A/N: So here I have another chapter, thank you to everyone that's reviewed so far and for the feedback I've received, I really appreciate that! In this one, tragedy strikes yet again, but thankfully our two protagonists are exempt from the drama(for the most part), this time round. I'm thinking of stretching this fic out to be quite a bit longer than just 10-15 chapters since I've got some ideas I want to run with that wouldn't fit into my original 'no more than 20 chapters' plan. That and I want to cut down on the time-skips as well. Hope everyone enjoys this update!
Chapter 6 A Sudden Goodbye
In the days following Severus' trip to Spinner's End, neither he nor Lily spoke of what transpired to anyone, even to each other. In spite of the new-found closeness the two had fostered, they kept their distance for the most part, Severus particularly so. Lily chalked it up to embarrassment over his actions and how he'd broken down in their spot, broken in a way she'd never seen and hoped to never see again. Seeing Sev so defeated and miserable that day, just utterly lost with himself had hurt her in ways she couldn't imagine. His gut-wrenching scream as he collapsed to his knees in his old sitting room had haunted her nightmares for days, Lily felt sick just watching it—and if she felt that bad…she couldn't even begin to imagine how Severus had felt in that moment. Sometimes she'd wake in the middle of the night in a cold sweat; her nights plagued with dreams in which she'd follow Severus, never able to touch or interact, only observe as his father beat him over and over again. She'd wake with a start, tears dripping from her eyes and having to bite down on her lip to stifle a scream.
Her sleep had been so poor the last half-week that even her mother had taken note of her normally alabaster skin to be even paler than usual, almost approaching Severus' complexion. Her usually vibrant hair seemed duller too, not to mention the bags under her eyes in sharp contrast with her pallid skin. After a few days of avoiding one another, Lily figured she'd given Severus enough time to calm himself down, and given herself enough time to do the same, so after breakfast one morning she told her mum she'd be going for a walk with Severus.
As per usual, Marlene was sleeping the day away, slumbering like a cat on the twin bed up in Lily's room so the two teens took it as a chance to spend some alone time together. After donning their coats and slipping on their shoes they headed out the front door and took a walk towards the river.
"How're you feeling?" Lily asked at long last, still not looking at him as he eyes fixed themselves on the pavement beneath her feet.
"Better," Severus muttered, stealing a glance at her. "You?"
Her lip twitched into a mockery of a smile. "Could be worse. Have you been sleeping well?"
Severus fully turned to look at her now. "Nightmares?" He asked quietly, inhaling a sharp breath.
She glanced back at him, her eyes lidded as she gave him a nod. "Yeah. Do you have them?"
He smiled wanly, "it's not important. Besides, I don't think my answer will make you feel better."
"So it's a yes then," Lily mused, her gaze traveling to the ground beneath her feet.
"What were your dreams about?" Severus asked as they paused at a cross walk to let a few cars pass.
"You."
"Me?"
The incredulity in his tone almost made her laugh—almost. On any other day had her mood been better she probably would've released a wry chuckle. "Yeah. It's like…ever since that day happened, I've just felt…so in tune with you, I feel what you feel, do you know what I mean?"
"I guess," Severus shrugged unconvincingly. "What do you dream about?"
"You…" Lily said simply, sighing slightly as she softly added, "and your father too. I'm always there but I can't do anything. And…and I wake up in a cold sweat, sometimes crying and I—" her voice caught on a sob, and instantly Severus was around her, arms reaching for her back and rubbing in soothing circles, awfully reminiscent of the way she'd comforted him in his time of distress.
"You don't have to say Lily," he whispered softly, holding her close. "I know. I know what you're going to say, I've lived it so there's no need to recount it."
"But that's what I mean!" Lily cried, instantly feeling Severus' arms tighten around her the moment she spoke. "It never should have been that way…you never should have been hurt…have been tortured that way!"
Severus snorted, but didn't relinquish his hold on her, "you speak as if I have a choice in the matter, I do not. Besides, I can credit my father with teaching me one thing. Life isn't fair."
