The minute I heard Lily snap my name from across the courtyard, I knew I was going to have a lot of explaining to do. "Can we go somewhere to talk privately?" I had asked. She nodded tersely and we walked out of the courtyard, towards the lake. We were uncomfortably silent for a moment before I said, "Look, I know it seems like I've been ignoring you – but I haven't, I swear! At least, not the way you think I have." She sighed and rolled her eyes in obvious exasperation. "Then in what way, exactly, have you been ignoring me?" I braced myself for the explosion that I knew was about to come. "Well," I began, "Lucius Malfoy thinks I should stop hanging round with you and – " Boom. "Lucius Malfoy! Since when does Lucius Malfoy have a say in our friendship?" Lily shrieked indignantly, rounding on me with such ferocity that I very nearly drew my wand. "It's just – he's been helping me out a lot, and I thought if we could just pretend…" I didn't know what I was trying to say, really, and apparently neither did Lily. "No, Sev," she said, "I'm done pretending. If you don't want to be friends, fine." And with that she was gone.