Snape was halfway down the hall about to turn the corner to go to the dungeons to the Slytherin common room. He walked with his gaze to the floor. He was thinking about what Lily had admitted to him. No wonder she's in gryffindor, it took guts to admit something like that. He thought to himself.
Snape entered the Slytherin common room, looking brooding as usual. He plopped down on the couch and took out his potions book and resumed to work on his spell.
A girl with long blond hair came down into the common room. "Hello, Severus. How are you today?" Her name was Samantha. She had a small crush on Snape, and she was rather annoying.
Severus rolled his eyes when he heard her voice. "Hey, Sam." he muttered back. He closed his potions book and sat in his normal brood, glowering at the fire crackling in front of him.
"What did you do today? I didn't see you at all." Her voice was high-pitched and forced through her nasal passages.
Snape sucked in his cheeks and resisted the urge to stun her silent. He had a sudden rage against her, because he knew that she liked him. Something occurred to him suddenly, before he could tolerate Sam, she was one of the few people that were at least civil to him, who didn't snicker when he entered the room or pull out their wand ready to jinx him. But now, now that Lily had confessed her feelings for him, he is all of a sudden very annoyed at her presence. He actually wants her to go away. What did this mean? Did he actually have feelings for Lily Evans too?
"I went out to the lake." he answered simply, "Needed some air." he added so she didn't ask why.
"Oh... well I was thinking... this coming weekend is a Hogsmeade weekend. Would want to go with me?" She asked lightly. Sam studied him, wondering how he would respond.
Severus was taken aback by her question. Lily had just admitted her feelings to him, but Potter would probably ask her to Hogsmeade, and she probably wouldn't want to endure the ridicule from the other Gryffindors that came with being associated with him. He looked at Sam, full eye contact. "We're in the same house, we kind of do go together" he replied testing her, to see her response.
"I meant... like more than classmates." Samantha said, wringing her hands nervously. "That's fine if you have someone else you'd rather go with..."
Snape found her nervousness repulsive, her shrill nasal voice made him want to vomit and her presence made him want to gouge out his eyes. He didn't want to confuse her by saying yes, if it turned out he really did have feelings for Lily. He pursed his lips. He then thought how much courage it must have took to approach him. He sighed. That only reminded him of Lily, it made his stomach do back flips. He never told Lily whether or not he had feelings for her. He knew Potter was too stubborn and too arrogant not to ask Lily.
He knew that Lily would get teased if she was seen anywhere alone with him. He shrugged. "I hadn't really thought about it." he said as he slumped back into his seat.
Samantha frowned. "Is that a yes or a no then, Severus?"
She wanted more than anything for him to say yes, but knew he would say no. At least she'd asked. Now Sam knew she couldn't say she'd never tried.
Severus glowered contemplatively into space. When did I all of a sudden become this heart throb? He asked himself. He looked up at Samantha, appraisingly.
He wrinkled his nose a bit, "No." he replied, at that gathered his things and headed up to the boys dormitory. He dumped his school books onto his bed and then rummaged through his trunk to find another book.
Meanwhile, Lily went into the common room. Potter wasn't around so she snuck up to the girls dorm in order to keep from being harassed again today. She really wasn't in the mood for him.
Snape found his book on Occlumency and plopped on his bed, pouring over it. He couldn't stand these feelings, he needed more discipline. He needed to be more controlled. He took a couple of deep breaths.
Lily laid back on her bed. She should be studying... not sitting here obsessing over... over what? Snape? She grimaced. This was so against anything she would ever do. Severus Snape. Of all people. Why couldn't it be someone in her own house... like Potter even. At least maybe then he wouldn't take shots at her about it. Not that anyone knew. Maybe nobody would ever know. Maybe nothing would come from it.
Snape tried to discipline himself more, emptying his mind of all emotion, control his thoughts. But the more he tried the harder it became. He just became more and more conscious of heart beating faster, his hand trembling as he tried to hold the book. He glowered inwardly at his lack of control, closed the book and slammed it on his nightstand.