"I know Sev, it's just…I hate that I wasn't able to do anything before. I'm sorry."
Severus sighed, "Lily why can't you just…shut up, alright? You have nothing to be sorry for. So don't you dare apologize to me."
Lily was gobsmacked, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water before sealing itself shut finally. "What do you mean?"
He sighed again, eyes glancing around their immediate surroundings before falling on a park bench. They'd ended up near the park he'd first found her at, playing with Petunia and leaping off the swing-set. "Let's sit," he said quietly, gesturing to the bench.
They both sat, a small distance between the two, as Severus glanced over the abandoned playground before them. For a moment, Lily assumed he wouldn't speak, that her query would go unanswered but at long last he finally responded to her question.
"You were the only one who ever cared. No one 'cept my mother did, and she's been dead for the better part of two years now. Beyond her, Lily…no one else would care, would appreciate me for just being…me, well your parents care…I guess, but that's about it. It's a short list with you at the very top"
He looked up from the ground then, his eyes finding hers. The look he gave her made her heart swell and thrum loudly in her chest. He didn't need words to communicate, his message was loud and clear; there, shining in his sparkling onyx eyes was gratitude of the highest order.
"To be fair Sev, you've helped me so much in return, it's not like it's just been a…one way street, you know."
He gave her a reproachful look, a playful roll of his eyes tossed in for good measure. "Lily, explaining the customs of the magical world and helping you…adjust, is not in any way equivalent to how you've helped me, I don't even see how you can equate the two."
"It's not just that Severus," Lily replied, her hand reaching for his. He shuddered at the surge of warmth as her cool fingers wrapped around his colder ones, almost smiling at the sensation. "You've changed me, helped me so much more beyond that. You gave me confidence, assurance, and the ability to believe in myself, in my abilities and who I am as a person. You've helped me in ways so far beyond…something material, in ways you can't put a value on. You've helped me become me, is what I'm trying to say. I am who I am…in large part thanks to you, Sev."
"How have I done that?" Severus asked confusedly.
Lily's smile broadened as she turned to face him, her cheeks were flushed and something told Severus it was from more than just the cold. He inhaled sharply, before averting his eyes away, not able to stand her effortless beauty any longer. Only she had that effect on him, could gaze at him with such adoration as clear as day in her eyes and not look away in revulsion.
"Look at me Sev," she said softly, tugging on his hand so that he turned back to face her.
"It's not what you've done that's helped me…it's how you've done it, is what I'm trying to say," she explained, her eyes searching his for…something. "Like you are now…the way you talk to me, and look at me, it just…it makes me feel as if I could conquer the world, that I can do anything and no one can tell me otherwise."
Severus inhaled sharply, his eyes widening a fraction in response to her words. Lily knew, that was the only explanation for it. Her fingers wrapped more tightly around his, soft puffs of condensation leaving her lips in greater frequency as her eyes peered innocently into his. Severus feigned ignorance, trying to escape with the last shred of his dignity intact.
"What do you mean?"
"Sev," Lily chided, her lip curling slightly in amusement. "I've been watching…observing, actually, how you've been behaving lately around me. And I've noticed some things, I doubt you wanted me to find them out but I've still noticed them all the same. I wasn't sure of what I was seeing…I was content to just, continue to observe you, and the way you were acting, but when the Marauders…" she paused, flushing slightly as she gesticulated with her hands, "I don't think I need to explain…but when they did that on our last night at Hogwarts…and I heard Black say those things, one of the things he said was all the confirmation I needed that—"
"Lily!"
Both heads whirled around to the pavement a good twenty meters away, sure enough Mark Evans was running towards him as fast as his wounded legs could carry him.
"Lily you have to come home quick, Marlene is leaving," Mark explained, his chest heaving up and down as he fought to catch his breath.
He may have been a soldier twenty odd years ago but now, he was well out of shape thanks to a cushy desk-job as an accountant at a local law firm, and also in large part due to Violet's generous portions when cooking.
