Severus woke up the next morning in a puddle of dazzling sunlight, face to face with the dusty black carpet. He glanced up and saw Lily sleeping soundly on his half of the mattress, snuggled up in the warm blankets. Her wavy hair was a tousled mess but still gleamed in the sun. This was the usual during their sleepovers when they were younger but Lily never realized it since she was the last to wake up anyways. He decided against waking her up and decided to brush and get dressed. After he returned downstairs he still saw her snoozing figure and rolled his eyes.

"Lily, Lily" Severus said gently and poked her side.

"Whatisit?" she mumbled, not even opening an eye.

"You want to wake up now?" he asked teasingly.

"Fivemoreminutes,"

"Okay…but I did you give a place to rest over night and I am craving those waffle things you mum knows how to make…"
"I'llmake'emlater," she grumbled and turned over so her back was to him.

"Fine. Let the person who housed you and entertained you in your time of need starve…"
"God, you really know how to get your way you sneaky Slytherin," Lily chuckled as she sat up tiredly.

"Yesterday you said I was a Gryffindor man!" he exclaimed.

"Let me tell you about yesterday, Sev. Yesterday never happened. We are starting anew today,"
"Really Lily?" he asked skeptically.

"Please?" she asked. "Please, please, please, please, pleaseeee,"

"Okay, okay, alright, okay!" he laughed as he playfully swatted her annoying pokes away.

"Thanks; so waffles then? The pumpkin ones?"
"Obviously,"

"Severus Snape," she chuckled and headed for the bathroom.

"Lily Evans," he whispered to himself. "Lovely Lily Evans." Severus sat in a daze the whole time, not believing his eyes that Lily was back. It had been sorrowful without her; being a death eater added to the gloom.

"Get up!" she giggled. "Time to help me with breakfast. What were you thinking about anyways?"
"Nothing; now I'm ravenous Lily, and I might just eat you if we don't make anything."
"Very funny," she smiled and headed off to the kitchen with him.

XXX

Knock Knock Knock

"Who'd be up this early in the morning?" Lily asked as she and Severus walked towards the door.

"It's eleven on a Wednesday," he reminded her. "Who is it?"
"It's me, Severus," snapped the man from the other side. Severus grumbled and swung open the door.

"Well, well, well. Lupin."

"Where is Lily, Severus?" Remus asked hastily.
"Right here," said Lily grimly. "I suppose James sent you looking for me Remus?"

"Well-er-yes. He is worried sick about you Lily, he really wants you home."
"So?"

"Lily, he misses you so much, hardly ate last night and was up all night looking for you."
"Hadn't even thought about looking here? At the home of my best friend? What an idiot!"
"Please, Lily, please come back. He won't do anything without you."
"Well, Remus, you can tell James that I'm not going back. I'm staying here with Severus."
Remus blinked. "Sev-Severus?"
"What's wrong with Severus?" Severus sneered. Even though Remus was the most tolerable Marauder, he still has that hint of arrogance like James has.

"Nothing, but James wouldn't want his Lily, with his worst enemy."
"I'm not his Lily. I'm nobody's!" she snapped.

"Please Lily," he asked, with meaning in his eyes. She knew that look. It was that rare occasion when he wanted the answer from her like when they were in school again.

"Remus I-I'm sorry, I just can't live with him after all he's put me through," she told him sadly. Just as Remus turned away, she seized his wrist and got him to look into her eyes. "Remus Lupin, please don't tell James I'm here. He'll destroy everything here."
"Lily, he's my friend I-I can't lie to him like that,"
"Come' on Remus. I'm happy here. I don't want to go back. He'll probably keep me confined there for all I know."

"Oh Lily, please come back. He loves you!" He tried again. "Do it for your friend!"

"Remus?" Lily gazed at him longingly.
"Lily?" Remus stood his ground.
"Then give me a week. Give me a week to figure all this out."

"What?"

"Come back in a week and I'll have something figured out. Until then, please don't say a word to James. I beg of you Remus,"
"Fine." He said bluntly but offered a small smile to lighten up her sad face. "One week."
"Thank-you," said Lily and gave him a hug.
"Good day to you then, Lily, Severus," he took off with a curt nod.

XXX

"I don't think Remus would tell, do you?" Lily asked Severus later that afternoon over tea.

"Nah, Remus would keep his word." Severus reassured her.

"That's fine then," she said, putting down the tea that she barely sipped.

"Too hot still?" he asked casually.

"No, I'm just not up for tea,"
"Really? You were merely begging for a pot half an hour ago."
"Oh well," she said. "So Sev, have you got a job?"

"A job? Well, I think I'll take over Slughorn's job once he's retired. Dumbledore thinks it'll be the next year."
"What do you do now though?"
"Mum left a considerable amount of gold in my name. So did my grandparents."

"Muggle ones or the Princes'?"
"Both actually,"
"Both?"
"I know, I was surprised too. It was my dad that was dead broke. My muggle grandparents never held it against me. That's what's keeping me going until I have a job. Did you become a healer?"
"No. J-James was, well, rich; we needn't to work. It was helpful. We could fully dedicate ourselves to the order."

"Well I thought you made an excellent one. You were so kind and gentle. Maybe you could have worked in the medicine department. You were amazing at potions!"
"Thanks, but I did have a lot of help from a certain Half Blood Prince." Lily nugged him teasingly, laughing at his smug response he created with his face.

"Hey, you were in the Slug Club too. Slughorn sure knows how to show favoritism." Severus laughed.

"It was fun, though. Remus was one wasn't he?"
"Yeah I think so. Responsible, Remus was."

"Mmm, poor man. Hung out with those gits. How'd pathetic Pettigrew turn out?"
"Come' on Sev. Peter's been different lately. So disoriented. I think Sirius has noticed it too."
"Oh, Sirius. Don't remind me of that prat. How many girls does he bring home a night?"
"Shut-up, Severus, that's mean!" Lily told him sternly. "Sirius is just-Sirius is Sirius."

"Fine," he wavered off dismissively, mostly because of Lily's harsh look. "Remember," he continued; wanting to change the subject. "When Andrina Catilina used that love potion on Sirius during a Valentines day back in our fifth year."
Lily laughed heartily. "Of course! Who in our year could forget! Sirius was so-gentle and sweet and in haze! God it was so funny watching him fall over everything and not having in a clue in the world! It was so sad that Slughorn caught on though."

"And unfortunately cured the child."

"Speaking of children, Petunia's going to have a baby,"
"Someone married her?" he asked blandly.

"Sev, she's my sister,"
"Adopted,"
"Severus,"
"Just kidding. Good for her."

"Kind of feeling tired,"
"Really Lily?" he said sarcastically. You woke up at ten,"
"Never mind,"
"Well you could sleep if you want,"
"No worries, so anything else new? Something you haven't told me?"

Thanks a million for your reviews! They make me so happy, like an entire basket of Chocolate Easter Eggs on your bedside table. I've tried your suggestions and I hope I've improved. Keep the reviews coming! Sorry for not uploading in a while, been in Australia. Anyways, I hope you liked and I'll get the next chapter us soon.