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Snivellus Strikes Again
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Lily sat with Sirius and James throughout Herbology class because the four of them happened to be the first there. Severus avoided them at all costs. Marlene gave Lily a very confused scowl as she entered the hut. Lily shrugged and mouthed she'd tell her later. This seemed to please Marlene enough and she sat with some boy Lily guessed Marlene had been snogging. Mary blinked several times before smirking at Lily. Lily rolled her eyes.
"So, did you only talk to us because Snivellus was there?" Sirius whispered in Lily's ear the second James was distracted. Lily sank into her chair.
"That was part of it," she murmured.
"Part of it?" he stressed.
"Most of it, but once we got talking, it wasn't hard to keep talking. James isn't bad at that." She looked back to the front of the class.
"Yeah. He's a good person. He's nice to talk to. You would know that if you gave him a chance." Sirius glowered at her.
"I will if he stops bullying people," she growled. Sirius glared at her and she glared back.
"What's wrong?" James whispered leaning in to them. Their eyes slowly relaxed and they turned away from each other.
"We're arguing over who gets to do crosswords first tomorrow morning," Lily lied. James frowned but nodded.
"Didn't know it was such a big deal." He raised his eyebrows at Sirius. Sirius nodded silently saying he'd tell him later. Lily huffed figuring out their silent language.
"Why don't you just tell him now," Lily grumbled. Sirius looked up at her in shock. He leaned over to James.
"Lily was-." Lily smacked him with her textbook. "Oh. You know sometimes it's hard to tell when you're being sarcastic."
"Yes, she has a very dry tone," James agreed. Sirius and he nodded. Lily glowered toward Madam Sprout.
"Sod off you pair of gits." She smirked against herself. They sniggered.
"Mr. Potter what did I just say?" Madam Sprout asked. James looked up.
"Fanged Geranium's will bite if not taken properly care of?" James guessed. Madam Sprout's angered looked turned into a pleased one.
"Yes. Please make sure your group pays attention, Mr. Potter." She gave the three of them a firm look before continuing with her speech about the plant they would be caring for that day.
"Way to go, Prongs," Sirius whispered happily.
"Prongs?" Lily questioned. Sirius raised his eyebrows. James looked at her innocently. "My mind is making up wild things here boys, care to correct them?"
"Nope," Sirius popped. James shook his head. Lily rolled her eyes. At the end of class, Lily turned to James and looked at his hair.
"Is it because your hair is constantly standing up?" she asked. She felt an urge to run her hand through his hair which had fallen slightly since he'd last run his hand through it.
"Yep," he quickly answered. Lily eyed him cautiously. James ran his hand through his hair. She couldn't tell if it was his nervous tick or because he wanted to emphasize her speculation.
"Because it looks like prongs if you think about it." She tilted her head and inspected him.
"Yep. Prongs. Antlers. Hair." James smiled and stood up. Lily quickly followed noticing only she, him, and Severus were left in the classroom.
"Antlers? I never said antlers. I said prongs. Like spikes. As in you spike your hair." Lily hitched her bag onto her shoulder and fell into step with him.
"Well they think it looks like antlers," he quickly corrected. Lily frowned.
"Then why don't they call your deer?"
"Dear? I'm not their wife." James chuckled. Lily huffed. Running a little to keep up with his long strides.
"No. Deer as in the animal."
"Like as in a stag?" He had to shove down a stupid grin.
"Or doe, yes. Deer. Why don't they call you that?"
"Because they don't want to sound like my wife calling me dear when I go home after a day at work."
"Or when she got home after a day of work." Lily raised an eyebrow. James sighed annoyed and nodded. "Then why not stag?"
"Stag has no ring to it." He noticed her breathing heavily and slowed down a little. "Prongs however has a ring to it."
"Do they have nicknames? Or are you the lucky one?" Lily followed him to his special place, a nice spot under a large tree where he liked to sit and study. He sat down and looked up at her.
"They have nicknames, but I'm not sharing." He smiled up at her. Lily looked down at him then quickly around them. Noticing Severus waiting patiently by the castle wall.
"Is this your study spot?" she asked.
