I'm not sure I rated this correctly. I spent about 10 minutes having an argument inside my head whether this story should be T or M. Eventually, T won. I may change it to M at a later date depending what else I throw into this story. If you think it should be a different rating, don't be shy! Speak up!

I'm not sure how long this story will be, but I will try to update every ~7 days.

And finally, unfortunately, I don't own Harry Potter.

Ch. 1 (An Awkward Situation)

"Pass the powdered belladonna, please."

A small noncommittal sound escapes from behind Severus' curtain of hair as he grabs a small drawstring bag resting on the table. Passing the bag to Lily their fingers brush lightly, and he twitches. Lily, looking up from the potion they were brewing together (Coniunctis) notices his expression, which is frozen in something along the lines of anxiety… or fear.

Politely ignoring the fact that he was nervous enough to let it show on his face (Sev had always been a closed off person), which in turn put her on edge, Lily took the bag and measured out the dried, crushed flowers, tipping her hand so the dark purple powder fell into the cauldron. The thick orange liquid then turned deep blue as she stirred three times counter-clockwise.

Falling back onto her stool, she mopped her face with her sleeve and watched Severus start to clean up the table and put away spare ingredients. Looking around she saw her flustered classmates try to finish their potions, throwing in this and that until a loud explosion was heard coming from the back of the classroom. Professor Slughorn, her teacher, rushed (as fast as he could, having a slight potbelly) to the source of the sound muttering under his breath all the while about adding the sliced dragon liver before the belladonna.

Lily had a natural gift for potions, a fact which many people, including Professor Slughorn (especially Professor Slughorn), loved pointing out daily. There was something immensely calming about brewing, Lily mused, Well, except for watching Rowena Hawk attempt to brew, that's downright stressful. Snorting at the mental image of Rowena running around frantically trying to put out a fire that had spontaneously combusted in her cauldron, Lily ladled a bit of her (perfect) potion into a glass phial and corked it.

Walking between the rows of tables, she observed a wide range of skill and success. Being in NEWT level potions one would think that only the people with the skills and motivation required to pass would sign up, and that's where one would be wrong. You had people like Ivor Hamish, a Slytherin living up to the Slytherin ideal. Evil, slimy, and dumb as a doornail all wrapped up behind a face uglier than a gargoyle. Normally, Lily disliked people who didn't talk to someone just because of their appearance, but Ivor was her exception.

Reaching Slughorn's desk she set the phial down carefully in the tray before turning around and running head first into none other than James Potter. James Potter, the beloved, the wise, the hero, the toe-rag. Most girls would positively swoon at the look he was giving her now.

"Fancy seeing you here, Evans."

"Oh yes, it's not like anyone to show up to their own classes."

Faking hurt, he replied "And now, I thought you were here to see me!"

"Keep dreaming, maybe one day I'll fall down the stairs and hit my head." She said, attempting to push past her (unfortunately) breathing roadblock.

"Aww, you don't want to see this face?" he wheedled, effectively blocking her exit path.

"No, but I'm pretty sure Cerys would." James' brows creased together. "And I'm pretty sure she sees much more of you than your face."

James' face suddenly morphed into one of unshakable confidence, "Oh really?"

"Yes, next time choose a girl who doesn't talk so much." Lily shuddered

He smirked, "Well then, I assume she has been talking about my amazing prowess," he paused, wiggling his eyebrows, "in bed." He finished

"Unfortunately, yes. I had to sit through her describing in morbid detail the time you shagged her raw on the Astronomy Tower. I felt the bile rising up my throat, to be honest."

"I certainly hope she also told you about the time in locker rooms." He said, smile growing with each word

"Yes, that and the jaunt in the Forbidden Forest. And the forgotten Prefect rounds. And the time in Hogsmeade. And countless others." Scowling, she added, "So for the sake of humanity please choose a girl next time who doesn't enjoy oversharing."

Smirking he added, "You don't overshare."

