(( Omigosh, so people seemed to REALLY like the last chapter haha :D I'm glad. It was a somewhat tough one to write so it's a relief that those who read it enjoyed it ^^ I'm glad responses for the most part are very positive.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the affiliated works. If I did, Snape wouldn't have died such a horrible death and been so alone in life L ))

.

.

.

"Hey."

Lilia glanced up from the book she was studying from for Defence Against the Dark Arts, looking at Dawn. "What?"

Dawn grinned and nodded in the direction of a group of upper and lower year Slytherin boys.

Lilia followed her gaze and saw one of the upper years watching her with an intense look, nodding in an acknowledging manner to her, then turning his attention back to the others who looked like they were dressed for the Slytherin Quidditch tryouts going on that afternoon.

Lilia gaped for a moment and then looked at Dawn. "What the devil was that about?" she asked.

Dawn laughed. "That's Urquhart," she said.

"I know who it is. What's he doing looking at me?"

Dawn shrugged. "You're cute sometimes," she said bluntly. "Maybe he noticed?"

Lilia rolled her eyes. "My ass," she muttered.

"Hmm… I'm sure he noticed how cute that is too," Dawn said nonchalantly.

Lilia gasped and whacked Dawn's shoulder with her textbook. "Dawn!" she exclaimed.

Dawn laughed hysterically. "Joking, joking," she giggled. "Well… maybe… I don't know. But I'm sure he didn't miss it," she smirked up at her friend from where she lay back onto her elbows in a relaxing position.

Lilia rolled her eyes and went back to studying her D.A.D.A. textbook quietly.

"What if you-"

"No."

"But you don't even know what I was going to ask," Dawn pouted.

"I have an idea, and the answer is no," Lilia said calmly.

"But what if-"

"No."

"He's the-"

"No."

"But-"

"Again, no. And a firm no to any of the other related questions you plan on spouting in the next few minutes," Lilia said and smirked at Dawn.

Dawn huffed, looking at Lilia and shook her head. "You're so stubborn sometimes…" she said.

Lilia shrugged. "You seem to enjoy it that way," she said.

"Only sometimes," Dawn clarified with a smirk.

.

.

.

The owls soared overhead in the Great Hall the following morning, Lilia tilting her head up to see if anything had come in for her. She was expecting something. She had been, for some time, but so far had received nothing for several days.

But today was different.

She felt a smile threatening to form on her face as she caught the letter which came down to her. She proceeded to open it, but was interrupted by an expectant expression from her red haired friend. Sighing, Lilia paused and then looked at Dawn. "May I help you?"

She shook her head. "No, just wondering who's writing to you," she smirked. "Is it the secret lover boy?" she asked.

Lilia shuddered. "I guarantee you it isn't," she said.

Dawn huffed. "Then who?" she asked, trying to read the other name on the letter. She then gaped, looking at Lilia in shock. "Are you dating one of the Weasley twins?" she asked in a whisper.

Lilia blanched. "No! Of course not!" she exclaimed.

Dawn grinned at her. "Is that why you went into their shop during the summer?"

Lilia rolled her eyes. "I already told you I'm not seeing any one of those two," she explained. "I'm just asking them something is all," she said.

"On a date?" Dawn asked, waggling her eyebrows.

Lilia groaned. "What is it with you and dates?" she asked.

Dawn giggled. "I just enjoy tormenting you. Like I said ages ago, it's fun," she smirked. "So, what did you ask them?" she asked.

"Nothing… well… it isn't nothing, but I can't tell you about it," she said.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? Is it something to do with lover boy?"

Lilia nodded absent mindedly, reading the contents of her letter.

"Of course," Dawn muttered, glumly drinking her pumpkin juice, feeling left out as usual from all the fun.

Lilia suddenly smiled. The twins had given her permission to use something she desperately needed.

.

.

.

Lilia walked out of her Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom as the next class began to file in, after yet another uncomfortable class with her professor who took no real notice of her. It hurt so very much, to watch him when he didn't watch her in return. It felt useless and pointless to hope that he might come and talk to her, ask her to stay after class, even give her a detention just so they could be in the same room on their own!

