A/N:- Ok, I've decided i'll try and update at least once a week. Sorry for any inconsistencies in the storyline, i sort of forgot that there had been 11 years of voldemort before Harry so there might be a few references to him just gaining power. Hopefully i managed to get rid of it. Please review to let me know what you think.

Chapter 2

"Lily, listen to me. I don't want to spend the summer not talking to you," Severus said as he touched Lily's arm. She spun around and batted him away.

"No Sev. Just leave me alone," Lily said. Severus held her arm and pulled her into an empty compartment. "What do you think you're doing?" Lily demanded. For the last two weeks Lily had been avoiding Severus but he'd finally caught up with her as she returned from the Prefect's compartment.

"Lily, please, just hear me out-"

"I told you so many times already, Severus. What's done is done. You called me a Mudblood. I'm never going to forgive that, never," She said. Lily looked coldly at the hurt that showed on Severus' face. If he hadn't called her a Mudblood she would probably have felt sorry for him. Her anger at him had grown since the incident two weeks before. She had caught him, Avery and Mulciber trying to attack a muggle born first year Hufflepuff.

"I'll do anything Lily. I'll even stop hanging out with Avery and-"

"You know you'll become a Death Eater anyway. It's what you've been dreaming of becoming. Why don't you start with killing Mudbloods now?" Lily asked. She took her wand out from where it hung in her belt and threw it on the seat. She watched Snape's face twitch slightly then saw his knuckles turn white. He looked as though he wanted to say something to her but he wouldn't say it. Lily picked up her wand and put it back where she usually kept it.

"Leave me alone Severus. Everyone was right about you, even Petunia," Lily said. The disappointment in her voice was clear.

"What? Don't listen to that stupid Muggle. You know she's just jeal-"

"Don't you ever call my sister stupid!" Lily said as she turned on him with her wand.

"But she doesn't even like you,"

"She's still my sister and if you ever insult her or even go near her or me I'll deal with you myself instead of letting Potter do it and you know I'm much better then him Severus." Severus looked at the young red head with genuine fear.

"Alright," Severus said with a frown. Lily kept her wand up and left the compartment. She soon found her friends enjoying a huge pile of pumpkin cakes and Bertie Botts Beans bought by Hiba. Hiba watched Lily come into the compartment and sit down with a huff.

"Snape?" Hiba asked. Lily nodded, "Here, have a bean," Lily took the yellow bean and put in her mouth. She felt a sense of relief when she tasted banana. She sat cross legged on the floor by the door and looked up at her friends

"Where's Mary?"

"She's had dodgy flavoured brown bean. I believe she's currently making friends with the toilet," Gabbie said with a smirk.

"So what are you up to this summer now that all your plans with Snape have fallen through?" Asked Sarah. Lily shrugged.

"Maybe try and become friends with my sister again. Sev's presence never really helped our friendship," Lily said.

"Remember the invite to Pakistan is still open," Hiba said, "Mum is headed back to visit our family and she's taking me and my family with us."

"I'll be alright," Lily said, "I might go and visit Remus or even stay with my cousin's for a while."

"What if Snape turns up at your door?" Sarah asked.

"I think it'll be worth breaking the underage magic law," Lily said with a frown. Sarah smiled and crossed her legs.

"Lily Evans, breaking the law," Sarah said.

"She's already received about ten warnings," Hiba said seriously to Sarah, "She should have been kicked out of Hogwarts a while ago but Dumbledore wont part with one of his prize students, especially because she's muggleborn," Hiba said with a smile. Usually this kind of statement would annoy Lily but she and Hiba were so close that Lily knew that Hiba meant it as a compliment.

"Bloody hell Lily. I don't think Potter's received that many warnings," Gabbie said.

"Don't tell him," Lily told her, "He'd just throw it back in my face."

"Throw what back in your face?" Came Potter's voice from behind her. Lily felt someone help her up and she turned to see Potter smiling at her. Behind him Sirius, Remus and Peter tried to push into the already full compartment.

"Oh, you have food," Sirius said.