"Marlene's leaving?" Lily yelped, standing from the bench abruptly as Severus did the same at a more relaxed pace.
"Her Dad…he passed away last night, killed by some terrorists that you've talked about. God, I forget their name but they're the ones lead by that guy, Voldemort, Night Eaters I think they're called? Something like that…anyway, some extremist group that her dad was hunting down killed her father just last night."
"Death Eaters," Severus said quietly, his gaze fixed on the ground. "They're called Death Eaters, Mark. You said they killed Marlene's dad?"
He nodded, giving Severus a sombre look. "Murdered in the line of duty, it seems. I don't know the details but a bunch of magical police just showed up in our back yard, teleporting there somehow and they're gonna bring Marlene home to her mother and brothers. Supposedly they know Marlene already," Mark explained.
"Oh god," Lily breathed, her breath catching for an entirely different reason. All of a sudden, the air felt more frigid, everything down to her bones being chilled by the terrible news of her best friend. "Oh my god, poor Marlene…is she alright? Is she okay?"
Mark sighed heavily, "I hope so…but I don't know. She needs you now though Lily, I think she'll need a friend to talk to. The two Aurors will be bringing her back once she finishes packing, so we need to go now," Mark said, gesturing for Severus and Lily to follow him.
Lily and Severus walked back to the house in shock, trailing after the Evans patriarch with the former sporting a slack-jawed look and a disbelieving visage. The walk back to the house didn't last long, with them taking a more direct route at a faster pace, the air between the two friends was thick with tension. Severus noticed Lily shivering slightly as they neared the house, in spite of the fact that she was very warmly dressed, even wearing a beanie and her warmest coat and scarf; that told him she wasn't shivering from the elements.
Tentatively, he placed an arm over her shoulder, he leaned closer and asked; "Are you alright?"
"No," came her simple response, thick with emotion.
"I'm sure Marlene will be fine, she'll have her friends, and her mother, and she'll have you right? She'll be okay Lily."
"I hope so. But knowing Marlene, she'll probably try to suck it all up and keep it inside, refuse to show emotion…any weakness—" she paused, giving a mirthless laugh as she added, "A lot like you in that sense."
"We both are stubborn, I'll give you that. Actually, all three of us are, come to think about it."
"Yeah. That we are, three peas in a pod, really."
Despite the somber atmosphere, Lily laughed, a welcome sound to Severus and a sharp break from the tension that had settled between them. They eventually arrived back home, with 16 Walnut Lane looking just a little bit bleaker than it usually did most days. Mark pushed open the door, allowing the kids to pass him before slamming it shut with perhaps a bit more force than he would on most occasions. "She's probably up in your room Lily, let me go entertain our guests," Mark said, moving past them and into the sitting room where one male voice and two female ones were speaking in hushed tones to one another. Petunia, as expected, was nowhere to be found.
The two of them headed upstairs and when they reached the pale yellow door to Lily's bedroom, they heard the faint sound of sniffles coming from the other side. Said sniffles immediately ceased and a call of; "I know you're out there, why don't you spare me the suspense and come in," sounded out from behind the door.
Lily reached for the handle but before she could depress it, Severus caught her wrist, shaking his head.
"Perhaps I should talk to her. I have experience in this…sort of thing, losing a parent. Maybe just wait outside for a mo'?"
Lily blinked confusedly, having a hard time believing that Severus was volunteering himself to talk to and calm Marlene down. She nodded dumbly, still not quite sure what she'd heard when Severus nodded back in return and headed into the room. Severus entered Lily's room, shutting the door quietly behind him as a pair of bloodshot blue eyes found his. Her cheeks were splotched red and a few tracks of tears came from her eyes. "What are you here for Snape?" Marlene sniffled, "Here to mock me? Here to say you've finally seen me cry?"
"Back to last names again are we?" Severus replied, pulling up a chair and setting himself down.