She paused though, forgetting the heavy feeling for a moment and looked at Dawn. "Hang on, I forgot something, I'll be right back okay?" she said, heading back to the classroom. When she got there, she ran into the exact person she was looking for.

"Er, Harry?" she asked, looking at him.

Harry Potter. He turned and looked at her and nodded in recognition. "Hey, how are you?" he asked, standing with Ron and Hermione who both gave Lilia a slightly uncertain look, remembering not too fondly the train ride when they'd sat with her.

"I'm alright… I was wondering something though," she said and looked at him hopefully.

He frowned and looked at Ron and Hermione, motioning for them to hold on as he stepped away a little with Lilia. "What is it?" he asked.

She sighed. "Well, I asked Fred and George ahead of time, and they said it's fine as long as you're alright with it, but… could I borrow your map for tonight?" she asked.

He frowned even more. "My map?" he asked.

She looked around. "The Maurauder's Map," she whispered.

He looked at her in surprise. "Oh, right… sure, just for tonight, right?"

She nodded.

He thought about it and then nodded, smiling a little. "Sure, when do you need it?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Anytime after classes are completely finished is fine," she said.

He nodded. "Alright, meet me a half hour after classes have let out outside the Gryffindor common room. I'll give it to you then. Tomorrow just give it back at this time," he said.

She nodded. "Thanks,"

He nodded. "What do you need it for though?" he asked.

She smirked. "Secret," she said.

He grinned back. "Alright, see you later," he said, hurrying into D.A.D.A. before the bell rang and he was late, Hermione and Ron glancing at Lilia and nodding their heads before following Harry into the classroom.

Lilia looked at it longingly, hoping the map would help her the way she hoped it would.

.

.

.

She sighed heavily, proceeding down the hall, Dawn blabbering on and on as usual about boys Lilia should be seeing instead of this mystery boy.

Dawn frowned, looking at Lilia. "Oh come on, Lilia!" she whined. "It's been three weeks since school started and you and this guy haven't spoken even once, right? Just move on and forget about the bloke," she frowned, crossing her arms.

Lilia glanced at Dawn and shook her head. "No thanks. I'm fine," she said calmly, turning a corner to walk with her friend to their next class, potions.

As soon as they turned, a pair of arms slung around their shoulders, and a head of dark brown hair poked its way between them with a smirk. "Hello ladies," said Vaisey, one of the upper year Slytherin Quidditch team members. "I was wondering, will you two be there at tonight's party?" he smirked.

Dawn smirked. "A party for what exactly?"

"The selections for this year's Quidditch team," he said proudly. "So?"

"Hmm…" Dawn sighed.

Lilia was about to say she had other plans when Dawn cut her off.

"We would love to," Dawn said with a flirtatious smile.

Vaisey grinned. "Awesome…" he said and nodded, stepping back. "See you tonight," he smirked, winking at Dawn.

Dawn giggled and waved.

Lilia made a face, looking at her friend in disgust. "Unbelievable. You do realize Vaisey is one of the stupidest upper years we have, and he's not even that good looking," she said.

"Yea, I know," Dawn shrugged.

"So why are you acting all flirty with him?"

"Because, it gets us into the party,"

"But I don't want to go to the party. I have much better things to do then hang around a bunch of testosterone overloaded boys looking for a good snogging," she huffed.

"Testa-what?" Dawn asked, raising a brow.

Lilia shook her head. "Never mind… so why do you want to go there so badly?"

"Because, you need to expand your horizons as far as boys go," she said.

"I do not," Lilia glowered at her. "Boys are immature, stupid, disgusting and perverted pigs with zero manners," she said.

"Oh, and you're dating a MAN are you?" Dawn laughed.

Lilia swallowed, saying nothing, just glaring at her feet as they walked.

.

.

.

