St. Valentine's Day

Normally, Snape didn't like the day, she thought it was insipid and revolting.

There was nothing worse than public displays of affection, except for the fact that those displays were usually used as a status symbol among other girls to prove their worth and desirability. Or so she thought.

It was a much different day when you were loved, and loved in return. Not that it really changed much, it was still stupid to be honest, but somehow she didn't feel the same level of antipathy as she held the thoughtful letter from Lily in her hand.

Vera,

Even after everything we've been through, I wouldn't want to go through it with anyone else. I love you. Oh God, it still sounds so odd writing it out loud when I've had to hide it from myself for so long. I think we should go public. Damn what anyone thinks of us. We've earned it.

Yours,

Lily

Snape couldn't help but grin as she as she read it again and again. She loved her. It seemed like it had been too much to even hope, but it was real.

"Did you get a Valentine, Severa? You glow like you're beaming." Honoria teased, trying to look over her shoulder. They were sitting at the Great Hall at the end of breakfast. Owl post had just arrived, and it would soon be time for class.

Snape glowered, crumpling the letter into a ball and stuffing it into her robes.

"No, just looking over some notes for Charms," she lied.

Honoria frowned. "If it's about the group, you don't have to try to cover it up. If I'd known what you were doing, I'd gladly have helped you."

"I'm glad you didn't, you would have been suspended like the rest of us and bid adieu to any job at the Ministry" Snape replied. She finished her coffee. It seems the House Elves hadn't burnt it today.

"But it must have been grand! Sneaking about and dueling. Oh, and all that extra time with the boys!" Honoria gushed.

Snape scoffed. "More like they dumped all the work on me. I was doing all the work while they focused on the logistics, whatever that means. "

She was beginning to feel a bit tense, jittery. Perhaps the coffee was a bit strong, she could feel the palpitations.

"I'm sure it was because you were the only one who knew what you were doing," Honoria laughed. "Not like they'd give you any credit."

She could feel herself shaking, ever so slightly, her fingers twitching. The Great Hall seemed brighter, almost too bright and her head was fuzzy.

"I suppose so," Snape replied dreamily. "I mean, I'm not as talented as James, but he's exceptional," she giggled.

"James? What does he have to do with anything?" Honoria asked. "Are you still thinking about him, Severa. It's been months since it ended."

She glanced over at the Gryffindor table. Her head was throbbing. She could feel pressure in her lower extremities. She could feel sweat dripping from her brow. Oh no.

She couldn't help but stare. James was telling a joke to Pettigrew, who was laughing. Black responded with something that made them both laugh, but she couldn't hear from this distance.

He looked so beautiful when he laughed. So carefree, so poised.

No. No.

Obviously, this was not a natural response. James was now touching Lupin's shoulder, looking very reassuring. It must be nice being able to touch him.

She shuddered involuntarily in disgust. Fight it.

This couldn't be Amortentia, she would have smelled it. Unless it was masked by the coffee. No, it must be one of the Fancourt varieties. Maybe she could make an antidote if she…

She stood up and leaned against the table.

"Severa? Are you alright?" Honoria asked anxiously.

"I'm perfectly fine, H. Never better," she replied in the same dreamy manner. She didn't know why she sounded like that. Speaking felt like her mouth was stuffed with cotton.

She wanted to be near him. She wanted to bask in his presence, smell him, hold him. She needed him be near him, or else it was unbearable.

Her feet plodding like they were lead, she trudged over to the Gryffindor table.

"And when he brings down the chalkboard, that's when he'll see the message we've written," James continued before noticing her. "Oh. Hello Snape, what are you doing here?"

Silently, she sat down next to him and rested her head on his shoulder, much to the horror of those around him. She clasped her left hand in his, and wrapped her other arm around his waist. As she nuzzled his shoulder, she inhaled his scent. "You smell wonderful."

"What?" He asked, completely caught off guard.

She giggled again. "Oh, you're so funny, James. Jamie, Oh James," she started humming some song from the recesses of her brain. Something by Robert Burns probably, she couldn't remember.

