A/N: Happy Memorial Day guys!

This is the longest chapter of this story so far, but alot happens in this chapter so I assure you it will not be boring.

Nyiko Ndlovu-Maswanganyi: YAY! I'm glad you're enjoying this story! I've just been waiting and waiting to find a good time to finally have Lily call him Sev and that seemed the perfect time. Thank you for reviews they really are uplifting and I hope you enjoy the rest of my story.

Nessa: I'm glad you like the story and it feels great to know people want to continue reading. Don't worry things get interesting in this chapter.

Also if any of you would like to check out my new story, A-Z Character Short Stories and Drabbles the first chapter is out now. I will be taking character requests for certain letters on that story. That story will be updated every Saturday or Sunday and if not then it will be updated whenever I have the time. So if you want to read it or just check it out, please do!:D

Again thank you readers for your views and reviews, it means alot. :)

Lily

Throughout the next couple of weeks Lily continued to meet with Snape for studying. No one had suspected anything and with Macmillians help her absence was able to go unnoticed in the Gryffindor house. Or at least with most of the Gryffindors. Lily could've sworn she saw Lupin cast her knowing glances but with the way things had turned out last time she had a right to be suspicious. If Lupin knew, he wasn't saying anything to anyone and for that she was grateful. Another dispute with James, Sirius, or the whole Gryffindor house in general was not a pleasant thought.

The Secrets of the Darkest Art book had faded into the back of her mind. However during classes and late at night the thought of horcruxes would flash into her head. The curiousity she had towards the book all but consumed her but whenever she entered the study room she never had the nerve to open it. The information the book contained was something dangerous and something secret. The information was dangerous, and just like Snape -though she didn't know it- it's what caused her curiousity to grow stronger. Being around Snape surpisingly kept her curiousity at bay. He had warmed up significantly towards her with every minute they spent together.

In any classes they shared they only remained civil towards one another and in the corridors they exchanged nods in greetings. Both had the same thought; they couldn't be caught with one another. The two houses would be in an uproar and James and Sirius' taunts towards Snape would only become worse. Lily wanted to be friends openly with him, but she hated the idea of the reactions she would recieve. The idea of having someone other than oneself control who she hung out with greatly angered her but she knew Snape thought it as unwise as well fore he had always preferred to go unnoticed.

Lily groaned as she rolled onto the opposite side of her four poster bed. With Doris and Macmillian asleep the room was sielnt of all except for her and her thoughts were filled with Snape. The slight smirk he wore when he found something amusing or when he was joking, in his blunt bored way. The ink black hair that fell into his charcoal eyes made him seem mysterious. Whenever he entered the abandoned potions room for studying with Lily he seemed to visibly relax. All stiffness left his shoulders and the stoney cold expression he usually wore would fade away into something like amusment and calmness.

The feelings she contained towards Snape were a confused mess. Rage, that he wouldn't allow their friendship past the potions classroom. Happiness, at the thought that he could act somewhat normal and welcoming around her. Nervous, because well she didn't know why. The pale Slytherin boy had struck a new feeling inside of her that she had never experienced. Something of warmth, comfort, and overall happiness. Whenever she caught sight of the gangly Slytherin in the hallways her mood became increasingly better. The dramatic change is what the others noticed in her and only Macmillian would smile knowingly, knowing exactly why and who had caused the change in her mood. But the feelings she was developing was something different, it made her nervous and flustered. If he stared at her intently or in an amused way for too long her cheeks began to blaze and she knew they turned scarlet. These feelings wanted to feel his cool fingers on her own warm ones and talk about everything with him. These are the feelings she pushed down everytime she thought of him.

Heat spread across her cheeks as Lily began to think of Snape again. The Slytherin clouded her thoughts in an unexplainable way. And she wasn't exactly sure if she wanted it explained anyways. With a groan into the pillow Lily extracted herself from the warmth of her bed and into the cool air of the dormitory she shared with Macmillian and Doris.

As Lily began dressing for the day she dropped textbooks onto the wood floor with a loud thud in hopes of waking Macmillian. Sure enough the groans and mutters could be heard from within the curtains of her bed.

"Evans, for Merlins sake some people are trying to sleep," Macmillian stuck her head out of the curtains and sent a look of annoyance towards her.

"Classes start in fourty-five minutes. Unless of course you want to skip breakfast," Lily commented.

"You know me all to well," Macmillian yawned and stepped out from behind the curtains. "It's cold as winter in here," she chattered.

