Hey, biggest gap which is very shameful :( sorry, my uploady thing wasn't working. Thanks!

Millie xxx

Chapter 25

James had spotted his target. Lily stood only a few meters away from him, and naturally he felt the need to close the gap as quickly as possible. He swooped up behind her, enveloping her in his broad arms.

"Hey Lily." He said happily. Lily made a muffled sound from beneath his arm, which he promptly removed.

"Hello." She turned to face him, and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You okay?"

"Marvellous." James grinned. "Thank you for asking."

Lily smiled at him, then changed her expression to a frown. "Haven't you got astronomy?"

"Excuse me for wanting to see my girlfriend!" James faked being upset.

"You're going to be late." Lily said warningly.

"I'll see you on the pitch then." James said, before giving her a quick hug and a kiss on the top of her forehead.

"What?" Lily asked, confused.

"On the Quidditch pitch. Eight O'clock." James smiled mischievously.

"Why?"

"I only gave you that one Quidditch lesson." James laughed down the corridor. "See you then!"

"Oh no." Lily groaned. "I'm not getting on a broom."

"I still can't believe it." Alice smiled.

"Believe what?" Lily turned back to face her friend.

"You and him. Potter and Evans." Alice laughed. "I guess I just never thought it would actually happen."

"Me neither." Lily said thoughtfully.

"Don't get me wrong- I love you together." Alice assured her. "You're so happy around him."

"Am I?"

"Yeah, you never stop smiling. Happiness just radiates off the two of you." Alice said seriously.

Lily laughed self consciously, her face still beaming. "It's weird. I never thought I'd like being around him, but I do. I really do."

"Aww…Lily's in lurrrve." Alice teased.

Lily nudged her friend half-heartedly, knowing what she said was true.

Lily tiptoed through the darkening grounds to the Quidditch pitch, her heart hammering in excitement and nervousness. Her eyes searched the sky for James, and found him circling the stand, a black mark on the sunset. She was content just to watch him, but he spotted her and immediately returned to the ground.

"Hey." James grinned. "Ready for your first flying lesson?"

"Second." Lily corrected, remembering her disastrous first time on a broom in first year. "And I'm not getting on that thing."

"Come on Lily." James begged. "Just try it. You'll enjoy yourself."

"But what if I fall and kill myself?" Lily said worriedly.

"Do you really think I'd let that happen?" James asked rhetorically.

"No…" Lily said in defeat.

"Exactly." James said triumphantly. "So just hold on to me, and you'll be fine." James mounted the broom and hovered a few inches off the ground. He held out his hand, which Lily tentatively took. She sat behind him, her arms encircling his body.

"Ready?"

"No." Lily replied.

"Okay, hold on!" James cried, before zooming off into the dark sky. Lily tried to hold back her scream, but it escaped through her lips and she held onto James as firmly as she could. As soon as they were high enough to get a wonderful view of the castle and the landscape surrounding it, James slowed down. Although she wouldn't look below her for a million galleons, Lily had to admit that it was stunning. The castle stood out against the orange and pink hues of the setting sun, the lights twinkling like stars.

"It's beautiful." Lily murmured, resting her head against James's back, and loosening her vice-like hold slightly.

James didn't reply, but in one, swift movement he flung his leg behind Lily and switched positions until he was behind her.

"What are you doing?" Lily said, her hands snapping to the wood in front of her.

"Letting you drive." James answered.

"Are you crazy? No, no, no-" Lily started to panic.

"Shh…" James soothed her. "I'm here, you'll be fine." His hands came forward and covered hers around the broom. He started steering it, guiding her hands. Although Lily had never been in a more terrifying position, she actually felt safe. She didn't tell James this, however.

"I'm so going to get you back for this." Lily muttered.

James chuckled. "Oh no, what could the mighty Lily Evans have in store for me?"

"It will be terrifying." Lily replied. "And extremely painful."

James leaned forward until his head was next to Lily's. He gently kissed her on the shoulder, and felt her lift one of her hands off the broom. Her head turned until it was facing James's, and she brought her free hand up to touch his cheek. She kissed him lightly on the lips, before kissing him again more strenuously, her hair blowing wildly in the wind. The broom wavered in the air, and Lily's eyes snapped open.