Marlene glared at him with as much anger as she could muster…which really wasn't all that much in all honesty, most of the emotion she was sending his way akin to sadness and misery rather than rage or anger that she'd have hoped for.
"I came to talk to you, Marlene, since I've experienced something very similar. I know what it's like…what you're going through. Now if you don't want to hear what I have to say, I'll leave, but I think you'll really want to hear what I have to say."
"Well out with it then! I'm supposed to be downstairs in fifteen bloody minutes!" Marlene snapped, her all too familiar spitfire-like temper making its appearance.
Severus nearly smiled at the return to familiarity with Marlene, having grown slightly concerned that the girl was too doused in her own grief.
"Someone once told me this, Marlene, when I lost my mother. I think it's time I pay it forward and tell it to you. Life goes on. The world keeps spinning, the sun will rise and it will fall, this isn't the end of the world. Allow yourself to grieve, to cry, or write, or pray or absolutely none of those things or all of them. Just allow yourself to grieve for your loss, acknowledge what your father would have wanted best for you, and try to follow through on his wishes—honor his memory, and honor who your father truly was, that is the best way to get over things like this…for me at least."
Marlene listened to him with widened bloodshot eyes and a gaping mouth, almost as if she was having trouble digesting the fact that Severus Snape of all people had just given her some sound advice on dealing with grief. He breathed heavily, already growing uncomfortable with divulging so much, he calmly stood from the chair and headed towards the door. "Take from that what you will, Marlene. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry about your father, I'm sure he was a good man. Just…listen to what I had to say and perhaps it'll make your grieving process a little easier. I'm sorry for your loss."
Severus reached for the doorknob, just when Marlene's shaky voice reached his ears, gone was the self-protective snark. She spoke with a vulnerability he'd never heard before and it gave him pause. "Wait, Severus." She hesitated, a sliver of a smile forming on her lips with her pause. "Thank you…for that, I appreciate what you said. So…thanks, I guess," she said, her voice wobbling a bit.
"If you could send in Lily that would be great, I'm pretty sure I heard her on the other side of the door after all," she added, trying to smile although quivering lip was far more telling of her current mood.
Severus chuckled, "I know for a fact that I heard her too. You can come in now Evans! There's no need to be a nosy little prat!"
The door swung open then, revealing Lily standing in the doorway grinning sheepishly at Severus. That grin only lasted for a split-second because in mere moments, she had bolted past Severus and hugged Marlene tightly. Severus quietly excused himself, slipping out of the room and shutting the door gently in his wake; taking care to not rattle the loose hinge at the bottom. As he stepped out of the room, he came face to face with an anxious looking Violet Evans.
Violet gestured for Severus to follow her, and so he did, down the hall towards the guest—his own room, still takes some getting used to. Violet entered first, Severus following, the former sitting on his desk chair and the latter sinking down onto his bed. "So how is she?" Violet prompted, gazing intently at her adopted son.
He shrugged, "I did what I could. Paid forward some advice I found very helpful about…two and a half years ago—" he gave Violet a pointed, yet grateful look, "—and hopefully between my advice, and Lily's coddling, she'll be alright."
"I hope so too, I was just about to head in and check on her myself, talk to her a bit and explain…you know the story, about my parents, but it seemed you beat me to it," she said somberly.
"I tried to help. After all…Marlene's not as bad as I once thought she was and it wouldn't be fair of me to just…do nothing if I had the ability to help her." Severus said simply enough.
Violet smiled slightly, "thank you Severus. I'm sure it helped. Why don't you go head downstairs and I'll go help them with their packing."
"Sure Violet."
Severus stood from the bed, and Violet from the chair, they then left the room with Severus heading down the stairs, following the voices to the living room. As he entered the room, he spotted Mark Evans in deep conversation with a man and a woman, both of them wearing the charcoal gray robes typical of an Auror. As he entered the room, three sets of eyes snapped towards him, and Severus saw the wrists of the two aurors bulge slightly, causing him to flinch. Just as soon as he'd seen it, the two relaxed, they were clearly on edge over the passing of Marlene's father.