"Alright Snape, let off. I'm not sure what you're going for, but this isn't funny." Black reprimanded.

She didn't even bother looking at Black, only giving her attention to James. She stared intently at his shimmering hazel eyes. They were a beautiful mixture of green and brown, like the woods, with flecks of gold in the iris, like sunlight on the trees. They were so wide and trembling, so endearing, but they were covered by his spectacles. She took them off his face, folded them, and placed them in the pocket of his robes.

"Oi! What was that for?" He asked.

"Vera, is everything alright?" asked Lupin, sounding genuinely concerned.

"I think she's gone mad," muttered Pettigrew.

Their voices sounded so distant. So remote.

"Perhaps I have," she laughed manically. "Love is merely a madness, and deserves a whip as madmen do," she replied, remembering deep in her memory she'd heard it on the telly, Shakespeare, As You Like It. She hadn't even been paying attention.

She grabbed his hair and aggressively kissed him, laughing as she heard him emit a gasp. She kissed him deeper, her tongue sliding into his mouth and exploring eagerly. He tasted of marmalade and tea.

"Vera!" She could hear someone shout at the table. Perhaps it was Lily? Some girl, it didn't matter who. She ran her free hand over his chest, moving downwards until he grasped it and pushed her away.

"Alright, that's enough," James replied gruffly. "What was that about?" he demanded.

"I want you, I need you, I love you James," she answered, only faintly aware of the scene she was causing. James looked gorgeous when his face turned that lovely shade of red, it matched his robes so well.

He glared angrily at his friends. "Who did this? Fess up."

The three of them looked just as surprised as he was. "While I appreciate the effort that went into this, you know this isn't my style Prongs," Black replied. "The idea of having Snape of all people all over you is just revolting."

"And we work best as a group," Pettigrew added. "If one of us was going to prank you, the rest of us would have known."

"And it wouldn't have been love potions," Lupin agreed.

She moved next to him, hugging his waist again like a lamprey. He could feel her body so close to his, her breath on his face, her breasts pressed to his chest. James felt he would die from the humiliation, shame heating him up from the inside. And Evans glaring daggers at him only made it worse.

"I think I'll take her to Slughorn, she if he can straighten her out," James mumbled, dragging Snape by the wrist as she giggled.

When they were out of sight and heading for the stairs to the dungeons, she grabbed him and kissed him again, this time with more tongue. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she craned her neck upwards, her thin lips moving against his, her body grinding against his. He felt himself lapse, before pushing her away again. They kept walking, but she was very determined. Much to his horror, she was equally grabby with the rest of him, and had to swat her away.

The worst part was that he was physically reacting to it. Though that was normal, wasn't it? Anyone's body would respond to stimulus, and proximity of another person. It certainly didn't help that he was a teenage boy, and his hormones were all over the place.

"You can have me," she murmured huskily. "We can skip class, and find somewhere," desperation lacing her voice.

James felt his ears turn red. She must really be under a strong dose. He wasn't even sure Snape liked sex, she seemed like the type of person who'd reproduce by splitting in two.

"No one would know," she pleaded. "I wouldn't tell if that's what you're worried about, and I'd do anything you'd want, you could even call me Scervix or laugh at me, or hurt me, I don't care," she rambled.

It would have been very easy, if he was that type of person. He'd even imagined scenarios similar to this, of course in those cases she was willing. That had been a bit of a shock this first time he had one of those kind of dreams in Fourth Year.

James gave a huff of frustration. "We're here."

He knocked on the door and guided her to Slughorn's office. The old man chuckled as James recounted the story.

"Mixed up your drinks didn't you, Miss Snape? Happens all the time." He walked over to his cabinet and retrieved the antidote, then administered the dose.

She coughed, the groaned. They guided her to one of Slughorn's plush armchairs and she sat, hands covering her face.

"Perhaps you better head to class, Mr. Potter. It was very admirable of you to escort the young lady."

"If Snape's recovered, I wouldn't mind helping her get back to her own class as well." He replied.

