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Snape grabbed Lily's arm, pulling her down a deserted corridor. She looked surprised, then outraged; Severus had never put his hands on her like that before. He hauled her a few feet down the hallway, then turned her to face him, his expression livid.

"What are you thinking?" he hissed at her. Lily tried to pull away, to no avail.

"Bloody hell, Sev, what are you doing? Back off." Something in her eyes told him it was best to do as she said.

He breathed heavily, as if he had just run a marathon. "What are you thinking," he asked her more calmly, running his hand through his hair, "saying yes to Potter?"

Lily's green eyes narrowed. "Who I go with is none of your business, Severus." She never used his full name, and Severus knew that she was furious with him. She had only recently made up with him after calling her that awful name—he could not bear to have her hate him again. But still…

"He's an idiot, Lily! I just…" he looked down now, refusing to meet her eyes. "I don't want to see him make a fool out of you. You'd just be another girl to him."

Lily's eyes softened, and she put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at this, hopeful.

"Thank you for worrying about me. But I can take care of myself." Severus opened his mouth to protest, but Lily cut him off.

"He seems genuine enough. He's been asking me all year."

Severus scowled. He happened to know just how much James Potter coveted Lily. He'd liked her since they had first come to Hogwarts. Almost as long as Severus had loved her.

"Please," he whispered, half-hoping she wouldn't her him. He looked in her eyes again, black meeting green. She looked apologetic. He hated it.

Severus summoned all of his courage, then leaned forward. Before Lily quite knew what was happening, Severus was kissing her. It took a moment before Lily came to her sensed and pulled away. She put her hands on his chest and gently, but firmly, pushed until he took a step backward. Severus tried not to let her see the hurt in his eyes at her obvious rejection.

"I'm sorry, Sev," she said, and Severus could tell that she truly was sorry. "You're my best friend. You always have been, since before Hogwarts, even. But I don't see you that way."

Severus looked down, blinking away the salty tears that threatened to fall. He would not let her see how weak he was.

"Never?" he whispered.

Out of his peripheral vision he could see Lily shake her head. "No. I'm sorry." She stood there for a moment, then, sighing, she turned and walked away, off in the direction of Gryffindor tower.

Severus let the tears flow freely now. After years of loving her, of wanting to be able to tell her how he felt, he had been rejected. He had never felt pain so intense.

He heard footsteps. Quickly wiping away the tears, he looked up.

James Potter stood several feet away from him, hands in his pockets, looking slightly ashamed. Severus yanked out his wand from the inside of his sleeve, pointing it at Potter. Severus had never hated the black-haired boy more than he did at that moment.

Instead of taking out his wand, however, Potter raised his hands in a surrendering gesture. Severus took neither his wand nor his hate-filled stare off the boy.

"What do you want,' he spat.

Potter ran his fingers through his untidy hair, not speaking. Then, he shrugged.

Severus was outraged. "Look, if all you're here to do is poke fun—"

"I'm not."

Severus rolled his eyes. "That's a change of pace. You've made my life hell since I came here, and I don't really recall ever doing anything to provoke it."

Silence. Then—

"Sure you did." Then Potter spoke more quietly. "You had her."

Severus stared, clearly surprised. "What?"

Now Potter rolled his eyes, leaning up against the corridor wall lazily. "You heard. I know you've liked Evans since about forever. It was pretty obvious the first day on the train."

Severus thought for a moment, then understood. He stared at Potter, disbelieving.

"You were jealous."

Potter smirked. "Were, or am? You spend more time with her than anyone else, even her little clique of girlfriends." Severus nodded; he knew this to be true.

"So," Potter said, straightening up and taking a few steps backward. "I kinda just wanted to apologize. Not for asking her," he said, chuckling at the look on Severus' face. "No, I don't think I'll ever regret that. But I'm sorry it hurt you. I don't like hurting people, not even you. And I know it's got to sting."

Severus' eyes darkened. "I don't need your apologies. You'll hurt her, and she'll come running back to me for comfort. And I'll be here for her. I always have been."

Potter stood silently for a moment, then nodded. "You'll see." He turned and walked away, the same direction Lily had gone, whistling. Severus watched him retreat, glaring at his back.

Then, seeing that his arch nemesis was gone, Severus sat down there in the corridor, back against the wall, and put his head in his hands. He had to think of something. He could not lose Lily. And he refused to let that pompous, arrogant filth have her.

A thick tear slipped down his cheek.

A/N: Please review! I think I might write another one, more from Lily's point of view, but I don't expect it to go farther than that. In case you hadn't noticed, there really isn't much of a plot =P Thanks for reading!