A/N: Obviously, this has spoilers for the relationship between Lily and Snape. If you read it, and haven't finished the Deathly Hallows, then don't go bitching at me for ruining it for you. Also, this is my first Harry Potter fic, and it is Lily/Snape angst, so be nice to me. Reviews are loved.

Disclaimer: The characters belong only to J.K. Rowling's brilliant mind.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily.

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the countercurse.

"There you go," he said, as Snape struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus--"

"I don't need help from filthy little mudbloods like her!"

Words can break even the strongest bonds.

The sun was setting, the sky had become a dark shade of red. Adult men and women littered the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. These people had first arrived here as children years before. They would soon be leaving it for the final time.

One of these people, a woman with red hair and a frown on her face, was leaning against a tree, holding a cat in her arms. She was watching her boyfriend, James Potter, who was having a conversation with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin down by the lake. She was about to join them when she heard her name called.

"Lily?"

She turned, dropping the cat to the ground. Upon seeing who called her, her face became stony. "What do you want?" she said coldly.

"Lily...please...don't--"

"We've been over this! I don't care what you say, what you think, I'm going with James!"

"Lily, you...don't understand--"

"I don't understand? Me?! Its you that doesn't understand! You don't understand a damn thing, Snivellus!"

The color drained from his face and he looked as if she'd slapped him.

If she noticed it though, she seemed not to care. She continued. "You think you're so smart, with your talks of Purebloods and Mudbloods and your darling little Slytherin friends."

He took a step closer to her and she took two steps back. "Lily, listen to me! They mean nothing to me! Nothing! You--"

"Me?" She said, rolling her eyes. "Me, the 'filthy little Mudblood'? I mean more to you than your precious Pureblood pals? Don't make me laugh."

Her words stung him. He had tears in his eyes. "Please, Lily, you know I didn't...I told you! I've told you a thousand times! I don't think of you like that! It slipped, it slipped! Why won't you forgive me?"

"Because!" she said acidly, "You don't deserve my forgiveness! That's how you think of all of us! We're scum to you!

"And do you think that's the only reason? I know what you're planning to do, Severus. As soon as you get off the bloody train you'll do it. If I see you again, it'll be there!"

"W-what will be there?"

"You know full well what I'm talking about!" she hissed. "The mark, his mark. Your idol, the pureblood champion. Voldemort!"

Snape jumped backwards, nearly tripping on Lily's cat. "Do not speak His name!"

"Why shouldn't I? I'm not afraid of him! I'm not!" she said again as he spluttered.

"Please!" Snape wailed, "Please, Lily, don't you understand? If you go against Him, you could be...you could be killed!"

"What would it matter?" she said quietly. "What would it matter if I died as long as I gave my life for a good cause?"

Snape let out a moan of frustration. "What would it matter? What would it matter? Why can't you see? Why?!"

"There is nothing for me to see, Severus." She turned and snatched her cat out of the grass and began to walk towards James.

"I love you!" He had blurted the words without thinking. He clapped his hands over his mouth.

Lily stopped dead. She turned slowly, her face was scarlet. "You...you what?"

"I l-love you." he said again. "I have since we were children.

Please come with me. I don't want anything to happen to you. I couldn't bear it! Please don't leave me, Lily."

She stared at him for a long while and in the distance, the whistle of the Hogwarts Express let out a long note. It was time to go.

Her eyes were filled with sorrow as she began to speak. "I loved you too."

Snape took a sharp breath.

"But," she continued, "I don't anymore. My feelings for you have gone. You are not in my heart now and you won't be ever again. You made your decisions years ago and I have made mine. They are..." she choked back a sob, "they are as different as night and day. As much as I hate it, and wish things could have been different --and I do Sev, really-- they aren't. If you had only chosen a different path, a better path, things may have been different. We could've had a chance.

"But, that isn't the case. And now the time has come for us to go our seperate ways. Its time now. Goodbye."

Lily hesitated. It was so horribly cruel for it to end this way. After years of friendship...this was it. The world had torn them apart. Two different sides had come between them. And this was how it had to be.

She swallowed back another sob and started walking towards the lake again.

Snape ran to her and grabbed the sleeve of her robes. "No, Lily! No, don't go!" He said as a tears fell from the corners of his eyes.

"Let go of me!" said Lily, as she also began to cry. "Its too late! Its over! Now let me go!"

He released her.

She ran away from him, nearly tripping on her robes and clutching the cat to her chest.

He watched her as she ran to James. He saw the concern on Potter's face as he wiped her tears away. Potter looked up the hill at him and pulled his wand from his robes and Black did the same.

Let them come, Snape thought sadly. I don't care. Let them come, let them curse me. I deserve it.

But they didn't. Lily had grabbed them and Snape knew, even then she was protecting him. She looked at him with pain on on her face before she turned to walk towards the gates. The three men followed her.

Snape watched her ruby head untill it was out of sight.

Sobbing, he began walking towards the gates as well. Her words rang in his ears. "If you had only chosen a different path, a better path, things may have been different. We could've had a chance."

With tears streaking his face, he looked to the sky. The dying sun was now the same color as her hair. And there wasn't a spell in existance that could mend his broken heart.