Lilia glared at Dawn, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, having just returned to the common room about twenty minutes ago from meeting up with Harry, only to be bombarded with Dawn's insistence to go to the party which started soon. "I hate you," she growled.

Dawn sighed. "Come ON Lilia, stop acting like a spoiled brat and get dressed," she said, pointing at the clothes laid out on her bed.

Lilia shook her head. "No."

Dawn glowered at her. "I'll go to that party and have the biggest guys I can find come back here and drag you there if I have to," she informed her friend.

"You wouldn't," Lilia said, narrowing her eyes.

"Oh I would, I HAVE, actually," Dawn sniggered at a memory she was thinking back on, rather fondly it seemed.

Lilia sighed and then rolled her eyes. "Fine…" she growled, untying her cloak and lay it down on the bed, then proceeded to undress and change.

Dawn nodded and then did the same, changing into a sleek outfit to match her personality and compliment her looks, Lilia changing into a little black dress with a pair of black nylons underneath.

"Sexy," Dawn grinned, eyeing Lilia up and down.

Lilia glowered at her. "You picked it out," she said, not thrilled to be dressing up for a bunch of Slytherin yahoos.

"Oh! I have the perfect shoes to wear with it!" Dawn exclaimed, going to her trunk.

Lilia sighed, crossing her arms, the thick straps with a black button on the ends bugging her arms when she crossed them. "I have shoes of my own," she said.

"You don't have heels. This outfit needs heels," she said.

"This is a Qudditch team party! Not a dress up photo shoot!" Lilia exclaimed in exasperation.

Dawn grinned. "So? Just because it isn't an extremely fancy get together doesn't mean we shouldn't look our very best," she winked, walking over with a pair of - surprising to Lilia - very cute black heels.

Lilia took them tentatively and looked at them, then at Dawn. She sighed and then rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll wear them, but JUST for tonight," she said.

Dawn nodded. "Good, tonight is all we need," she beamed.

Lilia sighed. "Good… I'm not sure I could handle much more than tonight…" she muttered.

Dawn giggled and took Lilia's hand when they were both ready, heading down to the Slytherin common room where a lot of people were gathered, surprisingly in Lilia's opinion. She hadn't expected that many people, but it looked like the whole of Slytherin was there in attendance. She couldn't understand why. It wasn't like they had won the cup or anything. They'd only selected the team members. Sighing, she reluctantly followed Dawn into the crowd, hoping to keep to herself.

After some time of aimlessly following Dawn around as she talked to other students, Lilia felt a tap on her shoulder. Turning, she looked up to see the team captain, Urquhart.

He motioned for her to follow.

At first she was about to refuse, but saw him heading out of the common room itself and sighed, following, curious where he was going, and also relieved to get out of the crowd.

Once out in the mostly empty hall, Lilia looked up at him. "Sorry, what are we doing out here?"

"You looked like you would rather gut a Hippogriff than be in there much longer," Urquhart stated, crossing his arms and looking at her. "So. What are you doing here if you don't want to be?" he asked.

She shrugged, leaning against the wall and then slid down to sit on the floor with a sigh. "Dawn pretty much dragged me here tonight," she said. "She threatened to have the team drag me down to the party if I didn't go."

He frowned. "That's rough, that girl is just crazy," he said, moving to sit beside her and looked at her. "Well, I suppose I deserve a thanks for getting you out of there," he smirked.

She looked up at him. "Uh… thanks…" she said hesitantly. "So why did you get me out anyways?"

He shrugged, his face as calm as ever.

She frowned. "Come on, what's in it for you?"

He glanced at her. "A possible date?" he suggested.

She hesitated and then turned away, sighing heavily. "I can't," she said. "I'm already seeing someone."

He frowned a little. "Not from what I heard. I mean… I've heard you are with someone, but no one I've spoken to has seen you with anyone," he pointed out. "How come?"

Lilia bit the inside of her cheek softly. "Both of us aren't ready to take the relationship very public yet," she said, looking at Urquhart. "Besides, you're a pure blood Slytherin. Isn't it practically inbred into your DNA to not like us muggle born witches and wizards?" she pointed out.