"Help yourself," Hiba said, "My treat." Sirius put his hands to his chest and smiled adoringly at Hiba.

"Have I ever said how much I doth love thee?" Sirius asked. Hiba smiled.

"Every single train journey we've had together since first year," Hiba said. Sirius smirked.

"Oh yeah, well, I love you," He said as he dived for the empty seat next to Sarah.

"Same goes from me," Peter said with a smile. Hiba laughed and moved up the seat for the others to sit in.

"Lily?" Remus asked as he made space for her. Lily looked at Potter and shook her head.

"I have to patrol the train. I'll be back soon," She said. She squeezed her way past Potter and out into the corridor.

"I'll be back in a minute," Potter said. Lily sighed and turned to see Potter catching up with her. "Hey Evans,"

"What do you want Potter? Transfiguring something again,"

"That was a few years ago," Potter said defensively, "I actually came with you to tell you that if Snivelly gives you any trouble I'm just an owl away,"

"Thanks Potter but I think I can handle him," Lily said.

"I don't think so," Potter said cockily. Lily stopped and looked at him.

"And why's that Potter?" Lily asked.

"Well, I know you're clever but lets face it, you're only a girl," Potter said as he waved his hand at Lily. Lily put her hands on her hips and looked at James. A few students peered out of their compartments to see what was happening.

"Who managed to get into the Slug club?" Lily asked. Potter laughed.

"The Slug club is a joke Evans. Do you actually think anyone wants to be in it? It's a group of upstart smartass students," Potter said. Lily couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"Alright Potter, if you say so but I remember you ranting in the common room that Slughorn chose me over you." Potter crossed his arms at that and just stared at Lily. Lily couldn't help but smile. To many people James Potter was an idol, to Lily he was just a spoilt child who was used to getting his way. She found a slightly perverse joy in rejecting him continuously.

"Look, I was just offering to help you. If you don't want it just tell me but I'll still look out for you, alright," Potter said firmly. Lily suddenly felt a twinge of guilt at the way she'd responded to him but it soon disappeared and was replaced by her usual feeling of disgust for Potter.

"Fine, just don't get in my way," Lily said to him.

"So do you mind if I join you on your patrol?" Potter asked, "It's a bit crowded in your compartment,"

"If you have to come you can," Lily said as she rolled her eyes. Potter smiled at her and offered her his arm. Lily ignored it and continued on with her patrol of the train. She stopped to talk to several people, mostly students who were about to leave Hogwarts. When she stopped to talk to Crawley she saw Potter bristle slightly. Potter did impress her in the fact that he stayed quiet most of the time and when he did speak he didn't say anything stupid. Not even when they passed Severus did Potter so much as glare in his direction. Lily noticed that Severus was ignoring her in front of his friends, which hurt slightly. Since first year every time she'd seen Severus he'd given her one of his rare smiles or waved discretely under his robes. This time he didn't and despite everything, Lily missed it.

Potter must have seen her expression change slightly because he pulled her gently to one side of the passageway and stopped her.

"It really got to you that much?" He asked.

"What did?" Lily asked. She cursed inwardly at her lack of control in front of Potter.

"Snape calling you a … a you know what," Potter said.

"No, I knew he would eventually," Lily replied. She felt Potter's eyes on her but she tried not to look into them.

"Lily, I know you were close to him. I may have disagreed with it but he was your best friend," Potter said, "Do you want to talk about it?" Lily risked looking up into his eyes. Something she generally tried not to do because she knew what Potter was capable of when a girl looked that way.

"No," Lily said. She pushed Potter away from her, "Just leave me alone," She stormed off down the train. She was glad that Potter didn't follow, and shut herself in the Prefect's carriage.

Severus Snape jumped off the train once it reached the platform. As usual his parents weren't there to meet him but he found Lily's parents. They nodded in his direction. They liked him enough to be polite but like many other people they never understood why their daughter took any interest in him. Severus waved back at them before being thumped on the back by Mulciber.

"What are you doing waving at Muggles?" he asked.