"Eyes on the road." She said with a wink, turning away from James. He kissed her neck, before guiding her back to the ground.

Severus Snape had grown used to feeling like his insides were being tied into extremely painful knots recently, having watched Lily, the girl he'd loved for years, become friends with the boy he thought they both hated. But now it felt like his insides had actually been ripped out and used to strangle him, because now the girl he'd loved for years was in love with that boy. Severus didn't think it was possible for him to hate James Potter any more than he already did, but that was before he saw him kiss Lily. He couldn't believe that the boy who had everything he wanted, popularity, looks, intelligence, now had Lily too. Almost everyday he had to see James hold Lily's hand, hug her, kiss her, and do everything else that Severus wanted to do with her. It was unbearable. When they first started dating Snape was sure they'd break up, James was a disgusting person, and Lily would soon realise how delirious she'd been. But it had been weeks, and it seemed if anything, they were getting happier. They spent every free moment with each other, looking at each other and touching each other, it made Snape want to be sick. He'd known he'd loved Lily since the moment he first met her, and if there was any time to tell her, it was now, before she made the biggest mistake of her life.

He waited for her outside Potions, one of the only classes they still had together. Lily walked out with James. She kissed him quickly, sending Severus's mind into an angry pile of hatred. He shook it off as he saw James go the opposite way as Lily, and took his chance

"Lily." He addressed her. She saw him, her happy expression faded, and she tried to march on. "Lily!"

"Severus, I thought I'd made myself clear." Lily said warily. "Leave me alone."

"Please, Lily." Severus begged. "It's really important."

Lily was worried, but something in Snape's eyes reminded her of years previously, of her old Severus. Because of this, she reluctantly agreed to talk to him. He was different than the last time he'd asked to talk to her, but she still didn't trust him.

"Okay." Lily said, trying not to let her fear show through. "What's this about."

Snape didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Snape!" Lily snapped. "Why are you wasting my time?"

"Lily." Severus knew he just had to get it out. "I love you."

Lily left a pause longer than Severus's previously. "You, you what?" She stuttered.

"I love you Lily." Severus repeated. "I've always loved you."

"You love me?" Lily said incredulously. "So what was all the name calling, the ignoring for months?"

"Lily-"

"No, that was love?" Lily shrieked. "How can you just stand there and say you 'love me' after everything you've done to me?""Lily, I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean it-" This wasn't the romantic scene Severus had expected. He'd thought the moment he confessed his love she'd jump into his arms and forget all about Potter.

"Of course you meant it!" Lily's voice rose even higher.

Severus felt stunted. "This is about Potter, isn't it."

"What?" Lily's voice shrank to a miniscule whisper.

"He's brainwashed you, like he has everybody else."

"Leave James alone. He's never hurt me in the way you have." Lily said defensively.

"Oh, so it's 'James' now." Severus said angrily. "You said you'd never fall for his tricks and lies, yet here you are, completely under his spell."

"He loves me!" Lily shouted. "And I love him!"

"I love you!"

"James isn't the reason I don't love you, you are the reason I don't love you." Lily said quietly.

Severus felt stung. "You really think he loves you?" He said, his voice quiet and menacing.

Lily nodded stubbornly.

"Don't you realise what you are?" Severus had to break them up, even if it meant hurting Lily's feelings.

"I'm his girlfriend." Lily replied. "And I've never been happier."

Severus didn't want to make her unhappy, but he genuinely believed that Lily was lying to herself, and that James was slowly killing his Lily and her memory. "You're nothing to him but a trophy."

"What?" Lily stopped.

Severus felt like he had stuck gold. Lily was vulnerable, her confidence already knocked.

"You're the only thing he could never get." Severus said, his voice full of spite. "You don't seriously think he's going to hang onto you?"

"Shut up." Lily said, covering her ears.

"Soon he'll get bored and need a new challenge. It won't be long now. Potter's the kind who get's bored very quickly." Severus said snidely.

"You're lying!" Lily said, tears streaming down her face.

"You know that I'm not. Maybe you should break up with him before he hurts you." Severus said. "I'll be here when he does."

"I'll never be with you." Lily said through gritted teeth. "Never."

She left, her shoes clicking on the stone paving of the halls as she ran. Severus sat down on a table, unsure about what had just happened, but hoping like crazy that this was the end for James and Lily.