A/N: It's been SO long since I've written any fanfiction. This is sort of a practice fic... not for this couple, but just as a sort of foray back into the world.

Disclaimer: I don't own JKR's work, or this title (which is also JKR's work).

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For Enemies

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Severus searched under his table in Professor Slughorn's classroom for the third time, frantic with worry. His potions book was missing, and he needed it to study for his O.W.L.'s. All of his notes, made-up spells, and some unfriendly hexes as well, were written down in there. He cursed himself once again for not making a second copy of his work, as nowhere was too safe to lay things down nowadays... Merlin, if someone had stolen it...

"What does it do?"

A voice spoke up from behind him, in what he thought was an empty classroom, and he jumped about a foot into the air. Unfortunately, he was still under the table, and therefore bumped his head rather hard.

He muttered none-too-friendly words, and crawled out from underneath the table.

Straightening up to see Lily Evans walking towards him, his potions book in her hand, he released a sigh of relief.

"Thank Merlin, Lily, you found it." He held out his hand, but she didn't give him his book.

"What does it do?" she asked again, her eyes dark with something unfathomable.

Severus gave her a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

"Your latest work," she snapped, her eyes flashing. Lily flipped the pages open until she came to a recent note of his – a word, with other words, "For Enemies," as the label.

Severus closed his eyes. Damn. He hadn't meant for her to see that.

"I thought you weren't going to do this anymore, Severus."

He opened his eyes to find hers still boring into his. "It's not anything serious," he muttered, attempting to brush it off. "I'm just making up words, playing around..."

"It is and you're not!" she retorted. "You make up these horrid hexes, you give them to idiots like Mulciber and Avery, and they hurt people with them! How is that not anything serious?"

"I just wave my wand around, speaking nonsense words. It means nothing. It's not my fault if they... have no originality." He shrugged, and held his hand out for his book.

Instead of giving it to him, however, she held out her wand for him to take. "Use it on me."

He blinked. "What?"

Her jaw was set. "If it means nothing and it's just a nonsense word, then use it on me."

Severus let out a breath. "Lily, you're being ridiculous. I'm not going to - "

"Not going to what? Hurt me?"

Severus glared at her, and she glared right back.

"I used it. There was a bird outside. I was curious, I used it, and the effects made me sick to my stomach. It isn't like your levitating spell at all, which is also rather questionable, might I add. But Severus, why? This is... dark magic, isn't it? Why would you make up something like this?" she asked, handing him his book, still on the open page. "And who would you even use it on? Potter? Black? Who are your enemies?"

"I don't know! Maybe!" he said, snatching his book from her. "I... I don't know."

Lily took a deep breath. "You're brill in potions. You're smarter than Professor Slughorn... you just... seem to understand better than anyone how substances can be mixed together. It amazes me... how smart you are, sometimes."

Severus said nothing.

"And then, other times... you're the biggest idiot I know, and it makes me wonder..."

"Wonder what?" he asked, the tiniest bit of fear creeping into his voice. If she heard, she didn't acknowledge it.

"I don't know," she answered instead, shaking her head.

"Severus... please," she suddenly grabbed his arms. "You need to stop this. Magic is a wonderful gift, and it shouldn't be used like this. Not like this. You're my friend, and I couldn't give the book to a Professor... I couldn't tell them it was yours."

"Lily..."

"Promise me you won't make anymore spells like this, and that you won't use these."

Severus pulled out of her grasp. "I... I can't guarantee that."

"Why not?"

"I just can't. I might need them one day. I can't."

Lily released a breath of anger. "I shudder to think of the kind of life you'll lead in future if you think you might need curses like these."

"Lily, you're really... blowing this out of proportion," Severus said, softly.

"The only thing out of proportion is the size of your obviously minuscule brain in relation to your head," she said, coldly. "Goodbye, Severus. I have nothing further to say to you."

And with that, she turned and stalked out of the classroom.

Severus dropped his book on the nearest table, and then sat down forcefully in a chair. He didn't know who he was trying to kid. No matter what he said aloud, if Lily wanted it done, he'd dispose of his book by midnight tonight. He was all talk when it came to her, and they both knew it.

He sighed, and opened his book. Since today was the last day he was going to have his potions book, he figured it was best if he got some studying done.

Seriously, Lily Evans – and the love he had for her - would be the death of him.

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It's not much, but YAY, I wrote something that I like, even though I feel like it's missing something...

Please review, and let me know if you like it!

FadingSlowly