"That's because it is winter," a muffled voice piped up from across the room. Doris stuck her head out of her bed and as always looked like a princess.

"Doris we have practice today," Macmillian reminded the girl.

Lily rolled her eyes. They hadn't even eaten breakfast and Macmillian's mind was on qudditch.

As the three girls walked down to breakfast together Lily stayed silent as Macmillian spoke of quidditch methods to Doris who sent apolgetic looks towards Lily.

Lily longed to be with Snape. Snape was the only person who valued education and books as much as she did and they never mentioned quidditch. There was never a need to. The only things they really discussed were school related. This realisation sent a pang of uneasiness through her. It had been almost two months since she had first laughed at Snape in the potions classroom. Two months and they had formed a studying routine even after the first one fell to shambles. Two months and he warmed to her and dropped the facade he wore during school but they only ever talked about school related topics. Anything else he would shut down.

Snape was brushed from her mind as she took a seat next to Amos and James. Amos Diggory was always now joining them for breakfast and other meals, if he could manage. He had set up a certain schedule so he could divide his time between Lily and the other Gryffindors that accepted him and his fellow Hufflepuffs.

"Amos, James." she smiled at them and then began to load her plate.

"We have a plan," Sirius announced.

"Not more Howlers I hope?" Macmillian snapped. The Howlers had been horrible, especially when Lily had been directly in the center of it.

"We do not repeat tricks Macmillian," James grinned and shoved a piece of toast in his mouth.

"What's your plan?" Peter squeaked from beside Lupin who was as usual looking pale yellow and sickly. Once again Peter had been left out from the plan and prank making and so he was greedy to find out.

"Now Peter, don't get all upset. You'll be able to help us plenty," James drawled.

James' grin cast an uneasiness in her stomach. Something was off about his grin and the knowing glances him and Sirius shared. He was casting glances at her and grinning widely at her as if he wanted her to ask. He wanted her to be curious. Lily narrowed her eyes, she wouldn't ask. They definitely wouldn't be getting the pleasure.

To her suprise Macmillian asked instead. "What is it then? this big evil scheme?"

James leaned over the table his arms crossed and his grin turned into a smirk. A glint of amusement flickered in his eyes as he regarded Macmillian. "Oh you know.." he casually flicked his hand, "It has something to do with a certain Serpent," he looked directly at Lily as he said this and she stiffened.

So they hadn't dropped it all along. They were still angry and they were just biding their time until they decided to act. Somehow, in the back of her head Lily suspected this but she had refused to heed her own warning. Though there wouldn't have been much to do if she had heeded the warning anyways.

"What Serpent?" Peter asked with a greediness in his tone.

James exchanged a glance with Sirius. One that was not playful at all but determined before he shifted his gaze back to Lily. "Oh you'll find out." He grinned.

"Not the Snape guy right..?" Macmillian cast them looks that could kill.

James rolled his eyes. "Who else would it be Macmillian?"

"Leave him alone. In fact leave all the Slytherins alone," Macmillian growled.

"I'll do whatever I please." He smiled but his eyes flashed with anger.

Lupin cast a worried glance at Lily but did stayed quiet. Macmillian and James were about to start bickering again. It was all they ever did. Peter as usual was watching the dispute with satisfaction and excitement plasetered over his small mouse like face.

"If I hear of you pranking or doing anything to Snape or any other Slytherin, I'm kicking you off the team," Macmillian hissed.

"You're mad! I'll just speak with McGonagall about that. Why are you so intent on protecting that awful greasy haired serpent anyways?" James lost his grin and instead was glaring at Macmillian. It was rare that James ever showed his anger. Usually a casual grin was plastered on his face rather or not he was actually angry.

"I'm not protecting him," she spat.

"Is something going on between him and Lily again. If so-"

Outraged, Lily interrupted James. "Will you two cut it out already? James stop with your stupid pranks and tormenting. Even if it is some Slytheirn you hate. You want to get back at me for what happened, don't you even think of taking it out on him. You take it out on me. Hex me, jinx me, scream at me, or shun me but I will not tolerate this any longer. You and Sirius are despicable and you need to stop holding grudges!" Lily breathed heavily as she glared at James and Siruis on the bench. They seemed suprised but also suspicious and most definitely angry. She was vaguely aware of the stares she was now recieving.

"Is there anything you'd like to tell us Lily?" Sirius snarled.