Ignoring her feline yowl of disgust, he slung his arm around her shoulder and (quite forcefully) walked her back down the isle of desks. It was a well-known fact that James Potter, while having his pick of almost all the girls in seventh year, preferred to go after Lily Evans, who forcefully threw all his advances back in his face. It was also well known that the fiery redhead was the 'mysterious' person that smashed James' face with Advanced Potion-Making in sixth year after being subject to one too many of his famous advances.

"So, want to recreate the Hogsmeade deal this weekend?" he asked, putting on his most charming smile

"Is that your way to ask a girl out?" Lily scoffed

"It's worked before," he said defensively, "besides, I'm sure you remember everything I did in excruciating detail, so it'll be easier to recreate."

Ignoring his last comment Lily asked, "Is that cauldron over there your potion? The one that's giving off large amounts of pink smoke?"

"Bollocks!" he muttered, releasing his vice like grip on Lily's shoulders and dashing off, weaving in and out of other students' work areas and cauldrons to try to get to his smoking potion.

"Maybe you should pay attention to what you're supposed to be doing, instead of asking me if I want to shag!" she called after his retreating back amid laughter from the other students.

Successfully escaping her captor, Lily made her way back to her table where Severus was just finishing cleaning up. Lily, joining him, deftly started to wipe down the worn wood while magicking away any scraps she came upon.

"What did Potter want." It was more of a statement than a question, Lily noted.

"Besides wanting to shag? Nothing really. I think he tried to ask me out to Hogsmeade in a very Potter-like fashion."

This reply earned a snort from Severus.

"I don't even really know why he persists; I've made it pretty clear I hate his guts." She continued.

"Well isn't it obvious? He fancies you," He paused in thought, "and probably has some other motive in mind."

"What? Like getting me naked?" rolling her eyes she added, "I'm pretty sure that's obvious. Besides he can have any other girl but me, why waste his oh so precious time chasing after me?"

"Probably because he's gone this long chasing after you, and isn't going to stop just because you tell him daily to go off himself. That and if he manages to get you, you'd be a trophy of sorts."

Lily, satisfied with Severus' answer (as it matched her own suspicions), finished wiping the table and moved on to the cauldron, scrubbing out the inside after vanishing the rest of the deep blue liquid with a lazy flick of her wand.

Suddenly, the booming voice of Professor Slughorn filled the room, "Lovely my dear boy, positively perfect!"

Craning her neck to see who warranted such praise, was shocked to see James holding his own phial full of (perfect) deep blue potion.

"Many people wouldn't think to add in crushed lacewing flies to counteract the over-stewed dragon liver. Five points to Gryffindor! Have you ever considered a career in potions?"

Damn him, the prat fixed his potion. Lily thought bitterly as James awkwardly ruffled his hair at such praise. AND Slughorn asked him about his career. He only does that to students he likes! The fact that James had now wormed his way into Slughorn's heart miffed her far more than his success at fixing his potion. Previously, Slughorn only held Lily in his favor. Now it looked like she would have to share.

"Well… Professor. I… I was thinking more along the lines of Auror…" James answered awkwardly

Slughorn, waving his hand replied, "Bah, well, if the Aurors prove too difficult, you know where to find me." He said with a wink.

"Well, thank you sir, I will keep that in mind."

Turning around, James made eye contact with Lily, who previously didn't realize she was staring. Stuck in her mind's circulating logic, she didn't notice him approach. As he swept by her table he leaned over and whispered, "You should close your mouth, you might catch some flies in that thing."

Blushing furiously, she snapped her mouth shut and glared at his back. Damn him, damn him, damn him…

She was brought out of her line of thought when Severus tapped her arm to bring to her attention that class was over and almost everyone had exited the dungeon already. Jamming her textbooks into her bag, she straightened up to walk beside her potions partner.

After pushing open the heavy wooden door and walking halfway down the drafty corridor, Severus stopped suddenly. Lily, noticing something was wrong, stopped also and looked at him. She noticed the same expression on his face from earlier, fear. Taking a deep breath and seemingly steeling his nerve he opened his mouth and asked,

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

"What?"