"Yes. And I like to study alone." James itched. He wouldn't mind her staying, but he did prefer to study alone.
"You're the best at Transfiguration. I could use a few pointers. Mind if you help." James stared at her. She never asked for help and if she did it was from Remus, even though James was the highest ranking in Transfiguration.
"Yeah," he said lightly. He moved his books and made a spot for her. Lily cursed herself. Why couldn't she just walk back alone? Shoot down Severus' annoying apologies. James wasn't her favorite person but he wasn't horrible. She could take a few pointers. Lily sat down and took out her Transfiguration notes.
Halfway through James explaining a concept to her, he stopped and looked at her. Lily looked around. "What?" she asked.
"Why are you keeping me company?" he asked. Lily blushed.
"I can't keep you company?" she asked.
"You hate me." He gave her a look.
"I don't hate you." Lily smiled tensely.
"You called me a toehead, insulted me very thoroughly, and said I made you sick. I think you hate me." He put down his quill. Lily looked to her hands.
"I was angry." She didn't look up.
"Your insults were very thought out for just a moment of rage, Evans. You've been thinking about them for a long time." Lily shrugged. "So why are you suddenly trying to be my friend? Is this because Snape insulted you? Because you said I was just as bad as him, even though I would never call you that."
"It has something to do with that, but. You're not as bad as him." She cringed at her words.
"Really? I'm not as bad as him?" James looked at her skeptically. He knew he wasn't as bad as Snape, but he didn't think Lily knew that.
Lily chewed her bottom lip. "Well. When you're not hexing people and you're not gloating about your grades or your popularity or grinning smugly."
"You're telling me being happy with myself if as bad as being in love with the dark arts?" he asked his eyes narrowed.
"Happy with yourself?" Lily laughed. "You're not happy with yourself you're arrogant!"
"I'm allowed to be a little arrogant. Everyone is. I have a good life. I'm a smart person-."
"No. Everyone's a little arrogant. You're a lot arrogant. You're never not arrogant. You strut around like you're the Queen of England!"
"I do not!"
"Stop teasing her!" came a call. Suddenly Severus Snape was rounding on the pair of them brandishing his wand. James quickly pulled his out and kneeled in front of Lily trying to protect her.
"I'm not teasing her!" James pointed his wand threateningly.
"Yes you are!" Severus flicked his wand and uttered a spell and James was hanging in the air by his legs.
"Snape!" he roared. He pointed his wand at Severus but Severus disarmed him.
"Severus!" Lily shouted. She stood and stalked over to her former friend. "Let him go."
"He was bullying you," Severus shouted.
"No he wasn't. We were having a discussion."
"You were defending yourself from his mean comments." Severus turned James' hair green. James shouted in anger.
"You weren't even here! How could you possibly know what was happening?" Lily pulled her wand out. "Let him go!" She felt oddly like she was fighting the same battle but the sides were reversed.
"Snape, I swear to Merlin I will destroy you," James shouted. He flung his hands and tried with all his will to use magic without a wand.
"I'm defending you," Severus exclaimed to Lily. Lily rolled her eyes and whispered a hex. Snape was on the ground screaming about his toenails. Lily pulled James down with the counter curse she'd heard a hundred times, handed him his wand, grabbed her books, and stalked away. Severus used the counter curse Lily had told him and started to get up. James hexed Severus and stalked after her. Severus growled stuck on the ground. He got up and chased after the pair.
"Evans!" James shouted. "Evans, why are you mad at me?" He reached to grab a hold of her arm.
"I said leave her alone!" Severus sent James tumbling to the ground. James growled.
"And I said I was fine!" Lily roared. She disarmed Severus, caught his wand, and hexed him. His hair turned purple. "I don't need you to save me." She hexed him again. Blue spots adorned his nose. "I'm not a damsel in distress." She hexed him once more. Severus was on the ground giggling without control. James chuckled a little. Lily stepped over Severus. "I'm no longer your friend. You need to stop following me." She hexed him and he was slapping himself. James frowned. She looked menacing. "I'll never forgive you." She hexed him again and pulled her wand back to do one more but a hand stopped her.
