Thank you for reading! Please let me know if you enjoy! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Updates every Saturday!

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At Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the final academic year was an exciting time for students. Not only was graduation on the horizon, but individuals were starting to choose their paths and pursue their futures. For many, the ages reached during that final academic year also meant that it would be revealed whether they were alpha, omega, or beta.

Two best friends, Lily Evans, a bright, red headed girl from Gryfinndor and Severus Snape, a black-haired, tall Slytherin boy were faced with those same delightful struggles.

Severus had learned he was an alpha over the previous summer, just like his rival, James Potter.

The fact that he was an alpha came as no surprise to Severus, but it wasn't something he shared with Lily when they returned to school that August.

Severus found it inappropriate.

Not to mention that he had little time, in between the school year resuming and Lily's recent absences from class, Severus didn't have long to dwell on himself.

He was too busy studying or worrying about Lily.

Severus Snape's thoughts often lingered on Lily Evans.

When she finally returned from a week-long illness, Severus tried not to leap for joy as he watched her walk towards him down the stone corridor.

"Hey, Sev!" Lily greeted him with a smile, calling him by his pet name that he allowed only her to use.

"Hello, Lily." Severus replied with a smile, "It's good to see you back."

"It's good to be back! Can I copy your herbology notes from last week? Sorry, I was ill again." Lily asked sheepishly.

"Of course." Severus Snape shrugged, rustling through his books. Severus found his herbology notes and handed them to Lily as they both sat down on the stone bench in the open hallway, "Are you feeling any better?"

"A bit, mostly…..yes." Lily shrugged absently as she started copying.

While they sat on the outer edge of the courtyard, Severus watched Lily's red hair blow in the breeze that whistled past them both and he went on, "I-er, everyone…..was worried."

"It was nothing serious……." Lily said casually as she raised her green eyes up to Severus, "It was just……"

Severus sighed inwardly.

Was it that bad, whatever it was?

Severus gazed at Lily longingly, silently urging her to reveal to him what she had gone through.

Lily cleared her throat and Severus murmured so no one else would hear, "Lily, you know you can tell me anything….."

Lily glanced around cautiously for a moment and then she bent forward, urging Severus to do the same.

Severus inclined his head, forcing himself to turn his ear towards Lily, not his lips, so she could whisper to him, "It's...it's been coming for awhile but I…..I finally had my first heat."

Severus's eyes widened.

Lily was……Lily was an omega?

"Oh…….." Severus drawled in realization, "I-I thought they made pills to help with that?"

"Well, they do." Lily said, "I'm taking them now, you see, but the first time kind of threw me off. They thought it'd be best if they kept me away from everyone else, you know….."

"Yes." Severus nodded, "That was wise."

Lily went back to copying Severus's notes and they sat in silence together for a while, while Lily worked and Severus mulled things over.

Severus had his hopeful suspicions, but hearing her confirm his guess as factual information, that was surprising.

Lily never missed school, over their student careers, Severus had seen her sitting in class so ill that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Over the previous week, Severus had been certain that she was either dying or there was another reason for her missing her studies.

But Lily, poor Lily.

Lily was an omega, a vulnerable, sweet omega~.

Severus realized he wasn't the only alpha who would salivate at that knowledge.

His biggest worry was James Potter. James was his personal tormentor and rival. James was a friend of Lily's friends who refused to leave her alone and continued to pursue her, no matter how much she rejected him.

Severus braced himself inwardly.

He knew that James Potter would do everything he could to steal the redhead from him, especially when James found out the news.

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No matter how quietly secrets are whispered, they have a way of spreading, especially amongst a group of students.

Though Severus kept Lily's words to him a secret, somehow, it soon became common knowledge that Lily was an omega.

And Severus was an alpha.

An alpha in love~.

Severus had come to terms with his feelings for Lily. Though the couple never outwardly spoke of romance, Lily was content to spend hours studying and chatting with Severus. She even let him lay his head on her lap when they sat underneath the tree in the courtyard.

Severus's love for Lily was deep and unchanging, but when she returned from her weeklong absence, Severus found his feelings for his darling flower had been amplified.

Severus could smell Lily's sweet scent across the room and never before had he felt such an urge to protect her, to watch over her.

It was odd, really. There were many omegas at Hogwarts, but their scents never affected Severus the way Lily's did.

Lily, likewise, wanted to spend even more time with Severus. She enjoyed being beside him or just simply close to him, which Severus took as a compliment.

Nearly one month after her missed week of school, when classes ended for the day, Lily asked Severus something odd while they walked down the corridor together, "Hey, Sev?"

"Yes?" Severus blinked.

