Big thanks again to The DA is dressed to the nines, Potter06 and all the people that made it their favourite or added my story to their subscription, really means so much to me. Biiiig cuddles your way. I know it seems a little rushed, especially on Lily's part so, sorry about that! Enjoy :D

James

If I hated Severus Snape before I absolutely loathed him now. Look at the slimey git, eyeing Evans off like she's a present he's dying to unwrap. God I hated him!
I couldn't even focus on Syndil shamelessly flirting with me, for the past half hour I hadn't touched any of my lunch which turned out to be pretty decent with grilled fish and an array of berries and nuts from the forest.

"You want me to take care of him for you?" Sirius whispered in my ear.

"What?"

Sirius nodded towards Snape who was clearing Lily's plate for her, making sure their hands brushed.

"I can make it look like an accident, I'll even enjoy doing it. Or you know, we can lure him to Moony when he's feeling a bit hairy and this time you can just not stop the git."

I looked back over to see Snape now wrapping a blanket around both their shoulders so they were snuggled in close, shoulders brushing.

"I'll get back to you," I tell him as I seriously begin to weigh pro's and con's.

"Offer always stands, just let me know, I'll add him to the list."

"There's a list now?" I ask.

Sirius cracked his knuckles and I followed his gaze to Tyler Frost who was trying to throw a shrieking Carla over his shoulder, finally succeeding he lead theirs and another six groups into the forest.

I grin broadly at Sirius. "Jealous mate?"

"I don't get jealous, that would mean I'm threatened and I'm not, I'm in a whole other league to him," he told me stiffly.

"So it doesn't bother you that Frost is probably trying to have his way with Carla right now? That he's using his dreamy blue eyes to seduce her so they can fall madly in love?"

"The hell he is!" Sirius burst out.

I started chuckling.

"I'm not jealous," Sirius tells me. "I just don't trust guys with her."

I thought of Lily being touched by another guy, of someone else stroking her silky hair and making her blush and I feel my intestines turn to steel and the anger burn my face warm. Despite how crazy she makes me, despite how much she just screwed up or how cruel she could be, I wanted to be the only guy to make her smile, to make her laugh, I wanted to be the only guy for her, period.

"I think they've turned us soft," Sirius tells me.

I nod. "Yeah you have definitely lost your edge,"

He elbows me hard in the side and I whack him back harder. "Dude, do not start a war you can't win, you know how this ended last time."

Sirius scoffed. "You cheated and used your antlers as leverage."

I grin at the memory of Padfoot the dog whimpering and running behind pathetically tiny Peter hoping I would have mercy.

"Can't cheat if there aren't any rules," I replied.

"Sirius, are you coming?" Cynthia Scown asked, popping her hip out as she stood directly in front of Sirius.

Sirius for the first time in all the time I'd known him didn't even look Cynthia up and down or show any kind of interest at all. "Coming where? I'm busy with James right now."

Cynthia stretched so her boobs were emphasised and her already micro skirt rode up higher on her thighs. "It's free time, I thought we could go for a walk and be…free."

My eyebrows raised of their own accord and I felt like I was intruding on what should be kept private.

"I'll go find my group," I murmured attempting to get up when Sirius' hand clamped firmly around my wrist.

I looked down in shock and saw Sirius appearing to have an internal battle with himself. After a few moments and glances at Cynthia he took a deep breath.

"Cynthia?"

"Yes love?" she practically purred.

"I would love to throw you down on the forest floor and be free with our feelings…"

Cynthia's face lit up and I was irritated that I was staying to listen to Sirius use his lines.

"But I can't. I got something good going for me and I don't wanna muck that up, sorry love."

Cynthia looked close to either mutiny or laughter, not an easy feat to pull off beautifully, but she managed it.

"You'll come crawling back," she told Sirius with a slight sniff then with a flip of her hair she was gone.

"I'm impressed," I tell Sirius honestly.

"I'm hoping I did the right thing,"

"Well you like Carla, so yeah, you did good."

Sirius still looked torn as he stared over at Cynthia. "But she's so…hot, I have had dreams of all the things I want to do with her Prongs, half of the stuff I can't even spell."

I clapped him on the shoulder. "You're going to get through this mate, together we will help you get through your addiction to infidelity and you may even emerge a decent boyfriend."

Sirius looked less than thrilled which of course made me laugh. "Cheer up Padfoot, I've stayed out of women trouble for years and I've still had fun, you will be fine. We still have our prank tonight to cheer you up."

Finally Sirius's eyes lit up. "Excellent! Man Carla's going to kill me!"

"You're not going to actually include her are you?"

