It was already Monday and Severus was extremely nervous. He didn't have a lot of dress attire and it was a semi-casual dinner party. He chose an overcoat that he borrowed from Avery and a neat dress shirt that he got from Lucius Malfoy who said, "It's too small for me and a bit ratty but it will do fine, you can keep it." This was Malfoy's form of charity. Truth be told, it wasn't ratty at all.

Severus went up to Gryffindor Tower hoping desperately that he would not see James there. Lily had promised she would meet him at seven o' clock sharp and they could walk to Slughorn's together.

Severus breathed nervously as he stood in front of Gryffindor tower. He tried hard not to look at the paintings which were studying him with interest. "Well, are you coming in?" asked the portrait over Gryffindor tower impatiently.

"I am waiting for someone."

At that moment Lily came out of the portrait hole. Clothed in a bright green dress that was simple but elegant she stepped to Severus whose mouth was agape. He recovered himself quickly, "Hi."

"Hi, you look nice." She gestured to his shirt, neat trousers and coat.

"So do you." He flushed slightly and as the two walked down to Professor Slughorn's office Severus realized how uncomfortable he felt. It was strange. Lily had never affected him in this way and she seemed completely calm while he was trying not to look like a git.

…

"Now, when I was in the Iberian Peninsula I met a wizard who possessed a very large creature that I could not identify for the life of me. He was long and…"

Severus was scarcely listening to Professor Slughorn's less than interesting conversation, he, of course, was the only one conversing. Severus looked down at his dessert. Lily seemed to be listening with rapt attention, she was the only one. Lily did this a lot. Either she was humoring people or she really was interested in what they had to say.

"Now, then," Professor Slughorn said. He looked at Severus with interest. "You have quite the talent for potions, Severus."

"Yes, I suppose so," Severus said smiling slightly. Lily looked at him and sat up a little straighter. Severus realized this was a signal to perfect his own posture.

"Do you enjoy potions?" This seemed like a question that came with a right answer.

"Yes, I suppose so, considering I excel at it."

Slughorn chuckled and nodded his approval. "Have you always excelled in the field of potion brewing?"

"My family keeps books on potions and I have been studying this subject, amongst others, before I even arrived at Hogwarts."

All eyes were on Severus now and Slughorn raised an eyebrow. "Well, you obviously studied hard. I remember when I was a student here at Hogwarts…" As Slughorn took off on another digression Severus tried to show interest. Lily smiled slightly at Severus' attempts. At least he is trying, she thought.

"Goodbye… bye… bye… Goodbye..." Slughorn said to every student who had come that night.

As the door closed on Severus and Lily Severus smirked, "That was intensely dull, Lily."

"He liked you; I think you might get into his club."

"Club?"

"He holds more dinners with the students who interested him and he invites you to his parties like the Christmas one and the Valentine's Day one-"

"You're going to make me go to those?"

"Yes, if I get into the club" Lily said smiling. "You did so well tonight. If you keep up the good work you might make the shelf!" If Severus' parents were anything the way parents should be Lily would have sounded just like a good parent would.

"The shelf?" Severus raised an eyebrow. Lily had said it as though it were a great honor.

"Yes, anyone who aspires to be anyone hopes to wind up on the shelf. That is what Professor Slughorn says. I think you have a good chance of making the shelf." Lily said happily.

The remainder of the year went by swiftly. Severus found himself indulging in the "Slug Club" and potions. Professor Slughorn wasimpressed with his talent and skills and Lily was pleased to see that Severus and James were staying away from each other for the most part. However, heated words were thrown on occasion and snapped back by the offended to the offender. Severus discovered he was extremely good at defense and decided it was time to work on offence. For this, he read the Dark Arts books that Lucius persisted on lending him.

Severus was trying very hard to keep his promise to Lily but it was difficult to resist such a forbidden temptation and Severus felt that he was very advanced in the Dark Arts, more so than many students at Hogwarts.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had definitely become one of his favorite classes and he found it easy to excel in. He hid the books from Lily and studied them at night, never again would he attempt to read them during the day.

When Christmas finally came along, Slughorn's party seemed rather successful and far less boring than the many dinners he had attended. He took Lily to all the parties and found himself extremely satisfied when James glared at him in the halls when he was with Lily. James wasn't in the Slug Club but Remus was, for a while.

"You have got to tell me what they're doing!" James had said one night when Remus had returned from the Valentine's party.

"They're not snogging or anything they're just friends," Remus would say.

"His intentions are more than that and if she chooses that git over me-" James always started with this.

"Then it happens," Remus would say simply. He tried not to argue with his friends but seeing as Sirius was strictly on James' side and Peter was on Sirius' he could hardly resist James' demands about spying on Severus and Lily. James was obviously jealous and his jealousy came out as hate towards Severus. He had been plotting something to do to Severus, but what?

By the end of the year James had an idea, several actually, and he planned to use them at the start of term in the fall.