Balançoire

Lily sprinted down the empty hallway, swearing softly under her her breath. First day back, and she was already late. She threw open the door, nearly tripping over her feet as she fell into place beside Severus. "I'm here!" she shouted, nearly out of breath. "Sorry!"

Ten heads turned in her direction as she dumped her bag onto the floor beside the others, then ran to stand in her place in the front row of the class. To her left, James sniggered.

"Not like you to be late, Evans," he said. "You're normally the first one here."

Lily ignored him as Miss Abbott asked for them to all be silent as she started the class, getting them to begin with a few simple warm-up exercises after the summer holidays.

Severus nudged Lily, peering up at her through a curtain of dark hair. "You okay?" he whispered.

"Mr. Snape," the teacher called, marching closer and prodding her thin finger against his chest. "I believe this is a classroom. If you and Miss Evans would like to talk, the door is that way." She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the door.

Lily looked away quickly, muttering an apology, echoed by Severus.

As if on queue the Miss Abbott then began the lesson, making a point to yell at each of them at least once.

"Mr Potter! You did that perfectly every class last year! Has summer melted your brain?"

"Mr Black! Your other left!"

"Miss Evans, Mr Snape, you told me you had practiced!"

The class felt longer than the forty-five minutes it ran for, and by the time she called an end, the eleven students were dripping from head to toe in sweat.

"I can't feel my legs," Severus grumbled as he and Lily started for the door.

Lily couldn't help but grin. It was easy to forget how stressful school was when she was with her best friend. "Don't worry," she laughed, putting an arm around his shoulder and leaning against him as they walked. "Your legs are still there."

"Which, sadly, we can still say for you, Snivellus," James called, deliberately elbowing Severus as he and Sirius passed.

Severus, who was prone to teasing from Black and Potter, remained firmly on his feet as they ran by. Lily steadied him anyway, narrowing her eyes at the two idiots who liked to stick their noses into everyone else's business. "Don't let them get to you," she said gently, patting her friend's arm. "They're just jealous that we're better than they are."

Severus only grunted a reply. "Jealous of what?" he demanded. "That I'm always second to them in any of our performances? Everyone always wants to see them, not me."

Lily only smiled. "Except this year, you're dancing with me!" she exclaimed. "And James hates that."

Lips twisting into a ghost of a grin, Severus shrugged. "Yeah, I guess you're right," he decided.

Lily poked out her tongue, moving her arm and linking it through Severus'. "Of course I am," she laughed with a tug, pulling him forward. "C'mon. Can't afford to be late twice in one day. And no Potter or Black in ballet, so..."

Severus dropped his arm. "Last one there's a rotten egg!" he called, sprinting down the hall.

Laughing, Lily followed behind him, easily keeping up. "How old are you? Five?" she teased playfully.

Severus only ran faster. He wasn't watching where he was going, and as he rounded the corner, he slammed straight into the school principal, Albus Dumbledore.

Lily clapped her hands to her mouth, slowing down as she grabbed onto her friend's arm. Severus was standing, looking horrified, as the old teacher somehow managed to stay balanced despite the impact.

"We are so sorry, sir!" Lily cried. "We know we shouldn't be running in here. It won't happen again!"

Dumbledore merely chuckled. "Oh, I know you won't," he said with a hint of a smile. "Good to know I can get back onto my feet so easily in this old age." He smoothed down his clothes. "Best be on your way, you two. I hear you are being considered the stars of the show this year."

Both Lily and Severus nodded without saying a word, and they were on their way again, entering the ballet classroom at the same time as their teacher.

The bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. But Lily knew it was hardly over. Students rarely caught a break at Hogwarts Academy of Art.

"It'll be worth it," Severus said, as though reading her mind as the two friends started for their favourite classroom to practice in. "Mum says you and I will be famous dancers one day. Dad... Well, Dad still thinks I need to 'man up' and play a sport."

Lily scowled. She hated the way Severus' father talked about him. Like his son would never be good enough. "You're already a man, regardless," she said, as she opened the door.

"I'd say that's debatable," came a voice within the classroom, and Lily groaned as she found James and Sirius on the other side.

"We booked this room," she said, folding her arms over her chest and glaring at them. They had already set up for the afternoon, bags on the floor and the space cleared of the ballet bars that she and Severus would need.

"You can't book a room," James informed her in a matter-of-fact tone that didn't suit him at all. "We were here first, meaning we can use it. Unless, of course, you'd like to join us?" There was no denying the insinuation he was leading to, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"We'll find somewhere else, thank you," she said. She grabbed Severus' arm and began to pull him from the classroom, but it was Black who called them back.

"You two going to practice the love scene?" he mocked. "Do you have to kiss?" And before either Lily or Severus could retaliate, the two of them began to prance around the room on their tip-toes, making fun of their chosen dance style.

Severus' fists clenched beside him.

"Sev," Lily whispered, noticing the tension in her friend's shoulders.

To add to their mockery, the two boys began pantomiming kissing. "Bet you've never been kissed, Sevvy-poo," Sirius said, twirling around. Lily was pleased to see he almost tripped over his own feet.

"Unless you count his mum," James agreed.

Before Lily could say anything, Severus lunged, his fist connecting with James' stomach, sending the other boy staggering backwards.

Sirius leaped to his friend's defence, and before Lily could make out what was happening, the three boys were in the midst of a brawl, Sirius on top of Severus, James pulling on his arms. Lily could only watch on helplessly, screaming for them to stop, but they didn't hear her.

She couldn't just watch her best friend be beaten to a pulp. It was an unfair fight, two against one. "Stop it!" she screamed, trying to pull Severus from the melee, only to find James' knuckles crashing against her jaw.

The sheer force sent her staggering back five spaces where their belongings sat against the wall. She felt her calf connect with something sharp in one of the boys' bags, and then a loud crack that shook the others from their fight.

Severus was the first to notice, and he broke away, running to his friend. "Lily!" he shouted, shoving the bags out of the way to get to her. She was clutching her jaw, and from the corner of her mouth he spotted a trail of blood. Her other hand was at the back of her head, and when she pulled it away, it, too, was covered in blood.

Sirius and James had now noticed that Lily was injured and had come to see her. James appeared stricken, his face pale, as he saw the blood that was now falling to the floor.

"Evans, I-"

Lily glared at James, clutching her rapidly swelling jaw. "Piss off," she said, her voice low, deadly.

Even James knew to keep his mouth closed after that.

"Go and get someone!" Severus shouted, whipping around to glare at the two boys who had given him hell since they had come to this school. "Or are you just going to stand there, waiting for her to bleed out?"

James, nor Sirius, had ever listened to him in their lives, but in that moment they darted from the room, their footsteps echoing down the empty corridor.

A/N: This is Amber and Ashleigh here (Cheeky Slytherin Lass and Fire The Canon), bringing to you our collaboration account. Thank you for reading! This fic will contain various Marauder-era pairings and characters, and will not just focus on the ones listed. We hope you enjoy this piece we are working on together!