Sirius chuckled, and waved his wand over his friend. "Lost your balance, mate?"
"He won't get away with this." James got up and dusted himself off. "I gotta go find Lily... She hates me. Why?"
"Have you ever thought that maybe you should just stop? Maybe she's not worth it, mate. I mean, the girl hates your guts. What are the chances of her ever thinking about you as anything but a prat?" Sirius raised an eyebrow.
James nodded, knowing what his friend said was right, but he just couldn't stop thinking about Evans no matter how hard he tried.
Snape made his way to his next class with a malicious smirk on his face.
Nothing felt better than making sure Potter started his day off feeling like crud. He entered the DADA classroom and slipped into his seat, toward the back. He set his wand on the table and took out his book.
Lily went to charms, feeling fully upset, and knowing it would only get worse because Potter was coming. That's when he entered. She didn't even give him the satisfaction of looking at him. He was such a fool. There was no way she was going to have anything to do with him.
Pulling out her charms book, Lily flipped to the page indicated on the board, and read over the pages they were told to.
James entered Charms. He searched for Lily, there was no seat next to her, but there was a seat behind her. James rushed to it.
"Lily, why didn't you wait for me? I don't see why you waste your time defending that greasy slime ball, Snivellus. Its not my fault he doesn't have friends to back him up" He said a bit defensively.
Lily, who had been slumped over, sat up straight, and without looking at him said. "Then maybe you shouldn't attack him with your friends, Potter."
James didn't understand how she could defend such a git. He was nobody, a grease ball who rolled around in the dark arts and hid behind his potions book. She then slumped back over. The girl who was sitting next to her turned around and smiled at James. "Hi, Potter."
James was about to protest when he saw a pretty girl giving him attention. "Hey Madeline, how's it going?" he couldn't help but flirt back. He couldn't help it if the ladies were drawn to him, with his athletic physique and air blown hair. If anything it would spark an interest in Lily, once she saw what she was missing.
Lily turned to Madeline. "So Madeline, I see you're interested in guys who like to pick on others because of their looks, and lack of friends. Tell me, is it right to gang up on somebody with your cronies" She looked at Sirius, "And then when confronted about it say it isn't your fault they don't have any friends?"
"Wow... Potter did that?" Madeline looked at James. Lily nodded furiously. She turned around in her chair, not talking to him anymore. Lily gave James a pert smile, and turned around as well.
James looked at Lily his mouth open. How could she do that? She obviously didn't understand how big of a git Snape really was. James turned to Sirius and started muttering about how unbelievable she was being in a loud whisper. He was quickly hushed by the charms professor that entered.
Sirius nodded in agreement. When the professor came in, he pulled out a piece of parchment. He wrote:
Snivellus
calls her names, and treats her like crap, but she still wants to
stand up for him. I don't understand. Is there something I'm missing,
Prongs?
Got me, Padfoot, It doesn't make sense. I treat her like gold and she spits at me. I just can't see why she doesn't like me, I mean I'm athletic, I'm handsome, she's smart and motivated, we'd make the perfect match.
I know it. Snivellus will never be good enough for her. Do you think they have something going on? But seems like if they did, she'd make him be a little nicer.
Ha, is it possible for that sour grease ball to be nice?
He looked at Lily and felt a pang in his gut. Why did he like her so much. She has clearly made it known to him that she doesn't like him. Why does her defending Snivellus affect him so, was he afraid of losing her to his rival?
I suppose if he was getting her into bed he'd be nice to her. I would. She might decide she doesn't want to anymore if you're mean, you know.
James raised an eyebrow as he read Sirius' words.
Don't be such a dog, Padfoot. There is no way I'm stooping to Snivelly's level.
James wrote back. He took out his wand and pretended that he was working on the charm like the rest of the class.
Sirius pulled out his wand in a swift movement and did the charm correctly before putting it back in his wand in the same movement. He then took the parchment and went back to scribbling.
Well I'm just saying, there's nothing going on between them. At least not now. I'll be able to tell when their is. And I can't help it… Being a dog, that is. It's what I am.
James nodded. He scrawled a meager 'okay' in response as he continued to perform the charm, not quite getting it.
Severus sat in boredom as the teacher droned on about unforgivable curses. He smiled a little at the thought of using the cruciatus curse on Potter. He was ripped from his daydream as Remus, who was sitting next to him cleared his throat.
Remus nodded. "Could you hand me my quill? I dropped it under your chair, Snape."
Remus was more bearable than the others. He wasn't as rude or mean, but the fact that he hung out with them didn't make him good. He'd also had a hand in many of their schemes.
Snape rolled his eyes and reached under his chair to retrieve the quill.
Severus didn't like nor dislike Remus Lupin. He never said anything mean to him, but he never stopped or prevented James and Sirius from doing any of the things they did. He just sat there in a quiet disapproving stupor.
Snape tossed the quill on the desk toward Lupin, and then returned his thoughts to the squirming Potter under the cruciatus curse.