"You must be Severus then," one of the Aurors said, the male one.
He was a short man of average build, with piercing blue eyes and closely cropped dirty blonde hair. He had a scar running across his cheek, from the corner of his mouth to his jaw-line, and stubble telling of the fact he hadn't had a chance to shave in recent days. Despite his rugged look, the smile he wore seemed mostly genuine, which was miles better than the shallow grimaces given by his female colleague.
"Yes, I'm a—uh…former classmate of Marlene's," he explained.
"Former classmate?" The man echoed.
"Yes. I'm…well I will be leaving for Ilvermorny next year. I'll be homeschooling with another former Hogwarts Student, Lily, who is a close friend of Marlene's."
"Yes I was just getting to that. My daughter and my son shan't be going back next term. Their time at Hogwarts is finished so they'll be starting at the American Magical School next year," Mark chimed in.
"Oh…I see. In that case I'll wish you good luck with your studies and ventures over there then," the male auror replied.
"What house are you a member of?" Asked the severe-looking raven-haired woman, the other Auror in the room. Her gaze swept over him calculatingly, as if sizing him and learning all she could with a glance.
"I am not a member of any house, ma'am," Severus replied coolly, in response to the woman's questioning tone. "I was a Slytherin Third Year, before my withdrawal."
"A Slytherin eh?" The dark-haired witch asked, her visage lightening slightly. "Well…it's good to see a member of my old house then, it's not that often you run into a Slytherin in my profession these days that's not trying to kill you."
Severus nodded in return, not quite sure what to say to that. The woman stepped forward, offering her hand and a now-sincere smile, even if said smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Assuming she was close colleagues, or possibly even close friends with Marlene's father, he assumed that was all she could muster. Severus shook her hand firmly, growing slightly flustered as the woman's eyes narrowed in scrutiny once more mid handshake.
"You said you're going to Ilvermorny?" The woman asked, taking a step back from him.
"Yes. Myself and Lily, another of Marlene's friends."
"Is she a Gryffindor by any chance?"
"Yes."
"Ah, I see…so the house divide has been giving you trouble then hasn't it?" She asked with a knowing grimace, one that spoke volumes of her own experience with the stupid inter-house war between Lions and Snakes and the strain it put on friendships between both those houses.
"It's a shame, it seems it's just like when I went to school then. Myself and Auror Walcroft there," she said, gesturing to her colleague, "we were in Slytherin and Gryffindor respectively when we went to school. That bloody house rivalry nearly pulled us apart so many times over the years. The same problem I reckon you and your friend are facing," the woman said with a grimace.
"You had the same problem?" Severus echoed curiously.
"Indeed we did," the woman said sadly, her gaze moving to her colleague as she gave him a smile.
Just as the male auror was opening his mouth to speak, presumably to elaborate on his colleague's point, the sound of footsteps on the stairs—multiple pairs, drew their attention away. Severus heard the faint sniffles of Marlene, presumably, and the hushed whisper of Lily as the two girls rounded the corner, Violet trailing just behind them.
"Hullo Mister and Missus Walcroft," Marlene said quietly, fleetingly meeting their gazes. "I—I've got all my stuff, are we going now?"
The female auror, Missus Walcroft it seemed, headed across the room and hugged Marlene tightly in an uncharacteristically warm embrace. "We're ready when you are Mar. Are you positive you didn't miss packing anything?"
"I think I've got all of it, although I did put some things in the wash this morning," Marlene replied, her voice muffled by the robes she was being squeezed against.
She pulled back from Auror Walcroft's hug and turned to face Lily, "Lil's can you send me my clothes later this week?"
The redhead nodded, "of course Marley. Hunter'll certainly be up for it."
"Thanks," Marlene replied, giving her friend a watery smile.
Lily gave her a tight hug, and as her head appeared over Marlene's shoulder, Severus could see her forest green eyes infused with crimson. Lily, peering at Severus over her shaking friend's shoulder gave him a tight lipped smile; before the two girls separated from one another.
