Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. But I do have a stick I found on the ground somewhere that's vaguely shaped like a wand.
One day, Lily Evans found herself cornered in the library by one James Potter. Really, she fumed, if the man had an Animagus form, it would probably be some kind of insect. Like a gnat. "Would you stop bugging me, Potter?" she snapped, inwardly smirking at her quip. It didn't matter that she was the only one who knew it was a quip. It was there, and it was amusing.
"No," Potter said, crossing his arms over his chest and frowning at her, frustrated. "Why do you hang out with Snape? What's so good about him?"
Lily paused and thought back . . .
Lily rubbed her arm, wincing. Severus, of course, immediately noticed. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.
She waved a dismissive hand. "I'm fine. A student just bumped into me and I was pushed into the wall."
"Who?" he demanded.
"No one," she protested. "It's fine. She immediately apologized for not watching where she was going. No harm done."
He was still frowning. "Are you sure you shouldn't see the Medical Ward, just in case?"
"I'm sure." She smiled at him fondly. "I think of you as a sister, you know."
He raised one black eyebrow. "A sister?"
"I can't help it," she defended. "You're just so . . . motherly!"
"Oh? Motherly, am I?"
"Very," she confirmed, cracking a grin.
He straightened, eyeing her with a predatory gleam in his eye. He twisted his lips into a salacious leer. "Still maternal?"
"Why, Mr. Snape." She placed a hand over her chest and batted her lashes. "You do make my heart flutter."
"Oh, no, Ms. Evans. I don't want your heart to flutter." His black eyes lit up and a wide smile spread across his face. "I want it to fly."
Lily stared at her friend in awe.
His smile faded slightly, but not by much. She hoped that it would never disappear completely.
"Too much?"
"Oh, no. Not at all." She fanned herself with a hand, still feeling slightly overcome. "Wow. I think I need to catch my breath."
Aww, Sev, Lily thought with a rush of affection.
Oh, right. Potter had asked a question, hadn't he?
Lily smiled brightly. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she said cheerfully. She gathered her books and skipped out of the library, leaving Potter staring after her, bewildered.