Urquhart shrugged. "If the girl is cute enough I think I can forget that minor detail," he said.

She raised a brow. "Right…" she said, not very convinced.

The two sat there for a while, Lilia not moving to go back inside, and neither did the team captain. This made Lilia wonder.

"How come you aren't in there celebrating the new team?" she asked him.

He shrugged. "Parties… not really my thing," he smirked.

She looked at him and felt the corner of her mouth go up a bit. "Huh… never would have guessed, most Slytherins enjoy a good party," she said.

"You don't," he pointed out.

"Touche," she said and leaned her head back against the wall behind her.

"So… is this relationship your in real? Or is it something you came up with to make people leave you alone?" he asked.

She looked at him and then looked down. "It's real… at least I think it is," she shrugged. "It's just difficult is all," she explained. "But I hope it is still… there," she said, shaking her head slightly at her choice of words. She was surprised how easy it was to talk to Urquhart. It felt… refreshing to let it out to someone other than Dawn.

He glanced at her and then reached over, taking her hand and brought it to his lisp, smirking at her a little. "Tell me, if that relationship doesn't end up working out, you'll give me a chance?" he asked.

She looked at him and frowned, pulling her hand back and then stood, no longer feeling so comfortable around him. "I don't know. I don't make promises I don't know for certain I can keep, Urquhart."

He sat up, looking up at her where she now stood. "Hey, I was only joking. Come on, sit down again, I like listening to you talk," he said.

She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "We've barely spoken at all," she said. "Anyways, I have to go meet someone important," she said.

He raised a brow. "The guy?"

She looked at him and then nodded slowly. "Yea… the guy," she said half heartedly, only hoping he would actually let her see him. Anytime she'd tried to talk to him after class or make a meeting he told her he was too busy. She hoped he wasn't busy tonight as well.

He nodded, moving to stand up and looked at her. "Well, see you around then, Gunner," he said.

She nodded. "Bye," she said. "Oh, if Dawn asks where I am, tell her I'll probably be back late," she said. "She'll understand," she said.

He nodded. "Will do. See you," he said, heading back inside the Slytherin common room.

She watched him go inside, then pulled the map out from inside her dress, having folded it and hid it inside her dress carefully when Dawn wasn't looking. She unfolded it and whispered the words needed to make it work, then watched as the school revealed it's entirety to her right there on the old parchment. She watched wide eyed, looking at all the little footprints making their way throughout the halls even at this relatively late hour. But those weren't important, She was looking for one name in particular. There it was.

Severus Snape.

She smirked, looking at how to get there on the map, not remembering the way to the teacher's quarters off by heart. Using the map would have been the easiest way to get their without arousing suspicion by asking a fellow student or prefect as well as being a good way to avoid any teachers that might cross her path. Also, she hadn't been entirely sure he would be in his room at all times of the night, having seemed so busy all the time.

Either way, she followed the path she saw on the map, taking careful time to get there. At last, after carefully evading teachers along the way thanks to the map, she came to Severus' door, looking at the dark wood of it. She felt a bit nervous, but summed up her courage and knocked.

There was silence for a moment and she then gasped, quickly dissolving the contents of the enchanted map with the spell Harry had said was needed when finished using it, then folded it and hid it away carefully again, waiting.

Severus came to the door and opened it, frowning and then looked at Lilia. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

She sighed and pushed past him, standing in his bed chambers and looked up at him.

He frowned, closing and locking the door, then turned to face her, his arms crossed, his expression set into a deep frown, but expectant of what she had to tell him.

She took a breath, feeling nervous to admit what she wanted to, so instead of thinking it through and worrying, she said something else entirely. "I want to become a Death Eater," she said firmly.

He looked at her with narrowed eyes. "Out of the question," he said firmly.

She rolled her eyes, pretty much having expected such a reaction. "And why not? It would let me be around you more, like before…"

"Because it is dangerous. Besides, you're too young," he said.