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?" he asked again

"I was coming with you anyways… like always. Why wouldn't I?" she asked, concerned

He took another deep breath and explained this to her as if she was a small child, "No, I mean, a.. a date. Not just as friends."

"Oh." She said in a small voice, "Well I… I just don't…" she trailed off, already feeling a blush creep across her face.

His eyes, scanning her face, slowly became more and more guarded as she kept talking.

"I, I don't think of you that way. You're like a brother to me." Trying to ease the tension that had suddenly sprung up between the two she joked, "And as you know, that would be incest…" she trailed off, suddenly realizing that her crack was not taken well by Severus, whose face was now a cold, expressionless expanse.

Realizing that she would never have the same relationship with him again, Lily silently held back tears after losing one of her most cherished friendships.

x

James Potter could hardly believe his luck. After escaping Slughorn (who cornered him again after class) ran into what looked like quite the interesting conversation between Lily and Snivellious Snape. He knew it was important when he loudly shut the dungeon door behind himself and they paid no notice. Deciding to investigate, he pulled his ever-present invisibility cloak out of his bag and threw it on. Then he started creeping closer to hear what they were saying.

…Hogsmeade with me this weekend?"

"What?"

"Will you go to Hogsmeade with me?"

"I was coming with you anyways… like always. Why wouldn't I?"

"No, I mean, a.. a date. Not just as friends."

It just kept getting better and better…

"Oh. Well I just don't… I… I don't think of you that way. You're like a brother to me… And as you know, that would be incest…"

Pure gold.

Maybe I should be pitiful, and leave quietly, he thought, but that wouldn't be characteristic of James Potter, now would it?

x

Lily, thinking her day couldn't get any worse, was wrong. After the whole "incest" ordeal she was about to make quick escape when James Potter (literally) popped into being out of nowhere.

"Better luck next time, Snivellious." He spat, roughly knocking Severus on the shoulder as he sauntered past the shell-shocked pair in the hallway.

He… he couldn't have been here the whole time, could he? Then again he seemed to have been there when Severus asked me out… and I rejected him… oh no. Lily worried, Sevs not going to hear the end of this…

Turning to face Severus, she saw that if anything his face had gotten harder, and color bloomed high on his cheeks. Biting her lip and trying to hold back tears (from sadness or anger, at this point she herself couldn't even tell), Lily was about to excuse herself when he saved her the trouble and stiffly turned away from her and walked the opposite way down the hall.

Fleeing the scene, Lily positively flew back to her dormitory. Taking stairs two at a time, she knocked into a pair of confused second years who dropped their books in surprise.

Reaching the portrait hole she choked out the password (flobberworm) and was about to sprint across the room when she noticed James lounging in the corner with his friends Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin. Not wanting to seem as if James' snooping bothered her, she forced her steps to slow and her face into an indifferent mask.

"Hey Evans, I heard you got asked out!"

Very funny, Potter. You won't be laughing soon, 'cause now it's personal.

Saying nothing, she was only going to silently curse him but reassessed as she was in a vengeful mood (after knocking into the second years she decided the tears were angry ones), and decided to make him as uncomfortable as possible.

Veering off her course Lily slowly walked over to the group while pulling out her wand. Stopping an inch from James' form she stared at him full in the eyes. Just staring at the hazel orbs, she tried to convey exactly how angry she was and exactly how painful her revenge would be.

"No." she answered, poking him (rather forcefully) in the chest with her wand.

Turning around, she climbed the stairs to her friends' dormitory.

x

He had never seen Lily in such a state. After calling after her, he was expecting a snarky, mean response. What he got instead was a Lily, mere inches away from him, simply glaring at him. He knew he would never, ever forget the look of poorly contained malice in her eyes. The pooling green simply radiated revenge. James just started something he knew he would never win.

x

Review! Let me know you're out there!

-Red