Her eyes opened slowly against the sun's light and Lily yawned quietly, rolling to her side to peruse the dormitory. Everyone was still asleep, unsurprisingly, as Lily pushed herself up to rub the sleep out of her eyes. Though she felt she needed more rest, she forced the sheets back on her bed and swung her legs around to stand.
With quick movements, she made her way towards the bathroom to shower and brush her teeth, closing the door behind her silently. As she stripped, she caught sight of the small bruise located on her collarbone, the purple coloring of her skin making her stomach roll painfully. Without another look, she jumped into the shower to bathe quickly, hair tangling painfully in her haste.
When she exited the bathroom, everyone appeared to still be sleeping, so Lily dried off and dressed quickly, grabbing her book bag before heading out the dormitory's door. The common room was eerily quiet, with only a few somber students spread out throughout the living space. Lily glanced around curiously as she headed out the portrait exit.
James, Sirius, and Peter were walking down the corridor towards her, looking severely haggard and exhausted. Sirius was the first to spot her, but appeared to barely have enough energy to conjure his usual charming smile.
"Morning, Lily," he murmured, as the three boys brushed passed her, looking like death. James and Peter merely nodded in greeting.
"Morning," she replied, feeling a great amount of curiosity as she watched their backs as they entered the Gryffindor common room. Despite her suspicions, she chose to turn back towards her destination, the library. Although she knew she should head towards the Great Hall to eat, her stomach still felt heavily uneasy. She just needed peace and silence.
Her favorite spot was thankfully empty and she slid into the open seat, dropping her bag of books onto the floor beside her. She rested her head into her hands, her eyes studying the tall bookshelves around her, scanning for something interesting to read. Her eyes fell onto Quintessence: A Quest and she stood to retrieve it from the shelf, despite having read the multiple already at least twice.
As she flipped through the book to start on a random place, Marlene popped her head around the corner.
"Oi," she said softly, catching Lily's attention easily.
"Hello," Lily greeted, lowering the book in front of her. Marlene came forward and slid into the seat in front of Lily, picking at the worn table with her fingernail.
"You snuck out early," Marlene noted, peering into her face curiously.
"Couldn't sleep any longer." Lily shrugged, folding the book shut. "Missed the library too much," she joked, running her hand over the book's worn cover.
"I got a letter from mum; Marc's okay," Marlene said in relief, pulling the parchment out of her robe's pocket. "I thought, the attack in Sudbury-"
"Your brother," Lily breathed in realization, forgetting that he was an Auror and must have obviously been sent to assist the attack in Sudbury. The redhead jumped and darted around the table, embracing her friend tightly. "I didn't even think," Lily said ashamedly, feeling guilt burn in her stomach.
Marlene laughed softly, returning her friend's hug. "It's fine, Lily. Mum said he's okay; only a bit scratched up. But he has to stay at St. Mungo's for observation."
"I'm so glad," Lily said sincerely, releasing her friend. "I'm so sorry."
"It's okay," Marlene replied, smiling softly. "I can tell you're distracted. How was home?'
Lily felt her eyes drop to the book in front of her, as she began to pick at the book's spine. "It was fine," she answered unevenly, Vernon's angry face flashing before her eyes.
"Dress that ugly?" Marlene quipped, though her eyes studied Lily in concern.
Lily laughed though, thinking back to the dressing room and how the dress refused to fit. "Something like that," Lily answered, standing and grabbing the book. She returned it to its original spot on the shelf. "Want to head down to the Great Hall?
"Absolutely, I'm starving." Lily laughed as her blonde haired friend reached forward to grab her arm, hurrying her along. "Your face is looking better, by the way."
"Oh." Lily reached up to tenderly touch her lip and nose almost nearly forgetting about the incident the night before. They did not appear swollen, but her upper lip still felt sore to the touch. "I hope Hagrid doesn't think I'm angry about it."
"He won't," Marlene reassured her.
Lily paused, suddenly remembering her and Hagrid's run in with Mulciber and Avery. "I could curse them," she said aloud, her tone vicious. Marlene glanced at her in shock. Lily relayed the story to her friend, watching as Marlene's expression turned more and more angry.
"I could curse them," Marlene spat, repeating the words just as viciously. "Those slimy gits."
"Twenty points was not bloody enough," Lily murmured, clutching her bag angrily. The two entered the Great Hall together, greeted by the overwhelmingly silent and somber air of the room. Lily spotted the rest of her friends easily, allowing Marlene to lead the way.
"Hi, Lily," Emmeline greeted, handing her a cup of tea.
"Morning," Lily said, accepting the warm cup. "Ready for Charms?"
"As much as I can be," Emmeline smiled, returning to her plate.
The group was unusually quiet as they ate and Lily was grateful they didn't ask about her weekend; thinking about it left a bad taste in her mouth. Their quiet breakfast was interrupted as three of the four marauders joined them at the table.
"You three look like hell," Marlene pointed out.
"Feel like it," Sirius murmured, greedily grabbing a cup of dark coffee. Peter grumpily began to pile food onto his plate, his movements slow and sluggish. James stared at the table, his square glasses dipping low on the bridge of his nose.
"Where's Remus?" Lily asked curiously, taking one last bite out of her toast.
"Not feeling quite well," Sirius answered, downing the rest of his cup's contents in one go.
"Oh," Lily said, chewing quietly. He had been in the infirmary just last night; he was looking quite peaky… Lily chose to dwell on the matter another time. "We better get to class, Em," she said, setting down the rest of her toast. Emmeline nodded in agreement and they both stood. "We'll see you all later."
The group bid them a quiet farewell and the two girls left, heading towards the Charms classroom.
Like other days, Charms went by quickly for Lily, though she couldn't find the energy to show her normal amount of enthusiasm. Emmeline looked at her in concern multiple times, when she did not raise her hand to answer Flitwick's questions.
"You okay?" Emmeline asked her as they left the classroom.
"Just tired," Lily replied, feeling as if it was the easiest answer. "Not looking forward to Defense." Emmeline looked at her with sympathy as they parted ways.
"What's wrong?" Marlene asked immediately, at the threshold of the Defense classroom.
Lily felt her throat tightened, wondering if she should tell her best friend about what had transpired over the weekend with Vernon and Petunia.
However much Lily hated to admit it, it had scared her more than anything that had happened to her before.
The vicious encounter had made Lily quickly realize how reliant she was on her wand. She wasn't even 17; technically she couldn't even be using it. But she shivered, remembering the cold anger in Vernon's eyes; the frightened look in her sister's. Her hands shook from where she grasped onto her bag's strap, feeling a heavy weight sink into the pit of her stomach.
