Chapter 21 At Term's End

Severus and Lily kept Caroline's secret close to their chests. True to their word, they didn't tell a soul. Obviously, her parents hadn't caught wind of it, so Caroline had scarcely told anyone over the years about her interest in girls and relative lack thereof in boys. As time wound on however, their focus soon shifted to their exams. Thanks to the wide-ranging talents of the seven members of their little group, they were essentially able to cover all their bases when it came to revising for their exams. If one required Potions help, Severus, Lily and Nicole were readily available. For Charms? Caroline and Lily could set you straight. Transfiguration? Thomas, Scott and Sandra were all towards the top of their class. Across all the core and optional subjects available to the fourth years, at least one out of the group of seven was proficient in each. Despite the warming weather, and the pleasant nature of their natural surroundings at Mount Greylock, the seven friends spent much of their time indoors in defiance of the warm weather, preparing for exams.

For Severus and Lily, their main areas of focus laid in Transfiguration and Care of Magical Creatures. With Transfiguration in particular, which was perhaps both Severus' and Lily's weakest subject, they oftentimes relied on Sandra and Thomas to help them out. In return, Severus and Lily assisted them in their preparation for Potions, both weren't the best when it came to brewing. Rosier, despite being a friendly and approachable Head of House, for the most part, ran a fairly tight ship when it came to exam results. She'd developed a reputation as an exacting Head of House, in the sense that she demanded nothing but the best from the Serpents under her charge. Thanks to their friendship with Luke however, Severus and Lily at least had a good idea of what was likely to be covered on their exams. Befriending the fifth year boy in their potions class had certainly paid off as Luke was able to give them the rundown for what his exams were like the year prior.

When their end of year exams were finally upon them, all seven of them were ready to hit the ground running and to smash their results out of the metaphorical park. When their exams began in early May, the whole school hunkered down for three weeks of rigorous, back to back theoretical and practical exams. To their credit, Severus, Lily, Nicole, Thomas and the rest of their friends fared quite well through the storm. Granted, they went to bed quite tired most days, but at the very least they were given their weekends off for a bit of R&R. During the working week however, they oftentimes found their schedules full, either with the exams themselves, or doing some last minute revision for their weaker subjects. Severus and Lily in particular had spent the night before the first of two Transfiguration exams in the common room itself, studying until three in the morning before finally calling it quits and falling asleep on the sofa, their work sprawled out around them. When the prefects had first awoken the following morning, they were not amused with the state of affairs they found their nook of the common room to be, they were even less amused at the fact that Lily had fallen asleep sprawled across Severus' chest.

Aside from their troubles with Transfiguration, Lily and Severus fared quite well over the exam period, but by the end of the third week, they like everyone else was just about at the end of their tether. So on the final day of exams for Severus, which just so happened to fall on the Friday of the third week, he awoke bright and early to eat a hearty breakfast, and then spend a short while running through the concepts that were most troubling to him. The theory portion of Ancient Runes(a subject Lily didn't take) was all that remained for Severus, and all that stood between him and finishing his despairing gauntlet of exams. Thomas and John had Ancient Runes exams on the day as well, so they too woke early—although the latter couldn't resist waking Billy up out of spite and jealousy that he got to sleep in…not. So through bleary eyes, Severus pulled back the blinds on his four poster, and pulled down the silencing charm he'd erected through the night, ready to get his day started, and finish up his final paper. As he pulled back the blinds, the first noise that assaulted his ears were the sounds of John and Billy bickering, and boy were they going at it.

"You're a real son of a bitch, you know that? I had fuckin' Astronomy last night John, and you couldn't let me sleep in?" Billy yelled, glaring daggers at his sheepishly-grinning best friend. Billy's tanned skin was flushed a deep red, and his hands were balled up into tight fists at his sides. He looked positively murderous.

"Come on man, it was just a joke," John replied, not at all affected by Billy's enraged outburst. He tried to sound placating, but it did nothing to calm his friend's temper. "I was only messing with you man, if you're so tired, then go back to sleep!"

"Well you fuckin' woke me up! How the fuck do you expect me to go back to sleep with you three making a racket?" Billy shouted back.

"Silencing charm then," Thomas supplied, his arms folded across his chest. Severus' friend didn't seem impressed with either John, or Billy, the former on the account of disturbing the peace and quiet, and the latter for his childish outburst at merely being woken up early. "Or better yet, ward your bed so this dickhead can't wake you up from your beauty sleep next time."

"Well you know I'm shit it charms and wards and all that crap, so what else can I do, huh?" Billy sneered.