She glowered up at him. "You're one!"

"Was," he clarified.

"You still do the Dark Lord's bidding," she growled.

"Only by Dumbledore's order," he stated firmly.

She frowned, crossing her arms. "Draco is being initiated into the group, isn't he?"

"Because of his father's failure," he glared at her. "Stop talking about becoming one. I don't want to you to. Not ever," he said firmly.

She felt herself soften slightly at his words, even if the tone didn't seem very concerned over her safety, she found that she just knew he was. Genuinely. She closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

He looked at her outfit and frowned. "Why are you dressed like that?" he asked.

She looked down at her dress and shrugged. "Quidditch team selections were decided today, so Slytherin house is now celebrating," she said glumly.

He rolled his eyes at the stupid reasons students chose to have parties for. This, clearly, one of them.

She looked at him and then looked down. "I didn't come here to complain or try to become a Death Eater…" she said finally.

He looked at her. "Then why did you?"

She met his gaze and knew she had to say it now, or she might never pluck up the courage to do so again. "I wanted to tell you that even though you're still hurting somehow over Lily Potter… and that I'm not her, and I can't replace her… I don't intend to," she said.

He frowned, looking at her, uncrossing his arms slightly.

She hesitated before continuing. "I want you to know I do trust you, and I want to show you that even though Lily didn't love you… I do," she said finally, feeling too overwhelmed to actually say the words 'I love you' to him, hoping he understood that.

There was silence for a moment before he approached her carefully, then reached out and cupped her cheek carefully.

She looked up at him pleadingly, feeling afraid that he didn't fully understand or want to accept what she was saying. But then he kissed her, and those doubts disappeared. She closed her eyes and returned the still surprisingly gentle gesture, sliding her arms around his neck and stepped closer to him, glad for the heels she was wearing right then, them allowing him to have to bend down to her level a little less.

When they pulled away, she rested her forehead against the side of his neck and kept her eyes closed for a moment, savouring the feeling of his lips on hers, his arms holding her around her waist. "Can I stay with you?" she asked him quietly.

He looked down at her while his fingers absent mindedly laced through her fine black hair. "Here?"

She nodded.

He sighed, but eventually nodded. "Alright…" he said, letting go of her. "But you'll have to sleep in that dress," he pointed out. "Unless you plan on going to get something to change into and then coming back," he frowned.

She shook her head. "I don't want to leave," she said firmly.

He nodded, looking at the time wearily, then moved to the bed.

He took off his cloak, then kicked off his shoes, moving to sit against the headboard, looking at her quietly.

She took off her heels, wincing when her foot lay flat on the ground. What a nightmare heels were. She vowed to never wear them again… at least not anytime soon. Once they were off, she climbed onto the bed and crawled over to where Severus sat lounging, and lay against him, resting her head upon his shoulder, reaching for his hand and laced her fingers with him gently.

They said nothing that night, just revelling in each others company until they moved to lay down and fall asleep, Lilia's head cradled into Severus' chest while he held her by her waist firmly but gently during the course of the night.

.

.

.

Lilia squirmed in the early morning hours, about an hour before the rest of the school was going to be waking up to be exact. She turned over, having rolled onto her other side during the night to see Severus waking her. "What?" she whispered.

"Go to your dormitory. Your classmates will be waking up soon and they'll wonder where you've been the whole night," he said calmly.

She sighed, nodding and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She climbed from the bed and stretched, picking up Dawn's heels in her hand and looked back at him as he got up to show her to the door.

She walked with him and when he unlocked the door, she moved to hold onto him, burying her face into his chest softly and closed her eyes, savouring the feel of him, just him there again. She pulled away after a moment and looked up at him.

He smirked very faintly and put a hand atop her head, then kissed her forehead gently, moving to open the door for her.

She stepped out and glanced back at him, waving slightly, then headed back to the Slytherin common room, carefully memorizing the way from Severus' bed chambers to the main halls, wanting to know the way there in case she ever had to come back on her own again.

