"You're keeping terrible company," she says, deciding not to let Severus' indifference towards his conflicted interests continue a moment longer. "Those people stand for the darkest things in this world, and I won't be friends with someone like that."

"What are you trying to say?" Severus snapped, straightening his back in perfect time with his reply.

"Nice to see you, Lily," Remus welcomes her, patting a seat next to him. To his left is Sirius, and across from him is an empty seat. She can guess easily for whom the spot is reserved, though the one he's gesturing to cannot possibly belong to her. Peter will want to sit there. Hesitation takes her features, brows furrowing and worry settling her lips into a line.

Things will be very different this year.

"Are you sure?" she asks lamely, her tone empty and her mind distracted.

"I am saying that if you go to that meeting this summer…" she trails off, tears threatening her throat, and anger tickling the edges of her words. It is hurting her to even think these things, let alone say them out loud. But she won't let Severus carry two faces any longer. He can only be the boy she knew or the man he is becoming.

Severus smashes his fist onto the bench where they are sitting in the courtyard. People are passing, unaware of the fight ensuing between them, and Lily wants to run away with them. She wants to get as far away from this confrontation as possible.

Remus grins at her gently. "Peter won't be attending this class. He did not get a high enough score in Herbology to take a N.E.W.T. level this year."

Lily nods her head - because of course Peter didn't make it into this class. Why else would they invite her to sit with them? She doesn't actually fit in with these boys yet. The invitation must be motivated by pity, a charity offer after news spread that Lily wanted nothing more to do with her old best friend.

"You want me to choose between my friends and you?" Severus growls at her, dropping his chin and using his hair as a curtain to smother his words into a lower volume. Lily balls her own fists as well, turning her body towards him curtly. Last night she decided to stand her ground. Not knowing if he was one of them or if he was her friend was not worth the ache; it wasn't worth the constant suffering anymore.

"Yes," Lily declares confidently. "That is precisely what I expect."

"James will be happy to see you," Sirius grins, winking shortly afterwards – as if his tone of voice wasn't suggestive enough. For years James had been asking Lily out, though it was never just her that got his attention. James Potter loved to love the beautiful ladies of Hogwarts, and for that reason – Lily always turned him down.

So, sure, James would happy to see her, but would it matter if she were any other girl that walked through the classroom door? Lily rolled her eyes at the bushy-haired Gryffindor and took her seat, turning her attention fully to Remus. "Thank you, Remy."

Sirius' brows rose so quickly that Lily could barely contain her giggle. It felt kind of nice to get a row out of someone who too often picked on those around him. A sort of revenge, she figured, thought she wouldn't necessarily be making a habit of ruffling his feathers.

"Why should I choose you over my friends?" Severus interrogates, his teeth barred and his arms now across his chest. Lily knows immediately that this image will haunt her dreams for months to come. Severus looks like a monster, like an enemy. Her mind could only conjure one question: was it always going to come to this?

Lily frowned. "Because I love you, Sev. You know that."

"Then why do you only call yourself my friend?"

Lily used to wonder this very thing, months ago. As recently as a few weeks ago, even, she considered going on a date with him. Her feelings were muddied and backwards, never knowing if her feelings were fuelled by a yearning for familiarity or by genuine attraction. In the end, she knew she had her integrity to maintain. Severus needed to prove his loyalty to her by taking this one thing seriously.

Severus is to blame for her indecision, borne of his own.

The door creaks, and everyone turns instinctively to see who else made it in the N.E.W.T. level Herbology class. Many people already know each other's scores from late night sharing and summer rendezvouses, but there's an inter-house curiosity about who will show up, who was good enough to make it.

At first, it's the expected people, smart individuals from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff who certainly deserved their places. Then there were some surprises from Gryffindor and Slytherin. Lily begins losing interest and instead listens to Sirius and Remus discussing the various individuals flooding in as the start time ticks ever nearer.

Lily's attention is captured again only by James joining them at the table. Sirius greets him with a hug, Remus with a handshake, and then Lily just stares at him awkwardly when he turns to her. "Hello," she offers, unsure where their companionship properly stands. They're friends, certainly, but where she fits into their group dynamic is still undetermined.

"You can hug me," James laughs. "It doesn't have to mean anything."

Unexpectedly, she shoots out of her seat and lets him take her into his arms. They hug each other tight, as if they've been close for years, and it eases some of the anxiety that Lily's been harboring all morning. Her eyes close comfortably, but only for a moment.

When she opens them, she catches sight of Severus gliding in with only a few seconds to spare. He takes a seat with some of his Slytherin comrades and is greeted with singular nods. Suddenly, the hug from James feels all the more reassuring.

Severus made his choice. And she made hers.

"Those boys that you call friend…" Lily's lip quivers as she begins her practiced lines of explanation, her pre-planned effort to sway him back into his common sense. "They would see me dead because of my parents. And, before too long, they'd see you dead too! Why are you putting your lot with them when they wouldn't do the same for you?"

"You fool!" Severus spits. "You absolute knob!"

His voice is low and hissed, befitting of his house, and it give Lily the chills. He's angry and she's come to know how scary he can be when he gets angry. More than once he's wished her classmates upon terrible misfortunes. Visions of hatred have spewed from his lips in the past, and she can only guess at what will be coming next – thoug, this time it will be aimed at her.

"I'm the fool?" Lily questions, full with her own brand of arrogant confidence. For all her strength, for all her intellect, she knew before she came that she was not emotionally prepared to actually deal with the wreckage that this confrontation could bring. Yet, she maintains her façade; she keeps her voice steady and full with her purpose. "You are little more than a sidekick to these villainous monsters prancing around thinking that they're superior to people with Muggle heritage!"

"You have no place speaking about them in that manner," Severus grunts. Prepared to leave the conversation, as she has done in the past, Lily finds quickly that the tables are turned. It is Severus who is now on his feet, looking down at her with disappointment in his eyes. "I can't believe I let myself fall in love with an ignorant Mudblood like you."

Lily whips her wand out faster than Severus can even blink. Hex after hex sends him flying across the courtyard. How dare he use such foul language? They were supposed to be friends.

She follows him to the furthest tree where he lands. His hands are pressed to his stomach, and a scrape on his head trickles blood down to his cheek. "You are no friend of mine, Severus Snape, and I don't ever want to speak to you again."

Before she can begin crying, Lily stomps away from Severus, leaving everything that they've ever shared in the dusty grass where his body lay. He can have the memories because they mean nothing to her now.

"This is going to be a great year," James says lowly as Professor Sprout emerges from her office. She says something about moving to the greenhouse momentarily to tour the plants that they'll be working with during this term, but Lily can't take her eyes off of James – who keeps eyeballing Severus across the room. Only half of his face is visible, but that's enough for her to see the great conflict in his heart.

Severus relied on him to make it into this class, and now he's sitting across the room with no connection to anyone in Gryffindor. Will he help him again this year? Should he? James lowers his chin in what Lily can only assume is defeat and turns to his bag to unpack a textbook, some parchment, and a quill.

Refusing to give Severus any more of her time, any more of her mind, she follows suit. She might not have thought so this time last year, but Lily realizes that she's in better company now. James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin…

There are worse people that she could call friend.

X X X

Author's Note: I know that this deviates a tiny bit from the confirmed timeline. I hope that you, as the reader, still fine the changes to canon acceptable and enjoyable.