Lily sat by the lake with tears in her eyes. It was almost Christmas, but she was staying at Hogwarts. She had gotten a letter from her parents asking her not to come home that holiday, because Petunia had thrown a fit when they had told her Lily was coming, and they figured they should sort Petunia out before subjecting Lily to her.
Lily heard someone shuffle up to her, and sit down beside her. She couldn't see who it was because her had was in her hands with her hair blocking her view. However, she knew it was Severus. He was always there to make her feel better and insult Petunia with her. The two sat in silence together for a few minutes, until a voice came from the boy beside her. It was rougher and deeper than she had expected.
"Do you wanna talk about it, Evans?"
Her head shot up and looked at the boy next to her. "James? Where's Sev?" she asked surprised.
"He's got detention. You didn't know that? I thought you guys told each everything..." A glare from Lily made him trail off. "You okay?" he asked. He seemed truly concerned.
"No," Lily said quietly. "Not really... It's just family..."
"Well if you wanna talk, I'm here."
They sat in silence for a while, until it was Lily's turn to break it.
"Why are you here?" she asked, even though she knew the answer.
"I saw you from the common room window. Thought you might need company," he said simply.
"You mean you didn't have anyone to bully?" she asked, both joking and serious.
"Nah. Figured the school got a big enough dose of that today."
Lily looked at him questioningly.
"That's why Snivell- sorry, Severus got detention," he told her. "You didn't know?' he asked incredulously. 'He and his Slytherin buddies hexed some first year Ravenclaw girl. McGonagall caught them and gave them all a weeks detention."
Lily sighed. "Why does he do this?" she asked herself.
"You know, I'm not the only bully at this school," James said. "Snape bullies people himself. At least I don't cause physical harm to people."
"Yeah, yeah, I get it. My best friend's a jerk." Lily felt herself getting angry. "You don't have to point it out to me. It just makes me feel worse."
"No, no, that's not what I was saying," James said. "It's just," he stopped, not knowing how to go on. "My mom has always told me that everyone is good inside. But it's not what's inside, it's what you choose to act on."
"Well you act mean too, so you're hardly helping your case," Lily pointed out.
"I'm not trying to help my case," James said, frustrated, "I just want you to know," he paused again. It was a minute before he spoke again. "Just, know that you're a good person. You're a better person than me or Snape."
"Well, I know that I'm better than you," Lily said, a grin sneaking onto her face.
James stood up. "Just know, the Sorting Hat is pretty smart. There's a reason it put you in Gryffindor and Snape is Slytherin. You shouldn't have to be defined by what your 'best friend' does. You make your own choices. It's what makes you a good person." He got up and started to walk away.
"James," she called after him.
He turned around. "Yeah?"
Lily scratched her head, before saying, "Thanks. I...I think I needed to hear that."
"Anytime, Evans," he cracked a smile. "See you upstairs?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'll be up in a minute."
"James Potter, making people feel better since 1960!" he called out to the empty courtyard, raising his fists in the air.
"And flipping them upside down!" Lily yelled back at him, smiling at his pride.
"Hey! That made Sirius feel better when he got dumped," he turned around to see Lily. "Check and mate."
They both laughed to themselves as James went up the stairs to the castle. Lily sat for a few minutes longer, composing herself. She found it difficult for a moment to remember why she had been sad on the first place, but soon she recalled the letter. She sighed as she lifted herself up from the frozen lakeside. She shivered as her hands touched the snow on the ground. She smiled inwardly, realizing how much James actually cared for her, to come out in the cold, just to a small chance of cheering her up. 'He wasn't that bad,' she thought.
Lily trudged through the accumulating snow to get inside, and went back up to the common room to warm up by the fire with her friends.
Snape had been watching Lily since she had gone outside. She sat by herself, and he thought he saw her shaking as if in tears. He cursed himself for hexing that little Ravenclaw. He was supposed to be writing lines, but he watched Lily for a while longer. Soon, he saw a tall boy with messy black hair walking towards Lily. He cursed himself even more. James was going to comfort her. He'd plant ideas of Severus being a horrible person. He'd tell her of the detention he'd gotten. Snape was so mad, he actually started writing his lines again to cool down. When he looked out the window again, he saw James walking away. 'Good,' he thought, 'I bet Lily sent him away. Good old Lily, she'll never trust Potter.'
But then Lily turned her head and called something at him, smiling. He yelled something back and they were both grinning. 'No, no, what are they saying?' Snape strained his eyes, maybe he could read their lips- but no, Lily had turned back around and James continued into the school. Snape watched for a few more minutes, until Lily finally got up and went inside. But he saw on her face a smile, and knew that Lily Evans was slowly slipping away.