"Are you kidding me? She's so hot when she's mad at me!"

"You're an idiot Padfoot," I told him with a smile.

"Idiot would be putting it mildly," added a bitter voice.

We both whirled around to find Bellatrix staring at us murderously.

Sirius used a few choice words to reply to which Bellatrix looked a bit shocked at, at first, before bursting into humourless laughter.

"Dear cousin, do you kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Of course not, thus remaining disease free."

"Is everything a joke to you?"

"Bellatrix dear cousin, mouth herpes is never a joke," Sirius told her earnestly.

"You are the biggest failure in this family," she spat. "Your mother doesn't even acknowledge your existence, she only has one son in her eyes, I've seen the family tree, completed cut off, sentenced to live the diseased life of Mudbloods, Muggles and Blood Traitors."

"Then I'll die a decent human being won't I? The only family worth having are the ones I choose to surround myself with. You disgust me, the best thing my family ever did was disown me, I would rather die a traitor then live to be evil and soulless like your family!"

"I'll do you a favour then shall I? I'll kill you myself," Bellatrix hissed.

Sirius stepped closer so their noses were almost touching. "Do it now then."

Bellatrix's hand twitched and she certainly looked like she was ready to duel right then and there however, Professor Mcgonagall's voice rang out telling everyone to make the most of their free time as tomorrow we were going to be tracking each other in teams.

"One day," she told Sirius with malice. "I'm going to wipe that smirk right of your face and then I'm going to laugh as I watch the life leave your eyes."

Sirius clasped his hand to his chest. "You say the sweetest things!"

With a final look of contempt, Bellatrix stalked away.

"I gotta say mate," I told Sirius in all honesty. "There are definitely worse things you could be besides a womaniser, you're like the shining light of the Black clan, are they all like that?"

Sirius smiled a little sadly. "Regulus used to have moments of clarity and my uncle is alright but other than that, pretty much. My mother is worse than Bellatrix, compared to the conversations I have with my mum, Bellatrix is quite delightful."

I looked at my best mate and saw glimpses of the broken, lost boy he'd been when he'd turned up at my door three summers ago and I knew if I didn't do something I would be in risk of losing him to the darkness that nearly consumed him back then.

"Penis!" I burst out loudly, earning a disproving look from McGonagall.

Sirius grinned broadly instantly and shook his head at me. "You're bonkers you know that?" he told me.

I nudged him in our manly affectionate way. "Let's go find Remus and Peter and explore."

"Aren't we meant to stick to our groups?"

I gave him my most mischievous smile. "Since when have we ever done what we're told?"

LILY

Have you ever had a best friend that was there for you through everything? That when you weren't sure of who you were or what was wrong with you, they were your shining light of knowledge of truth and safety? Have you ever had someone who you know would do anything for you because in a small way you were a part of their everything? Have you then had that person who has shown such great qualities fall in with the evil crowd and stand for everything your against? Suddenly your not close anymore, you have nothing in common and your nightmares are of them standing in front of you as a green light over powers every other sense. Weird right? Well try being stuck with them for free time and trying to pick apart who they were and who they are now and find the right way to act. Much, much weirder.

"Did you want to try fishing?" Severus asks me, snapping me out of my dream world. "You didn't get a chance today, I could help, make sure nothing happened to you."

"Sev, you're forgetting I'm a muggle, I've been fishing before and I never needed a wand to catch fish."

Severus grins and it makes him look younger, like when we were twelve and we'd spend the summer dreaming of being the best wizard and witch in history, the best friends ever to walk the earth.

"You think I can't do it?" I challenge.

"I think there's no weird contraption for you to use to get your fish," he replied.

Damn, he has a point.

"I'll catch them with my bare hands," I tell him, even though I know I can't.

"Alright then," he tells me. "Have at it."

"You don't think I can do it!" I accuse, although only half heartedly.

Severus gives me such an intense stare with loving smile I feel the need to blush. "If anyone could do it Lils, it would be you."

I smile at Severus brightly and find myself surprised by just how easy it is to fall back into old habits, how normal it feels to be hanging out with him. I look over at Frank who is giving us a hard stare and my heart sinks as I realise this short lived truce isn't going to last any longer than this camp.

"Ooo Severus, trying to sleep with the enemy?"

I snap to attention as Bellatrix leads her weary group over.

"Shove off Trixie," I tell her, using the nickname I know she hates.

"Shut up mudblood, you shouldn't even be looking at me, let alone talking, be grateful I'm allowing you in my presence."

"Your presence?" I barked out.

"Lily don't start ok? Bellatrix, were you after something?" Frank asked.

I stared at Severus who was staring at his feet, not bothering to stand up for me, to say anything.

