A/N: Hey everyone, sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been so busy and my internet's been down for a while. Anyway, here's the next chapter, enjoy!


The next weekend when walking back from the Owlery, Lily had passed James, and smirked to herself when she noticed that one side of his face was severely bruised. She knew Snape wouldn't let James get away with it.
The past week had been wonderful, nothing had gone wrong and James hadn't been present in Gryffindor Tower since Monday night. What made Lily the happiest of all though, was that the previous night, Snape had decorated the tower room once more and the two of them had spent the whole night up there together. A kiss had led to, well, something more, and she wasn't afraid to admit it, she'd slept with him, and it was great. She didn't regret it, she loved him and it had felt so right. She felt as if nothing could stop her now, she'd never been so happy.

That night, there was going to be a party in Gryffindor common room to celebrate the Quidditch captain's birthday, and Lily was going to attend, despite the fact that James might be there too. She wasn't scared of him anymore. She would have preferred to meet Snape instead that night; however he was once again in detention for hexing an arrogant third year. She'd planned to leave the party early and meet Snape after he'd finished his detention, and spend the rest of the night with him rather than seeing the party through to the end.
After getting ready with Samantha at seven o'clock, they both made their way into the common room just as the party was beginning. Some of the seventh years had managed to sneak in huge amounts Firewhisky and mead, and others had raided the kitchens for a variety of snacks and cakes. A talented student had enchanted the ceiling so that it was dotted with colourful sparkles, dancing slightly like fireflies. It reminded Lily of the first time Snape had taken her to the tower room, and she smiled to herself as she remembered that night.
After dancing and mingling for around two hours, she flopped down on a chair, exhausted. She checked her watch, realising Snape's detention was probably over by now. She grabbed a bottle of Firewhisky for the two of them to share later, and made her way out of the common room.
As she hopped down the first few steps of the Grand Staircase, she heard a wheezy giggle behind her. She turned around, and much to her dismay she found James Potter, sitting on the floor, slumped against the wall. He looked a mess, frankly, his clothes were dirty, his face was still bruised and now sweaty and splattered with mud. Several empty bottles of mead were strewn near his feet, and she could smell that he was drunk. She gave him a glare of disgust and was about to continue down the stairs before she heard him again, this time her spoke.
"Please… don't leave me..".
Lily couldn't believe her ears; was he asking her for help? She turned around again, mouth hanging open with shock. How cheeky could the guy get?
"Please," He attempted to get up, but slipped on a bottle, breaking it, and fell back down, cutting his hand in the broken glass.
Lily looked on him in pity. Lily wasn't heartless, she'd never leave someone who needed help, but she thought to herself, why should I help him? He's made your life hell!
He mumbled something, and reached his hand out towards Lily, begging for help. She sighed and walked back up the steps, knowing she would regret it.
"I must be mad. Come on," she said, putting an arm under his and attempting to hoist him to his feet. "How on earth can you let yourself get so drunk.. My God, you stink!" She pushed him against the wall so that he could steady himself, but she soon saw that he wouldn't be able to do this on his own, and so put her hands on his shoulders to steady him herself.
She gave him a sharp slap on the cheek. "Snap out of it! You need to walk; I'm not bloody carrying you!"
James opened his eyes drowsily. "Oh, Lily, it's you.."
Lily couldn't manage to get out of the way before James fell forwards onto her, his arms hanging limply over her.
"James!" She growled angrily, "You prat, this is your own fault you're like this!"
She pushed him onto the wall again to steady him.
"You're boyfriend did this to me, you know" He slurred, indicating his bruised face. "He's quite violent when he's angry, should watch out for that one." She shot him a dirty look.
"Are you going to kiss me, Lily?" She slapped him twice as hard and pushed him hard against the stone wall.
"You pig. You can get yourself back to the common room. I don't know why I even bothered to help you." She turned and left him, just as she should have done in the first place.
"No, Lily, wait!"
James had managed to get himself upright, and before Lily could turn around, he had slipped, fallen down the steps and landed on her.
It must have been a very co-ordinated 'fall', because as soon as Lily had recovered from the sharp pain at the back of her head, she realised that James' lips were on hers.
For a second or two, she just lay there, bewildered, but then she came to terms with what was happening and began pushing and hitting James' chest, her squeals muffled as she tried to get out from underneath him.
In an instant, James moved from on top of her to beside her, leaving Lily laying on her back gasping for air. Someone stepped over her and stood beside James, and when Lily sat up she realised that this person was kicking James brutally in the stomach.
"No, stop it," she mumbled, rubbing her head where it had hit the floor, "He's bad enough as it is, stop kicking him.."
She then looked up to see that this somebody was Snape, his face torn with pure rage. He kicked James one more time in the face. He then moved from James to Lily, grabbing her painfully by the arm and pulling her up. He didn't look at her. Instead he glanced at James' sobbing body and left the landing.

Lily ran after him, still rubbing her head.
"Sev, Sev, wait, it's not what it looks like!"
He stopped abruptly, causing her to walk into him. He pushed her backwards.
"ISN'T IT? WHAT IS IT THEN? DID YOU JUST END UP UNDERNEATH HIM BY AN ACCIDENT?"
Lily was taken aback. She'd never seen him so angry. "Well, yes… I was just helping him-"
"WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU WANT TO HELP HIM? I THOUGHT YOU HATED HIM, OR WAS THAT A LIE?"
"Stop shouting and listen to me!" She shot at him, and he fell silent. "He needed help. I couldn't just leave him! I didn't know he was going to fall himself on me!"
Snape scoffed. "How could you be so stupid as to trust him? After what happened the other week? You thought he'd just forget about that?"
Lily sighed. "You're right, I'm sorry, I-"
"You know what, Lily, save it. I'm starting to think that these things aren't just accidents, I'm starting to think that there's something going on here!"
Lily frowned. "What?"
"In the library. You say you weren't kissing him. Looks to me like you were. You can't prove to me tha-"
"I thought we'd talked about this!"
"JUST NOW, ON THE STAIRS," He shouted" "You say he fell, why should I believe you, you had your hands all over him!"
"I WAS TRYING TO GET HIM OFF OF ME!"
"REALLY? IT LOOKED TO ME AS IF YOU COULDN'T GET UNDER HIM QUICK ENOUGH!"
The pair of them stood face to face on the stone steps, panting and red in the face from shouting.
"Fine," Lily said, fighting back tears. "Fine. If you don't believe me and you don't trust me, this isn't going to work." She turned on her heel and marched back up the stairs, her hair swishing behind her.
Snape rubbed his forehead. "No, Lily, I didn't mean.."
"I said, FINE!" She shot at him, and strode out of sight.
Snape cried out in frustration and punched the wall before turning on his own heel and returning to the dungeons.


A/N: What did you think? Did you like it? Things keep taking a turn for the worst, huh? I've only got a few more chapters to write, and then I think this story will be finished. Please review and anticipate ^3^