"I could tell you a whole lot. But I don't really feel like it. Leave people alone, the both of you," she snapped.

Without a backwards glance she turned on her heel and stalked out of the Great Hall. She felt trapped inside. James and Sirius now probably suspected something was going on with her and Snape again. She was grateful that Macmillian stood up for her but it made her friendship with Snape a bit more obvious.

Anger surged through her and now all she wanted to do was leave. Being inside was only going to attract stares and even though it was quite cold outside she didn't want to stay inside. People would hear about her outburst sooner or later and the stares she would recieve, well she didn't want to recieve them. Her friendships were quickly becoming disasterous and the one person she had grown to care about was the one person who would ruin it all for her. He was a Slytherin James and Sirius hated.

The cold wind nipped at her nose and ears. Her fiery hair flew out of the neat braid she had secured it in earlier that morning and now strands flew into her face as she made her way towards the lake.

"Hey giant squid," she murmed quietly as she sat as near to the edge of the water as she could. Water droplets pelted her skin as the wind blew, she had forgotten her scarf but she wasn't too worried. The cold was suprisingly calming her down and the anger slowly faded. The cold was numbing, and it was exactly what she needed.

The lake was far from still because of the strong cold winds. The dead brown grass was far from the beautiful green it was at the beginning of the year but she still found it beautiful. Thoughts of her life of Hogwarts drifted through her mind as she stared across the lake. Hogwarts truly was a beautiful place. The castle was like her second home and the excitement she felt had not faded from when she first laid her eyes on it when she was eleven.

Footsteps from behind Lily caused her to break from her thoughts of Hogwarts. Macmillian rarely came after her fore she knew Lily probably wanted to be alone. The only other people it could possibly be then would be James and Sirius following her to finish what they started.

She scowled and turned around ready to snap at the pair of Gryffindors but stopped when she realised it wasn't them at all. The three last people she thought she'd ever see following her stood their smiling at her kindly. Eleanor Parkinson, Mulciber, and Avery stood before her clad in their emerald green Slytherin robes with their scarfs draped over their shoulders. They probably had just heard her outburst and came to inquire about the Slytherin she was speaking of. Lily snorted at this thought but smiled kindly in return at the three of them. Maybe they were only trying to be kind.

"Out for a walk?" Lily asked.

Parkinson cocked her head and her black hair fell into her blue eyes that pierced Lily with a look that made her feel uneasy. Whatever they were outside with her for, she assumed they hadn't just gone for a walk.

"We actually came after you," Pakinson explained with a small smile. "We couldn't help but hear your outburst in the Great Hall. Pity really."

Lily grimaced. Parkinson sure was a good actor. "I don't need your pity, thank you," Lily chirped and then made to go past them only to be stopped by Mulciber.

Parkinson stepped up behind her and Lily turned around to face her. This girl also towered over Lily and this time she hated it. The girls smile and mask of pity were replaced with amusement and a wicked grin. "Not so fast Evans. I want to know who this certain Slytherin is," she crowed.

"Like i'd tell you," Lily spat.

Parkinson leaned down towards Lily who glimpsed the flickers of amusement in her ice blue eyes. "Too bad we already know who it is. We just wanted to see if you really were bent on protecting him." Parkinson moved to an upright poistition and casually removed her wand from the sleeve of her robes.

"This is the first warning muddie," Parkinson tapped Lily on the head with her wand causing her to wince. "Stay away from him," she grinned and with another tap of the wand she spun around and gestured towards Mulciber and Avery to follow her.

Anger surged through Lily. Yet again more people wanted to control who she hung out with and she would not allow it anymore. "No!" she snapped at the three retreating backs. They halted instantly and turned around with looks of outrage plastered across their faces.

"What was that mudblood?" Parkinson again reached inside her robes for her wand and stomped over to where Lily stood.

"I said no. I will not stay away from him. He is a friend," Lily glared daggers at Parkinson.

"I don't take no for an answer," Parkinson hissed her in face.

Before Lily could retort she fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Pain shot through her head and it felt as if she was being stung by multiple hornets at once. Once again she hadn't pulled her wand out in time and it lay at the bottom of her satchel among textbooks. She wouldn't be able to reach it even if she tried.

Parkins cold breath slid over Lily's ear as she squirmed on the ground clenching her jaw and squeezing her eyes shut, attempting to try and not cry out. "I don't know who you think you are mudblood but you will stay away from him or things will be worse," Parkinson hissed in her ear.