"This isn't you, Evans." James frowned at her. Lily snarled at him and hexed him. His glasses broke. He groaned and when he looked up Lily was gone. Severus was on the ground giggling and crying silent tears. James was going to hex him but he watch the boy squirm and a guilty feeling emerged in his chest. He kicked Severus' wand over to him, turned around, and walked away.
James decided he wasn't going to go after Evans again. He needed new glasses and needed someone to tell him if his hair was a different color or not. He stalked to the Great Hall because he knew Remus would be there with Peter. When he walked into the Great Hall giggles erupted. He grumbled and sat down next to his friends who were stuck between laughing and grumbling.
"Did Snivellus sneak up on you?" Peter asked.
"Is my hair a different color?" James asked.
"Green." Remus muttered a spell and smiled. "Black."
"Yes Snivellus snuck up on me but I was with Evans and he assumed I was teasing her and that was why we were fighting which was way off. He cursed me and had the nerve to say he was defending her honor! After what he called her? She of course gave it to him. He was on the ground uncontrolled by laughter." James oddly wasn't laughing.
"What's wrong? Isn't this your wet dream?" Peter asked. James frowned.
"I thought it was. Evans going off on Snape. But. It just felt wrong. She wouldn't do that. She's better than us." He rubbed his hands roughly. Peter and Remus were silent.
"Is that all that happened?" Remus asked.
"I told her to stop hexing him. She broke my glasses which is why I'm not wearing them. Why didn't you ask by the way?"
"You've only been wearing them for one school year. Sometimes I forget you wear them. And you don't always wear them. Like when you sleep, when you forget them, when you're doing anything active-." Peter listed.
"When they irritate you," Remus added. Peter nodded. "Come to think of it you only wear them sixty percent of the time at most."
"Well I need you to fix them. My Mum will go beside herself if she learns I've broken another pair."
"How many does that make?" Peter asked pointing to the broken pair in James' hands.
"Seven. All at the hands of Evans."
"Speaking of Evans." Remus rolled his eyes at the nickname. "What were you fighting about?"
"She called me arrogant. I defended myself. Snape took it the wrong way." James shrugged.
"Why was she even with you?" Peter asked.
"I tried to ask but it didn't really work. I think it was something to do with Snape though."
"Oh, you mean about her avoiding him at all costs?" Remus asked. James' eyes widened. "Yeah. She's never alone and always rushes to be with someone when he's around."
"So that's why she talked with me?" James felt a rip in his heart. He thought she was warming to him.
"Sorry, mate." Peter smiled sadly. James looked down.
Meanwhile, Lily stormed into the common room interrupting a snogging session of Marlene's with the same boy from that morning. "Oh, Merlin," Marlene exclaimed at the sight of Lily. Marlene shooed the boy away and patted the spot next to her. "Tell me what happened," she urged. Lily slammed down into the sofa and shoved her bag to the ground.
"You left me in Herbology and I was forced to talk with Potter. He of course decided to sit by a tree instead of study in the castle like a normal person. Then he just had to ask about why I was with him and then accused me of hating him. Then Severus was hexing him because he just assumed Potter was bullying me. He's such an idiot. I had to save Potter and why the hell do those two always have to fight? Then I was chased by both of them because I'm not allowed to walk alone anywhere now. So long story short I left Snape on the ground giggling and broke Potter's glasses." She took a deep breath and ran her hands through her hair. Marlene took a moment to absorb everything she had just said.
"You chose to stay with Potter rather than listen to Snape beg for forgiveness?" she asked.
"Is that all you got out of all that? They're fighting blatantly in front of me!" Lily covered her face with her hands and groaned.
"No. I heard that. Just. You do hate James."
"No I don't!" Lily slapped her hands onto her legs creating a loud noise. "I don't hate him."
"Just last week you told me you hated him."
"I did?" Lily looked at her nervously.
"You did. And you told off James in front of the whole school basically telling everyone you hate everything he is."
"Everyone thinks I hate him?" Lily bit on her finger.
"Yes. Because you do."