More students rushed past them to enter the classroom. Lily blinked rapidly to rid the excess water in her eyes and smiled reassuringly at her friend.
"I can tell you later," she murmured, nudging Marlene inside the doorway and to their seat. Marlene did not look appeased, but allowed Lily to push her into the room.
"Let's hope today's class doesn't suck," Lily heard Marlene murmur as they made their way to their normal seats. Lily silently agreed. "Don't provoke him," Marlene whispered, giving Lily a stern look.
Lily felt a sliver of hurt strike her heart, returning her friend's look with one of offense.
"I didn't mean it like that," Marlene tried correcting quietly. Lily did not answer, but took her seat. "Lily," Marlene pleaded.
"What'd you say this time," Alice teasingly said from behind the two girls.
"It was nothing," Lily replied, pulling out her book and notes, trying to brush off Marlene's words.
Marlene did not have a chance to say anything else; Donahue exited his office with grandeur, slamming his door loudly behind himself to announce his presence.
Lily clenched her jaw tightly, choosing to focus on her notes instead of the professor's face.
"Today, we're going to build on previous lessons: dueling," the man's gravely voice filled the room, the sound grating to Lily's ears.
"Something has obviously been weighing heavily on the minds of the students in this school; with the most recent attack on a wizarding community, there's been an increase in the casualties. It has been very obvious that sides have been chosen…"
Lily glanced up curiously, trying to gauge the professor's expression as he appeared to select his words carefully.
"Now, while some choose to use lower, less noble practices," he paused at this and Lily averted her gaze, feeling his eyes sweep over the classroom. "True witches and wizards will maintain the dignified ways of dueling."
Lily's hand, as if on it's own accord, raised high in the air.
"Lily," Marlene hissed, staring at her in concern.
"Ah, Miss Evans. Of course you'd like to comment," Donahue spoke, leaning back against his desk.
"Professor, do you choose to believe that noble wizards and witches will remain honorable, even in the face of death?"
"I do," the professor answered.
"Lily..." Marlene whispered warningly.
"Do you think the wizards and witches who attacked Sudbury used honorable dueling practices?" Lily asked, unable to look away from the professor now.
Donahue appeared to struggle with the right answer, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
"How do you define a 'noble' wizard, sir?" Lily inquired before he could answer.
His eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Look, Miss Evans, if you're trying to claim-"
"I'm merely asking a question as a student, Professor. As a muggleborn witch, I wish to develop my powers to the best of my ability -"
"As a muggleborn -" he began to growl, but Lily cut him off.
"If I'm understanding what you're saying, Professor, if a witch using 'dignified' dueling practice were to defeat a wizard, she could be considered 'noble', could she not?"
"Evans," Donahue snarled. "If a witch were to use dishonorable dueling -"
"Well, even then, an underage witch to boot," Lily interrupted, managing to keep a polite smile on her face.
"Lily," Alice gasped quietly from behind her. Lily could hear the blood rushing in her ears as the classroom around her remained silent. Her cheeks burned as the Professor glared at her.
"A witch of impure-"
Lily sprung out of her seat, the wooden chair clattering loudly behind her. "Thank you, Professor, for this enlightening lesson. I'm so grateful we have a professor such as yourself."
"Get out," Donahue growled, taking a few steps forward.
"Gladly, Professor," Lily snapped, ripping her bag open and throwing her belongings into it. Her vision was red as she fled from the room, taking care to slam the door loudly. It wasn't until she was stumbling down the steps of the Defense tower, through the Entrance Hall, and out on the the grounds, that she noticed she had been crying.
Her feet led her to her and her friends normal spot near the Black Lake, below the beech tree. She threw her bag onto the ground and paced, feeling immensely angry. She felt as if she wanted to scream, but did not want to disturb the grounds. Instead, she pulled her wand from her waistband and raised it towards the tree.
"Diffindo!" she spelled with a snarl, her wand warm in her hand as she watched a long cut appear on the tree's base. She repeated the charm again, then once more, until the pressure in her chest eased.
"Merlin, you're violent," a voice spoke from behind her. Lily shrieked and whirled, wand at the ready. "Hey, easy! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," James said with an amused smile, though he did not truly look apprehensive.
"Sorry," Lily whispered, turning away and rubbing at her eyes roughly. "You should get back to class."
"I've already read ahead," he shrugged, tossing his bag onto the ground as he bent to sit beside it. "I'm sure that we won't miss anything important."
"I'm sure," Lily agreed sarcastically, glancing out of the corner of her eye to watch him curiously. "You should really get back to class," she repeated quietly, taking a deep breath.
"I think I'd enjoy fresh air more." He leaned back on his hands, then reached up to pull his glasses up to the top of his head and rub tiredly at his eyes. "I was tired of listening to his voice," he admitted with a grin.
"I wanted to offer him a pack of smokes," she replied with a similar grin. Against her better judgement, she sat on the ground beside him, sitting parallel to rest her back against the tree she had only moments ago abused.
James laughed outright at her words. "Sirius would've offered him a pack if it'd make him less of an arse."
"I don't think anything could make him less of an arse," Lily sighed, picking at a stray thread on her school skirt. She peered curiously at James. "Sirius smokes?"
James rolled his eyes, chuckling as he shook his head. "Socially," he assured her. "When he feels the need to drink," he added.
"Oh," she commented, looking skywards. What did these boys get into?
"So tell me more 'bout the game," he said, reaching up to pull his glasses back onto his nose.
"We've already told you everything," Lily replied, meeting his gaze.
"Not everything," James insisted. "The Marauders had a beginning. Hell, Hogwarts had a beginning. Your game had to have had an interesting beginning."
Lily thought for a moment, back to when she had first seen Hogwarts Castle and had been awed by the sheer size of the school. And as much as Lily loved school... it had been too enticing not to explore. She laughed aloud remembering Marlene's face when she had first suggested playing a normal game of 'hide and seek' in the castle.
"See? There's a story," he grinned and Lily laughed, shaking her head fervently.
"There honestly isn't... I just don't think Marlene suspected me to be the one to suggest to go out after curfew," she confessed.
"I'm still shocked, to be honest," said James honestly, moving to sit with his legs crossed in front of him. "You? Evans?"
"Shut up," she sighed, but was unable to prevent herself from smiling at his exaggerated expression.
"I nearly had a heart attack when I ran into you that second time - mind you, I didn't think I would run into you a first time."
