A/N: We all know what happened after the Defense Against the Dark Arts O.W.L. James performed the Levicorpus charm on Severus, who then called Lily a Mudblood. You can read it in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Chapter 28. This happens just after that.

Also, none of these characters are mine. It's the sad, sad truth. They belong to J.K. Rowling, probably the coolest person ever. :D


Chapter Two

Lily stormed into her dormitory and started pacing. It was what she always did when she was upset. But right now, pacing didn't seem enough. She wanted to rip her hair out. On top of the worries she had about exams, she was now hurt and betrayed by one of her best friends. It didn't help that Potter was the one defending her – admittedly in his own arrogant way.

He had called her a Mudblood. A Mudblood. Having grown up with Muggles, Lily never really understood why it was such a big deal. But the five years she had spent in the wizarding world had taught her that it was the lowest and most insulting thing a wizard could say. And it was her best friend that called her one.

"Lily?" There was a tentative knock on the door. It was Alice and Taylor.

"Are you okay?"

So they knew. Which probably meant the whole school knew by now. Lily looked up at them. Their faces were filled with concern. Lily was closer by far to Alice and Taylor than she was with Severus, but her special friendship with Snape meant a lot to her. He was the one who brought her into the wizarding world. Alice and Taylor could never understand it.

"He's absolutely awful," said Taylor as she rushed to hug Lily.

"Yes," nodded Alice. "He's an evil little Slytherin freak."

"An evil little Slytherin freak who doesn't know what shampoo is," added Taylor. That got Lily to crack a smile.

"It's because he - never mind. I don't need to defend him anymore," said Lily sadly.

"Hm, come to think of it, you did defend him a lot," said Alice thoughtfully.

"Yeah. It's because he's a spineless fool who didn't appreciate the only friend he had," said Taylor viciously. "Do you want me to go beat him for you?"

"No thanks. I'm sure Potter already did that," Lily added a little angrily. "Stupid Potter," she added with contempt.

"Why are you mad at James? He was only defending you, Lily," said Alice quietly.

"This whole thing happened because of him! If he hadn't bullied Sev, he would have never called me that!" retorted Lily.

"Lily, I'm going to be blunt with you," began Taylor. "That Snape character is not a good guy. Haven't you seen the kinds of people he hangs out with? All their parents are connected with You-Know-Who!"

"But not Severus! He's a good guy! He's just – "

"'Lonely,' yeah, you've said it a million times. But if he really was lonely, Lils, he would have taken your friendship a hell of a lot more seriously. You need to tell him you're done talking to him," Taylor said with a sense of finality.

"Taylor's right, Lily. You don't need him! We're here for you and we always will be. You and Snape may have been good friends when you were younger, but people change," added Alice.

Lily knew they were both right. It was true that Severus hung out with the crowd that called themselves 'Death Eaters.' Although it always bothered her a little, she had always respected his choice of friends because who was she to tell him who not to talk to?

But he was my first friend here, said a small voice inside her head.

Your first friend who betrayed you, said another voice.

I can make him a better person, said the first voice.

Do you really believe that? He insulted you in front of all those people. Seems like he doesn't think very highly of you. It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him, said the second voice.

At that, Lily broke down crying. "I was always there for him! Always! And he repaid me by making me a laughing stock!" Lily picked up a pillow and threw it hard at the wall.

Alice looked alarmed. "Lily –" But Lily didn't listen. She started throwing anything and everything that her hands touched. "Lily!" Alice said louder. She stepped forward to stop her, but Taylor shook her head.

"She needs to work this out."

Lily didn't know where her rage was coming from. All she knew was that the second voice's words were ringing in her ears. It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him. It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him. It doesn't even seem like you're that important to him.

Of course you were important to him. The first voice was back.

Not really. And I know he wasn't important to you.

Now you're just talking crazy. He was my first friend, he'll always be important to me, reasoned the first voice.

But look at you. You have loads of friends that really do care about you. Taylor, Alice, Remus, Rachel and Eliza, even Frank. All the teachers love you. You're a prefect, and you'll probably be Head Girl. You two don't talk for weeks at a time, and you hardly even notice.

The first voice said nothing, and Lily knew which one was right. She didn't realize it, but she had stopped throwing pillows at the walls. She surveyed the mess. Feathers littered the floor, and she looked at Taylor and Alice sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," she said to them in a small voice.

"Don't be," said Taylor with a huge grin as Alice put an arm around Lily's shoulder. "It was fun to watch."


"I'm going to kill that little piece of boggart hair!" said James on the morning of the trip to Hogsmeade. He and the Quidditch team had just finished the first practice since O.W.L.s had and were getting ready to head to breakfast.

"Still fuming about Snivellus?" asked Taylor as she appeared from the girls' side of the changing room.

"He hasn't talked about anything else since that day," said Sirius, who, at Taylor's appearance, had started changing really slowly to show off his lean and muscular body to the girl.

"How is she?" asked James of Taylor. "I haven't even seen her since then except during O.W.L.s. She won't even look at me."