"Snape, sorry to bother you again, but could I ask you a question?" His pale face was contorted into a questioning look. "I was just wondering... You don't hate me do you? I mean... I'm not mean to you, but I'm good friends with those that are. So why do you still hate Lily? I mean, she's a muggle born yes, but... she stops James from attacking you, and she's pretty and smart. What I don't get it why, even though she's muggle born, you dislike her. I guess it could be that she isn't pureblood... Though you both have a mutual agreement on one thing."
Remus smiled. "Hating James Potter."
During this time, the professor kept droning on. Remus' whispering was rather annoying, but it wasn't like Snape had been paying attention anyway.
Snape sighed. "What does it matter to you, who I like or dislike, who I hate or not? I'm just a slimy git, remember?" Snape drawled dismissively. "I don't need nosy little mudbloods to stick up for me. I can handle Potter perfectly well on my own." he added.
Severus adjusted himself in his seat and scribbled something the professor said on his parchment.
Something Lupin said had struck Severus oddly. He and Lily did both hate Potter, and she did practically always come to his rescue when Potter and Black teamed up against him. Why would she put herself in harms way like that, he wondered, unless she . . . no she couldn't possibly like him . . .could she?
Remus watched him. He knew he'd started something working in Snape's mind. He'd just been genuinely curious about it. Remus himself was beginning to wonder if Lily did like Snape. It would make perfect sense with the way she acted, but Lily was an all around caring person, one to stand up for the underdog. Which could put herself in possible danger. Lily would do the same for him, but they had been friends for a while now. It was one of her faults. She was just too nice sometimes.
Snape sat there lost in his own thoughts when he noticed that students were taking out their wands and performing magic. It was all nonverbal, so he didn't know what spell they were doing.
He flipped confusedly through the pages in his book, looking for the spell they were performing.
"It's the shielding spell on 193." Remus whispered and nodded to his book before retrying the spell he'd already done successfully three times. He was good at defense against the dark arts. Not as good as Snape, mind you, but still good. As he was in everything.
Snape curled his lip and slammed his book shut. He had learned and mastered that spell months ago. He took out his wand, determination in his eyes, he gave a firm swish movement of his wand and adequately performed the spell.
Remus smiled at him. "So... you've been thinking about what I've said? You see, I know no more than you do, but I can't speak for Lily. Though I think she might like you. I wouldn't put it past her anyway. You're not that bad of a guy. Very intelligent. She likes that in men." Which made Remus wonder if it was actually him she liked. "Well anyway--" The bell rang. "Have a nice day, Severus."
Snape looked at Remus with an incredulous scowl thinking over and over that if he kept talking about him and that filthy mudblood, he would hex him.
He had the audacity to say that he had qualities that would interest her, as if he cared.
The bell rang and Snape couldn't be glad to be rid of the pest. He slowly made his way to the Great Hall for Lunch.
Remus smiled to himself, glad he could disturb Snape so fully. Meanwhile, Lily was making her way to the Great Hall from the charms classroom. She stepped onto the Grand Staircase in front of Snape, not even aware he was there. Her long red hair flowing behind her.
James stepped onto the Grand Staircase as well, right behind Snape. He was trying to decide whether or not he should say anything to him.
Snape scoffed as Lily stepped in front of him. To be in such close ranks with mudbloods... Slytherin himself would be rolling in his grave he thought to himself.
Snape sped ahead, nauseated by the sight of her hair swishing back and fourth, back and forth He turned sharply into the Great Hall, and took a deep breath, knowing that she was now a great distance away from him.
Lily saw him speed around her and shrugged. She began to rummage around in her bag for a bit before feeling a small vial in the bottom of it. What's that? She thought. Then it hit her. The felix felicis... When am I gonna use it? Perhaps for our N.E.W.T.S.?
She shoved it deeper in her bag and pulled out a book. Once she got to the Great Hall, Lily began to eat slowly while she read.
Snape ate and slipped with his fellow Slytherins as they talked and conversed amongst themselves. He looked up and caught a glance at Lily. She was reading. She's always reading and its never anything of interest, now is it? Snape thought to himself.
Now were she reading a nice tome on the dark arts then maybe, just maybe he'd reconsider that prat of a cupid's words, Lupin.
In, Snape's opinion, all Lily cared about were her precious books, it was as if it were what the dark arts were to him. An outlet for all the pain and misery that life brought upon them for not being the right blood line. She escaped into words, the printed page, and he escaped into the darkness where he could control the pain he inflicted upon others, where no one thought him weak, or a coward…
Lily felt someone looking at her, and glanced up at Severus. She gave him a nod, and went back to reading. He was probably thinking about how horribly disgusting she was. A flood of depression washed over her. Why did this affect her so? Flipping the page, she began to forget her thoughts about Snape.
Remus came and sat down next to her. "Hello, Lily."
"How are you, Remus?" She asked, smiling largely. Remus always had a way of brightening her day.
"I'm fine. I actually talked to Snape about you today." He was grinning at her. "His reaction was most... interesting."
Lily raised her eyebrows. What would she have to do with Snape at all? Was that why he was looking at her? And why was Remus grinning? "What did you do?"
Remus explained what he'd said. Lily got very red. "Why would you do that? I thought you were friends with James so you'd want he and I to be together, not Snape and I." She shook her head. "Well, I suppose he was absolutely disgusted with even the thought of it."