He lay across the bed and hung his head over the end, feeling the rush of blood flow to his head. He closed his eyes. Stupid Mudblood's got me all riled up and for what? How do I know this isn't some trick of Potter's. As if he would steep so low . . .But what if its not? Lily wouldn't really league with Potter anyways .
His thoughts rambled on as he slowly became dizzy from having his head hang off the end of his bed.
Slamming her fist down on the bed beside her, Lily let out a long frustrated sigh. This was so wrong! Snape.. of all the boys in this school it had to be Severus effing Snape. She sat up just as the dinner bell tolled. A leaping in her heart matched it's ringing...
Why? She thought. Why is it that my heart just did jumping jacks because of the dinner bell? Because the Slytherins would be there... and who is a Slytherin? This is nonsense! Complete and utter nonsense! He hates you! No matter how many times she reassured herself of that fact, it didn't stop her from hurrying down to the Great Hall. Too bad Potter was waiting for her on her way down.
James looked up and saw Lily entering the common room. "Lily, walk you to dinner?" he asked hopefully.
Lily shook her head. "I've got to make a pit stop at the library. It could take a good fifteen minutes. Plus after quidditch practice today I bet you're hungry, Potter."
She came up with more excuses than was necessary, but she really didn't want Snape to see them together. Then he'd think this whole thing was just something to make fun of him with. That was the last thing she needed.
Potter's smile drained. "Maybe next time then" he said not able to hide the disappointment from his voice. He nudged Sirius and Remus and made his way out the portrait hole.
Lily took her time going down there so Potter wouldn't say she had been lying. She even went by the library, but didn't get anything. She couldn't even think of anything she wanted to read about, her mind was so muddled with other thoughts. Finally she went down to the Great Hall, staring right at the floor. She bumped into a couple people, but said she was sorry without even looking up at them.
Severus slithered his way through the people, and eventually into the great hall, he sat down at an empty chair at the fast filling Slytherin table. He looked up at the Gryfindor table, James Potter, Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew and Remus Lupin had taken seats right near his line of sight. Where was Lily? He thought immediately, he figured Potter would have goaded her into coming down with him.
Finally Lily made her way through the doors. She took a seat far from the marauders. Pulling out a book, she began to eat while she read. Her emerald eyes moved over the lines slowly. She hoped it wasn't too apparent she wasn't actually reading, but if she didn't she was afraid she would look at him.
Snape served himself some food and tried to ignore the constant drone of his thoughts for there was now a new constant drone of all the students in the great hall talking.
Not being able to stand it any longer, Lily glanced up from her book and over at the Slytherin table. He looked as though he was in a sour mood. She chewed on the inside of her lip, and watched him.
Snape glowered at his plate as he took in a spoonful of potatoes, they tasted bitter. He grimaced as he forced it down his throat. No one talked to him, he heard Sam giggling with her friends a couple chairs down. The sound of her voice nearly forced the potatoes he'd just swallowed back up. He reached quickly for his goblet and chugged it. He had his head held back, his Adam's apple bounced up and down as he swallowed the large gulps of water.
Lily kept watching him. He looked almost like he was going to vomit. She quickly looked back down at her book. Her long red hair falling in her face. She tucked it behind her ears, and glanced up at him again over her book. Snape had drained the goblet and then set it down on the table. He looked up at the Gryffindor table. He saw a very familiar set of green eyes staring back at him, over a book. He raised his eyebrow at her.
Lily felt her chest rise, and she smiled lightly. Quickly making that smile a scowl, she couldn't keep the edges of her mouth from turning upward slightly.
Severus kept staring at her. He didn't blink or make any emotional response, except when Sam let out a loud shrill giggle. He winced and then rolled his eyes. He cast a glowering glance toward Sam and then stabbed the carrots on his plate with his fork. He picked up his fork and looked at it oddly. It looked slightly overcooked. He peered past his carrot back at Lily.
