For Severus

Defence against the dark arts.

Other than Potions, this was the only class Lily shared with Severus. It had been extremely relieving, especially during their first year, when Professor Thicknesse's chalk would scratch essays on the board on its own. The first time she saw the chalk writing on its own, she smiled in wonder at Severus, and had the satisfaction of seeing it mirrored on his face. Third year had begun much the same way, except, now the floating chalks didn't amaze her anymore, and although she had made quite a few friends now, she'd sit with Severus – like it was their special place to be together.

Today the topic was Dementors – and they were chatting away softly behind the desks – but Professor hardly seemed to mind – seeing as they were the top students in his class.

'Remember when you used to think the Ministry would hand you over to the Dementors if you used magic outside of school?' Severus teased. Piercing green eyes narrowed at him murderously at the mention of foolish childhood worries, but the owner's laughter ruined the effect.

'Yes. Yes. I remember everything. Tuney was spying on us that day and then you hit her with a branch.'

'No, I didn't,' he cried indignantly over the books.

'You don't have to lie. It's okay. We were discussing your private matters. She shouldn't have eavesdropped on us like that.'

'No she shouldn't have. But I mean it. I never hit her with the branch.'

'Then who did? I certainly didn't.' Lily stated, turning in her seat to look at him directly, her lips still holding the remnants of her laughter. Severus bent towards her too; intolerably conscious of the green eyes, the dark red hair bound tightly away from her, the few strands that had escaped the tight clasp anyway, and fell over her pale face, framing it possessively. But before he could say anything, a paper plane zoomed from the back of the classroom and smacked into Lily's shoulders. She turned on her heels and glared at the laughing Marauders who were hissing "S-s-s-snivellus!" under their breaths. Thicknesse, who was at the board, didn't notice any of this, but Lily had half a mind to tattle on them. Just as she was about to open her mouth, though, the bell rang, and the class started dispersing, and her words died in her mouth, leaving a foul taste. You arrogant toerag, she mouthed at him, as she passed him and his stupid scoffing friends at the doorway, Severus right behind her, with a sneer on his face that followed James Potter's appearances like a loyal dog would follow its master.

'I hate this. I hate studying.'

'Did you see the size of the assignment Professor gave us this week? Its ten-pages long. When are we supposed to study for our exams?'

'Dammit. I still can't turn this pen into a teacup.'

'Shoe? Has anyone seen my shoe? The other one of this pair? Anybody?'

Exam week. Nobody had time to breathe on exam week. Not even students who did their homework regularly and studied for a few hours every day. Severus and Lily had been at the library for hours, trying to memorize pages off A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot, but it seemed as if every time they got one page done, somebody used Obliviato on them and they would completely forget everything they had read in the past half an hour by the time they had turned to the next page. Finally, Lily gave up with a sigh, and looked up from her books.

'What do you do with them?' she asked Severus, eyeing him curiously.

'With who?' he didn't look up from his book as he responded.

'With that creepy boy – Mulciber – and Avery? And Lucius! He makes my hair crawl.'

'I hang around with them. They're my friends. And Lucius is a Prefect, so you should show some respect.' His cursory reply stung, but lately, most of their conversations were short and bordered on unfriendly. She really had nothing against the other Slytherin boys, but it scared her to think that she might lose her oldest best friend to them.

'They are into Dark Magic, you know,' she prodded.

'Why would you think that?' Lily's green eyes now blazed with irritation. She hated when Severus pretended to not know when he knew perfectly well what she was talking about.

'What do you mean why would I think that? Everybody knows that. Didn't you see what they did to Mary McDonald the other day?'

'Lily!' Severus looked bewildered at Lily's sudden outcry. 'It was just a good laugh, that's all.'

'A good laugh? Severus, they used Dark Magic, and you're telling me that it was just a good laugh. And – and – it seems like you are becoming one of them lately. And I hate it.' Madam Pince looked over sharply, giving them a severe look, and Lily got up, stacked up her books, and left, leaving Severus gaping at her retreating form like an idiot.

'Had a fight with Snape?'

Lily ignored him and tried to concentrate on her papers. The Quidditch finals was tomorrow, and they were in the Gryffindor common room, which was adorned in red and golden banners with James Potter's name emblazoned on a huge pedestal shaped like a broomstick alongside Support Potter: Wink and Win, with his face plastered below winking back at her. It was bad enough that he tailed her almost everywhere – now she had to see him even when he wasn't with her. Argh!

'Then why isn't he tailing you around as usual?'

'Oh you are one for calling the kettle black!' She rolled her eyes at him.

'Are you color blind? I am not a bat like Snape – but if that's what you fancy, then…'

He trailed off, looking smugly at her. He was practically a Quidditch hero and people on and off the field remembered to worship him – if not for the skills he flaunted on the pitch, then for being the head of the most impressive gang who pulled the most extraordinary pranks at Hogwarts – and what's more – they hardly ever got caught. It's like they knew secrets that even the Headmaster was unaware of. But she couldn't see any golden qualities in this absolutely arrogant –

'So you want to hang out with me at The Three Broomsticks when we visit Hogsmeade after the exams are over? I know you are not going home for the holidays.'

She blinked at him, stunned. But in a flash her dilated eyes were brought back to perfect spheres of hard, emerald rocks, as she answered back stonily,

'No, thank you.'

James stared at her for a few seconds, before he shrugged as if it didn't matter to him at all and left to join his worshippers. Lily shivered in disgust as she realized that James Potter – the James Potter – who had never even offered her a single nice word, had just asked her out. What was he thinking? That after the way he had treated her best friend, she would fancy him? This brought her back to thoughts of Severus, and she forgot all about James as she mulled over her conversation with Severus in the library.