"She won't leave our dormitory. I'll carry her down to breakfast today if I have to. I'm worried about her. But James, please, please don't try to confront her. Not yet," said Taylor.

"Why is she mad at me?! I was defending her!" exclaimed James.

"She blames you, and honestly, I see where she's coming from," said Taylor. "Not that I agree with her!" She added at James' incredulous glare. "It's just that if you hadn't bullied Snivellus, none of it would have happened."

"She has a point," said Sirius.

"What?!"

Sirius shrugged in a way that said You know it's true.

"Please James. Promise me you'll give her space," said Taylor seriously.

"Fine," James growled and stalked out of the changing room, shoving past between Taylor and Sirius.

"He really cares about her," said Taylor as they watched him leave. It wasn't a question. It was a statement that she knew was true.

"He does," nodded Sirius.

"Well then. We should do something about it," said Taylor with a smile.


When Taylor wen up to the dormitory, what she saw surprised her. Lily was up and dressed, ready for the day. "I'm so glad O.W.L.s are done. No more stress!" said the redhead.

"So you'll be joining us for breakfast then?" asked Taylor tentatively.

"Oh yes. Alice should be out of the shower in a second."

"So, you're feeling better now?"

Lily smiled, although it didn't reach her eyes like it usually did. "Don't worry about me, Taylor. I'll be fine."

Alice came out of the bathroom. "Are you sure?" she asked.

"I – I told Sev last night not to speak to me again. I don't think he took it well. But I'm not going to hide from him or from anyone else," said Lily defiantly.

"We won't let him talk to you," said Alice loyally.

The three girls began talking about how their O.W.L.s had gone. Lily of course fretted over every single question while Taylor and Alice rolled their eyes at her. "I think I'll go and review some of the questions with the professors after we get back from Hogsmeade," said Lily.

They had reached the Great Hall. "It won't really help, Lils. They're over!" said Taylor with a sigh of relief.

"Well, I still want to know!" said Lily. They had now reached the Gryffindor table. Lily sat next to Remus to discuss some of the difficult questions in depth – as they always did after any exam. Unfortunately though, the rest of the Marauders were also there, which worried Lily a little. Thankfully though, James didn't say anything to her besides giving her a small smile.

After breakfast, Taylor and Lily went to the gates where fifth years and seventh years were lining up for their special end-of-exams trip to Hogsmeade. By seventh year, most students skipped out on Hogsmeade trips, but as this was just for fifth and seventh years, it would be far less crowded, and the end of exams put everyone into a celebratory mood.

The two girls found a cozy corner in the Three Broomsticks. "So, James was pretty upset this morning," said Taylor.

"You're subtlety astonishes me," said Lily, clearly realizing that her friend was up to something.

"The poor kid's probably going to eat Sniv – Snape alive!" Taylor always made sure to never call Lily's friend the Marauders' choice of nickname in front of her.

"What do you mean?" asked Lily.

"He's worried about you, Lil. You should thank him for sticking up for you in front of Snape and all those people. Or apologize to him for all those things you said to him. Just talk to him."

Lily, whose temper was always bubbling at the surface these days, flared up. "He put you up to this, didn't he?" she accused, rising from her seat.

"No! He's worried about you! You didn't leave the dormitory for six days!"

"So?" said Lily.

"So?! He can't go a day without annoying you or flirting with you!" laughed Taylor. "Come on. For me?"

"Fine. But you have to buy me a butterbeer first."


That night, most of the Common Room emptied quickly. Fifth and seventh years got to bed early for the first time in weeks, while the rest of the students were preparing for their exams in the quiet solitude of their dormitories. After the last batch of seventh years went up to their dorms, it was just Lily, Taylor, and the Marauders – aside from Peter, who was no doubt asleep in their dormitory – left in the Common Room. Alice and Frank were probably in a broom closet somewhere in the castle.

"Well, I think I'm off to bed," said Remus. "I've got to rest for… Well, I've got to rest." All of them but Taylor knew that his tiredness was because of the full moon approaching.

"I'm just finishing up this letter to my parents. They want to know how every single one of my O.W.L.s went," said James, rolling his eyes.

"Lucky for me, my parents don't even know what O.W.L.s are," said Lily.

"Lucky for me, my parents don't care," said Taylor, as she yawned.

"Lucky for me, I don't care," said Sirius, a smirk on his handsome features.

"Oh hey, Potter, I never thanked you for sticking up for me that day in front of Severus," said Lily, attempting nonchalance.

James blushed a little. "No need. You'd have done the same, right?"

"Right," said Lily in a small voice.

"So we're good?" asked James.

"Sure," said Lily a little cautiously.

"So will you go out with me, Evans?"

"No!"

"Ahh," said James, grabbing his heart. Everyone but Lily laughed.

"Well, I think I'm going to bed too," said Taylor, yawning again. "You coming, Lily?"

"Yeah."

James and Sirius watched the two girls leave for their dormitory. "That was progress, right?" asked James.

"Sure," said Sirius, who was surprised by his own preoccupation with Taylor's swishing blonde hair.


A/N: Aaaaand that was Chapter Two. Tell me how it was! Follow and review. Thanks :D