"No I don't," Lily groaned. "He just pushes my buttons and makes me so angry! I always want to fight him. But he's actually a fine person. He's smart and when he's not being an arrogant little twit he's kind. I once saw him give a first year a chocolate bar when they were crying about missing home." Lily watched her hands. Marlene watched her curiously.
"So you don't hate him he just makes you feel strong emotions?" she asked. Lily nodded quickly. Marlene smirked and hid it behind her hand. Lily had a crush of some sorts. "Do you like him?"
"Nooo." Lily shook her head rapidly. "No. No. No. I do not like him. Not in that way. As a possible friend, yes, as a halfway good person when he tries very hard, yes."
"He's a good person! He just teases people and hexes Slytherins that are into the dark arts. Half of Gryffindor does that!"
"He's a bully half the time!"
"I'm not having this fight again." Marlene stood up. "I need Mary or Alice or hell even Dorcas can solve this." Lily watched her leave the common room. She groaned and chewed her nail.
"Why do I have to pick fights?" she murmured.
"Because you're a red head," a voice came from behind her. Lily twirled on the spot. Sirius flipped his wand in his fingers lazily.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Lily snapped.
"Calm down. I'm not here to fight." Sirius calmly sat down on the sofa across from hers. He lifted his feet onto the table and continued to flip his wand.
"Why are you here?"
"I have a free period." He shrugged. Lily thought about it and he did in fact have a free period. "Why are you here?" he asked.
"I have a free period." She raised an eyebrow. Sirius ignored her.
"You pick fights because you're a red head. It's in your nature." Sirius shrugged. "Can't stop yourself."
"Did you hear everything?" she asked.
"Doesn't matter." He started to tap his wand against the side of the sofa.
"It does if you're going to go tell Potter lies about me." She stared at him threateningly.
"I won't speak a word." He zipped his lips.
"Please, you're the king of gossip."
"What would you like me to say? I'm going to tell James you don't hate him but aren't fond of him yet? Tell him he makes you mad by just being him. Now what good would that do for my best friend?"
"So you're not going to tell anyone about this?" Sirius shrugged.
"If James pisses me off, I may just let it spill that you don't hate him but don't like him. It'll make him go crazy." Sirius waved his hands around his head. "Won't be able to handle all the thoughts."
"What thoughts?" Lily asked. Sirius waved her away. She didn't need to know yet. "What thoughts, Sirius?"
"You're the one person who doesn't fawn over him." Sirius sniggered a little. Lily thought it was over her feelings toward James, really it was over his skilled pun.
"So what? That makes me a conquest?"
"No. No. He thinks too highly of you to believe you're a conquest." Lily frowned. "Probably agrees that you don't need saving. Probably why he's not looking to apologize now."
"Then why did he pull me away from hexing Snape?" Sirius' eyes bugged out of his head.
"He did what?"
"He made me stop hexing Snape. Said it wasn't me." Lily scoffed. Sirius frowned. He rubbed his chin.
"Now, that, I do not know." He thought for a moment. "I need to go see something." He stood up and walked away. Lily was left alone.
"What?" she called after him, but he didn't answer.
Sirius ran into the Great Hall. He sat down shoulder to shoulder with James. "You pulled Lily off of Snape?" he exclaimed.
"Who told you that?" James looked around for the culprit.
"Lily," Sirius calmly answered.
"You talked with Lily? When?" James frowned and leaned into Sirius awaiting an answer.
"Two minutes ago in the common room. Why would you stop the love of your life from tormenting your arch nemesis?" Sirius gripped James' shoulders. "Are you insane?! That's basically your heaven!" James shrugged Sirius off him.
"It's not my heaven. And it might be what I've always dreamed of, but that's not Lily. She doesn't hex people unless they're really bothering her and even then it's only one hex. This was different. She was going on and on. I could tell if she wasn't going to stop. Lily's better than that." Sirius eyed him.
"But you would have continued."
"That doesn't matter. Lily wouldn't. So I stopped her." Sirius looked away from his friend. James turned back to his homework. "Is there anything wrong with that?" James frowned deeply.
"No. It's just. Different than." Sirius shook his head. "Are you changing?" he bluntly asked. James turned to him.
"What?"