Slughorn examined her, but she was withdrawn and shrinked away. "She looks well enough. No symptoms. If you still feel lightheaded, stop by the Hospital wing after class," Slughorn added, addressing Snape, who nodded wearily. She glared at Potter coldly.

"I think I will be well enough to go to class on my own. No need for Mr. Potter to waste any more class time."

James had the gall to look sheepish. Snape did her best to hide her anger. She was going to kill him for humiliating her. Of all the stunts he had pulled on her, and on all of the days…

As they left Slughorn's office, Snape was about to strike.

"Put down your wand, I didn't do it," James replied morosely.

Even then, she cast a Stinging Hex. It missed. Damn Life Debt.

She screamed in frustration.

"You're upset? You were basically trying to molest me this past half hour, and everyone had to witness it."

"Oh God, everyone did see us," Snape trembled. "Was Lily upset?"

"What do you think?" He countered.

Snape closed her eyes tightly and repressed any tears. "Fuck. I have to go talk to her."

"I could talk to her," James offered.

"No, I have to make her understand," Snape replied frantically. "It wasn't me."

"I think it was fairly clear you were under the influence." James agreed, trying to sound calm, but still frazzled from this morning's events. "I'll explain it to her when I see her in class, and you two can talk it out later."

"I hope you aren't lying to me, Potter. If I find out you really did drug me…"

"I did not," he replied angrily. "Do you really think I would do that to you? After everything?"

She paused. No, perhaps he wouldn't. He wasn't the same James Potter she had known before, and they understood each other, even if they hadn't been friends. He hadn't tried to prank her in months.

"Tell her I'm sorry," Snape added. "And that I loved the letter. I hope she liked her gift."

"What letter?" James asked.

Reluctantly, she pulled it out and uncrumpled it, casting a quick charm to smooth out the wrinkles. She handed it to him and he skimmed it.

"Oh Vera," he replied sympathetically. "What rotten luck. But I'm sure she'll understand."

"I hope so," she said passionately.

He handed her back her letter and gently brushed his hand against hers. They made eye contact and he nodded goodbye. "Well, I'll see you around."

"Any luck on finding out about the Life Debt?" Snape asked.

"I found a few solutions," he responded. "But you're going to hate them."

"Well, we should still discuss them. The sooner we get rid of this, the sooner we never have to see each other again."

James laughed sardonically. "You really are going to hate them."

They agreed to meet sometime this month, maybe once their schedules cleared up.

As they separated, both of them were glad to be alone for the time being.

Snape rushed to Lily after classes ended, and ran into her arms. She apologized profusely, and hoped she could be forgiven.

"Don't be ridiculous, Vera, there's nothing to forgive. You were drugged. Of course Potter and his mates say they didn't do it, and I guess I believe them. Remus wouldn't lie outright at least."

"They didn't do it," Snape assured her. "But I still can't figure out who would want to do this."

"Well when you find out, let me know," Lily stated angrily. "I will personally extract my wrath on them."

Snape grinned as she admired her girlfriend's righteous indignation. "Perhaps you and I will do so together."

"Well we are in need of some couple's activities," Lily joked.

"And here I thought you'd suggest I take up knitting," Snape teased her.

"Oh, shove it," Lily replied, sticking out her tongue.

Lily nuzzled against Snape and held her tightly. "Well, I'm at least grateful that if it had to be anyone it was James, I'm glad he didn't take advantage of you."

Snape looked at her disparagingly. "You shouldn't be, that's just basic decency."

Lily nodded. "Still, the whole thing's a bloody travesty. Maybe going public isn't the best idea now. If you're still being targeted, who knows if the next time it's not something more dangerous."

"If they're only using Love Potions, they're not planning on killing me. My pride may be wounded, but I'm still intact," she reassured her, gently kissing her brow.

Lily chuckled. "So how was it? Is he a terrible kisser?" She teased.

"Sloppy, but actually not too bad." She admitted reluctantly.

"Oh? Why don't you show me."

Lily pulled her in and deepened the kiss.