She's been crying.
Of course she's been crying! Marlene's dad just died! It's not like she remained all stoic when Mum died did she?
Good point.
"Come on Marlene, we'll bring you home now alright? Your Mum's been worried sick about you, Colin and Douglas are as well," said Auror Walcroft, the husband.
"A—alright. I'll just…let me get my trunk," Marlene replied, reaching for her trunk.
As she reached for it with tremulous fingers; Mister Walcroft withdrew his wand and with a silent summoning charm, summoned the trunk across the room to his side. "I'll take carry your trunk, Marlene. We'll apparate home so hold on tightly to Aurelia alright?"
"Alright," Marlene said quietly.
With hunched shoulders and a subdued look on her face she crossed the room, Lily by her side and holding her hand. She gave Marlene one last look of silent reassurance, along with a whisper of "write me."
The blonde met her gaze and gave her a watery smile. The two Gryffindors shared one last hug in the middle of the room, a few whispers exchanged between them that no-one could hear. The two friends finally parted, Lily squeezing Marlene's fingers one last time as the latter finished crossing the room to the Auror couple standing by the fireplace.
"Thank you for taking care of Marlene these past couple weeks."
"It was our pleasure," Violet replied, smiling at the girl. "If you need anything Marlene, you only need to write us. Got it? We'll always be here to help."
"Th—thanks Violet, I'll um…I'm gonna be writing Lily soon. B—but thanks for the offer."
"Anytime dear, you'll always be welcome here," Violet assured, as she waved goodbye.
With a shared nod, the two aurors, one holding Marlene's trunk, and the other holding the girl herself apparated away from the Evanses living room, presumably back to the McKinnons' home, leaving Severus, Lily, Violet and Mark alone once more.
"I think I'll pop down to the store to get some lunch. I'll be back in half an hour or so," Mark said abruptly.
He quickly left the room, grabbing his coat from the rack in the foyer, then headed outside into the frigid early morning air.
"What was that about?" Severus wondered aloud, as the front door slammed shut.
"Dad often likes to go for a drive whenever he needs to…calm down. Or to relax," Lily explained.
"Oh. Well…do you need any help around here Violet? Is there anything you need done?"
"That's alright Severus, let's just…take a breather until Mark gets back. This has been a rather stressful morning after all."
Severus nodded grimly. He sank down onto the sofa, Lily doing the same just next to him. Violet eyed the pair for a brief moment, before smiling to herself, unbeknownst to them and leaving the room. Lily curled up against the arm-rest of the sofa, tucking her legs underneath herself as she expelled a sigh. "It was just all so sudden…I don't even know if Marlene knows how it happened…she would now, obviously."
"That's how these things happen though, Lily. Although Marlene is having a rough go of it now, I'm sure she'll get through it…she has the rest of her family, those two Aurors…not to mention the rest of her friends—you especially."
"Would you include yourself in that?" Lily asked wryly.
"Let's not get carried away with that," Severus chuckled.
Just then, a tapping noise at the window drew their attention away from one another, an unfamiliar looking Owl was sat on the still, staring into the room with big, beady, hazel eyes.
"I wonder whose Owl that is?" Lily wondered aloud, getting to her feet and walking over to the window to undo the latch. She quickly let the bird in, and undid the clasp on its leg. The Owl hopped over onto one of the tables and sat there obediently, preening itself—seemingly in wait for Lily to read the letter then to pen a reply.
"Who's the letter from? Is it for you?" Severus asked, also standing from the couch to reach Lily's side.
Lily looked up from the letter, her lips set in a grim line. "You're not going to like this Severus."