Severus sighed to himself, and pushed aside his blinds fully and swinging his legs over the side of the bed. John and Billy aborted their argument for all of ten seconds to say good morning, before getting right back to it and going at each other's necks. Severus tuned out their bickering, although he did admire Thomas trying to play peacemaker between the two friends. Severus heard them vaguely arguing in the background about 'common decency' and 'letting me have my well-deserved rest' and things of that sort, but he wasn't really paying that close attention to the semantics of Billy's and John's argument. He grabbed a towel, some underwear, and a freshly-washed set of his school uniform—of course, then proceeded into the bathroom to get ready for the final day of his exams.

Once in the privacy of the bathroom, Severus draw his wand and cast a silencing charm over the room, it was a much preferred alternative to hearing his roommates bicker whilst he showered. Severus stripped off his PJs, then stepped into the shower—relishing in the warm waster cascading over him that woke him from his groggy state. As he showered, Severus' thoughts wandered to the subject matter of the exam itself. Lily had promised she'd wake early as well, despite having her last exam the day before, and that she'd help test him over breakfast and before the exam. Lily knew next to nothing about Ancient Runes, she'd never taken the elective back when they were third years at Hogwarts, and she didn't select the class at Ilvermorny either, yet she still volunteered to help him, something he was grateful for.

After finishing his shower, Severus stepped out of the stall and finished getting ready for his day. In no time flat, Severus was making his way out of the dorm room and into the common room, when just a few walls away, Lily was doing pretty much the same.

As Severus opened the door leading from the Horned Serpent boys' dorms to the common room, Lily was opening the corresponding door leading to the girls'.

"Good morning Sev," Lily greeted, smiling broadly. They met in-between the two doors and hugged. "How was your sleep?"

"Mornin' Lily. I slept quite well actually…slept a good eight hours last night," Severus replied, smiling equally widely at his girlfriend. "How about you?" he asked earnestly as they separated from their embrace.

"Just peachy," Lily grinned. Lily's gaze shifted back and from to either side of Severus, then glanced up back into his eyes. As quick as was humanly possible, Lily leaned up on her toes and kissed him fleetingly on his lips for all of two seconds; but before he could return her affections, she was leaning back down, still wearing that goofy grin that he loved so dearly.

"For good luck," Lily said quickly in anticipation of Severus' soon-to-come question. "Also…to perhaps serve as a bit of motivation for what's to come once you're done with your last exam," she added, her tone turning more teasing, and her eyes glinting with apparent amusement.

"Oh I think I'll need more than that for good luck," Severus grinned. He reached up to her face and tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear, leaned in closer against her, but when he made to kiss her again—hopefully longer than just a brief peck, Lily took a few steps away from him and shook her head. He frowned slightly, the confusion and hurt Severus felt evident on his face; her frown gave way to a sad smile upon her seeing it.

"Not here. It's too busy," Lily muttered."But…I wouldn't be averse to snogging your brains out just a bit later…" she said teasingly, grinning as she played with his collar. "We'd just have to find a nice little alcove for the two of us and then I'd be game for that."

"Well then…meet me after the exam, and we can get right down to it," Severus responded swiftly.

"Oh you're turning into a real Casanova aren't you, Sev?"

Severus smiled—looking rather pleased with her compliment. "But of course. Spending a year in the same dorm as Billy'll do that to you. I imagine you'd be much the same way if you were in my shoes."

"Maybe so," Lily said slowly—her lip wobbling in effort to restrain her laughter that was itching to free itself. "But if I were in your shoes…I'd be thinking less about snogging, and more about getting through this last exam of yours. We can have our fun after your exam," she said, her tone and expression growing more serious now—even somewhat chiding, in nature.

"Now come on. You need a filling, hearty breakfast to be ready for this paper, and since my Mum is not here to ensure you eat enough and don't starve yourself, I'll have to take her place."

Smiling and inclining his head, Severus gestured to the blank, stone wall at the far end of the room that marked the entrance/exit to their common room. "Lead on then, Lily."

And lead on she did. Out of their group of friends, only Severus, Caroline and Thomas had their final exams today—the rest having had their last the day before, upon entering the Meal Hall, both were found at their usual table. Finding Thomas awake early didn't come as much of a surprise to either of them, but Caroline waking up this early certainly was. The pureblooded girl had received more than a reprimand or two over the course of the previous three weeks of exams for nearly being late to her papers or practical examinations. On at least three occasions, from Severus' recollection at least, had Caroline barged through the doors to the Ceremony Hall at the eleventh hour. She'd never been late, exactly, but in her desperate bid for sleep, Caroline had cut it close several times in recent weeks; so imagine their surprise when they spotted her at their table conversing with the early riser Thomas.