"They're Lily's parents," Severus told him.

"Ha, the mudblood. I'm proud that you wiped your hands of her. Now you can really become a Death Eater with us," Avery said quietly so that not many people could hear him. Severus nodded and looked back in the direction of the Evans. He saw Lily jumping off the train, drop her things and fly into her parents arms. They greeted each other with hugs and kisses. Things that Severus could only dream of getting from his parents. He saw Potter and Black and the rest of the Gryffindors clamber out. The various students going to meet their parents. He saw Potter being greeted by his mother, a fairly old looking witch who had a great smile of pride and joy on her face. Black was greeted with a nod while his brother was taken into his mother's arms. He even saw Narcissa Black meandering over to Sirius's parents.

Severus looked away and on his own made his way out of the station. He knew how to get home himself. He thought about taking the Knight bus but that would mean spending more time with his father because it would get there so quickly. He decided, instead, on Muggle transport. He had never had to do it before on his own but he and Lily had come into London enough times via muggle transport and he still had a few muggle coins left that Lily had once given him.

"Lily, why don't we give him a lift home?" came a familiar voice behind Severus. He glanced back to see George Evans behind them with his arm around his daughter.

"I'd rather you didn't. I'll explain when we get in the car," Lily said. She saw Severus looking at her and turned the other direction. Severus let out a sigh and made his way to the ticket office.

It was well and truly dark by the time Severus got home. It took him eight hours to get home but when he did he just wanted to return to Hogwarts.

"Mum, Dad," He called out as he put his trunk down in the hallway. He heard a shouting then a clatter from the kitchen, "Yes, I am home at last," he said to himself dryly.

"I WONT HAVE YOU BREWING THAT STUFF IN MY HOUSE!" He heard his father shout.

"YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT BEFORE!" His mother replied. Severus sighed, picked up his trunk and started up the stairs. The thumping of the trunk on the floor must have caught his father's attention because he suddenly appeared at the foot of the stairs.

"Where have you been? Your train arrived back hours ago," His father had cut his hair since Severus had last seen it.

"I-"

"Have you been out with that Evans girl again? They arrive home hours ago, we saw them arrive on the way back from the shops,"

"We-" His father started marching up the stairs. "I came back by train, not with Lily," Severus snapped at him before his father could reach him.

"Of course you did," Severus pulled out his wand and pointed it at his father.

"Don't come near me,"

"Or what Severus?" As his father came nearer Severus could smell that he'd been drinking again. It was all Severus could do to lift his head up to receive the coming blow on his chin. He felt his jaw click but he didn't get anything worse then a split lip. Severus pulled his trunk as quickly as he could up the remaining steps and bolted his door shut. He heard his father shouting on the other side of the door on the landing. He seemed to be shouting at anyone who would hear him but Severus just ignored him. He decided to unpack his things the next day and lay in bed. Next to his bed was a photo of him and Lily eating ice-cream at Florean Fortesque's the previous year. He stared at it for a while and watched as the photo Lily laughed and put ice-cream on Severus' nose. It had been a risky day out and as usual Diagon Alley was practically deserted behind them.

"I'm such an idiot," Severus muttered to himself as his father's shouting died and a door slammed. Severus stayed in bed for a few more minutes before venturing out of his room to the tiny kitchen. His mother was standing at the stove stirring something in a pot.

"Hi mum," Severus said. She didn't reply. Severus helped himself to some left over meat in the fridge and went to get some bread. As he opened the bread bin he saw the large bruise on his mother's face.

"He hit you again?" Severus asked. She grunted in reply, "Why don't you just leave? We could go and get a house in somewhere like Godric's Hollow or Hogsmeade even,"

"You know I can't leave," She said quietly. Severus frowned at his mother.

"You're a witch aren't you?" Severus asked.

"Yes, but he's my husband and I can't leave him. It would shame our family," she replied. Severus scowled and slammed the bread on the counter.

"You you're just going to suffer his abuse?" Severus demanded.

