Lily Evans brushed the same stray lock of fiery red hair that always fell into her eyes behind her ear for what must have been the millionth time. It was noisy in the Hog's Head, and she forced herself to focus on the words that danced on the page of the Potions textbook opened before her.
"Another Butterbeer, miss?" a scantily-clad waitress drew Lily's attention away from her studies once more. She was beginning to wonder if Hog's Head wasn't the place to study after all.
"Yes, thank you," Lily replied as she absently slid her empty mug toward the waitress, if only to send her away. She looked out across the dive at the variety of patrons it housed - cloaked students, talking and giggling with their heads bent low; a handful of exhausted-looking professors, attempting poorly to disguise themselves to keep from being seen; various random witches and wizards, some whispering quietly, other laughing and yelling racously, evidently having had to much to drink. Shopkeepers, Lily assumed, along with the few witches and wizards that braved throngs of students to venture into Hogsmeade when school at Hogwarts was in session.
The high tinkling of the bell above the front door drew Lily's attention to a tall, lanky boy entering the pub. Bearing Slythering colors, his head was bent low, shadowing all of his pale face but the sharp crook of his nose. His long, black hair fell in tangles around his face, and he moved quickly toward a table in the darkest corner of the room. Though it seemed he was trying desperately not to be seen, Lily knew immediately who it was. It was her dear friend, Severus Snape.
The only thing that stopped Lily from calling Severus's name was the four boys who entered after him. They were, in fact, possibly Lily's least favorite students at Hogwarts - James Potter, and his band of arrogant ne'er-do-well follwers.
James entered first (he always had to be first, Lily noticed), followed eagerly by the dark Sirius Black, then by the shifty Peter Petigrew, and finally, a hesitant and slow-moving Remus Lupin.
"Oh Snaaape-y," James called in a low, mocking tone. "Come out, come out, wherever you are." He scanned the room as he moved slowly about, followed by his three friends. They called themselves the "Marauders" and spent most of their time bullying their fellow students. Lily watched with baited breath as Severus knelt silenty beneath a table at the back of the pub, his wand extended in front of him, ready to stop his approaching enemies.
"Don't be afraid, Snape," Sirius called from behind James as a sinister smile washed over his face. "We only want to have a little chat with you, friend."
"Why aren't you doing anything?!" Lily silently asked the teachers, who hadn't even turned around to take notice of the madness that was about to ensue.
"He's not here," Remus muttered. "Let's leave."
"Like hell he's not here!" James snapped, his eyes flashing with anger. "We just saw him slink in here! Come on!" Closer and closer they drew, and Lily was forced to watch.
"Do something, you bat!" she thought, this time to herself.
"Oh Severus!" she called in as strong a voice as she could muster."There you are! What are you doing under there, silly?" She cocked her head to the side and looked at him with the biggest smile she could manage. "I thought you'd never get here!" Her heart was in her throat as she became completely aware that all four of the Marauders, along with Severus and several other bystanders, were watching her with wide eyes. Slowly and shakily, Severus drew himself from underneath the table. He dusted off his cloak and gave James Potter a long look.
"Come on and sit down!" Lily called with what must have been a ridiculously huge grin. "I nearly thought you stood me up!" She kept her eyes trained on Severus as he made his way slowly toward her, and finally, sat down at the chair across from her. The Marauders followed, looking spellbound and perplexed.
"What kind of love potion have you slipped her, Snape?" James scoffed with venom. "There's no way Lily Evans would want you around!" With sudden anger, James grabbed Lily's steaming Butterbeer and threw it at Severus, who gasped as it splashed down his cloak.
"For the Butterbeer," James said as he dropped two sickles on the table next to Lily with a smirk.
"You're a rat, James Potter!" Lily Evans screamed as the quartet left the pub in a hurry, aware of the scene they had caused. "A disgusting, loathsome rat, and I hate you!"
"Here," she said as she handed Severus the cloth napkin beside her. "I'm so sorry, Severus."
"It's alright," he said quietly as he patted himself off. "I think you may have hurt James's pride more than he hurt mine."
Lily furrowed her brow.
"What do you mean?"
"You know James Potter is madly in love with you, don't you?" he asked as he put down the napkin and looked up at Lily, his dark eyes as intense as they always got when he was serious.
"I don't know about in love," Lily mumbled, lowering her eyes. She didn't like being looked at as deeply as Severus was looking at her.
"How many times did he ask you out last week?" Severus asked.
"I don't know," Lily lied with a shrug. She traced figure eights in the grainy tabletop with her index fingernail. "Twice, maybe."
"I rest my case," Severus said smugly.
Neither said anything as Lily kept her eyes locked on the tabletop, still drawing designs in the wood.
"Thank you," Severus said. "For rescuing me. Again."
"Oh my dear Severus," Lily said with a small smile as she covered his hand with her own. "You know I'd do anything for you." With that, she gathered her books, dropped two more sickles next to the two James left, and exited the pub.
"As would I," Severus mumbled to an empty chair as he toyed with the coins on the table. "More than you'll ever know."