"Yes blood traitor, I want Severus to tell me why he's constantly running after vermin not fit enough to even walk this planet when his place is with the superior race, us."

"Enough Bellatrix," Severus murmured.

"Oh, he does speak! Tell me Snape, are you in love with her? Does she make your heart pound faster? Is she going to be your offering to the dark lord? If I were you Severus and I actually cared for this lowlife, I'd just kill her now, it would be a much kinder fate than the one awaiting her."

"I said ENOUGH!"

Bellatrix immediately shut her mouth and stared at Severus with contempt but also respect. Severus stood hands shaking, eyes blacker than normal, glaring at Bellatrix, body turned so I was half hidden.

"I suggest you leave," he told her, voice steady despite his shaking.

Bellatrix mock bowed, drew her finger across her throat as she looked at me then cackled as she walked back out of view.

The acid taste of fury filled my mouth and I felt too warm in my clothes. The adrenaline or hate powered my body and I had the urge to find Bellatrix and wipe that smile from her face, make her bleed so I could see how pure her blood really was. If it weren't for the fact that I knew I was better than her, I would have gone after her.

Instead I pushed past Severus and began to walk back to camp, I didn't need to put up with this. I didn't stop even though Frank and Severus called my names, and evidently I wasn't watching my footing either because I stumbled over my feet and two cool hands steadied me. "Watch where you're going," Severus snapped. "I can't always be here to protect you."

"What makes you think I need your protection Severus?" I asked coolly, wrenching myself out of his grasp.

His lips turned up into a snarl. "Look at who you're consorting with now, James Potter! Are you trying to get yourself killed? He and his gang of criminals are a sure way to get kicked out of school or killed, I thought you were better than that!"

"And I thought your kind didn't deign to speak to mudbloods like me, and for your information, as arrogant as they might be and as immature as their pranks are they aren't evil and would never ever use magic to hurt an innocent."

"What about me? Am I not innocent?" he asked, voice getting higher and higher.

"You gave away that title the minute you decided to take on the values of death eaters," I replied.

Severus looked like I'd slapped him. "You're a fool Lily Evans, there is a war coming and you're on the wrong side. If you don't cut your ties with Potter now, you'll end up dead before thirty."

I took a step forward so we were chest to chest. "Are you threatening me?"

"I'm trying to protect you!" he wailed, grabbing my shoulders and shaking them.

"Why would you do that?" I whispered.

"You know why," he told me softly.

"No, I don't."

"YES YOU DO DON'T PLAY GAMES WITH ME!"

I back away from him slowly, his face is twisted in anger and pain and I can't figure out why he cares so much, why he lets me bother him, we're not even best friends anymore, so why should he care?

"Is there a problem here Mr Snape?" Professor Slughorn asked, giving me a smile.

"No, sir."

"Very well, it's a lovely day today, you should enjoy your free time," he tells us, waving us away from the camp.

"If it's free time why are we stuck in groups?" I ask suspiciously.

Professor Slughorn looked slightly flustered. "Well my dear, these are the groups you will remain in until camp is done so it made sense to get to know each other in a relaxed environment first."

"So this isn't compulsory? To stay in these groups for the rest of the day?"

"Well…not compulsory but it is certainly recommended strongly."

I give him my most winning smile. "Thanks Professor, as usual a very big help."

"Oh Miss Evans you flatter me, enjoy the day."

I wait until he's left before I turn back to Severus. "Well, this has been fun, but I'm sure you have some dark plans to fine tune and I have some friends to taint with my impure blood, so, I'll catch you around, coming Frank?"

Frank hurries along beside me, as I stalk off. For the third time I feel the cold hands on me and this time I'm not gentle in shaking them off. "What do you want? Can't you just leave me alone?" I cry out at him.

Severus stares at his shoes and I can tell it's killing him to do this, to not lose his temper with me. "I'm sorry ok?"

"You're sorry?" I ask incredulously.

"Yes. I'm sorry for what I've said to you, for what my friends say, I'm sorry for how I've treated you and I'm sorry we're not friends anymore."

I gauge his expression to see if he's being sincere. Surprisingly so, he is. "Apology accepted, now if you'll excuse me."

"I want to start fresh," he bursts out.

I say nothing, just wait for his explanation.

"You know naming the stars, making up our own spells, competing in potions, spending summers together, I miss it."

"We can't start fresh Severus, we can't act like everything is the same because it's not. I can be civil to you, I can talk to you, but I can't be your best friend, and for that I am sorry."

I walk away with Frank to find Carla and Alice and as I do I hear Severus whisper.

It almost sounds like 'I love you'