Of Mistletoe and Holly Leaves

Seven: The One That Backfired

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Each dedicated to a person on FFNet:

Dedicated to Periwinkle Dwarves.

Beta read by CloSalvatore


-l-Remus-l-

I backed up, feeling the wall behind me.

Severus Snape stood in front of me.

He took a step forward, in front of me was Sirius Black and James Potter.

Next to me was Peter.

" Snivellus," James hissed softly.

" What are you going to do to us?" Sirius asked in a taunting way. I opened my mouth to warn him not to, but I couldn't find the words. " Hex us?" Sirius laughed.

" Perhaps you should watch your mouth, Black," Snape snarled.

" Go on. Hex us Snivellus, take your best shot, you coward," Sirius said, glaring.

I could tell Sirius was really pushing it.

" Or do you need your Slytherin pals to help you? Your little Death Eater friends? Do you need their help to curse us? We're wandless, and there is nothing here. You're proud aren't you Snivellus, proud to be his servant."

I clamped my mouth shut in shock to keep a yelp from escaping.

Peter however gave a squeak of fear.

My eyes flickered for a second, but remained calm.

In James's eyes I saw a flicker of anger.

" If you're going to curse us, do it now, I hate waiting," James said sharply.

" Why? I could turn you in, you, the great, proud Marauder's Leader, Prongs is it?" Snape asked, his wand at James's neck.

I could see Sirius was itching to attack Snape right then and there. No one held a wand to James's life and got away with it.

James held completely still, no fear in his eyes. Instead, only fathomable hate lingered in his hazel eyes.

" Just because of a prank," I said quietly.

" No, because I know." His eyes were cold.

I looked at him in confusion.

" Know what?" I asked aloud. Then I felt my mind come to a screeching halt, and I turned, my eyes met Snape's cold black ones.

" I know her. I know."

Only silence met his statement.

-l-Severus-l-

Lily sat next to me, slumped against the wall of the dungeons.

I sat next to her.

" He's so annoying! He's always breaking the rules and getting into trouble! We get that he's Quidditch Captain, we don't need any more reminders!" She was venting. As usual. But there was a gentleness in her eyes that I didn't understand for a second.

" You love him."

Her head snapped up. " What? Me?"

I nodded. " You love him Lily."

" No." She shook her head. " I can't. Can't."

But as she sat there, I watched as a slow realization came into her eyes.

How she smiled when she talked about him.

How she always noticed him. Even when she pretended she didn't.

How she felt a thrill when they argued.

How she loved his wit and pure nerve.

His outstanding courage.

How she was completely in love with him.

" I do, don't I?" she whispered.

I lowered my head between my knees.

" Sev?" she asked.

" Hm?" I kept my head low.

" Do you hate me?" I heard the fear in her voice.

I turned to look at her, her dark green eyes were wide with fear. " No. You're still my best friend."

" Do you think I should tell him?" she tilted her head back.

" No."

" Never?" she asked, and I could hear a faint smile in her voice.

" Never," I replied.

She remained, sitting there as I rose, and returned to my dorm.

-l-Remus-l-

I knew.

I always knew.

I could see it in the gleam of her eyes. In the way she anticipated every one of his arguments, processing it quickly and then twisting his own words back in a smart remark, her lips twitching into a smile that then formed a smirk.

The look in her eyes flashed as he countered with his responses. The way her mind was just as fast as his, if not faster. That he barely managed to get up a shield before a body-bind curse was thrown swiftly at him. That he never fought back, he refused to. It was unspoken law that he wouldn't curse a girl, much less the girl he loved.

So it wasn't surprising that Lily told me that she had finally fallen in love with my best friend, James Potter.

I only smiled and told her that to find out if he loved her, she would have to ask him.

" I know her. I know."

With those words, it clicked.

And I saw the look in his eyes that I took for hate. It ran deeper. This look was a jealous burning envy. He loved Lily.

But James, James loved Lily too. He was better for her and Snape knew that.

He knew that James would win, because he could give Lily what Severus couldn't.

A lover not a friend.

Unrelenting, undeniable, unforgiving, unequal, and undying love.

Severus did the same, but his was a silent cry upon dying lips.

Unheard by anyone else.

Because he refused to say he loved her. He could not. Because then, if she loved him back, he would kill her. His only true love. And that would destroy Severus.

He stood, wand raised to our leader's throat, an unmatchable look in his eyes.

" I know too," I whispered.

He nodded slowly. " She'll tell him."

" Severus. Don't. Not because of her. If you love her, don't kill the one she loves."

I held his gaze steadily with my own.

The other Marauders, I could sense their confusion and silent questions.

" She loves him Severus. She does. Don't hurt him-"

We all turned at the sound of footsteps.

" Severus. Remus, and James...Sirius, Peter." She froze, her red hair falling past her shoulders, and shocked emerald eyes meeting mine.

She blinked. " What are you doing down..." she trailed off.

" What's going on?" she asked.

" Nothing," Severus replied, turning around and walking away with a sweep of his cloak.

I watched him go.

Silently, I heard his heart breaking with every step he took away from her. He had his chance, but he had refused it. He loved her, and maybe...that would always be his little secret. And I wasn't going to be the one to tell her.

I looked in silence as Lily looked at James, but he didn't speak either.

I wondered if he knew. But the confusion in his eyes told me otherwise.

I looked back, and saw him watching us go.

" I'll keep your secret. Not because I care. But because it isn't my secret to tell," I whispered.

I saw him nod and then slip back into the shadows.


Okay people! Seriously, review.

Maybe my last time crashed and burned, it was my attempt at making something funny, but I don't know. Maybe it worked maybe it didn't.

This is my attempt at...well I don't know what genre it counts as.

But I don't know if you like it unless you tell me.