"Like you do anything yourself," She said angrily turning to Severus, "You're off at Hogwarts all year round and you can leave once you've finished." Severus's anger dissipated when he saw the marks on his mother's face. They were all fresh bruises that she hadn't healed up yet. She pointed her wand at Severus and healed his lip and fixed his bruise.

"Now go to bed," She said. Severus scowled again, took the bread and meat then left the kitchen. He hated his mother's attitude to everything but he hated her father even more. When he was old enough he would make him pay. If it hadn't been for Lily, Severus would have despised even being connected to the Muggle world. The only thing that had been good about it was that Lily was in it but now she wasn't in his life anymore. She hated him and it was time for Severus to try and forget about her. Was he not the Half-Blood Prince? He was half Prince. A noble and ancient Wizarding line. As he walked up the stairs he decided to embrace the fact he had his Mother's blood. He would forget that he was part Muggle and become purely wizard. There was just one thing he had to do first.

James lay in bed throwing his quaffle in the air and then catching it again. His room reflected the fact he was in Gryffindor and proud of it. The walls were red and gold, the domed ceiling had tiny quidditch players playing continuous games of Quidditch. One team were in the Gryffindor colours, the other in the colours of his favourite Quidditch Team, the Appleby Arrows. He was thinking about something Sirius had said earlier.

"See you later." He was expecting Sirius to come by any day soon and probably stay over for a few days. It had been a week since they'd last seen each other on the Hogwarts Express. They were planning quite a few little tricks on Snape this summer. Now that they knew where he lived it was simply a case of getting the bus over and transforming. Snape would never know the difference. Of course they weren't allowed to use magic but the two boys had found a way around that.

"James!" called his mother, "Sirius is here," James grinned and jumped out of bed. With the quaffle under his arm he slid down the banister and landed perfectly on the floor by the door. He saw Sirius standing in his doorway looking rather flustered and surrounded by bags.

"Padfoot!" James said as he dropped the Quaffle and hugged his 'brother'.

"James, mate, I've runaway from home," Sirius said, "Is it alright if I stay here for a bit?"

"Mum?" James asked as he turned to his mother.

"Of course it's alright, Sirius. I'll just have Gelyn take your things upstairs. You'll be in your usual room," Mrs. Potter said.

"Thank you so much Mrs. Potter," Sirius said as he hugged her. She laughed and patted Sirius on the back.

"Food will be ready shortly," She said as she wondered off. A rather energetic looking house elf appeared from nowhere and beamed up at Sirius and James.

"Master Black," She said with a bow, "A pleasure it is to see you again!"

"Hello Gelyn," Sirius said. The bags began to float in midair then popped out of sight. Gelyn disapperated as well and left the boys alone. James looked at Sirius. He looked distressed and more helpless then he'd ever been.

"You want to talk about it?" James asked him.

"I just couldn't stand it. Bella and Cissa were over and the entire family began discussing the best way to kill Muggles. Bella was boasting to the family about all the people she'd killed. She knows she can do it at home because the family applaud her efforts. They're so proud of her. The stupid Death Eater Bitch. Then Cissa brought up Lily and said something about mudbloods and I just snapped. I told them that one of my good friends was a muggle and the other was half muggle. They had no right to say anything against people they didn't now then they started talking about now Andromeda had fallen for a mudblood and about dear little Dora and that was it. I couldn't take them bad mouthing Lily and Ted. They're good people but -" Sirius stopped because he was shaking. The enormity of what he'd done had disturbed him more then he cared to say. James watched his friend with all the sympathy he could muster.

"She blasted me off the tree," Sirius muttered quietly after a few minutes, "I heard it as I left," Sirius was white by this time. James took his arm and led Sirius out to the garden where there was a large tree growing in the middle with a tyre swing and a wonderfully carved picnic table.

"You'll be alright here. You're practically family and mum and dad will look after you,"

"I know, it's just…I know they support You-Know-Who but…" Sirius looked at James, "They're family you know?" James nodded and put his hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"Just forget about them. Take out your anger on Snivelly, only don't kill him cause we want him at school next year," James said with a smile in an attempt to cheer up his friend. It worked and Sirius perked up immediately.

