.....Why does time slip by so fast?.....



It had been a few hours sense Severus had run away from Lily and James, and the whole time he had spent it in the Slytherin common room. He had tried to make himself busy with the book he had, only to actuly read one paragraph. The rest of the time he listened to other kids, talking about the break, so happy to go home and see their families.

This made him feel a little lonely, which he always was, and left the room without any word to or from anyone.

Oddly enough, he wandered for a while. Never had he done this, he always stuck to the rules to stay in certian areas. But this was just getting to much for him.

A group of Ravenclaw girls, all in their sixth year strode past him. He could hear their conversation from down the hall...

"Whats his name again?"

"Snape... I think..."

"Whats with the scowl? It makes him look like some slimeball..."

"He is! Did you hear he likes to learn Dark Arts?"

"Creepy!"

Severus stopped in his tracks, and turned around to see the group dissapear into another hallway. Did they have no decency to at least wait until he was out of ear shot? Not only did it make the frown on his face look even worse... he felt a new sensation on his cheeks. Something warm... and ...wet?

Crying? No. Severus couldn't cry. He was a freak of nature who only enjoyed picking on others. He liked to make first years cry and beg for their mom's by making boils come up all over their bodies. He was a nasty, no good kid.

But... never had he done those things. Always, he was the one being bullied. In fact, he had bruses still from kids who pushed him hard into the stone walls while walking to the next class.

Quickly he used the sleve of his robe to wipe the tears away. He wouldn't let anyone see him like this, so vulnerable. It would be a feild day for anyone. The scary Snape, crying like a baby with no one to turn to.

Leaning against the nearest wall, he slid down so he sat on the floor. The silence was good enough for him now. The only thing that was alive anywhere nearby was a painting of a old woman, who was currently making a long blue scarf. She didn't even look up when Severus let out a long sigh.

It was sometime before any sound came from around him. It made him jerk from his state, and he quickly stood up, casting his eyes toward the way he came. No one was there, so he looked the other way. Sure enough, someone was walking towards him.

If he had any sence, he would turn away and just go. But, he stayed right there. His midnight eyes were locked on the person making their way slowly.

Lily.

Severus couldn't pull his eyes away. It seemed that she spotted him also, and the deep emerald of her eyes were casted on his. A sudden pain in Severus' hand made him relise he had been gripping his robes way to tight. He let it go as soon as she got closer, and stopped a foot or two away from him.

"Hey Severus..." A smile casted over her brilliant face.

"Hi.." Was all he could manage.

"I was looking for you." She watched him try to ask why, and laughed a bit. "Because I wanted to talk to you."

Was this really happening? "Talk about what exactly?"

"Christmas break. Mind if I tag along with you around here? I don't know anyone else who will be staying."

"Oh.. well... sure.. I don't do much..." He suddenly felt a weird warmness around his cheeks. "Usualy I go to the library, read... and then take walks outside..."

"Sounds fun!" Quickly her face seemed so alive and cheerful. Severus had to grip his rodes again so he wouldn't reach out and touch her.

"Um.. if you don't mind me asking... how come your not going home?"

It was then her face went back to that sad look she had a eailer. "My mother and father want to be alone... I would have gone to James' for the holiday-" Severus suddenly felt the urge to punch something. "-but his parents already had a trip planed for just them. So I was stuck here."

When she stared to look like she was going to cry, Severus found it a little hard to keep from reaching out. So, his hand came from under the sleve of his robe, but stopped a few inches from her face. She glanced up at him, her eyes wide with a bit of surprise. But she wasn't the only one.

Quickly he pulled his arm back, mumbling a small "Sorry." After a few minutes of silence, he offered a walk back to the Gryffindor dorm. They walked without a word, until Lily finally broke the wall of silence.

"How come you never go home on breaks?"

"I wouldn't even call it a home.."

Lily turned to look at him, her head tilted to one side. "Why not? Are your parents mean to-"

"Their dead."

She stopped in her tracks, and after a few steps, so did he. Severus turned his head to look at her, and motioned forwards. "Come on."

Her hand was over her mouth, and she spoke low. "I'm so sorry.. I shouldn't have-"

"Don't." He crossed his arms, looking towards a statue of some old wizard, seeming very interested in it. "You wanted to know."

With a sigh she looked down. "Who do you live with then?"

"My grandfather. He's my last living relative. But I doubt I should call him even that. I hate him, he hates me. It works out."

"But... why?"

"Because he's a rotten scumbag who only keeps me over the summer because he loved my mother enough."

Lily noticed how calm Severus looked as he said all this, as if the thought of hatting his grandfather was nothing bad at all. Of course, there were times when Lily hatted her parents, but not so much as to talk of them like that.

When she didn't respond, Severus looked at her once more. "Ready?"

They set off to the portrait of the Fat Lady*, where Lily paused a moment before going in. She looked over Snape with a look that he couldn't really describe. It was something he had never seen in her eyes. She gave a small smile.

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, Severus. I might not see you for a while, I want to go and say goodbye to James and the guys."

He nodded, bitting his tounge so not to say the rude comment he had in his mind about James, and turned to walk back to the Slytherin dorm. He felt a little weak in the knees after talking to Lily.... but then he knew he was going to talk to her a lot more over the holiday.

.....This almost made him trip down the stairs.




Note from Kimmy-Sama!!!
Fat Lady= I don't know if back in their days the Fat Lady was there, but I thought, Why not?!? She's cool, in pink, and fat! Yahoo! (I'm a bit to hyper right now.) ^.^;;