"I can be adventurous," Lily defended, crossing her arms over her chest.
"I'm beginning to learn that," James said earnestly.
"What were you even doing out that late?"
James leaned back again on the heels of his hands, his demeanor turning nonchalant. "I was just taking a walk. To clear my mind."
"Like I believe you for one second," Lily snorted, resting her head against the tree behind her. "All three of you looked suspiciously tired," she accused with a smirk, glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
He shrugged, his expression unconcerned as he did not respond.
"How did that charm spell work out?" Lily questioned, relaxing her arms and letting her hands fall into her lap. She stretched her legs out in front of her and crossed her ankles, her feet almost touching his knees.
James laughed in response to her question, knocking his hand into the toe of her shoe. "You're very inquisitive today," he pointed out. "Almost too inquisitive."
"I'm allowed to be. I need a distraction," she defended. "That book could be traced back to me, you know."
"It won't be," he replied. "It's been returned safe and sound to the library. It was to my surprise that it hadn't even been checked out. You almost got me in trouble."
Lily remembered the day; Snape had tried to confront her in the library, and she had been in such a rush to get out of there, she skipped talking to the librarian. She felt her cheeks heat slightly, feeling embarrassed. "Like you need help getting into trouble."
"None at all," he agreed unabashed. "We're trying to be more laid-back," he added with a grin. "I think Remus was getting tired of trying to rein us in."
"I wouldn't doubt it." Lily grinned as she imagined the four boys getting into mischief in the middle of the night, Remus trailing behind with an unpleasant look on his face.
"Lily," James said with sudden seriousness. "I wanted to talk to you about last year - during exams-"
Lily felt as if she had been splashed with cold water. "Don't, James," she cut him off. "It's in the past, I don't-"
"But I wanted to say, I'm sorry." His voice was quietly sincere as he leaned closer to her.
"Potter," she warned, quickly moving to stand. "I don't want to talk about it."
He reached out swiftly, grabbing her hand tightly as to prevent her from standing all the way. "I've been wanting to apologize, seriously, since it happened," he said quickly.
She tried to shake off his grip, feeling a wave of anger. "Oh, you're sorry?" she nearly laughed in his face. "Do you know what you've done?" she asked, her temper fueling her angry words.
James stumbled over his words, still holding onto her hand to prevent her from leaving. "Lily, I am sorry, I know that it ended your... friendship," he said carefully, clearly struggling over the word 'friendship'.
This time, Lily did laugh harshly, successfully ripping her hand from his grip. "What, you wanted to apologize? For what, Potter? Felt sorry for me?" she hissed, bending to retrieve her bag.
"No, no," James denied, jumping up to stand. He visibly struggled with the words. "I felt like shit; I shouldn't have done that to Snape. I know that he meant something to you." Lily watched in annoyance as his hand raked up to nervously brush back his hair.
She laughed derisively. "And you're apologizing to me now. It's a little too late for that, Potter." She moved for go around him, but he stepped in front of her, clearly panicking now.
"Please don't leave," he implored. "I want to make this right. I can tell you weren't okay after that."
"Of course, I wasn't okay!" she nearly screamed, knocking away his hand as he tried to reach out for her again. "I'm just a mudblood, not worthy of a Pureblood's friendship. Thanks, Potter, for helping me see that," she snapped viciously.
"That's not what I meant! That shouldn't have happened!" James fumed, finally able to reach forward and grab her upper arm. "Never call yourself that," he growled.
"Let go," she snapped, looking up into his face angrily.
"I'm trying to apologize!"
"Nice job of trying," snarled Lily sarcastically. "Now let me go."
"No," he said stubbornly, his grip tight, but not painful.
Fed up with him and the conversation, Lily swiftly grabbed for her wand and brought the tip to his collarbone. As the tip touched his shirt, she felt her wand vibrate in her hand.
James let out a yelp and released her, rubbing hard at the spot her wand had shocked him. "What the hell," he shouted, bewildered.
"Thanks, Potter. This really made me feel better," she said frostily, darting around his tall form to head back towards the castle.
"Wait, Lily! Wait!"
"Don't follow me!" she shouted, picking up her pace. Her wand felt hot in her hand as her temper burned.
Thankfully, it appeared he did as told as she made her way up to the Gryffindor tower. Classes were still in session, allowing her a speedy and uninterrupted journey to the girls' dormitory. Lily grew angrier as she ran up the steps, slamming the dormitory's door open loudly and chucking her bag onto the floor.
She jumped headlong onto her bed, releasing a scream she had been holding onto for far too long. It did little to help her anger and she felt the tears burning in the corner of her eyes.
"Lily?" Marlene's voice echoed quietly, tentatively from the doorway.
Lily brought her hands to her face, to hide her tears and embarrassment.
"What happened?" Marlene demanded and Lily felt the bed dip beside her and Marlene's arm wrap around her shoulder.
"I just feel so angry. I feel like I am messing up - and I can't stop it," Lily murmured, trying to keep her voice even. Marlene's arm tightened around her. Reluctantly, she revealed how James had tried to apologize to her, but that she was too angry to really listen to him. "This whole past weekend has just been horrible," Lily muttered miserably, leaning into Marlene's hug.
"What happened at home?" she questioned and Lily let her hands fall away from her face, looking to Marlene with teary eyes as she was unable to prevent her lips from trembling.
"Vernon knows what I am."
"That's not so bad..." Marlene reasoned, pulling Lily in for a tight hug.
"He threatened to kill me," Lily whispered.
"He what?" Marlene gasped, pulling back to look into Lily's face. Lily felt her cheeks burn as she brushed away stray tears. "That bastard," Marlene snarled. "What the hell happened?"
Lily told her the events of the night, how he had grabbed her and how Petunia was unable to do anything about it. Marlene pulled the collar of Lily's shirt back, inspecting the bruise on her collarbone.
"I'll fucking kill him," Marlene growled. "I'll have Marc kill him. Everyone will kill him," she ranted.
"Please don't tell anyone," Lily requested quietly. "I know he's a horrible man, but he was probably just -"
"Lily!" Marlene scolded. "Don't fucking try to defend him. He nearly beat you!"
"But I love Petunia. And if she's going to marry him..."
"And she just sat there and did nothing!" Marlene exclaimed, pulling back and giving Lily an incredulous look.
With a pained expression, she told Marlene how she had confronted them the next day, how Petunia slapped her.
"Did you even say anything to your mum?"
"Marlene," Lily warned, giving her friend a hard look. "Drop it."
"I won't," Marlene replied angrily.