After what felt like ages the stinging sensation in her head faded to a dull throbbing and a warm liquid spilled over her face that soothed her for only a moment until she realised it was her own blood.

The warmth of her own blood ran into her eyes blinding her vision and down her face. Tears fell from her eyes and she sat on the ground clutching her shaking hands together. Parkinson and the other two boys had left her on the ground and their snickers still echoed through her head.

Lily crawled over to her satchel and dumped the contents into a messy pile onto the dead grass that now did not seem as beautiful to her as it did a few minutes ago. Paying no attention to the bits of parchment being carried off by the wind she ran her shaking hands through the discarded contents and found a handkerchief.

How had they found out? Surely Snape wouldn't have told them, he -at least from what she saw- did not interact with any of them very often. And he had warned her a few weeks back about Mulciber and Avery attacking her and she had waved him off saying it was foolish for them to attack. Apparently she was now the fool. She had paid no heed to his warnings and now they had attacked her. Or more like Parkinson attacked her.

Still shaking uncontrolably she slung her satchel over her shoulder and began the trek back to the school. The wind blew against her face and dried the blood that clung into her hair and face. The handkercheif quickly became soaked and her hand came away red. Unwanted sobs escaped her as she walked through the halls with her head down avoiding eyes. The whispers began quickly and she could feel the stares trained on her back. The hospital wing was her destination. Madam Pomfrey would heal her right up,luckily she didn't ask too many questions and so Lily would hopefully be able to go directly to class.

Lily rounded another corner, she for some reason couldn't find the hospital room. The stares and whisperes were too much for her to handle and all she wanted was to be alone. Even the bathroom she had tried to enter was filled with girls who had grown silent at the sight of her. Another gush of tears escaped her as she ran directly into the chest of another person.

"My apologies," Lily said and began to step around the person.

Cold fingers encircled her wrist and pulled her back. Anger surged through her again and she prepared for another attack as she raised her head only to find Snape with a concerned look and anguish flashing in his eyes peering down at her.

Relief flooded through her. Though it shouldn't have because of the incident that had just occured. She should've been angered or she should've pushed him away but instead she only looked at him thinking about what a mess she was. Blood and tears running down her face and her hand was sticky. The handkerchief was nowhere near white and instead was a deep red.

"I hope I didn't get any blood on your robes," she joked half-heartedly.

"What happened?" Snape glared at her but she knew that the glare wasn't at her directly but at her head. She had removed the handkerchief since it was useless and now he was staring at her head as if he was disgusted.

"I fell," she lied and offered a small laugh that probably made her seem like a mad woman.

Stares and whispers grew louder as people passed when they caught sight of her being confronted by Snape and by the mess on her head.

"This isn't funny," he growled. He stepped closer to her as if to block out the stares from everyone and she hung her head. Lying was the last thing she wanted to do with Snape but people from his own Hogwarts house had attacked her.

Snape slid his fingers underneath her chin and tilted her head upwards and she reluctantly met his eyes. Warmth flooded through her and her shaking settled only a bit. The charcoal eyes held genuine concern for her. "Lily Evans, you have a repulsive word carved into your skin. Was this Mulciber and Avery," his fingers remained underneath her chin and shame washed over her. A new set of tears fell from her eyes and she began sobbing as she closed her eyes to avoid his charcoal ones.

"Lily," his voice was gentle, " It was them wasn't it?"

"Yes," she whispered. "Parkinson did it though," she finally opened her eyes and Snape removed his hand from underneath her chin. Anger flashed in his eyes.

He removed the bloody handkercheif from her hand and replaced it with another white one. "I'll take care of this," wether he was referring to her bloody handkerchief or the situation itself she didn't know because before she had time to answer he was shoving her in the direction of the hospital wing and he had taken off.

Snape

All he could think of as he stalked towards his first class was Lily's bloody and teared face. Blood and tears streaked across her face and it was dried into her hair. She was always the one to walk through the corridors with her head held high but now he had seen another side of her. Gone was the fiery headed lioness and now she was sobbing and bleeding in the corridors wandering aimlessly with the word mudblood carved into her head.

