As they moved into June, the majority of Severus and Lily's time together was spent in the library. Exams were approaching and they were therefore forced to revise for hours into the night.

This lent itself to them spending a lot of time down by the lake, together, at lunch-time. Today had been a particularly happy hour in Severus' opinion; until they were bothered that is.

He and Lily had been talking about everything under the sun, having just finished their Herbology homework - they were now on Fanged Geranium – when they were interrupted.

This grated on Severus's nerves more than it should of, but he and Lily had been growing apart these last few years, and were actually reconnecting.

"Snape! Oi, Snape!"

Severus instantly turned to face the voice.

"Yes, Black?" he drawled, looking the younger boy in the face. Regulus Black had learned quickly to hold his tongue around Severus, and as such, the two got along reasonably well.

Black was now hurrying toward him holding a roll of parchment.

"For you," said Regulus. "Any idea what he wants?"

"Does anyone? Ever?" he said with a sneer.

The younger boy just rolled his eyes.

"True enough. Mulciber's looking for you as well," said Regulus. "Just thought you should know. He said he'd be –"

But Severus was not listening; he had just recognized the thin, slanting writing on the parchment. Leaving Black in mid-sentence, he hurried away with Lily, unrolling the parchment as he went.

Dear Severus,

I would like to meet with you as there are some details that need refining. Kindly come along to my office at eight p.m. I hope you're not too busy with exams approaching. Summer shall be upon us soon.

Yours sincerely,
Albus Dumbledore
P.S. I enjoy Licorice Snaps

"He enjoys Licorice Snaps?" said Lily, who had read the message over his shoulder and was looking perplexed.

"I rather think it is the password to get past the gargoyle outside his study," said Severus in a low voice. "I really don't like the sound of this."

"How come?" inquired Lily.

"Notice that comment about the summer?"

"Yes," said Lily. "What does that -?"

"The conversation is going to be about my summer arrangements due to my condition," he said, hating how small he sounded when he said that. "That's why he wants to have this little tête-à-tête."

"It doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing, does it?" said Lily.

"I don't know," Severus sighed. "I honestly have no clue what to think. My parents –" At this Severus's voice trailed off.

"Maybe things will work out, Sev," said Lily encouragingly. "Just go and see what he has to say tonight."

"All right," he said, a note of resignation in his voice.

After lunch, he went off to Ancient Runes while Lily went to Arithmancy. They had a rare free period and went to the library where they started on their homework. The essay for Ancient Runes turned out to be so complex that Severus still had not finished when the bell rang for the afternoon's transfiguration lesson and they beat the familiar path, through the corridors, to McGonagall's classroom.

"So what are your plans for the summer, Lily?" Potter inquired.

"Potter, why don't you find someone else to pester?" Severus sneered. "I assure you, your presence here is unwanted."

"I'm not talking to you, Snivellus," Potter replied. "Lily?"

"Hanging out with Severus and my family likely," said Lily, rather pointedly. "Not that it particularly concerns you."

"Evans –"

"Shut it, James!" said Lily. "For the record, if you ever wanted me to give you a chance, tormenting my best friend wasn't the way to go about it."

"Oh, come on, Evans," said Potter. "You won't even give me a chance. I tried to help the git!"

"You were saving your own neck," Severus said, venom in his voice.

"I was not! I –"

It was then that Professor McGonagall appeared, opened the door.

"Is there a problem here?" McGonagall demanded.

"No Ma'am," they all said quickly.

"Good," she said. "Come in."

Everyone followed her through the doors and took her their seats.

"Very well then," she said. "Mr Bones, kindly come here and hand back the homework - Miss Moon, please take this box of mice - don't be silly, girl, they won't hurt you - and hand one to each student—"

That comment did not seem to reassure the girl at all, but Professor McGonagall just ignored her. It wasn't long before Edgar Bones handed back Severus' essay; He took it quickly and saw, to his chagrin, that he had only managed an 'E'.

"What did you get?" he asked under his breath.

She tilted her essay towards him, revealing an 'O'.

"Great," Severus grumbled, before getting a look from McGonagall.

Lily just smirked.

"You cannot pass an O.W.L," said Professor McGonagall grimly, "without serious application, practice and revision. I see no reason why everybody in this class should not achieve an O.W.L in Transfiguration as long as they put in the work – and yes, that includes you, Pettigrew."

At this there were some snickers coming from the Slytherins.

It would take a miracle for Pettigrew to get into N.E.W.T levels.

"Now, most of – Sirius Black, if you do that to the mouse again I shall put you in detention – As I was saying, most of you have now successfully Vanished your snails and even those who were left with a certain amount of shell have got the gist of the spell," McGonagall said. "Today, we shall be practicing the altogether more difficult Vanishment of mice. Now, the Vanishing Spell becomes more difficult with the complexity of the animal to be Vanished. The snail, as an invertebrate, does not present much of a challenge; the mouse, as a mammal, offers a much greater one. This is not, therefore, magic you can accomplish with your mind on your dinner. So - you know the incantation, let me see what you can do…"

"This should be interesting."