"Are you changing? Yesterday as far as I was concerned you wouldn't have pulled anyone off Snape even if it meant they would be expelled. Even if it meant I would be expelled. And now. Now you're pulling Lily Evans off Snivellus because 'it's not her'." He air quoted. "Are you changing?"
"What if I am? What if I didn't see it as funny when Evans started tormenting her former friend? What would you do?" James narrowed his eyes. Maybe he wanted to change. Maybe seeing someone crying at the hands of the nicest person he knew caused his chest to tighten. Sirius's shoulders slumped.
"Nothing. But I would like to know." Sirius turned away from James. "I am your best friend." He stared at his hands. James relaxed.
"Maybe I'm growing up," James murmured. Sirius sighed. He still thought hexing innocents was funny. Would this tear them apart?
"What if I'm not?" Sirius whispered nervously. James looked at him through the corner of his eye. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Just. Try and follow my lead." James itched the back of his neck. Sirius looked over at him. Sirius nodded swiftly willing to follow James anywhere.
"Does that go for all of us?" Peter quietly asked. James looked up a little in shock that someone else was listening.
"Yeah, Peter." Peter smiled graciously.
"I'm already grown," Remus said out of the blue. He smirked.
"Coming from the guy who wanted to turn all the Slytherins' robes red and gold during the next Quidditch game." James raised an eyebrow.
"Hey, I can still prank as an adult." Remus pointed his quill at James meaningfully. James laughed.
"Sure. Because adults pull pranks," James shot back. Remus shrugged.
"Maybe I'll be the first." He pulled out his books. "I have to get to Care of Magical Creatures. So do you two." He pointed at Sirius and James. Peter smiled slyly.
"Study of Ancient Runes my arse," Sirius grumbled. Peter chuckled. He pulled out a book and started reading.
On the way to the forest, Lily met up with Marlene. "Mary and Alice say I should leave you alone," Marlene said.
"Okay." Lily watched Marlene chew her lip.
"But I can't. James isn't a bad guy. I heard from Alice that he pulled you off of Snape. If he was the bully you say he is, he wouldn't have pulled you off."
"Who told Alice that?!" Lily looked around worriedly. She did not want to become part of the gossip trail in Hogwarts.
"Alice was sitting near James when he came into the Great Hall to talk with Remus and Peter. She heard him explain that he stopped you from basically killing Snape. Tell me, would a bully do that?" Lily sighed. She messed with her bag.
"I do agree that was a very mature thing to do. But it makes no sense. Why would he do that?... Why did he do that?" Lily nibbled on her finger.
"Because and I quote from Alice from James. 'It's not her'."
"That's what he said when he pulled me off. But why? Why does he care if I don't act myself? I'm acting more like him. Shouldn't he be happy?" Marlene shook her head.
"No. Lily, you're the kindest person everyone knows. No one wants you to turn into a bully. Especially James."
"Why especially James? Why does he care?"
"Because he fancies you!" Marlene groaned. "Why are you so blind?" She huffed and walked away. Lily watched her walk away. She always thought James was just teasing her by asking her out. Did he really truly want to go out with her? Was that why he changed his hair? Lily shook her head. No. He told her he wasn't going to ask her out anymore. He couldn't like her.
James slid next to her when they clumped together to hear Professor Kettleburn's speech. Lily flipped through her book and tried to ignore him.
"Are you mad at me?" he whispered. Lily looked up at him, but didn't say anything. He leaned over and placed his cheek near hers. "I need to know if I have to apologize, Evans." A smirk made its way across her face even though she was still angry with him.
"Yes I'm angry," she whispered back. James nodded.
"Then I'm sorry that I pulled you off of Snape."
"Not why I'm angry." Lily flashed her eyes over his scrunched up face.
"Then I'm sorry I'm arrogant?" Lily sighed. "Tell me what I need to apologize for." James scanned her face, desperate for an answer.
"You don't need to apologize, Potter."
"But you're mad at me." James frowned.
"I'm allowed to be mad. It will pass." She nodded to the front of the class. James sighed and turned to the right page of the textbook. Lily was mad. She was mad that he stopped her, he thought highly of her, he probably liked her, and that she didn't know how to deal with any of those things.
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