"What's going on?" Emmeline asked worriedly, standing in the dormitory's doorway.
"Donahell," Lily inserted smoothly, using the professor's nickname, giving Marlene one last look before standing and escaping to the bathroom.
"He was being an arse," she heard Marlene elaborate to Emmeline, her voice still angry.
Their voices faded away as she shut the bathroom door and turned on the tap, splashing cold water onto her burning face. Lily stood at the sink until the redness in her cheeks vanished, though she could not get her eyes to look any less puffy. When she felt she looked decent enough, she exited the bathroom to find the dorm full.
Alice was the first to spot her and asked if she was okay.
"I'm fine," she insisted. "I just can't stand that man."
"He's obviously a purist," Emmeline frowned unhappily. "How could Dumbledore hire someone like that?"
"They're desperate," Dorcas pointed out. "The school board needed someone to fill the spot. Not many want it."
"Who wants to get lunch?" Lily asked the room.
"Me," Alice answered right away. Dorcas agreed only seconds later, as did Emmeline. Lily glanced to Marlene, who returned her look with one of disapproval. Lily chose to ignore it.
Marlene joined them nonetheless, giving Lily multiple unhappy looks as they made their way to the Great Hall.
None of the Marauders were at the table and Lily released a long sigh of relief, sitting down between Emmeline and Dorcas, adamantly ignoring the looks from Marlene the entire time they ate.
"I've got to get to Runes," Lily said impatiently, no longer able to take the glaring looks from her dark haired friend. The small group of girls could feel the tension between the two.
"Lily," Marlene admonished, but Lily was away and gone before she could say anything else.
"Bye!" Lily called, nearly jogging away from the group and out of the Great Hall.
Runes class itself, was uneventful, thankfully giving Lily some peace as she listened to the professor discuss topics that had been assigned as reading homework. She dutifully took notes when advised and answered questions when asked.
School was much, much easier than real life.
Class ended much sooner than Lily had hoped. The professor released the class before the bell and while many of the students jumped up in excitement, Lily took her time packing her school bag, physically dragging her feet.
"Evans," Sirius greeted as she exited the now empty classroom.
"Black!" she gasped, surprised by his appearance. "Merlin, give me a heart attack."
"Sorry," he apologized, though did not look it.
"Who sent you? McKinnon or Potter?" she accused not unkindly.
"Neither," he replied, looking at her curiously. "Thought we could grab a snack from the kitchens."
"Oh," Lily said. "Sure, then. But you know dinner should be starting soon."
"Eh." Sirius shrugged. "Too hungry to wait." They walked to the kitchens in companionable silence and Lily pondered if this were to become a new tradition between the two.
"Why would James or Marlene have sent me?" he questioned.
"No reason," said Lily lightly, trying her best to make it sound truthful. He accepted the answer though.
"How was your weekend at home?" Sirius asked instead.
"Horrible," she replied bluntly. Sirius glanced at her with a curious look. "My sister's fiance is a right bastard."
This time Sirius' eyebrow rose in humor. "That bad?"
"Yes," Lily said immediately, feeling tears threaten at the corner of her eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said genuinely and Lily was thankful he did not push the topic as they entered into the kitchens.
The house elves appeared excited at their presence, offering up multiple dishes that Sirius took a little of everything from. Lily politely took a bowl of fruit to snack on.
"So when do you think we'll start another game?" he asked, with his mouth half full.
"Soon, I hope," Lily replied, popping a grape into her mouth. She briefly considered the tension between herself, James, and Marlene. "I could use the stress relief."
Sirius hummed in agreement, taking a large bite out of his biscuit.
Lily paused with a slice of apple between her teeth when the kitchen's entrance opened.
"James," Sirius greeted, waving his best mate in. The tall boy walked in, glancing between the two sitting at the table. "I see you found us," he added with a grin. Lily noticed James tucking away parchment into his pocket.
"Hello," James greeted the two, side stepping the elves at his knees who all offered dishes to him as well. He slide into the seat beside Sirius. Lily looked away when she saw his gaze turn to her. "Snack before dinner?" James asked with an awkward grin.
"Of course," Sirius answered as if the answer was more than obvious. "Talking about when we should have our next game."
James tried to gain Lily's gaze, but her eyes remained on the near empty bowl in front of her. He gave up, reaching over to grab a chip off of Sirius' plate. "Soon, I hope," he murmured.
If Sirius could sense the awkwardness in the air, he didn't say. "Just what we were thinking," he grinned. "Ought to wait till Remus gets back to better health, eh?"
"Yeah," James answered, chewing thoughtfully.
"Has he started feeling better?" Lily asked.
"Not sure," Sirius replied, pushing his empty plate away.
"He should be fine by tomorrow," James said.
"That's a long time," Lily murmured, thinking of the Game. She grabbed another grape.
"We could have a game tonight," Sirius suggested.
"We should wait for Remus," Lily admitted.
"He'd be okay with it," Sirius insisted, nudging James' arm for confirmation. James shrugged, not comfortable with speaking on behalf of Remus.
"I'm still not sure," she said uneasily.
"Let's talk to the rest of the group, yeah?" James suggested, trying to catch her gaze.
"They're probably all in the dorms," she said.
"If we pick teams this time, I'm definitely on yours," Sirius grinned. James obviously looked displeased by the statement.
Lily laughed and shook her head. "I don't know, Black. You may just hold me back." She stood from her spot, waiting as the two followed her movements.
"We'd be invincible," Sirius said, clapping James on the shoulder. "I still haven't told him about your daring moves."
"I got away, didn't I?" Lily pointed out, following their lead as they exited the kitchens. "You pick up a few tricks after a few years."
From behind them, Lily caught James giving Sirius a hard look. She studied the stone floor below her instead, trailing behind them to give them room.
The trek up to the Gryffindor tower was quiet, as Lily was too stubborn to look at James. His 'apology' was still echoing in the back of her mind. She knew he had been sincere, but it was something that she did not want to listen to. Her blood boiled as she thought about Snape and their last conversation in potions.
"Lily..." James started, after Sirius had slipped through the portrait entrance before them.
"Come on," she said in a clipped tone, dodging around his arm and entering the common room.
As suspected, the four other girls were sitting in front of the fire, spread out on the couch, lazily flipping through their school books and homework.
"Actually working?" Lily teased them, sliding into a comfortable spot on the arm of the sofa.
Marlene's head snapped up towards her, then caught sight of Sirius and James standing beside the group. Emmeline looked surprised to see them as well.
"Have to finish some homework," Alice replied back happily, snapping the book in front of her shut. "What's going on?"
