Lily stalked away from him. The insult was fresh in her mind, though it had been hours since the encounter. The apologies just weren't enough. He didn't understand that they were evil. Now her best friend was one of them. Wrong. Her ex-best friend. She vowed to not speak to him again unless he changed his mind.

Soon, she was in the Common Room sitting with her History of Magic essay in front of her, already in her nightgown. It was very late. She just needed to edit it before she turned it in tomorrow. As she began to scratch out words or add missing punctuation, the events of the day played back in her head. James lifting Severus in the air, then taunting him when Lily defended him. Severus calling her the word. Him hurrying after her in the hall to apologize. That conversation was very fresh in her mind.

… She heard running steps behind her. Pushing ahead, she tried to veer into the girl's lavatory before he caught up to her. No such luck. He grabbed her wrist and yanked her around. His face was greasy and sweaty from chasing her.

"Lily, I'm sorry."

"Save your breath. You said what you had been meaning to say for years."

"No! It's not like that! You know how Potter is!"

"So, now its James' fault?"

"Yes! He provoked me!"

"So he made you call me a Mudblood?"

"Well…"

"That's what I thought. Now leave me alone."

"Lily!"

"You called me that word! James didn't force you do that! You said it because you meant it! I never want to see you again!"

She had stormed off quickly before he could say anything else …

Suddenly, she was taken out of the flashback when her friend Mary MacDonald tapped her on the shoulder.

"Severus is here to see you. He's threatening to sleep out there if you don't talk to him."

In disgust, Lily walked out of the Common Room, attracting many stares from the few remaining people in the Common Room. She opened the Fat Lady portrait to see Severus sitting on the ground looking, to be honest, quiet pathetic. Lily crossed her arms.

"Lily, I-"

"Severus, why are you here?"

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not interested."

"I'm sorry!"

"Save your breath. I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you a Mudblood, it just-"

"Slipped out? It's too late. I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends- you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"

She watched as he tried to say something, but then closed his mouth.

"I can't pretend anymore. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine."

"No- listen, I didn't mean-"

" -to call me a Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

He looked as if he was about to speak, but before he could, Lily climbed back through the portrait. Mary approached her.

"What did he want?"

"To apologize. But never mind him. I'm never talking to him again."

With that, she went back to editing her History of Magic essay. It was dull work, but if she focused hard enough, she could push everything else out of her mind, which was just what she needed.

All of a sudden, a shadow came over her parchment. She looked up to see James Potter standing there. She groaned and went back to her work.

"Evans, I'm sorry about what happened."

"What you're sorry that he called me a Mudblood? No, you're not. You're just sorry that he got away with it."

"No, Lily. I am sorry."

This was one of the first times he had called her Lily. She looked up at him. His glasses covered his eyes, but she could still see genuine remorse there.

"You really look sorry. Good acting. Now leave me alone."

"I am sorry. I'm not acting. I don't like seeing you hurt."

"But you were fine when it was Severus?"

"He-"

"James, please leave me alone."

He looked as if he was going to leave, but before he did he said, "I'm sorry that I bullied him. I won't do it again."

Then he left, going up to his dormitory. Lily sat there in so much confusion. This was one of the first times he's talked to her without asking her out. How could it be that the whole school year had been free of stress and in the last month, everything had exploded? But in a week she would be going home to see her mum, her dad, and Tuney. If Tuney even talked to her that is. Hopefully, she could make it through the last week.

One week later, Lily got off the Hogwarts Express back in London. Her parents were waiting for her. She saw Severus get off the train and walk over to his mother. Lily walked over to her parents who hugged her vigorously. Then they went home for the summer.