"No, actually. He seemed to be sort of surprised almost. Maybe he was thinking it was disgusting in his head, but his face looked almost... like it was smiling. I've never seen him smile before." Remus thought for a second. "You think that perhaps you do like him?"
"No! No no no! I could never like him."
"Then why do you stand up for him like that?" Remus questioned.
Lily turned red. "Now you just sound like Sirius and James."
There was a pause for a few seconds as they ate. Then Remus answered. "You didn't answer my question."
Lily shook her head furiously. "No. No I do not like Severus Snape. There. You happy, Remus?"
Snape looked away when Remus approached and started talking to Lily. He looked down at his food with a scowl. He looked up at her again. She was shaking her head vigorously, Remus was smiling knowingly, no doubt he was divulging his failed matchmaking attempt to her.
He took in a spoonful of food and then looked up at her again, she was reading again. Snape's mind went to the books on the dark arts he had in his trunk. Perhaps if he offered one to her. Who knows maybe she would find them as fascinating as he did, and they could discuss the book afterward. He shook the thought out of his head and continued eating. She's a mudblood, he told himself.
"Not exactly because I think you're lying." Remus probed her. Lily looked at him as if green jello were coming out of his nose.
"Remus." She said as if she were scolding an unruly child. Remus grinned at her as she continued. "I think I would know if I liked Snape or not. I mean, it's my feelings we're talking about here."
Remus chuckled. "Well you may not know. Maybe you're trying to deny it."
Lily looked shocked. "What are you talking about?!"
The more he tried to ignore it, the more it pestered him. He slumped in his seat, poking his meat idly with his fork. If there is nothing there, lectured his inner voice tauntingly, then why is she so nice to even when you treat her like dirt? Why does she stick up for you when Potter and his prat friends gang up on you… even after that on time when he… Snape gasped sharply as he recounted the memory of being exposed hanging upside down while everyone laughed. No! She's a mudblood, he lectured himself, Ha! Why are you acting so high and mighty, its not like you're so pure, now are you? You have that weakling muggle blood creeping in your veins as well… the voice teased him.
Severus went into a scowl. He grabbed his bag and stormed out of the Great Hall.
"Maybe you subconsciously have feelings for him." Remus raised an eyebrow questioningly.
Lily shoved her book in her bag. "I don't feel like talking to you anymore, Remus." She got up, and pulled her robes tighter. "Have a good day."
She stormed out as well, not even aware that Severus was only steps ahead of her. How could he say things like that? It was so incredibly annoying. Remus was being out of hand. What did he expect to happen from all that? She double her speed while still staring at the ground. So she ran smack into Severus' back. She fell to the ground, her books flying everywhere.
"Umpf!" Severus grunted as he toppled to the ground. He turned over and his eyes narrowed as he saw Lily. He picked up a book and tossed it to her.
"I'm sorry I didn't... Oh, it's you." Lily grimaced wondering how this day could get any worse.
"Watch were you're going, Mudblood" he hissed and he stood up to dust himself off, he was about to just storm off when he saw a book that caught his eye.
He bent to pick it up. He looked at it with a sort of detached curiosity. He then flashed his dark eyes to Lily, he held the book out to Lily, as she reached for it, he held onto it. It was a library book.
"Is it any good?" he asked in an abnormally casual voice, especially when it was Lily he was talking to.
"Yeah. It's about an older man who used to be an auror. He specializes in the Dark Arts." She took it from his hand gently. "You can borrow it if you want... if the stench of mudblood isn't too strong on it."
Getting up, she began to put the books back in her bags slowly. "I'm sorry I ran into you, Snape. Next time I'll watch where I'm going." Her eyes were sorrowful and downcast.
Snape thumbed through the book, and then thrust the book to Lily. As she took it, his dark eyes lingered on her for a moment, he had a penetrating stare. He shook his head at her.
"Lupin was talking to you about me wasn't he?" he said randomly.
Lily nodded, and gathered all her things. "Yes. Peculiar conversation."
She didn't look at him, afraid that what Remus said was true... what if she subconsciously did like him? Her bright green eyes were locked with the floor.
"Don't worry, mudblood, I wouldn't waste my time on you" he said. It was a very Snape-ish way of saying, I don't like you either..
"Right, well I hope you're happy with your nothing of a life, Snape." Her tone was cold, and sliced like a knife. Lily could be just as mean, if not more than, Snape when she wanted.
Crossing her arms, she went up the stairs to the library to spend her extra period.
Snape turned at Lily's words. He had to admit he was impressed. Well, well, well, little miss nice girl does have some venom in her said a voice in his head tauntingly. Snape debated whether or not he wanted to go up after her. He looked on the ground and saw that she had left a quill. He seized it and went after her.
Lily plopped down in the library feeling like she'd ran a mile. why did his words sting so hard? She felt like he'd just punched her in the gut. Remus' words haunted her. Maybe you subconsciously have feelings for him...
Of course she didn't.. this was Severus Snape they were talking about. She did not like him. End of story. Fin. Finished. Done.