"We're thinking of an impromptu game," Sirius smiled, sliding into the spot beside Marlene.
"Yes," Dorcas replied immediately from her spot on the floor.
"I'll go grab Peter," James said, heading towards the stairs.
"You're okay with this, Lily?" Marlene inquired, giving Lily a concerned look.
"Yes," she replied easily, looking forward to something that will take her mind off things.
"What about Remus?" Emmeline asked.
"He'd be okay," Sirius replied. "He'll be coming back soon. We can have another game." Lily still felt guilty at the idea of leaving him out, but she really needed this.
Only moments later, James and Peter came down the steps. Peter was grinning excitedly.
"Tonight at midnight, then?" Marlene asked the group quietly. Everyone nodded their heads eagerly, thrilled by having another game so soon.
There was no chance that the rest of them could continue focusing on their homework, forming a circle around the low table in front of the fire to talk.
Lily, however, borrowed Emmeline's Charms book and selected a chapter to read quietly while the group in front of her chatted. Both James and Marlene continued to shoot her concerned glances, all of which she successfully blocked from behind the book's cover. As she finished a chapter, Sirius stood up.
"Shall we head down to dinner?" he invited, grinning. Lily lowered the book in front of her. The clock on the mantle read 6:30, leaving plenty of time till the game started.
"I think I may stop by Hagrid's," Lily said, returning the book to Emmeline. Marlene gave her an understanding look. "I'll join you in the Great Hall afterwards." She departed the group to run upstairs to grab her cloak, knowing that the weather would grow colder as night began to fall.
"What are you doing?" Lily questioned James as she skipped down the stairs, catching sight of him leaning against the wall beside the staircase.
"Waiting for you," he answered simply.
"Please don't," she scolded, brushing past him quickly.
"I'd like to see Hagrid, too," he retorted, stuffing his hands deep into his pockets as he followed her.
"When's the last time you talked to Hagrid?" she inquired politely, exiting the portrait hole with him following closely behind.
"Two days ago," he replied.
"Oh," Lily said. She glanced at him inquisitively. Did he normally talk to Hagrid? "Can't you talk to him another time?"
"No time like the present," he said breezily.
"Why must you be so insufferable," Lily demanded, trying to quicken her pace. He kept up with her with ease.
"Hagrid's my friend, too." She could sense a small amount of annoyance in his words.
The two Gryffindors walked in tense silence down to the Entrance Hall and out onto the grounds towards Hagrid's hut. Lily chose to stubbornly ignore his presence, as they both awkwardly tried to race to Hagrid's door and knock loudly.
"Lily, James?" Hagrid greeted in surprise as he swung the large door open.
"Hi, Hagrid," Lily said. "Thought we could have some tea before dinner?"
"Absolutely," he replied with a grin. "Already got a pot started."
"Sounds great," replied James, allowing Lily to enter the hut first. She threw him a glare, conveying her own annoyance.
"What brings yer two down here?" Hagrid asked, clearing off two chairs for them to sit.
"I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. Wanted to show you my nose healed perfectly fine," Lily grinned, leaning forward so that Hagrid could inspect her face.
He smiled happily, clearly relieved to find no injury. "Tha's good. I was worried… 'm sorry, Lily. I should've been paying more attention," he said apologetically.
"Don't worry about it," Lily insisted, accepting a cup of tea as he offered it. She blew softly into the cup, cooling the tea off before taking a sip. "How're the grounds?" she asked in interest. "How're the porlocks?"
"They're doin' great!" he exclaimed excitedly. "I think they're finally full grown." He look thoroughly pleased.
"That's great, Hagrid," Lily smiled and took a sip of her tea. The liquid was more bitter than she liked, but she had grown used to Hagrid's tea by this point.
"Strangest thing happened, though," Hagrid murmured, taking a large drink of his own mug. "Saturday night, it must've been."
Lily took another sip. "What happened?" she prompted.
"Well, I was out feedin' the younger ones - and I saw - well, I guess I saw a stag - here! Don't think I've seen one around these woods," Hagrid spoke, stroking his beard curiously.
James spluttered into his tea cup and coughed so violently that Lily looked at him in concern.
"I'm fine," he gasped, accepting the offered handkerchief from Hagrid to wipe his chin. "Tea's hot."
Hagrid was still looking at James in concern. "'S not too hot, is it?" he asked.
"No," Lily answered for him. "It's beginning to cool off."
James handed back the handkerchief to Hagrid and set his mug down, clearing his throat one more time.
When no one spoke, Lily jumped right in. "Look, Hagrid, I wanted to apologize for what those two students said. They're just two tossers who-"
"I know, Lily," Hagrid said, his expression slightly uncomfortable. "Jus' caught me by surprise, is all."
James looked between them curiously.
"Well, forget what they said. They're just horrible people," Lily insisted, setting her mug down. "I plan on reporting it to McGonagall-"
"Nah, Lily, ye don't have to do that," Hagrid cut her off.
"I need to," Lily persisted stubbornly. "Twenty points was not enough."
"It's alright, Lily. 'm used to it," he mumbled ashamedly.
"You shouldn't be, Hagrid," Lily replied immediately, feeling guilty. "They should have never said those things."
"I, uh, better go feed those thestrals," Hagrid mumbled, standing so quickly that he almost knocked over the table. "You two better be getting to dinner." Without another word, he opened the door for them, motioning them out.
With heavy shoulders, Lily did as asked, setting her mug down softly and exiting the small hut, James trailing behind her.
Lily let out a long sigh, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. This day was horrible.
"Mind me asking what that was about?" James questioned as they headed up towards the Castle's entrance.
"Yes." Lily answered shortly. "Mind me asking why you're still here?"
"Who said what?" he asked, ignoring her question.
Lily gave him a look of warning. "Look, don't push it. I've already heard enough shite from you today."
"Hey," he snapped angrily and she stopped walking to look at him. "I'm just asking what happened, alright? And I was trying to apologize earlier. Can you not be so defensive?"
"Are you kidding me?" Lily's voice raised. Her cheeks burned as she stared at him in anger. "How bloody dare you!"
"How dare I?" he responded, struggling not to raise his voice. "I've been trying, Lily. I thought we could be-"
"Together?" she interrupted with an derisive laugh.
"Friends," James finished his sentence, now just as angry.
At the word, Lily felt herself deflate a little. "Just leave me alone, Potter," she snapped.
"Happily," he replied, brushing past her this time and entering through the castle doors.
