Disclaimer: I used the dialog from this scene in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows as a guidlines for my story but I do not own any of it. Please Read and Reveiw. :)

Mudblood.

The word rang in my ears, cold and cruel, and refused to let me sleep. I slapped my pillow over my head and yanked the blankets up over that. It was completely useless of course but I had to do something, anything to distract myself from the pain of betrayal.

I'd already cried until there were no more tears and my uncontrolled sobs had driven the other girls out of the dormitory and into the common room. I sat up and rubbed my bloodshot eyes. I was exhausted but every time I closed my eyes the only thing I saw was Sev's face twisted in rage as Potter and his friends tormented him. And the hurt in his eyes when he realized what he'd called me. But it didn't matter to me that he felt bad. The damage was done and there was nothing he could do to take that back. And I wasn't going to forgive him easily no matter how hard he begged me to understand. He was probably still sitting outside the common room in front of the portrait of the fat lady waiting for me to change my mind. I wondered how long he would stay there.

"Lily!" the dormitory door slammed opened and my friend Mary stormed in, "He says he's going to sleep there if you don't come out! You'd better go! I can't stand listening to him all night," Her voice went up an octave as she mocked him, "'Just tell her that I'm sorry! She has to understand that I didn't mean it.' I honestly don't know why you're friends with him in the first place-,"

"I'm not!" I said before she could say any more, "Not any more at least. Go back to sleep." And I shut the door behind me.

She has to understand that I didn't mean it.

What was that supposed to mean? How could he not mean it? He said it! But as I descended the stairs and walked through the common room I knew that I probably would have used the same argument too if I had said something as inexcusable. Something I regretted. As I pushed opened the portrait I almost gave in and forgave him.

He looked so miserable slumped against the wall with his face in his hands that I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. He looked up.

"Lily!" He stood, "I'm sorry."

"Not interested Sev."

"Please! I'm Sorry!"

"It's no use," I glared at him with my arms crossed, showing him how angry I really was, "I'm only here because Mary said you were going to sleep here.

"And I was going to. But I never meant to call you Mudblood Lily!" I ignored the desperation in his voice. I could see in his dark eyes that he was truly sorry but it was too late.

I shook my head slowly. "That's not good enough. It's too late for me to forgive you. Mary doesn't even know why I'm still friends with you," I was angry with him for more than just calling me Mudblood and he knew it. "Those Death Eater friends of yours – and what they do! It's evil Sev! Is that what you want? Do you want to join You-Know-Who?"

He stared at me speechless.

"We've gone our separate ways now," I said quietly, "We're not on the same path. We were never meant to be." I stared at the floor with tears pooling in my eyes.

"Lily," He stepped closer to me putting his hand under my chin. Gently he lifted my face up to his. His lips brushed mine and for a moment I let them linger there. But I knew this would never work. I realized a long time ago that he loved me, but for me he had never been more than just my friend. But recently even that had been destroyed. I stepped away from him and stared at the floor, not daring to meet his gaze.

In a barely audible whisper I said, "Its better this way." And as I turned to climb through the entrance to the tower I knew that it was. I don't know how I knew, but somehow I felt that in the greater scheme of it all, Severus had a large part to play. I also knew that he wouldn't be able to play that part if I was there. But it didn't matter. I still regretted my decision.

A cold tear slid silently down my face.