He was outraged. He knew and he warned her the Mulciber and Avery were planning something. But even he had brushed that off after a week went by and they still hadn't done anything. When the two boys left the hall with Parkinson soon after Lily had had her outburst over at the Gryffindor table he didn't think anything of it. Fool, he thought to himself. His concern for Lily had also revealed that they were somewhat acquainted with one another from the stares they recieved in the hall. No doubt the whispers would get around to the Slytherins and the Gryffindors. And knowing what Parkinson put Lily through the Gryffindors he doubted would shun her now but would only become even more harsh towards the Slytherins. Why did Parkinson involve herself anyways? She had never tormented Lily like Mulciber and Avery had but instead focused all her torments on Sirius or ignored all Gryffindors. It was unlike her to torment, hell even physically harm another student.

Snape looked down at his pale fingers that were now tinted red with Lily's blood. He had disposed of the handkerchief and shoved her in the directions of the infimiry. The urge to escort her there and make sure she was all right was the most diffiuclt thing he had to avoid doing. Whispers were probably already circulating though and he knew he should expect some confrontation from anyone. His anger thank godric had managed to overrule his urge to see Lily to the hospital wing.

"Parkinson!"

Parkinson turned around with a smirk on her face from the people she was conversing with.

"Yes Snape?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Don't play this game with me," Snape spat.

Parkinson smirked and cocked her had at him. "Oh Snape. She's a mudblood. It was a warning for her to stay away from you. I know you just hated having her follow you around," she crooned.

"Actually no," he snarled. "She doesn't follow me around and even if she did I wouldn't hate her. She's a friend. Don't ever touch her again," with that said he turned on his heel and went to sit at his own desk. Parkinson stayed silent and he hoped she would throughout the rest of class especially when this was also a class the Slytherins shared with the Gryffindors. It was not going to be pleasant that is if Lily showed up. She hated missing classes but for her own sake he wished she would skip this one.

Halfway through class he was sure she had skipped but no, there she was. Head held high, hooded eyes and a bandage wrapped around her head. No trace of blood or tears remained and her jaw was clenched. She looked like a fierce lion as she took her seat besides Macmillian who was staring, like all the Gryffindors in shock and confusion.

From behind Snape, to his annoyance a voice piped up. "Oh look who finally made it to class".

Snape scowled and shot Parkinson a deathly glare over his shoulder. Parkinson could be evil if she wanted. She was the perfect Slytherin, always finding ways no matter how diabolical or difficult they were, to get what she wanted. Right then, she wanted to torment Lily. For whatever reason Snape wasn't sure. Parkinson and himself had gotten along fairly well and he saw no reason for her to attack. Usually Mulciber and Avery were the ones attacking muggleborns.

"You know Parkinson," Macmillian had turned around and from the look on Lily's face she had tried to prevent it. "Why don't you and your serpents back off for once," she snarled.

You're giving her exactly what she wants, Snape thought to himself.

"No I don't think so. What happned anyways Lily?" Parkinson asked.

Lily slid off her stool and turned to face her. Her and Macmillian seemed to be the only ones standing up for her today. James and Sirius were regarding the situation with outraged expressions but it was doubtful that they would join because he had seen what happened in the breakfast hall not an hour ago.

"You wanna know what happened Parkinson?" Lily spat. The tiny lioness had her fists clenched by her side and the white bandage stuck out significantly with her red hair and face. "I fell down the stairs. Clumsy me," Lily sneered.

Snape smirked at the mini lion standing her ground. The fierceness in her was alluring but the question of why she wasn't revealing what had happened to her still remained. Unless it had something to do with showing weakness but he wasn't sure if that was it. Lily just wasn't that type of person. If word of what actually happened got out then James, Sirius, and Macmillian would probably be be on Parkinson in no time even if they had the knowledge that Lily had been hanging around Snape.

Parkinson seemed suprised and her usual cool facade broke for only a moment showing the confusion that blossomed across her face. Silence hung in the air and the snickers from Mulciber and Avery had stopped. Lily taking this as a sign that the conversation was over had turned around but Snape knew that Parkinson would recover from her momentary suprise and spit out a nasty comment.

Just as he predicted not a moment later Parkinson's sneer could be heard throughout the whole classroom. "How clumsy of you."

Lily chose to ignore this and the class remained silent as the professor -who relished in the ongoing arguments between Gryffindor and Slytherin- merely looked on in an excited way. Only because the argument seemed to have ended and no one was longer rising to the bait did the class begin again. Snape watched the red headed Gryffindor throughout the rest of class. He could see her clench her fists and jaw and sometimes absent mindedly brush the thick bandage on her head. To his dismay he felt sick at the sight of her, casually completing the assignments the professor assigned when she had just been attacked.