A/N: So, a few things. First, you know how I said OFC? It should be noted that while the character is original, she isn't original to me. This fic is based on a roleplay, where I play Severus and my friend Tina plays Laura (the OFC). So if the character's messed up, blame my bad writing, but if you think she's awesome, all credit to Tina. :)
Secondly, I wasn't alive in 1977, so I apologise for any anachronisms.
Thirdly, as always... reviews are amazing, concrit is my favourite thing ever, and basically, any comment, good or bad, which might help me improve... I love 'em all!

ETA: This is not a Lily-hate fic. I keep getting reviews and comments talking about how horrible Lily is, and apparently expecting me to agree. That's your opinion, and you can have whatever opinion you want, but be aware that I don't agree with it. I like Lily, and while she (like everyone else) will do some slightly iffy things throughout the fic (because she's a teenager and because she is a fallible human being), this is not a fic about how she was horrible to Severus or how she never cared about him or anything else. You can send comments to this fic about how horrible Lily is, but they will almost inevitably be met with a point-by-point refutation, because I am actually a Lily-fan and not particularly comfortable with character-bashing in any case.
tl;dr - please don't leave character-bashing reviews and expect a positive response. Thank you.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter is property of J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing, and the title is from the Mumford & Sons song "After The Storm". Not mine, and I'm not making any money from this.

1 - Plots & Polaroids

"James..."

"Lily, look, I know what you're going to say, but..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"It was Sirius' idea! And I just thought..."

The other eyebrow rose to join the first. "Thought what, James? Thought it was appropriate for you – the Head Boy – to go sneaking around in another student's room? In their private belongings? Look, I don't even care what you do in your own time, James, I'm past caring about that. Just don't get me involved!"

He shuffled his foot, hands in his pockets, and Lily had a momentary stab of amusement that she could reduce James Potter to this without even trying. She had to bite back a smile, which faded away again when she remembered why they were arguing.

"Look, James," she said, relenting slightly. "Just promise me you'll put them back later, okay? I'll see you in the Great Hall. Just give me a moment." Leaning forwards, she pressed a light kiss to his lips, then nodded to the door.

"It is creepy, though," he said, over his shoulder, as he left. "You have to admit, Lils. It is creepy."

As the door closed behind him, she sank down on the bed with a sigh, chin in her hands. She really thought she'd trained him out of things like this. Thought he'd grown up a bit. And just when she thought she might have a boyfriend who was sensible and calm and respectful (well, more so, at least), he did something like this.

She reached out one hand, pulling the sheaf of photographs towards her. Then again, she thought ruefully, he might have a point. This was a bit creepy. She'd expected Sev to keep a few photos from when, well... from when she'd still thought of him as Sev, but her whole life was here, Lily after Lily after Lily, smiling gappily from her back garden when she was nine, on the Hogwarts Express in third year, with her back to the photographer in a shot that couldn't have been taken more than a month ago...

"Oh, Sev," she murmured, barely realising that she'd spoken, or that her eyes were starting to sting. She might not have forgiven him – the memory of that day by the lake was all too clear for that – but part of her still remembered him as the boy she'd met in the playground, the grimy, serious boy who was somehow sweet, in his damaged, disdainful way. Her friend.

Her friend, who wasn't her friend any more, she reminded herself sharply. Her friend, who'd apparently been stalking her.

"Oh, Sev," she said again, and found herself on the brink of laughter, bitter and hysterical. "You really need to get laid."

It was such an un-Lily thing to say, so strange to hear in her voice, that she couldn't hold back the laughter any more. She laughed even though there were tears in her eyes, even though looking at the Polaroids of her and Sev in her parents' garden, ten years old and without a care in the world, made her throat close up and her chest tighten. She laughed even though it wasn't funny. She laughed because it wasn't.

And then, very suddenly, she stopped. Because it wasn't funny. And maybe, just maybe, there was some truth in it.

...*...

She'd left James with a kiss on the cheek and an apologetic "Look, I'll explain later, I promise." Now, plate in one hand, she slipped into a seat on the Ravenclaw table, ignoring the strange looks she was getting.

"Laura? You got a minute?"

The girl she'd sat down next to, a round-faced seventh-year, looked up from the hefty volume of healing spells in her lap, blinking at Lily in obvious surprise. Lily didn't blame her much; they were acquaintances more than friends, and if Laura had come and sat next to her on the Gryffindor table, she would have been just as surprised. Laura rallied impressively, though, with a brief little smile and a nod as she regained her composure.

