Chapter 1
"No - listen, I didn't mean -"
"-to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood,
Severus. Why should I be any different?"
Even though it was a warm May evening, Lily shivered in her loose night clothes. They were standing outside the entrance to the Gryffindor common-room. Lily crossed her arms tightly as she studied Severus' face, the torch-light cast dark shadows on his angular features, his hair black as ink that hung just below his weak jaw -line, and the desperate look in his eyes as he was trying -and failing- to save whatever friendship was left between the two.
"Lily- Please..."
There was no way she could forgive him, she knew that. But as she listened to his futile attempt at reconciliation her heart was breaking for him. No, not him. Not for the boy standing before her, but the one she grew up with. The boy that showed her a world full of magic, who played and laughed with her, her best friend despite his up-bringing. But he was gone, he chose the wrong side.
"I'm done Sev," she said as coldly as she could, holding back the tidal wave of emotions threatening to overwhelm her. "Just leave me alone."
Severus' shoulders slumped, he couldn't look her in the eye, "If-if that's what you want Lily."
It was what she wanted, Merlin it was.
She couldn't make any more excuses for him, she couldn't hear him promise to stay away from dark magic just to see him turn around and break that promise, she just couldn't be his friend anymore. Not when being his friend meant losing respect for herself.
"Goodbye Severus."
Lily felt her new found resolve crumble, as she watch his dark figure stalk down the hallway. Once he was out of sight, she was slowly realising that it was really gone, years and years of friendship, just gone.
If it hadn't been for the Fat Lady, Lily would have broken down right there in the diserted corridor.
"I never liked that boy," she announced. "And frankly I think you did the right thing."
"You know nothing about it. Liquorice allsorts." she snapped the Gryffindor password before the Fat Lady could respond.
Lily barged through the portrait hole, with splutterings of "W-Well I never!" coming from behind her.
-
James Potter was not waiting up for Lily Evans He just happened to be in the common room when Mary went running to Lily claiming Snape was going to sleep in the hall if she did talk to him. And he just happened to be watching the portrait hole ever since, and he just happened to notice she hadn't come back yet.
Everyone else had gone to bed and James was sitting alone in one the of comfy chairs by the fireplace, trying to convince himself that he really did want to stay up and read for another while, even though his eyelids were getting heavy, and his eyes stung and started to water every time he blinked. Damn Lily Evans... He thought as his eyelids drooped and he sunk deeper into the cushions.
James jerked awake to the sound of the portrait hole opening. After everything that had happened at the lake that day, James knew he was the last person on the face of this earth Lily wanted to see. But he couldn't help himself, he couldn't spend an entire summer not knowing if she was okay, if the had been stupid enough to let that snake worm his way back into her life.
He stood up lazily, and looked at Lily. She was leaning against the back of the Fat Lady's portrait, her head pressed against the dark wood. She had her eyes closed and was taking a deep breath, calming herself. James had never seen someone look so peaceful. And of course he had to ruin it.
"Lily Evans breaking curfew, I have to admit I'm kind proud," he smirked.
Lily didn't even open her eyes, but James saw her forehead crease and her posture stiffen.
"Not now, Potter."
"Aw come on Evans, you gotta tell me about your midnight rendezvous with Snivellus." He practically spat out the last word.
"Not. Now. Potter." She said through gritted teeth, still refusing to move an inch.
James knew he should shut up, turn around and go to bed. Maybe even apologise for his part, but he didn't.
"So what did he say this time?" his words had lost all warmth.
Silence.
"Come on Evans, what did he say to make you forget all about the terrible things he has done? Did he tell you he was sorry? That he didn't mean it? That it was all the 'big bad James Potters' fault? Or did he just feed you another crappy sob story, about how hard his life is?" the anger was rising in his voice. "What was it? That you're the only one that understands him or that Mommy and Daddy didn't love hi-"
"DON'T YOU DARE!" she yelled, her eyes blazing with fury. "You don't know anything about his family!"
He'd gone too far, he knew that, but he didn't care. All he wanted was a reaction.
"How could you defend him!" James spat back. "After what he called you today!"
"I'm not defending him! I'm scolding you. THERE'S A GODDAMN DIFFERENCE POTTER!"
"I'M NOT THE ONE YOU SHOULD BE ANGRY WITH!"
"No! You are exactly the one I should be angry with Potter! If you weren't such an insufferable ass, none of this would have happened!"
"You're blaming me?" he said incredulously. "You're an idiot if you don't realise that he would have betrayed you, with or with out me!"
Lily was pissed, mainly because she knew he was right, but that didn't matter. Nothing mattered but hurting him the way she was hurting right now.
"Do you ever take responsibility for anything? Of course you don't, I'm sorry I forgot you're James Potter, you don't even have to wipe your own arse if you don't want to and everyone will still run around trying to kiss it." James grimaced at the imagery.
"At least I know the difference between right and wrong. Unlike Snivellus and his gang of death eater wannabes."
"Merlin, you don't even realise." She sneered. "You're just as bad as them Potter. Walking around the school as if you own it, hexing anyone you don't like. You constantly make people feel like shit, whether you realise it or not the only difference between you and them, Potter, is that they at least are honest about their superiority complex."
James felt as if he'd just been punched in the gut. Every word she'd just yelled hung heavy in the silence between them. If that's what she truly thought of him he couldn't stand to look at her.
"Goodnight Evans."
"I-I," she spluttered as James walked past her."-Stop, I-"
But he didn't stop. He climbed up the boys dormitory staircase, leaving a lost Lily Evans alone in the common room.
