CHAPTER 28

"Why didn't we ever think of this before?" asked James with a grin.

He and Lily were sitting on the sofa in front of the fireplace with his arms wrapped tightly around her. She had her nose in a book, but gazed up at him lazily when he spoke.

"Because before you were an arrogant prat," answered Lily.

James leaned in to her ear.

"I'm still an arrogant prat," he whispered.

Lily laughed and shied away from his lips, which were now trying in vain to plant kisses anywhere he could reach. Remus, who was watching, shook his head and chuckled at the pair. This could certainly get sickening very quickly. Alexandra Robinson was sitting at the table with the rest of the Sixth year girls, and she was sending hopeful glances in his direction, glances he was successfully ignoring. Sirius was draped over an armchair watching James and Lily vacantly, for his mind was occupied.

"Lily, you're a girl," observed Sirius.

"Clever of you to notice," she replied with a snort.

"What can I do to get Anne back?" he asked.

"What did you do to lose her in the first place?" asked Lily. "I saw her smack you in the Great Hall at the end of last year."

James gave Sirius a dark look, and Remus and Peter both looked panicked momentarily.

"Just behaving like my usual arsehole self," said Sirius. "Rude to Snape. Maybe a bit beyond rude."

Lily sighed and leaned back against James, who relished the opportunity to kiss her lightly on the neck.

"It'll have to be something good," said Lily thoughtfully. "But not public. Anne Warlow doesn't seem like the type to appreciate that sort of gesture."

"It's the Slytherin in her," Sirius explained.

"Bloody Slytherins," grumbled James.

"Anne isn't half bad," said Remus.

Sirius growled in his direction, and Remus held his hands up to prove his innocence.

"I don't really know what to tell you, Sirius. I know that she and Severus are incredibly close, and it would do you well to realize you can't come between that," explained Lily. "You could probably start by being decent to him."

Sirius slumped down into his chair muttering to himself. It seemed like everyone was telling him the same thing.

--

"Hey," said a voice.

Severus froze in his tracks. Sirius Black was speaking to him . . . like a human being. There was no venom or rudeness in his voice. Severus stared into Sirius's grey eyes, eyes that held the same lonely feeling Severus knew his own projected.

"How's Anne?" asked Sirius.

"Fine," Severus replied quickly, his face sneering.

Sirius sighed and took a deep breath, as though he were building up his courage to say whatever he wanted to say.

"Do you think she'll ever forgive me?" he asked.

"Yes," answered Severus dejectedly.

Sirius's eyes lit up.

"You do?" he said.

Severus groaned internally. His eyes were downcast, and he truly did not want to be speaking to Black at this moment, not at all, actually. But he was asking about Anne.

"I never told her everything," grumbled Severus quietly.

"You didn't?" asked Sirius.

Severus shook his head.

"I just told her you knew where I was going and you didn't stop me," he admitted.

Sirius was aghast. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Why?" said Sirius incredulously.

More than anything, Severus did not want to respond to that question. But, however depressed the thought made him, he knew the answer.

"Because you make her happy," replied Severus dismally. "And that's all that really matters."

Sirius stared at Severus with an open mouth. Was this actually an i endorsement /I of his relationship with Anne? Well, of the relationship they would certainly have soon. He was so shocked he couldn't respond. Snape had given Sirius a chance with Anne, even after all the hateful and terrible things Sirius had done to him. In that moment, he learned that sometimes, loving someone transcends all the petty stuff.

"Go on," grumbled Severus. "Go win her back."

--

Their first Potions class was more difficult than any other they'd had so far. Professor Slughorn had immediately professed his love of teaching N.E.W.T. level Potions and assigned an almost impossible task. When Lily had gravitated toward Remus to partner for the project, the professor had insisted that she continue on with Snape. The look she gave him could have frozen the flame under his cauldron.

"Have a nice summer?" whispered Severus as they began to work on the difficult potion.

"I suppose," she replied in an aloof voice.

Severus fumbled for the right words, his hands shaking nervously. He wanted to tell her what an awful thing it was that he'd called her such a name, but it just didn't feel like saying it would make a difference.

"Did you do anything interesting?" he asked quietly.

"Stayed with James for a weekend," answered Lily quickly, her gaze moving to Potter's table.

There it was. As the cold water of her words splashed over his body, his heart once again fell to the floor. It wasn't just a fluke, what he'd seen on the train. It was obvious that she and Potter were dating.

His eyes traveled across the room where Potter and Black were goofing off as they worked. Severus wanted to just spill his knowledge, tell Lily everything about what happened in Fifth year with the werewolf. But when he saw Lily's face, and how happy she looked as she watched James Potter, he couldn't do it. Lily turned back to him and the contented expression darkened. He had missed his chance. He had ruined whatever shot he might have had with Lily Evans.

The rest of the class period passed awkwardly for Severus. The only words that punctuated the silence were basic requests: "Pass me the elephant saliva," or "I need the chopped fennel root." There was none of the easy comradery they'd enjoyed the previous year. Severus looked over at Anne, who was stirring her potion nervously as Lupin guided her, and then looked back at Black, who was watching Anne's every movement with desire.

"Your cauldron's boiling over," observed Lily coolly.

"Bloody hell," mumbled Severus.

For the first time, he received no marks in Potions class that day.