"Hello, Lily. Yes, I think so... what can I do for you?"

"It's not really for me, exactly..." Now that she was actually trying to make this happen, Lily realised she had almost no idea of how to go about asking. "I mean, it'll help me out, but... look, can we maybe meet up after dinner and talk about it then? I'd hate to interrupt your reading, and James is making stupid faces at us."

"It's a little late to not interrupt my reading," Laura pointed out, a little dryly, but she nodded. "That should be fine. Where shall we meet?"

"I'll catch up with you out of the Hall," Lily said, standing up, and gave Laura a smile. "Thanks. Sorry I interrupted your dinner. Sorry," she repeated, with a smaller, more apologetic smile, to the table in general, and hurried back to the Gryffindor table, sliding into her usual place next to James.

"What was that all about?" he asked, through a mouthful of spaghetti, as she sat down.

"Just... something I'm plotting." She shrugged, tipping him the wink, and finally dug into her own dinner with some gusto. "You're not the only one who can do big elaborate schemes, Potter." Then, when he turned the puppy-dog eyes on her (making her splutter with laughter and almost spit bolognaise across the table), she shook her head, sighing in mock-exasperation. "I promise I'll tell you all this evening, okay? Cross my heart and hope to die. Just don't make that face any more." Smiling, she patted his knee, then turned to the other Marauders. "So, what did I miss? We were on Halloween plans, right?"

The rest of dinner passed quickly, in the usual buzz of conversation. When they were all finished, Lily excused herself, peeling away from the group as they left, to wait for Laura just inside the doors. It wasn't a long wait; Lily suspected the Ravenclaw had finished her dinner a while ago, and was just waiting for the Marauders to leave. She greeted Laura with a smile when they met, falling into step beside her.

"What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Laura asked, as they headed outside into the crisp autumn air.

"Um..." Again, even after half an hour or so of trying to work out how to go about this, Lily found herself at a loss for words. "You know Snape, right?"

"Severus?" Laura nodded, frowning slightly. "Of course. We're Potions partners."

"I know, but I mean, you're friends with him, right? You hang around after class, that kind of thing?" Lily was chewing on her lip, thoughtful and not a little awkward. She'd spent a year and half doing her utmost not to think about Severus Snape, bothered as she still was by everything that had happened. After so long, actively trying to understand him ran against the grain. "You see, it's Se—it's Snape I'm trying to help out."

Laura only raised an eyebrow, so Lily plunged on, still very aware of how awkward she felt. "Um, James kind of sneaked into Snape's dorm and took some of his things. I told him not to!" she added quickly, defensively. "And I'm going to make him put it all back, so... please don't tell Snape that part, all right? But he showed me it, and it kind of got me thinking..."

"Lily," Laura interrupted, eyebrows raised. "What is it, exactly, that you want me to do?"

Deep breath in, and then Lily let it out in a long whoosh. "I just want to..."

...*...

"You want to do what?"

"James." She folded her arms, staring him down. "You heard me. I said I want to set Snape up."

"Set him up." He looked positively horrified. "Set Snivelly up. On a date. On a date with a person. A person with standards. That's just cruel, Lils. I mean... that's cruel. And why?"

"I told you," she said, exasperated, and sank back onto her bed, waving one of Snape's photos at him. "Because of this. Because maybe, you know, maybe if he's got a girlfriend, he won't need to stalk me any more. So I'm happy, and you're happy, and, Merlin, even Snape's happy..."

"And what about Baines? Is she happy in this equation?" James took off his glasses, flopping down onto the bed next to her, and squinted at her. "She's Muggleborn too, isn't she? You really think you're doing her a favour setting her up with a Slytherin? With Snivelly, for Godric's sake?"

Lily shifted, a little awkwardly. She had thought about that, about the repercussions of trying to get Snape together with a Muggleborn. How could she not, after what had happened in fifth year? But, well...

"They're already friends," she said, after a moment. "I mean, that's why it's her I'm trying to get on-side, James. And you know she's not stupid, she can back out if she wants to. I'm not going to make her do anything..."

"Keep telling yourself that, Lils," James said darkly, polishing his glasses and pushing them back up his nose, then stood up. "You just keep telling yourself that."

And then he was gone, leaving Lily right where she'd been a couple of hours before; staring at her hands and at the photos, and wondering desperately if she was doing the right thing.