The Halloween feast passed as it had every other year. The great hall was once again traditionally decorated with a thousand live bats that fluttered from the walls and ceiling, while a thousand more swooped over the tables in low black clouds, making the candles in the pumpkins stutter.
As they entered November, the weather turned very cold. The mountains around the school became icy grey and the lake like chilled steel. Every morning the ground was covered in frost. The giant oaf, Hagrid, could be seen from the upstairs windows defrosting broomsticks on the Quidditch field, bundled up in a long moleskin overcoat, rabbit fur gloves, and enormous beaverskin boots.
November eighth also marked the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year. Severus had wondered whether these trips would still be allowed, given the increasingly tight security measures around the school, but was pleased to know that they were going ahead; it was always good to get out of the castle grounds for a few hours.
Severus was huddled up by a tree studying when Lily came by.
"Morning, Sev," Lily said in way of greeting.
"All right?" he replied.
"Brilliant," said Lily. "Are you looking forward to Hogsmeade?"
"Actually, Lily –" Severus stammered uncharacteristically. "I've been meaning to talk to you about that."
He had, he just wasn't sure about how to start the conversation. At all.
"You're not planning on staying here, are you?" said Lily. "Even I know there's a thing as too much studying, Severus Snape."
"Well there goes that plan," teased Severus.
"Sweet Merlin! Why can't he just come out and say it?" Severus internally berated himself.
"Really Sev?" grinned Lily, before turning serious. "What was it you really wanted to say?"
He was racking his brain for the words but chickened out.
"Just that we better stop by Scrivenshaft's while we're there," smirked Severus. "I need more ink."
"Naturally," smirked Lily. She wasn't completely clueless, and she knew Sev fancied her, not that he knew she knew. She did, she just didn't want to say anything and mess it up.
He'd tell her when he was ready, are at least she hoped he would. Also, if she was honest with herself, she wasn't there quite yet. That didn't mean she didn't care about him either though; he was her best friend after all.
Severus was the first to wake up in his dormitory next morning. He laid there for a moment watching dust swirl in the ray of sunlight coming through the gap in his four-poster's hangings and savoured the thought that it was Saturday. The past week seemed to have dragged on forever, like one gigantic, dull, History of Magic lesson.
Regrettably, for him, he had awoken with a knot of uneasiness in his stomach. Quite frankly, he thought it was just senseless, for hadn't he and Lily done a million things together since they had become friends? Why was going to Hogsmeade now so different?"
Judging by the sleepy silence and the freshly minted look of that beam of sunlight, it was just after daybreak. He whiled away the time until breakfast by reading his copy of Advanced Potion-Making.
Finally, he pulled open the curtains around his bed, got up and started to get ready.
After a quick shower, he made his way down to breakfast in the Great Hall. Taking a seat beside Lily, he grabbed a bowl of eggs and began dishing them up. As well as some toast.
Eventually, they made their way outside, and saw the frantic third-years, queued up, and getting inspected by Apollyon Pringle as he made sure they all had their permission forms.
When they finally got to Hogsmeade, they walked around for a few minutes, and then made their way to the Three Broomsticks.
The Three Broomsticks was packed, mainly with Hogwarts students enjoying their free afternoon but also with a variety of magical people rarely seen anywhere else. Severus supposed that this was because Hogsmeade was the only all-wizard village in Britain, and it was a bit of a haven for creatures like hags, who were not as adept as wizards at concealing themselves.
Once inside Lily spoke up.
"Sev, will you go get the drinks?" inquired Lily. "I'll go find us a table."
"Yes," he agreed, quickly making his way to the throng of the bar.
He then thrust several Sickles down onto the counter and ordered two butterbeers.
Once they were shoved at him he quickly grabbed them, and jostled his way through the pack of Hogwarts students, looking for Lily. Finally, spotting Lily's red hair against the dark wood panelling on the wall, he headed over to a table by the window.
"Who did you hex to get a seat here?" quipped Severus.
"I don't know, but I can show you," retorted Lily.
"I'm good," said Severus.
"That's what I thought," teased Lily.
"Oi! It's not my fault you have a mean Bat-Bogey Hex," retorted Severus.
Lily just snorts.
"Guess what mum sent today?" said Lily.
"About a billion more biscuits?" offered Severus cheekily. Lily's mother had taken it upon herself to send them quite a few tins of chocolate biscuits since school went underway. He appreciated the thought, but one person could only eat so many biscuits. He ended up letting Frank help himself to most of a tin.
"No, they're not biscuits," laughed Lily. "I also doubt they'll last you more than five seconds."
"I resent that claim," retorted Severus.
"No, you resemble that claim," teased Lily.
She then pulled two small boxes out of her pocket.
"Maltesers."
Lily laughed as Severus eagerly took the package from her, opened them, and stuffed one in his mouth.
"Tell your mum I send my thanks," Severus said as he popped another one in his mouth. He was grinning from ear to ear; perfectly content.
"Will do," said Lily, quickly recovering herself. She resisted the urge to say, "Who are you, and what have you done with Severus Snape?" She knew it would only embarrass him.
They just sat and talked for a while, before making their way to Honeydukes, Dervish and Banges, as well as Toms and Scrolls before making their way up to the castle.
Lily didn't have the heart to bring up the fact that they never even went to Scrivenshaft's. Truth be told, he probably had four or five bottles full of ink. She did consider it though. Calling him on his bluff might have made for an amusing afternoon. However, he might take it a little too much to heart, so she decided against it.
That evening, back in the common room, rain was lashing the windows, which were now inky black, but inside all looked bright and cheerful. The firelight glowed over the countless squashy armchairs where people sat reading, talking, doing homework or, in the case of James Potter, and Sirius Black, trying to find out what would happen if you fed a Filibuster firework to a salamander. Sirius had "rescued" the brilliant orange, fire-dwelling lizard from a Care of Magical Creatures class and it was now smouldering gently on a table surrounded by a knot of curious people.
Lily had naturally scolded them for doing this, before taking back her seat by the fire.
After that, it wasn't long before both got up, and went to grab their textbooks. They then sat together next to a window and started on their Charms homework.
Finally, Lily had decided to call it a night. It was getting late and they were both were exhausted.
That night Severus had intended to pull out his copy of the Dark Arts Outsmarted for some light reading, but that didn't exactly pan out. He managed to fall asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.