Lily followed him a few moments later, finally able to calm down. She was unsure of how to face him, especially during the Game.
Her cheeks still felt warm as she took a tour of the first floor, willing her emotions to calm before joining her friends in the Great Hall for dinner. She knew she had overreacted with James -Potter, she corrected begrudgingly. Internally, she felt uneasy and her throat felt a little too tight for her liking.
Between the events that occurred over the weekend and the recent fight she had with James, she felt too unsettled, feeling a weight on her shoulders that she did not care for. With every step she took, unwelcome guilt began to fill her stomach slowly, causing the Prefect to feel slightly nauseated.
Lily swallowed hard against the lump in her throat.
She'd apologize to James, she'd decided reluctantly. The sane part of her mind recognized he only meant good intentions… even if she didn't want to hear it. She cringed internally when recalled assuming he wanted to be 'together' and his reaction to the word.
Of course he'd want to be friends… they've started to hang out more. With the Game, it made only sense that she at least try to become less volatile towards him.
Lily rubbed tiredly at her hot cheeks, willing the redness of her skin to go away.
Although it was only only a few weeks into the school, it felt as if she'd been back in school for an entire year. 6th year was truly proving to be relentless.
Cautiously, Lily entered the Great Hall with her head held high, already deciding right then and there to start fresh and talk to James. The new game that night would help relieve stress she felt in her body… but knew that the tension in her shoulders wouldn't go away until she spoke with James. And as much as her bloody pride was already berating her, the guilt was almost overbearing.
James, however, had not yet returned to the group of friends. She slipped into a spot between Marlene and Emmeline, serving herself a little of everything. She allowed a small appreciative smile as Sirius offered her the bowl of potatoes.
Inconspicuously as she could, Lily watched her friends laugh and converse, willing the stress in her shoulders lessen. Marlene and Sirius had begun an argument about their last Quidditch match (specifically a foul move that Sirius had committed), while Peter sat beside them, avidly listening to their quarrel. Peter took Sirius' side as expected and Lily couldn't help but smile at Marlene's passion towards the topic, the girl's hands waving wildly as she reenacted the play.
In the back of Lily's mind, she recognized the underlying worry Marlene's demeanor held, no doubt still feeling fear for her brother and his recovery. Lily felt a small wave of gratitude for Sirius, watching as he captured her friend's attention and distracted her from her own darker thoughts.
Lily shifted her gaze to her other side, watching two of her other friends interact. Emmeline and Dorcas were discussing the homework assigned this week and Lily noted with slight admiration how much Dorcas seemed truly interested in the topic - for Dorcas hardly ever truly cared about school work. The girl had always had more of a nonchalant attitude towards studies, scoffing whenever Lily suggested a formal study group.
With a small smile growing on her lips, Lily caught sight of Alice and Frank across the table - Frank's own group of friends just on the other side of him. She caught the two sending each other coy, shy glances and Lily had a strong suspicion the two were holding hands under the table.
Unbidden, Lily thought of James once more, glancing around the Great Hall to search for his familiar mop of messy hair. Sirius did not seemed concerned by the lack of his best friend's presence, but this did not appease the heavy weight in Lily's stomach.
Marlene cleared her throat quietly, grabbing Lily's attention. "That's more than usual," she grinned, dropping her eyes onto Lily's plate.
Caught in surprise, Lily looked down at her plate, realizing almost too late that the plate was almost overflowing, the potatoes she had been piling onto her plate already beginning to spill onto the dark tabletop.
"I've got to fill up for tonight," Lily replied with a twinge of embarrassment, returning the serving spoon into the bowl of potatoes. She picked up her fork and scooped a large portion of the potatoes, forcing the food into her mouth. She chewed slowly, giving Marlene a strained smile with full cheeks.
Marlene watched her closely, eyes narrowed in suspicion. Lily continued to smile forcefully, swallowing the potatoes hard. Alice's voice raised slightly, in an attempt to gain the group's attention. Lily dropped her fork back onto her plate, silently thanking her for the distraction.
"So I heard that the ministry is trying to recruit more Aurors," Alice informed them, catching everyone's interest straight away.
"I haven't heard that," Dorcas said with raised eyebrows. "Where'd this come from?"
"One of the 7th Years was talking in the common room. Apparently there's a representative from the ministry coming to give a recruitment talk… Because of how the attacks are happening more frequently and becoming stronger. They're losing too many aurors..."
The weight of her words hung heavily in the air. Lily couldn't help but glance at Marlene's face, watching as it smoothed over into an impassive look.
"Sudbury proved that, I think," Sirius murmured into his plate, the grip on the fork in his hand tight.
Lily remained silent, the flashes of the destruction the news on her telly had shown playing in front of her eyes. She took a long sip of her drink, unwilling the share the extent of the damage done to the small town.
Everyone shifted uncomfortably at Sirius's bitter comment, picking mindlessly at their food.
Lily no longer felt hungry as she peered down at her own plate, slightly remorseful of the food she was wasting. She spun the fork in the pile of vegetables, moving the small pieces around on her plate. Unenthusiastically, Lily jabbed a small carrot onto her fork and took it into her mouth, chewing slowly.
Lily placed her fork back onto the barely touched plate and pushed it away from her softly.
"Did you want any pudding?" Marlene offered, noticing the redhead's full plate. She held out a plate of treacle tart, of which Lily almost hardly refused.
"I think I'm good." Lily did her best to assure her friend, smiling gratefully.
Marlene looked unsatisfied with Lily's response, narrowing her eyes suspiciously once more.
"You know, if you keep doing that with your eyes, they will stick that way," Lily quipped, her tone mock serious. Marlene rolled her eyes.
"That will also cause them to stick."
"Oh, Merlin, will you shut it?" Marlene laughed, using her elbow to jab Lily's side.
"I'm just trying to be helpful," Lily replied playfully, rubbing at her ribs where Marlene had struck her.
"It's true," Sirius cut in smoothly, leaning in closer. "I saw a 2nd Year in the infirmary - only the whites of his eyes showing. Young Pomfrey had a hell of a time finding the right spell to fix it."
"Piss off," Marlene laughed, shaking her head at the two.
"Must've been from Defense class," Lily added, her tone very seriously. "All that shite was bound to catch up to Donhell."
"The kid will never be able to see straight again." Sirius took a large bite from a biscuit.
Peter snorted behind his hand, trying to cover the sound. He learned forward, much in the same manner Sirius had. "I heard one of the old headmasters had to resign because he had rolled his eyes so much," Peter said, adding to the conversation.
