CHAPTER 12

Severus was working silently but diligently alongside Lily Evans in Slughorn's Potions class. Lily's green eyes were glaring at him, but he didn't notice.

"What are you looking at?" she demanded.

His attention was caught. Severus shook his head slightly and shrugged. Lily turned her head in the direction he was looking.

"Worried about Anne?" she asked, noticing Anne and Remus with their heads close together as they worked on their potion.

"She can look out for herself," said Severus.

A giggle wafted through the air, and Lily turned once again to see Sirius Black whispering something in Anne's ear, at which she was laughing coyly. When her gaze returned to Severus, she saw that he was scowling in their general direction.

'Ahh, I see," Lily said, nodding her head. "Worried about Sirius."

Severus turned to Lily, still scowling, but when he saw her friendly smirk, he nearly allowed himself to smile. Fortunately, he was able to stop himself just in time.

"I suppose," he grumbled.

"I'd be the same way. Sirius is quite the charmer. All the girls seem to want him," said Lily with a sigh.

"Including you?" asked Severus speculatively.

Lily grimaced, and Severus, to her surprise, laughed.

"Guess not," he said.

Lily paused in silence for a moment, staring at him.

"I've never seen you smile," said Lily, astonished.

Severus didn't reply.

"You look rather nice when you smile," she continued.

"Anne says that, too," he mumbled, turning quite pink.

A smile lit up her bright green eyes.

"She's right," answered Lily

"You and Snape were sure getting on," snorted James as the Gryffindors all exited the Potions classroom together.

"He's not as rotten as you make him seem," replied Lily airily.

"I'll bet you feel greasier just standing next to him," James added with a snigger.

Lily frowned at him.

"When are you going to learn to be nice to people for a change?" she demanded.

"I'm nice to you," he whispered as he leaned in closer.

She didn't answer.

"Besides, have you seen the sort he hangs around with?" asked James defensively. "Everyone knows they're just itching to join Voldemort's ranks."

The small crowd of Gryffindors stopped walking. Remus's face was surprised but grim, as though he had been thinking the same but hadn't been willing to say it. Peter's mouth hung open, incredulous that James would say the name of the dark wizard who was rumoured to be beginning his rise to power. Lily, though shocked at James's words, didn't skip a beat.

"What happened to 'assume the best until he proves the worst'?" asked Lily. "I believe those were your exact words."

James didn't reply.

"And Severus spends most of his time with Anne Warlow. If she's lined up to join . . . to join You-Know-Who, then maybe you need to have a talk with Mister Black," said Lily, and Sirius looked very guilty and downcast.

There was something of a tense silence in the corridor as everyone watched James and Lily consider each other. Finally, James sighed.

"When are you going to get over yourself and go out with me?" he asked, frustrated.

"GO OUT WITH YOU?!" shrieked Lily, smoke practically pouring from her ears. "Get over myself and go out with you?!"

James was taken aback. Sirius, Remus, and Peter all looked very frightened.

"When are you going to get over yourself and learn that just because half the girls at Hogwarts are after you, doesn't mean I'll just fall at your feet when you command it!" shouted Lily shrilly.

And with that, she turned on her heel and marched down the hallway, her fellow Fifth year Gryffindor girls trotting behind her. The boys stood motionless in shock. It was nearly a minute before someone finally spoke.

"Half the girls at Hogwarts are after me?" asked James, bewildered.

Sirius rolled his eyes and punched his arm.

"Yea, mate. But you've only had eyes for one," he said.

"You and Lily were sure getting on," said Anne with a twinkle in her green eyes as she as Severus walked back to the Slytherin common room together.

Severus shrugged and hid his face behind his black hair to hide his flushed features. Anne laughed.

"Severus!" she cried. "You're blushing! What are you not telling me?"

"She said I have a nice smile," he mumbled.

Anne huffed.

"I tell you that all the time!" she said.

"I know," said Severus with another shrug.

The pair made their way back to the common room. Anne climbed onto the most comfortable emerald sofa and stretched out with a novel, while Severus pulled out a textbook and perched next to her on the opposite end of the couch. After just a few moments, however, they were interrupted.

Anne stared open mouthed at the student who had dared to plop down between the two of them. The intruder was sitting calmly, a book in hand, with no regard to the older students on either side of him.

"What do you think you're doing?" sneered Severus.

"Just enjoying the most comfortable couch in the common room," replied Regulus Black.

His calm exterior masked his nervousness. His voice shook, only slightly, so that Severus had to pay particularly close attention to catch the waver in his tone

"Bugger off," Severus said sharply.

"No, I don't think I will," replied Regulus resolutely.

"Move," growled Severus.

"What are you going to do about it?" said Regulus.

Severus was just about to open his mouth to tell Regulus Black exactly what he was going to get, but Anne spoke.

"Enjoying it, are we?" she whispered softly, scooting a margin closer to Regulus on the couch.

Severus was shocked.

"You can sit here any time," crooned Anne in a low, seductive voice, her lips nearly grazing Regulus's ear as she spoke.

Regulus was getting obviously uncomfortable. He tried to shift over to the other side of the couch to move away from Anne, only to find Severus Snape glowering at him angrily. Just as Anne began a cat-like crawl in the direction of Regulus's lap, the Fourth year Slytherin hopped up from the couch and bolted.

Anne laughed heartily.

"That wasn't funny," scowled Severus.

"It was hilarious!" she laughed, and looked at his distasteful expression. "Oh, don't be angry."

"It doesn't make me angry," he replied quickly.

"No?" asked Anne with a smirk.

"Well, it's just that you shouldn't be using those kinds of . . . of weapons against him," Severus said, his brow furrowed.

"Sev, you didn't even know I had those kinds of weapons," Anne replied with a smile.

Severus did not answer. Perhaps it was true. He was only just seeing that his cousin, who was practically a sister to him, was blossoming into a beautiful young woman. He hadn't even noticed. Perhaps it's more difficult to discern when a member of one's own family has grown into a sexual being. Severus scowled at the realization, because he knew that if he had just now noticed this fact, Sirius Black had probably known it a long time ago. And that made him angry.