She flipped the letter over and slid it across the table to him. Severus picked the letter up and began to read:
Hey Marley,
Sorry for my long wait to reply, I've been pretty busy these past couple weeks with Siri and the boys. I'm sorry to hear about your father, he was a good man. If you need someone, I'll be here for you, even if you just want to talk or something. I only just heard the news about your old man half an hour before I write this letter and I hope you're coping with the news alright. Assuming you're still at Evans' place and have yet to leave, I hope this finds you in a good place. I'll try to stop by your home soon, and we can talk or play Quidditch or do whatever 'floats your boat' as the Muggles like to say! Anyways, I'm sorry about your dad's passing, but I'm sure he'll be avenged and those bastard Death Eaters will be brought to justice.
Write me back soon please, I look forward to seeing you soon.
James.
P.S. Can you tell Evans to Owl me please or at least show this last part of the letter to her? I just want to say I'm sorry for how I've acted towards her over the past few years, and I'm sorry for driving her away. Dorcas told me about how she's planning on leaving with Snape to America, and I kind of think it's my fault for driving her away, she's got this stupid devotion to Snape you see so I'm pretty sure that's why. If you could tell her to write me back, that would be great and much appreciated. You know how I feel about her so I'd really, really appreciate it if you could do me a solid here.
Severus was tempted to burn that piece of parchment right then and there, the first paragraph had been innocuous enough, typical James Potter talking all about himself and feigning sympathy, he had no issue with that. The footnote however? It made his blood boil, how dare he try to write to Lily? How dare he try to extend an olive branch? How dare he even ask for her correspondence in turn when he'd been such a foul bastard to her, and to him for the past three years?
"Potter has some nerve, I tell you," Lily growled, once she'd seen Severus finish reading the letter.
"You're telling me," Severus scoffed, eyeing the letter with a lethal glare.
"Pass it here Sev, pass the letter back to me," Lily asked, holding out her hand expectantly.
Severus eyed Lily suspiciously, "you're not going to write him are you?"
"Of course I am Severus, I want to give that git a piece of my mind," Lily replied flippantly. "Not to mention I have to forward this letter along to Marlene as well, clearly Potter's owl thought she was still here. And from the looks of things it won't want to leave until I pen a reply for him."
As if on cue, Potter's Owl hooted in agreement, before going right back to preening itself to its heart's content.
"Fine. You write the letter to Potter, I'll go get Hunter and tell him to forward Potter's letter to Marlene," Severus said gruffly. He snatched the letter off the table, folded it back into his envelope(creasing it more than was strictly necessary), and then trudged up the stairs to Lily's room to send the letter off to Marlene.
Once Severus was out of earshot, the redhead sighed, as much as Lily loathed Potter and his antics, his constant bullying and harassment was enough to turn her away; Severus outright hated the boy far more than she ever did, not that she could blame him of course, knowing what she knew of their relationship. While Severus was upstairs forwarding Potter's letter to Marlene, and Violet presumably was up in her own room, Lily set to work penning a reply to Potter, a strongly worded one at that. Just this once, she decided to address him as James, she wouldn't be writing him again after all. She then put pen to paper.
James,
I have no intention of writing you again beyond this one occurrence, but there are some things I have to put to bed. You lost any chance you had of becoming friends with me the moment you started attacking and abusing my best friend. How you can act like such an bloody, berkin', arsehole to some yet be a friend to others like Lupin is beyond me. You are a living contradiction James, and for your sake, I hope you change; because from the way I see things, you are utterly repulsive. Seriously, get a life and stop being such a dick-wad and a bully.
I will give you some advice though. Change. Like I said above, I find you repulsive and I cannot comprehend how some of my former roommates pine after you. That being said, if you want to have 'better luck next time' so to say, stop being a bully and actually try to be nice to people. For your sake, I hope you change James, because if your method of trying to pursue girls you fancy is attacking their best friend over and over again then I wish you luck in life. Merlin knows you'll need it. Don't bother writing me again because you won't be receiving a reply.
All I can and will say is CHANGE. BE BETTER. And maybe your next romantic pursuit won't find you as utterly repulsive and despicable as I did. Good luck.
Lily.