"This is going to sound weird, I know...But……..do you have like….a nightshirt you could lend me?" Lily asked sheepishly.

"A…….what?" Severus asked incredulously.

"A…...um, you know, a nightshirt or one of your Slytherin ties…..or….uh…..something……" Lily shrugged.

Severus was just about to respond when someone stepped on his robe from behind and caused him to slip. The books in his arms slipped from his grasp as he fell to the floor with a great crash.

"Sev!" Lily exclaimed, bending down to help Severus up.

"Need to watch where you're walking, Snivelly~." A voice laughed from behind them.

Lily and Severus quickly looked up in the direction of the voice. Severus narrowed his eyes at who he saw standing a short distance away.

"James, you bullying toerag! You did that on purpose!" Lily snapped at the unwelcome boy. Severus watched his rival cross his arms and smirk at him and Lily both.

"Did what, Evans?" James asked innocently, "Just remember, Snivelly, a real alpha can walk on their own two feet."

Instinctively wanting to nurture, Lily moved to help Severus up but the glare he cast her when she did told her to stay back.

Lily's eagerness was innocent. Omegas were caring and kind, especially to alphas they fancied…….but in Severus's position, to accept an omega's help back to his feet in front of his rival would be humiliating.

The redhead silently understood.

Allowing her friend to keep his dignity intact as much as possible, Lily fell silent and watched with a frown as Severus picked himself off of the stone floor and gathered his books.

James and his friends snickered and walked off, but not before he paused to blow Lily a kiss, which earned a grimace from the angry omega.

When James was gone and Severus adjusted his grip on his books, that was when Lily saw it.

A gleaming flash of wet, bright red, contrasting strikingly with the black sleeve of his school robe.

"Sev! You're hurt!" Lily cried.

"It's just a small cut, it'll be fine." Severus said nonchalantly, although he did secretly enjoy earning Lily's concern.

"It'll be hard for you to do it with one hand…..Please, Sev..." Lily asked, "Let me bandage it for you?"

Severus's black eyes widened and he gazed at Lily admiringly.

The beautiful, sweet girl he desired with all of his heart…...she wanted to…….care for him?

Severus pretended to consider Lily's offer for a moment before he replied, feigning reluctance, "...Alright."

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In the middle of the day, there were few people in the Slytherin common room, but to give themselves a bit more privacy, Severus and Lily sat on the steps that led up to the dormitories while she gently cleansed and cared for the cut on his arm.

There were moments when it was painful but Severus just grit his teeth, determined not to flinch.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, Sev." Lily said gently, realizing that what she was doing surely didn't feel comfortable.

"I know, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Severus replied quietly, watching how focused Lily was as her delicate fingers tied his bandage.

"I do worry about you, Sev……." Lily confessed.

Severus had watched Lily the entire time that she was tending his arm. That was one of Severus's favorite pastimes, actually, watching Lily.

She was so beautiful, how was he supposed to look away?

Severus blinked as Lily flickered her emerald stare up at him once she was finished.

"All better." Lily said with a kind smile.

"T-Thank you, Lily." Severus said, swallowing thickly.

There in the darkness of the stone staircase, Severus realized just how easy it would be to reach out and grab Lily by the face. It would be so simple to pull her close to him, and press his lips against hers……..but Severus wasn't that kind of alpha.

Severus had more emotions than most and more respect.

He was very mindful of Lily's feelings.

What if she didn't want that?

What if she pushed him away and ran off, frightened?

Severus didn't realize that Lily was actually considering kissing him too, but she was waiting on him to approach her.

The dark stairway hid her blushing cheeks well.

After a moment passed and Severus didn't move, Lily's smile fell in disappointment and she cleared her throat before she asked, "Since we're so close to the dormitory, would you mind lending me that shirt….or tie…?"

"Oh…….of course." Severus said, leaping to his feet too quickly, "Which one do you prefer?"

"Whichever." Lily said with a shrug.

"May I ask what this is for?" Severus blinked.

It was still a mystery to him why she wanted his clothing so badly.

Severus didn't know much about omegas and their habits.

That was blazingly apparent to Lily.

"I'd rather not say, Sev." She replied quietly.

"Lily, I meant what I said…..you can tell me anything." Severus reassured as he crouched down on the steps to be eye level with her, "I thought we were friends?"

"We are friends, Sev." Lily said with a smile, unconsciously leaning in closer to Severus so their faces were inches apart, "Best friends…….."

The unspoken attraction between the alpha and omega bested them both. Lily's emerald eyes glanced down at Severus's thin lips and then back to his orbs of molten coal. Severus's breath hitched in his throat as he moved, slowly and cautiously closer to Lily, bristling as his instincts to claim her prickled up his spine.