Lily chewed on her lip, and nearly burst out laughing at the wince from him. Sam was in her Charms class and was extremely annoying. She glanced down at her plate of untouched food, and back up at Severus.
He looked at the carrot, nearly making himself look cross-eyed, he made a face of disgust, as if telling Lily they weren't worth eating and then he put his fork down and scraped the carrot off and picked up the chicken leg. He took a bite and was relieved that it did not taste bitter in his mouth. His stomach growled in anticipation of the yummy meat.
Lily smiled, and took a bite of the mashed potatoes. They too were bitter. She put her hand over her mouth and reached for a glass of water frantically. Taking long sips, she washed it down, and made a relieved face.
Severus smirked as Lily mimicked his behavior. He continued to eat his chicken leg, his mouth watered with gratitude. He looked back at Lily.
Lily met his gaze, and took another sip of her water. She mimicked him by picking up a carrot on her fork. She gazed at him for a second from behind the carrot, then took a bite out of it. Making a heaving sound, Lily spit it back onto her plate.
Snape closed his eyes and shook his head, he looked up at Lily and smirked, but it could almost be mistaken for a smile. He took another bite of his chicken, cleaning the bone. He set the bone on his plate.
Lily took another long drink of water. Crossing her legs, she looked back down at her book. This was too much for her. It was like they were having a conversation through looks or something. She glanced back up at him as she took a bite of chicken.
Severus poked at his macaroni with his fork, with a look on his face like it was going to leap from his plate and attack him. He scooped it up on his fork and ate it. He chewed appraisingly and then nodded.
He cast a quick look to the marauders and then back at Lily, as if asking her why she wasn't sitting with them. She rolled her eyes in response. He should know that she wasn't friends with them. Only Remus, and even now she couldn't stand being under his gaze. She knew what he was thinking. He was thinking about her and Snape. He smirked in response. He wished that he could talk to her, he didn't know what he would say but he wished that he wasn't condemned to sit with the pureblood snobs of his house. He was a half-blood, but he didn't dare admit that to anyone. He got teased enough.
Lily was thinking the same thing. Almost reading it in his eyes, she finished up the chicken and water, and got up. Giving him a fleeting look, she headed out of the great hall.
Snape watched as she left. He decided to wait a bit before he followed, so as not to arouse suspicion. A group of nearby Slytherins got up moments later, he got up with them, following close behind, so if James happened to look over, it would appear that he was with them. He got out side the great hall.
Lily was leaning against the railing of the stairs, talking to a couple Ravenclaws. She caught his dark figure out of the corner of her eye, and headed farther up the stars and down the hall to the grand staircase.
Snape contemplated whether or not to follow her. He stood in the shadows as several students made their way up the stairs. He weighed his alternatives. He could follow Lily, he could go back to the common room, or he could stick around and wait for the marauders to come out of the great hall.
He looked up the stairs. Lily had turned left toward the giant staircase which practically lead to anywhere and everywhere, depending on which way it was facing. He slowly made his way up the stairs.
Lily was waiting for him on the second floor landing, but just looking like she'd dropped her things. Gathering them slowly, when she caught sight of him, she stepped into the second floor through it's entryway. She made sure that he saw her. Snape looked over and saw Lily picking up her things again. He meandered over to her, dragging his feet, making it almost seem to anyone who happened to walk by that he was going to just walk past her. He stopped just as he got to her, he bent low and picked up a quill. He stood up and twirled it between his fingers.
Lily reached out to take it from him, trying not to smile largely. Why was it that now every time she looked at him, she wanted to smile?
Snape looked up at her outstretched hand for a moment. He slowly stopped twirling the quill and gave it to her. She gave him a quick nod, and looked up the stairs at some first years coming down. Lily blinked, giving him a 'c'mon' look. She went into a corridor, and opened a door to a disused classroom. Stepping inside, she waited for him and sat on a desk.
Snape followed. Some of the first years looked up at him as if he were some sort of freak show. He entered the classroom and slowly closed the door behind him. It looked like the Ancient Runes classroom.