus opened his eyes and groaned. His head ached. But he got up anyway. He went through his morning routine. He brushed his teeth and took a shower. He ran his fingers through his hair and made himself a small breakfast. He looked up as the post owl dropped the Daily Prophet on his table and flew back out the open kitchen window.

The front page blared a headline, "You-Know-Who Dead?"

Remus dropped his tea cup and ignored the fact that hot liquid had landed on the floor. "What the bloody hell?"

He began reading the story. He bit his lip until it bled. "No." He couldn't believe this. "Sirius, why?"

THE END