With a flourish, Lily dotted the 'i' of her signature and slipped the paper into an envelope and whistled for Potter's owl. The bird hooted in acknowledgement and hopped over from its perch, allowing Lily to attach the envelope to it's talon. "You're a nice bird, I think you and Hunter would've gotten along well," Lily mused, stroking the preening Owl's plumage for a few moments.
The Owl, much like Potter would, relished in the attention, cocking its head this way and that to allow for Lily to scratch it in all the right places. Lily nearly smiled, this owl really was Potter's owl it seemed. The bird then hopped away from her and over to the window, when Lily undid the latch and raised it, the bird jumped out and soared away. Lily watched the bird go, already feeling a considerably stronger attachment to the cheeky bird than to its owner who for the last two and a half years had ingratiated himself more and more into Lily's bad books. Potter, Black and Pettigrew, as well as Rosier, Avery and Mulciber were the two 'torrid trios' as she had dubbed them, the six collectively being the students she hated most amongst her year.
As she shut the window, she heard the faint sound of a chuckle coming from the doorway, a chuckle she could recognize just about anywhere on earth. Sure enough, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed above his chest was Severus, his eyes glinting in amusement.
"Can it be said that you already get along better with Potter's bird than you do its owner?" He asked wryly, standing up tall and walking into the room.
"That most certainly can be said Sev," Lily agreed, grinning toothily back at him as she sank back down onto the couch.
She patted the seat alongside her; and Severus sank down onto the couch a moment later. In a manner awfully reminiscent of the Evans' cat Archimedes, Lily performed a full-body stretch, arms, legs, even her head and laid back down, her legs stretching out onto Severus' lap, whilst her head rested on the opposite side's velvet armrest.
"I hope you weren't too scathing with Potter…although knowing you and your temper you probably ripped him a new one for trying to use Marlene to contact you right?"
"Oh you know I did," Lily said flippantly, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "Also since when have you been one to exercise restraint against Potter…or anyone for that matter, aren't you Mister 'I've got to pay them back for what they've done?'"
"I learned a very important lesson a few days ago, from a person very important to me," Severus responded smugly, although his tone did convey a hint of seriousness.
"I'm glad to hear you took that to heart and are putting it into practice, Sev," Lily said softly, although her gaze remained anything but. "Really. I like this side of you, when you just…don't get so caught up with pursuing revenge and vengeance, isn't this better?"
"Much," Severus agreed, grinning back at her. "Thanks Lily, for…showing me this. Showing me there's a life beyond anger and hate. I really appreciate that."
Lily gazed up at him from her sprawled out opinion, her eyes softening by degrees as she replied; "Anytime, but I could say the same of you too…for helping to shape me into the girl I am today. You've also been great to me in that respect, Sev."
"Well…" Severus shrugged, his grin turning awfully soppy all of a sudden. "I do try. And I'm glad it's good enough for you."
"As long as it's your best, that's all that matters to me. It's the effort that counts above all, right?"
"Right," he agreed readily.
Unbeknownst to the two teens, Violet Evans who up until minutes prior had been setting the table in anticipation of Mark's store bought lunch; was now watching the exchange with interest. When she turned away, the woman had a smile on her face, and despite the dire news earlier in the day, she had a very good reason to smile now—a genuine smile, at that. It seemed…that her suspicions were indeed correct, Severus did love her youngest daughter, it was evident in the way he spoke and the way he looked at her. What Violet Evans didn't know however, was just how close her own daughter was to liking him back, but the signs were there…and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't been hoping for something like this.
It seemed to her keen eye that Severus' fancying of Lily wasn't quite as one-sided as she'd thought; but then again if she had to be proven wrong about anything, she'd have hoped it was this.
A/N2: Obligatory F1 update because holy fucking shit, Baku delivered a banger of a race yet again. What a race. Seb P2, Pierre P3, I could die tomorrow and they'd find Euphoria running through my veins. Fucking race of the season by far and it isn't close IMO. What a result by Seb and Pierre, hopefully more of these results are in store in the future. Sorry for this but if you haven't got the memo just yet: Watch F1, you won't regret it.