When she reached the Slytherin common room, she was relieved to see no one awake yet, proceeding up to the dormitory's.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Dawn sitting there in the dark, waiting for her.

She smirked at Lilia. "My oh my, just where have you been the entire night, Miss. Gunner?" she teased.

Lilia sighed, reluctantly walking over and sat on her bed, looking at Dawn, who had a bed next to her again. "None of your business," she said.

Dawn grinned, moving to lay down on her front and looked at Lilia expectantly. "Mhmm. Let me guess, you went to your secret lover's room and made love all night long," she teased.

Lilia sighed. "Yea, sure. That's exactly what we did," she said, more than happy to have just slept next to him last night. "What are you doing still up anyways?" she whispered.

Dawn chuckled softly. "I went to bed early when I realized you had ditched. It didn't take much brains to figure out where you'd disappeared to. So I got up early and saw you were still gone and decided to wait," she shrugged. "Can't fool me," she said proudly.

Lilia smiled at that as she reached back to unzip her dress. "Thanks for the heels though. They completely rearranged my feet's bone structure," she shot with a smirk, handing them to Dawn.

Dawn grinned and winked. "A girl's got to do what a girl's got to do," she said.

"Sure," Lilia smirked. She slid off the nylons, then shrugged off the dress, her back to Dawn so she could hide the map in the bundle of clothes and put it away without Dawn asking what the parchment was for.

When she stood in her panties and bra only, she pulled on her school blouse, Dawn having also begun to get dressed since there was nothing else to do.

The two finally got dressed and then Dawn put her hands on her hips. "So, why do you keep hiding this guy from me?" she asked.

Lilia sighed. "Dawn, not now," she pleaded.

Dawn frowned. "Why? I want to know. Is he revolting? Are you embarrassed by his teeth or nose?" she asked.

Lilia almost snorted with laughter at that one, thinking on Snape's signature crooked nose.

Dawn looked at Lilia expectantly.

Lilia looked at Dawn wearily and then sighed. "Dawn. I'm just not ready to show him to you yet. Please trust me when I say that. When I am ready to let you know who it is, you'll be the first to know, I promise."

"What if you're never ready," Dawn whined.

Lilia sighed. "I will tell you eventually. Just be patient," she said, looking at her friend pleadingly. "Please?"

Dawn looked at Lilia with a slightly sour expression, then nodded. "Alright fine. BUT!"

"Shhhh!" someone hissed from their bed in irritation.

Lilia almost grinned, like Dawn was doing now.

"But," Dawn whispered, "Can I still get hints? They're fun to guess," she admitted.

Lilia nodded. "Sure. Hints. I'll supply them in abundance," she said.

Dawn grinned, clearly settled by this agreement.

Once they both got dressed, Dawn and Lilia went down to the common room so as not to disturb any of the other girls while they talked.

"So, how big he is?" she teased on the way down to the common room.

"Dawn!" Lilia exclaimed, turning bright pink in the face at her tone of voice and the question.

.

.

.

(( Yay :D Chapter 37! ^_^ I hope you all enjoyed it. As for Urquhart. He actually WAS the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team in Harry's sixth year and Lilia's fifth, hence why I used him. Plus his birth date is unknown really as is his general appearance, so I just made him a year ahead of Lilia, same year as Harry, Ron, and Hermione AND I made him based off the appearance of the Slytherin Quidditch player that flies at the front of the first formation in HBP movie O_o What a weird name… Vaisey xD Yea… I have way too much time if I can do all this for one chapter eh? XD Shaddap! XD I want it to relate believably in MOST ways to the actual storyline! Lmao :P Oh! Also, Vaisey actually is one of the Chasers in this year for the Slytherin Quidditch team J You see him for a moment in the HBP movie, hes the first Slytherin to try and score on Gryffindor, number 4 :P Hahaaaa I need a life -o- LOL ANYWHO! Please review and let me know what you all thought :D I enjoy hearing from you all! And hooray for yet another somewhat long chapter xD ))