Sensing that Severus was ultimately waiting on her consent, Lily closed her eyes and closed the distance between them first, giving Severus a kiss with her soft, plump lips.

The response from the alpha was immediate and Lily squeaked in surprise and pleasure as the force of Severus's response pushed her back against the stone wall. Lily held Severus's face in her hands as his slender arms coiled around her waist. Their kiss was full of sweet passion, surging until Severus nipped at Lily's lips and she obediently parted for him, allowing his curious tongue to delve into her mouth.

"I need to nest, Severus." Lily whispered heatedly.

Severus wasn't entirely certain of what exactly Lily meant, but the possibilities made his manhood throb in his trousers.

"I…..I have to…...I want it to……" Lily gasped as Severus continued their kiss, "...Smell just like you."

Severus pulled back and looked at Lily with his black eyes wide in disbelief.

"I thought you were taking the pills?" He asked, scanning over Lily's face.

"Um, well, yes, Severus. I am, but they don't quell everything. Madam Pomfrey said they won't stop heats completely, but they may make them more bearable." Lily said, chattering nervously as Severus gave her an unreadable look, "I've only had one so far, but the next one's coming soon and I'd like to be better prepared."

"...Prepared for what?" Severus asked, swallowing thickly.

"To ride it out, silly! This time will hopefully be better, but the first one was dreadful!" Lily said with a laugh at the serious expression on Severus's face.

Nearly giddy from their kiss and Lily's sweet scent as he held her in his arms, Severus struggled to compose himself. He wanted only to protect and provide…….and his gut clenched when his love mentioned even the slightest hint of her past discomfort.

"Is there anything I can do?" Severus asked Lily with a frown of genuine concern.

"...A shirt or a necktie, please." Lily reminded him, giggling at how their kiss had derailed his thoughts.

"Right, of course. Anything else?" Severus asked as he let go of Lily and stood when they heard someone approaching.

Lily waited until the passing group of Slytherin boys exited the staircase, eyeing her and Severus suspiciously, and entered their dormitory until she responded, "No, unless you want to be my alpha!"

Lily spoke with a laugh but she wasn't joking. It was a sincere invitation.

An invitation to which Severus didn't know how to properly respond.

"Give me a moment." Severus said quickly, purposely ignoring Lily's statement as he whirled around and raced up the steps to the boys' dormitory.

Lily sat back down and frowned, wondering if she had said the wrong thing.

Severus had kissed her, surely he fancied her somewhat, right?

Perhaps he didn't fancy her that much, though, choosing an alpha or an omega was a lifelong commitment and Severus was a very serious person.

Sighing to herself, Lily wondered if she had been too bold and offended her friend.

Severus could be a bit bristly at times.

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Severus staggered up the steps to the boys' dormitory and barely made it into the bathroom as he gasped for breath. Knowing that he was alone, he stepped into a stall. It only took a few quick motions of his hand before he found release, gritting his teeth as he spilled himself.

However, that was only a temporary solution.

While Severus cleaned himself and his hands in the bathroom, he found the urgency reduced but the intense, innate need still remained.

Lily………

Lily…….

His dear Lily had just asked him to be her alpha, her mate.

Severus wasn't blind. He saw the smile and the laugh that she had used when she asked, but even though he lacked social skills, Severus was more than aware from the red headed omega's scent that her question was not a joke.

Lily had been serious.

Severus dried his hands off and exhaled, closing his eyes for a moment as he relived the kiss that they had shared only moments ago. Her delicious scent filling his nostrils while strands of her flame red hair fell over her shoulder, her breasts pushed against his chest…...

Clean and dry, Severus left the bathroom and placed a convincing scowl on his face as he returned to the dormitory and rummaged through his things to find an acceptable nightshirt to give to Lily. He only had two neckties, one he was wearing and one he had lost.

Severus Snape had few possessions.

The nightshirt would be better anyway.

Lily could even wear it if she wanted to.

As Severus gathered the clean garment into his hands and stuffed it into the deep pocket of his school robes, he found it hard to breathe.

Thinking that Lily wanted him badly enough to ask to borrow his clothing, thinking of Lily making her nest and wanting it to remind her of him, thinking of Lily rolling around in heat dreaming of him finding her and…….

Blood rushed to his groin so quickly it was almost painful.

As Severus swallowed to moisten his dry mouth, he compartmentalized his thoughts and tried to devise a plan.

Hmmm.

He still had an ample supply of luck potion.

Maybe that would help?

Or perhaps it would be too much of a hindrance?

Luck potion or not, Severus was determined that when Lily went into heat again, he was going to discover the redhead's nest and claim his beloved as his own.