His eyes gleamed red, his face contorted with hatred as he raised his wand high, ready to strike. His lips curled into a snarl as he growled the incantation. The room flashed green and...

Lily bolted upright in her four poster bed, gasping in terror. The darkness pressed in on her, thick and dense, complimenting her fear and making it near impossible to breathe. Sweat ran in rivulets down her face, mingling with her tears. The dream had been so vivid, so horrifying. Worst of all, it had felt real. It was not the first time she had experienced this, she had dreamt the same dream before, in fact, she had been forced to relive it every night of the summer. Ever since she had stopped speaking to him, to Severus.

Some time had passed since Lily had the argument with Severus, it was a new school year and it seemed to Lily that since their falling out, he had immersed himself even more deeply in the dark arts. Lily couldn't shake the feeling that even Severus had become one of them, one of the Death Eaters. She didn't want to believe it, and nor did she place much stock in the 'art of divination' but she felt that as though her dream meant something. That it was some sort of sign that Severus really had turned completely to the dark arts. Lily sighed, as her heart slowed. Laying back down onto her pillow she closed her eyes tight, desperately hoping that this time her sleep would be dreamless.

Lily poked at her eggs miserably. She was tired, she was always tired. Her dreams kept her awake most nights and the added study load of her sixth year wasn't really helping the situation.
"You look terrible." Remus said as he sat down beside Lily at the Gryffindor table.
"Hello Remus, where's Potter and Black?" Lily replied, sneering the last two names as she remembered that if it had not been for those immature gits, she and Severus would still be on speaking terms.
Remus shrugged uninterestedly and glanced toward the Entrance Hall, "Late, as always."
Lily turned back to her eggs, prodding them across the plate with her fork. She hated them! James Potter and Sirius Black. They were always finding any excuse to pick on Severus and to think that Potter wanted Lily to even consider him as a partner! It made Lily furious. Vain, arrogant, obnoxious, idiotic Potter.
"They're not that bad you know, once you get to know them." Remus said softly, startling Lily.
A blush heated Lily's cheeks and she glanced up at Remus, embarrassed that he could tell what she was thinking. She stood up abruptly, suddenly desiring to be alone. "I.. I'm sorry.. Class.. Bye." With that she stalked off into the crowd, leaving Remus to stare after her.

Lily prodded her beetle across the desk with her wand gloomily. She was supposed to be turning it into a jewel, but in all honesty, the assignment was the furthest thing from her mind. Potter and Black were tossing jewels to an admiring crowd on the opposite side of the classroom, while she, Lily sat alone. She stared across at them, scrutinising their carefree expressions. Shouldn't they even feel the least bit guilty? She thought angrily, surely they can't be so daft as to not realise that their constant aggravation caused the rift between her and Severus.
"Cheer up Lil," Remus murmured softly in her ear.
She jumped in surprise and turned to glare at him, must he always be butting in? She wished that he would just leave her be to hate Potter and Black in private. She wasn't in the mood to listen to him defend them. He sat in the vacant chair by her side and smiled at her, in an infuriatingly superior way. She deepened her glare and angled herself away, every muscle in her body hinting that she be left alone. Remus did not receive her hint, or rather, just ignored it completely.
"What's up? Don't you want James to give you a jewel?" He grinned, teasing her.
She ignored him.
"You know, if it really bothers you, why don't you try talking to him?" Remus asked.
"Why would I want-"
"No not James, Severus. That is what's bothering you?"
Lily stiffened, feeling a blush rise in her cheeks, was she really so obvious?
"I can read you like a book, Miss Evans." He answered her unspoken question with a smile.
She jumped, "Get out of my head Remus," she mumbled softly.
He stood, chuckling, and returned to the rest of the class, leaving Lily to brood.

Someone screamed in the distance. Is this... Is it really Hogwarts? It's in ruins, Lily thought as she meandered her way through the rubble. There are bodies everywhere. But who is that? The figure standing just ahead. The figure turned to face her, his lips curled into a cold sneer. He snarled the words, there was a flash of green light and..

Lily bolted upright in bed, her breaths coming out in quick, short bursts. The nightmare still vivid in her mind. She pressed her fists to her eyes, desperately trying to block the image from her mind. The black was tinged with a distinctive greenish hue. She shuddered. Trembling slightly she moved to get out of bed, she didn't want one of the girls in her dormitory to wake up and find her in tears.

It was just past two in the morning so Lily was not surprised to see the common room empty. She made her way over to the armchair closest to the dying fire and curled up on it. She tried to steer her mind away from the nightmare but it was useless, the image was burned to her brain, replaying like a film on a loop. She began to sob, she was frightened and alone in the dark, and her best friend... was he really a Death Eater? She shook her head weakly, half to clear it and half to deny the direction her thoughts had taken her. She did not like to think of Severus as evil, but her dreams, and the crowd he was surrounded by, did everything to convince her he was. He was her best friend, he'd introduced her to her true identity. He had accepted her when she had felt like an outcast, shut out by her own sister.

Lily hugged herself tighter, tears still streaming down her face. If only she weren't alone, if only she had company. If only there were someone...

"Evans..?" A voice came suddenly from the darkness, "Is that you?"A bespectacled boy with very messy hair appeared from behind her chair.
She stared at him incredulously. Potter. She had wished for anybody and she had gotten him. Of all people, it was him. It was only two hours into it and she already knew that today just wasn't her day. She sighed resignedly and waved sarcastically at him, gesturing to the other squashy armchair.

He sat down in the armchair opposite her, looking slightly pale but very serious. Serious expressions were the sort of expressions that Lily did not often see cross Potter's face. He cleared his throat uncomfortably.
"Uh, so, what's up?" He asked.
"Up?" Lily replied, a little annoyed, "The roof?"
He laughed a little at her response, "You know what I meant. Are you alright?"
Lily stared at him. Anxiety was still bubbling low in her stomach, tears were coursing down her face, he was an obnoxious git, and he wants to know if she was alright?
"Don't worry," she snapped, "It's not something that you need to concern yourself with Potter."
He opened his mouth, looking like he wished to say something else but promptly closed it and looked down at his feet.
Lily watched him, feeling slightly childish for her outburst. Is he... I think he is actually sincere, Lily thought. She didn't want to admit it to herself, but she was touched. The arrogant James Potter was sincerely concerned for her wellbeing.
"Look..." She began.
"No." He interjected,"It's fine, I understand, you don't need to talk to me. You don't need to tell me what's wrong. You don't even need to like me. I'm happy to just sit here, and to keep you company, for as long as you need it. Okay?" Lily looked down, her face as red as her hair, "Thank you," she breathed,"Thanks..."

A/N: Hi thank you for reading, I'm hoping to update soon. Please review, if you want to. [I own none of the characters and I apologise for any inconsistencies with the books.]