The Vanish Spells were one of the more difficult spells that would come up on their OWLs. By the end of the last double period, most had not managed to vanish the snails on which they were practicing, though Mulciber said hopefully he thought his looked a bit paler. Lily and him, on the other hand, had successfully vanished their snails after a handful of attempts.

This earned them both 10 points a piece from Professor McGonagall. They were also the only two who were not given homework; everybody else was told to practice the spell overnight.

As they were practicing Professor McGonagall paced around the room observing and correcting wand movements.

Severus was having a little harder time than Lily had at vanishing the mice.

It took several attempts, but eventually Lily got it. She then had corrected Severus, and they had both managed to vanish their mice.

"Excellent work, Mister Snape," McGonagall said, congratulating him. "Ten points to Slytherin."

"Thank you, Ma'am," he said. Lily was greeted similarly.

As she walked around the room, Severus quickly scribbled a not to Lily that read: Ten sickles says Pettigrew doesn't vanish his rat.

He slid it over to Lily. She read it, scribbled an answer, then looking to see if McGonagall was watching, slid it back towards Severus.

She'd written: Childish, Sev! I'm in! I bet he only does a partial vanishment. He smiled and wrote: You're on. Looser buys the winner butterbeer.

He gave the note to Lily, who read it, and rolled her eyes. Smiling, she stuck in inside her textbook.

"Good attempt, Miss LeClair, but I do believe we are trying to vanish the mice," McGonagall said. She frowned at Pettigrew and Mulciber's attempts, and praised Mary, and Moon who had both done reasonably well.

By the end of class, a handful of people had managed to vanish their mice. They had also been assigned two feet of parchment on Vanishing Spells.

"I win," he said with a smirk. She giggled.

He stayed back a few minutes to wait for his dormmates.

"Well, it's a start," grumbled Mulciber, holding up a long wriggling mouse-tail and dropping it back into the box Lupin was passing around.

"Still doing better than Pettigrew," Avery said, his voice laced with disdain. "Has he even managed to vanish a toe?"

"Not bloody likely," he scoffed. "But that's not even a start, Mulciber. It's honestly pathetic."

Mulciber just scowled.

They were among the first to reach the Great Hall at dinnertime, as Severus didn't want to be late for his meeting later.

"Are you coming to the tea at Malfoy Manor come the holidays?" inquired Mulciber, in between bites of his steak-and-kidney pudding.

"The one they throw every year?" inquired Severus. "That depends."

"On?" inquired Avery.

Severus said nothing.

"You should," said Mulciber. "He's said to expect a very important guest."

Oh, Severus knew all right. He also knew how pertinent the meeting would likely be.

"I've been informed as such," said Severus, taking a sip of Pumpkin Juice. "I could hardly miss the opportunity."

"Good," Mulciber smirked. "Hopefully you're not sick."

"I'm feeling fine," he said, keeping the nervousness out of his voice.

"You've been sick a lot lately," said Avery.

"It's just stress, and frankly Gryffindor dunderheads are bad for your health," said Severus.

"True enough," Evan Rosier said with a snort. "Why do you let them walk all over you?"

"They'll get their own," he said. "Believe me."

Severus went up to the library after dinner and tried to do the homework Professor McGonagall had given them, but Severus kept breaking off and glancing towards the door.

"Sev, talk to me," Lily said.

"It's fine, Lily."

"You're distracted, Sev."

"Lets just get back to work." He sighed.

Nothing changed, however, and eventually Lily closed his book.

"Oi!"

She glanced at her watch.

"It's a quarter to eight," said Lily. "It's still a tad early, but I doubt Dumbledore would mind."

"Fine!" Grumbling, he started throwing his books in his bag.

"Good luck!" Lily called, watching Severus leave.

Severus proceeded through the mostly deserted corridors he reached the spot in the seventh-floor corridor where a single gargoyle stood against the wall.

"Licorice Snaps." The gargoyle instantly leapt aside; the wall behind it slid apart, and a moving spiral stone staircase was revealed, onto which Severus stepped, so that he was carried in smooth circles up to the door with the brass knocker that led to Dumbledore's Office.

Severus knocked.

"Come in," said Dumbledore's voice.

"Good evening, sir," he said, walking into the Headmaster's office.

"Ah, good evening, Mister Snape. Sit down," said Dumbledore, smiling. "How is preparing for exams going?"

"I am sure you can imagine, sir."

"Indeed," said Dumbledore. "Although, if I may say so, I have very little doubt you'll do well."

"Thanks, sir," said Severus, rather awkwardly.

"So, Severus," said Dumbledore, in a businesslike voice. "You have been wondering, I am sure, why I called you here?"

"I find myself curious, yes," he agreed. "Although, sir, you implied certain things in your message."

"That I did," said Dumbledore, his eyes twinkling.

Just then there was a knock at the door.