Lily laughed, knowing by reading Hogwarts, a History, this was not true, but she allowed him to play along. "He had to deal with a bunch of troublemakers," she stated seriously, throwing a look towards Sirius and Peter accusingly.
Marlene looked dubious, unsure if she should believe Lily or not. Surely, her redhead friend would never lie about what she read in a book…
Sirius's face became strained, obviously trying not to laugh.
"You tossers," Marlene insulted, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "You're a bunch of liars. If that had been the case, I'm sure that Dumbledore and McGonagall would have gone cross-eyed ages ago."
"Oi," Sirius replied, his tone offended. Peter giggled from behind his hand.
Lily laughed out loud, nodding her head in agreement. "She's got a point." She shrugged, smirking towards the two boys. Sirius gave her a dirty look, but was visibly fighting back a smile.
"I'm going back up the dorm," Marlene announced, pushing away her plate. "I've had enough from you all." But a small smile was playing on the corner of her lips.
Lily stood with Marlene, waving a goodbye to the rest of her friends. "See you all soon," she smiled secretly, receiving multiple knowing smiles in return. She looped her arm with Marlene's, allowing the taller girl to lead the pair up to the Gryffindor tower. She fell quiet, feeling contemplative as she wondered where James was and still hoping (not that much) that she would have a chance to run into him before the game started later.
"You're abnormally quiet," Marlene observed, tightening her grip around Lily's elbow. The redhead sighed softly, eyes tracing the lines of the stone blocks of the floor as she bit the inside of her cheek.
"I said some things to James that I feel guilty about," she said finally. "And, well... I was hoping to apologize for what I had said."
"To James?" Marlene questioned with surprise. She gazed down at her friend curiously, almost disbelieving.
"Shut it," Lily said warningly. "I feel really bad about it."
"What'd you say?"
Lily's stomach felt heavy with guilt again, thinking back to their fight. "He was trying to apologize for last year. With Severus."
Marlene let out a soft 'oh', inhaling slowly in recognition.
"Yes," Lily replied, rubbing at her eyes tiredly. "I sort of blew up at him. I was hoping to talk to him before the game… I totally realize I was out of line, but I couldn't help but get angry - I don't know what it is about him." She still felt a little frustrated, if she were honest with herself.
"He'll come around," Marlene reassured as they ascended the steps towards their tower.
Lily released another restless sigh. "I hope so. It's still a very touchy subject."
"As it always will be," Marlene agreed soothingly. "But you know it was a fight with Snape that was a long-time coming."
Lily felt stung by the words, but was unable to deny the statement, her anger deflating quickly.
"I'm sure James will be up in the common room," Marlene said.
But he wasn't. Marlene suggested that she search the dorms, but Lily suddenly felt too shy to walk up to the boys' stairwell to search for him. Marlene watched her closely, gauging her reaction.
"I'm sure I'll run into him soon," Lily said instead. "Want to head to the library? I need to grab a transfiguration book. One of the assignments McGonagall assigned is tripping me up."
Luckily, Marlene let her change of subject drop and nodded. "Sure," she said. "Let me just grab my bag. We can work on homework until we need to…" she paused for effect, "rendezvous." Her eyebrows wiggled at the word.
Lily couldn't help but laugh at her friend's face, glad to leave the topic of James. She shoved at Marlene to hurry up the stairs, choosing to wait patiently in the common room. Lily surveyed the Gryffindor's living space as she waited, trying to inconspicuously search for a head of messy, dark hair.
"Think you can help with my Charms homework?" Marlene asked once she'd return.
"As usual," Lily sighed with a smile.
"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're getting tired of helping me." Marlene frowned in concern.
"It's a job in of itself," Lily replied lightly, shrugging. She barely managed to dodge her friend's hand. "Hey! I said I would help you, didn't I?" she laughed.
"You could be more polite about it," Marlene admonished haughtily, leading the way back out of the common room.
"You could be more grateful about it," Lily replied, tongue in cheek. This time, she was unable to dodge Marlene's bag full of books as it swung towards her. It caught her neatly in the ribs, knocking the air out of her lungs.
"Hey!" she wheezed, unable to catch her breath. "How do you manage to always hit me in the same spot..." she hissed, pitifully, carefully massaging the sore skin and bone.
Marlene's shrugged casually, adjusting the bag back onto her shoulder. Lily glared balefully at the back of her friend's head, trying to catch her breath. She moved to strike her friend in the side, but the taller girl darted away smoothly, twirling away skillfully. She managed to stick her tongue out teasingly and Lily gave chase with a laugh, rounding the corner after her friend.
The two Gryffindors raced towards the library, Marlene's long strides keeping her just out of Lily's grasp. Marlene was the first to burst through the library's double doors, Lily following closely behind and receiving the full force of the librarian's glare. Lily cringed and mouthed a silent sorry to the librarian, moving quickly to catch up to Marlene.
They shuffled quickly, dodging around the tall book shelves, tables, and other students. Finding an empty table near the back, they dropped into their respective spots. Marlene let out a loud snort, having a hard time catching her breath as she tried to stop herself from laughing out loud.
"I sure hope I'm not on your team," Lily teased, struggling to keep her own lungs in check.
"I hope so, too," Marlene sneered, dropping her bag onto the floor. The two glared at each other briefly, before surrendering to giggles.
Lily was able to catch her breath, moving to stand. "I've got to find that book. Don't cause any more trouble!" she said, leaving her friend at the table and disappearing quickly behind a shelf. From the table, she could hear Marlene snort derisively and mock her words.
Lily laughed softly, mentally picturing Marlene's taunting face as she navigated through the shelves quickly to locate the Transfiguration section. Per habit, she ran her fingers across the books' spines as she searched for the desired book.
A noise, someone's shoe scuffing against the floor, sounded from behind her and she peered around curiously, searching for any movement.
"Hello?" she called quietly, twisting to look into the narrow hallway between shelves. No answer.
Probably against her better judgement, she returned to her search, scanning the titles of the books till she found the right one. As she reached for the book, she heard movement again, fingertips paused on the book's spine.
"Anyone there?" she questioned, checking both left and right as she pulled the book from the shelf and held it tightly to her chest. Without waiting for an answer, she returned to her spot beside Marlene, her steps carrying her more quickly than normal.
"You okay?" Marlene questioned, catching Lily look around apprehensively.
"Yes," Lily answered, shrugging off the feeling and pulling the book open to check the index. She gave Marlene a reassuring smile as she flipped to the chapter she needed before burying her nose into the pages. "Probably just Peeves or someone hiding between the shelves."