"Drinks?" Mrs. Potter asked as she came outside into the sunshine.

"Thanks Mrs. Potter," Sirius said.

"I have to pop out for a while but Gelyn will get your dinner ready for you. Don't eat the cake James," She pointed at James and then at Sirius.

"Would we do that mother?" James said in his most innocent voice.

"Yes you would," She said, "Maybe I should get Remus over to keep an eye on you,"

"He's in Portugal at the moment," Sirius said. Mrs. Potter frowned then shook her head.

"Bye boys," She said. Once she left Sirius and James looked at each other.

"So, where does Snivelly live?" James asked with a cheeky smirk. Sirius' eyes lost their hopelessness and fear and were instantly replaced with their usual sparkle.

Moments later they were following Snape as he walked from Spinner's End to a slightly richer part of town. Sirius followed as a dog while James followed under his invisibility cloak. He would have transformed but a stag would have been a bit too obvious in a city. They followed him as he kicked a stone up a high street that had shops with graffiti all over the windows. He then turned a corner and went up a slightly nice residential area. Soon he was in another part of town entirely. The houses were slightly bigger and the lawns were immaculate. There were one or two that needed mowing. By looking at this neighbourhood James felt like nothing in the wizarding world was happening.

"Where's he going?" James asked. He saw Padfoot give a shrug as he sniffed around in a bush. James followed Snape to a semi-detatched house with a dark blue estate car in the driveway. James looked up at the house and saw a vine growing around the front door.

"Nice house," James said as he felt Padfoot bump into his leg. Snape paused and looked up a window that face the road. He set his shoulders and walked straight up to the door and knocked. James ran up the drive and stood by the garage door.

"Hi, is Lily in?" Snape said to someone when the door opened. James's eyes widened. Lily? Lily Evans? This was her house?

"What do you want Snape?" asked the person at the door. It was a voice that James would come to know well, though he didn't know it now.

"Petunia, is Lily in?" Snape asked. There was a pause then… "LILY!!" James walked out behind Snape and looked into the house. The girl at the door was a few years older then himself and very skinny. He saw a girl running down the stairs wearing a skirt and a strappy top. James felt a smile on his face when he saw Lily in her own home. She looked so happy and carefree. She stopped on the stairs when she saw Snape.

"What are you doing here?" Lily asked him.

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened," Snape said. The girl who was obviously Lily's sister looked at Lily with a curious look.

"I told you all you need to know on the train. Why are you here? I told you to stay away from me and Tuney,"

"I-"

"Get lost Snape!" Lily snapped. She looked like she was going to spit at him. James saw her hand twitching towards her waist, where he knew she kept her wand. James turned to look at Padfoot but his eyes wouldn't leave Lily.

"No, not until you listen to me," Snape said. Lily stormed down the stairs and face Snape. She was a good few inches shorter then him but she was scary when she was angry.

"I said get lost Snape. If I see your ugly Death Eater face around here again I will hurt you," She said.

"Lily I need to tell you something," Snape said.

"You have until I count to five," Lily said. Behind her Lily's sister looked delighted at this confrontation, "One…"

"I'm not going to become a Death Eater-"

"Two…"

"If you don't want me to become one. You will-"

"Three…" James knew that Lily wasn't even listening to Snape.

"Will you listen to me you mudblood bitch!" Snape said. He put his hands to his mouth as soon as the word came out. James reached for his wand but Lily was quicker. Lily had smacked Snape in the jaw with her fist. Snape fell onto the floor and Lily began nursing her hand. James fought the urge to cheer Lily on.

"Lily I'm-" but she's slammed the door in his face. Snape turned around to get up and saw Padfoot at the end of the driveway. Padfoot gave the dog equivalent of a grin and walked away. Snape looked around suspiciously then got up. He felt his jaw and winced in pain when he touched it. Once he was out of range, James punched the air and made a mental note to congratulate Lily. Maybe send her some chocolates or flowers.