They worked quietly until Marlene became obviously restless, tapping her quill against the parchment she had been writing on. She released a loud sigh and leaned back in her seat, playing with the quill in her hands with a thoughtful expression on her face.
"What is it?" Lily asked, turning a page idly.
"Have you thought more about becoming an Auror?" Marlene asked with a casual seriousness, leaning forward so that her elbows rested on the table. "I know you'd been adamant about it…"
Slightly surprised by the topic, Lily answered earnestly. "I still want to be one," she murmured, tracing the outline of the page in front of her.
"Even with Donhell and the attacks?"
"Even more so," Lily said quietly, looking down at the words on the pages in front of her. "I can't see myself doing anything else." She traced the corner of the weathered page.
"Teaching? Potion-making?" Marlene asked.
Lily hummed in thought, leaning back into her chair. "I think at first I wanted to do something with Charms…"
"You are good with them," Marlene acknowledged.
"But I don't think I could do as much as being an Auror," Lily continued. "Why do you ask?"
Marlene shrugged, her eyes unfocused. "I guess, ever since Marc was hurt in the attack, I can't help but thinking about it more. Especially if the Ministry is coming here to recruit… They must be desperate."
"Do you want to be an Auror?" Lily questioned seriously.
"I'm not sure… but I feel obligated."
"Because of your brother?"
"Because of you," Marlene corrected, her tone factual.
Lily's eyebrows rose high on her forehead as she looked at her friend. "But why?" she asked, shocked. "I don't want you doing something you don't want to do. Not something like this - why would you want this?" Lily winced at her high-pitched tone. "It's just - I know that you've always been interested in Quidditch - even if it meant being in the bleachers," Lily joked lightly.
Marlene sighed heavily, setting her quill down as she ran her hands through her hair. "That wizard out there; he's been murdering muggles… hell, even Muggleborns. There aren't very many muggleborns out there to begin with… And damn it, you're better at magic than most of the purebloods here. It's wrong."
"But that doesn't mean you need to fight for me," Lily insisted quietly, her eyebrows furrowed.
"You're my best friend," Marlene said simply, as if that would end the argument.
"You're my best friend," Lily retaliated. "Since when do you need to fight for me? Why do you think you need to?"
"Okay, don't get all offended," Marlene replied soothingly. "We all know you're a bloody good dueller. And I don't want to fight for you; I want to fight with you." The blonde had said the last sentence with such finality that Lily couldn't respond right away. She struggled to find something to say, slightly speechless at her friend's feelings.
"I…" she still struggled, suddenly feeling a tightness in her throat. She tried her best to clear it, Marlene smiling warmly at her. "As if you could keep up," Lily quipped after a moment, unable to find anything else to say.
"I could kick your arse any day," Marlene retorted without taking a beat.
"You wish," Lily scoffed, unable to keep herself from smiling.
"I'll prove it tonight," Marlene declared, sticking her tongue out childishly.
Lily returned the sentiment, scrunching her nose and blowing a raspberry. "You better prepare yourself for a loss," she warned with a smile.
"Even with Pettigrew, I'd beat you," Marlene said confidently.
"That's a little harsh," Lily said, but chuckled at remembering Dorcas's face last game at having been partnered with the shorter boy - and losing. "Just hope I'm not with James or Sirius; they'd love to kick your arse," she declared with a smirk.
"Lily?" Severus's cut through the air sharply, his voice speaking volumes as he revealed himself from behind a nearby bookshelf.
"Severus?" she asked bewildered, vaulting up from her seated position. The chair clattered loudly behind her, making her jump once more.
"Shove off," Marlene ordered immediately, standing from her seat as well.
"Sirius or James?" Severus repeated, his expression livid. His hands were wound into tight fists at his sides, shaking. His tone was accusatory. "What are you doing with them, Lily?"
"Shove off," Marlene repeated angrily, taking a step forward.
"As if you care," Lily answered him, ignoring Marlene. His angry appearance gave her small pleasure. "I thought I told you to stay away from me."
"I can't do that if you're off gallivanting with Black and Potter," he hissed arrogantly.
"So what if I am, Snape?" she demanded. "I still feel safer with them than with you Slytherins." Her own hands were beginning to shake.
"You think they're not dangerous? They're not as innocent as you think they are," he sneered, moving to step closer to her. She took an automatic step back. Something flashed in his eyes, but she did not question it. She focused on his words.
"Have you been spying on them?" Lily asked incredulously. "Have you been spying on me?"
He scoffed loudly in response, his dark hair falling into his face. He did not answer her question, but glared balefully into her face. Lily tasted bile in the back of her throat as she met his gaze, unable to believe that this was Severus - who once had been her closest friend and confidant.
"You need to leave," Marlene ordered, stepping beside Lily.
"Just ask Lupin. Ask Potter," he snarled, giving her a hard look.
Lily was taken aback, worried that he was referring to the game and had somehow found out through the two Gryffindor boys. Had the two been so reckless to out them all?
"Get out," Lily spat. "I am so tired of seeing you, Snape. Please just leave me alone."
"I won't," he answered immediately.
"You will," Marlene cut in, raising her wand towards his face. "Leave, Snape." He glanced down at it warily.
He finally did as ordered, clearly reluctant as he turned his back and walked away silently, glowering as he exited. The two girls remained standing until he was completely out of sight.
"Mother of Merlin, can he ever take a hint?" Marlene hissed.
"I think he was talking about the game," Lily murmured, letting her eyes drop to the floor, searching for where her stomach must have fallen as well.
"How would he know?" Marlene asked quietly.
"Maybe he overheard James and Remus talking about it. I… I think we should cancel tonight."
"No," Marlene said immediately. "I don't want to quit just because Snape might know."
"We should," Lily insisted. "I don't know what he'll do."
"Ignore him," Marlene said. "He wouldn't do anything to get you in trouble."
"We don't know that," Lily replied with a tremor. "He's been angry with me."
"He needs to get over it," Marlene murmured. "You're not his friend anymore."
"Exactly," Lily said grimly, sinking into her seat heavily. "It doesn't help that he's seen me with Sirius and James. Even Remus. He hates them."
"Let's head back to the dorms," Marlene suggested, already collecting her things.
Lily followed her silently, cursing her poor luck. Severus could hold grudges that could last a lifetime and was known to be quick to anger. She couldn't say how far he'd go with his actions or threats. The encounter left a dark feeling in the pit of her stomach that she knew she would not be able to shake. She tried to brush off the fight as best as she could, but still felt incredibly on edge.