Severus and Lily joined them at their table, and the trio of Runes students immediately broke out into conversation on what their expectations for the paper were. Lily did her best to understand what her three friends were saying, but alas, her lack of expertise in this area meant it seemed like they were speaking an entirely foreign language to her. She could hardly make head or tail out of whatever it was they were discussing—but still listened in to her boyfriend and her two friends speak. Giving up on deciphering whatever it was they were saying, Lily turned her attention to breakfast and tuned out whatever foreign tongue it was they were speaking, and focused solely on getting her fill. Only a good ten minutes when Severus tapped on her arm lightly, just as she was setting down her goblet of pumpkin juice, did she finally refocus in on their conversation. She raised her eyes from her half-full plate to meet the expectant gazes of Severus, Caroline and Thomas.

"Thomas made some flash cards," Severus said simply, holding up the chalk-white cards in his hands. "So if you could read out the questions to us on them, and quiz us, that would be much appreciated, Lily." The stack of cards—which by Lily's best guess, looked to be about 100 in total, was thrust towards her by Severus.

She accepted the cards, and shuffled through them for a good half-minute, and once she deemed them appropriately mixed around, she stopped, her hands coming to rest. "Are you all ready?" she asked, looking at the three of them in turn.

"I am."

"No doubt about it."

"Of course." Came their three replies.

Lily nodded, her eyes leaving their's and glancing down at the first card. For the next half hour, Lily alternated between shoveling food into her mouth and asking her three fellow table occupants questions from the flash cards. Having had experience interpreting Severus' signature, spidery scrawl, she had no difficulties reading Thomas' own messy brand of hand-writing. While Lily spoke and asked questions of the three Ancient Runes students, Severus couldn't quite take his eyes off of her, and not for a good reason, either. Lily, who usually had lamentable table manners on the best of days—something Violet had sought to rid her of in her youth, but had never quite succeeded at—was shoveling food into her mouth at a ravenous pace, and asking questions of them all from the flash cards with her mouth still half-full of food.

Thomas appeared to find it amusing, since Severus could see his dark-skinned friend's lips curling upwards ever so slightly whenever Lily asked a question with her cheeks stuffed with eggs or whatever it was she was eating. Caroline was decidedly less amused, and despite her relatively progressive views(for a pureblood at least), she was still repulsed by Lily's appalling table manners if her wrinkled nose and disdainful expression was anything to go by. Still, despite Thomas' amusement, Caroline's disdain, and Severus feeling a bit of both; none of them said a word as she was proving quite helpful regardless. Soon enough though, it was time for their exam, so Lily packed her things and gave Severus a kiss goodbye, and then headed back to the Horned Serpent wing of the castle. Caroline, Thomas and Severus then left the Meal Hall and waited outside the Ceremony Hall for the commencement of their exam.

"D'you guys think you're ready?" Caroline asked her two friends. She was rocking back and forth on her heels in eager anticipation, but wore a somewhat nervous look.

"I am. I'm aiming for an O, of course, but I think I shouldn't have any issues with getting an EE at least," Severus said confidently.

"Same here, although I think I'm probably gonna get an EE, an O would be nice though," Thomas added. "How about you?"

"Nothing less than an O will do for me," Caroline said proudly. "Lest I incur my father's and mother's wrath. They're always getting on about how Scott gets better grades than me, so I need this O."

"Your parents expect all Os?" Severus asked shrewdly.

Caroline's smile cracked open into peals of laughter. "Oh no. No, no, but they do expect at least half my grades to be an Os. It's what Scott gets more often than not. I usually get two, maybe three Os or so on my end of term reports. They're not quite that strict Severus!"

Just then, the doors to the Ceremony Hall, which in recent weeks had been doubling as the Exam Hall for the students, swung open and Professor Timothy Walsch, their Ancient Runes Professor, ushered them into the Hall. They would be sitting for their exam alongside the sixth years, with the fourth years on the left of the hall arranged in alphabetical order, and the sixth years on the right also arranged alphabetically. Caroline Foster, and Thomas Baker as a result, were sat quite some distance away from Severus Snape, so the three friends bade each other good luck one more time, before going their separate ways to their desks. While Severus was disappointed to see his friends on the other side of the hall, what made matters worse for him was that Hank Walters was sat just a few desks behind, and he had no doubts as to whether or not the annoying prat would try to make his life more difficult for him. With his surname beginning with 'S', and Walters' 'W', it often times meant he'd been stuck near him during the Theory exams which served to annoy him greatly. Walters had a habit of thinking out loud, and that had earned him numerous reprimands from the invigilators, but he still did it regardless—to Severus' and his neighbors annoyance.

When the clock struck nine, the doors to the Ceremony Hall swung shut, and Professor Walsch took his position at the Front of the Hall on an elevated podium overlooking the amassed fourth and sixth years.

"May I have your attention please?" Walsch boomed, his voice amplified via sonorus charm.

The hall quietened down quickly, and turned their attention to the Runes Professor. "Your exams shall begin at Nine O' Five, so in—" he paused, glancing down at his watch, then saying; "four minutes time." Walsch flicked his wand, and all the papers were deposited on the Fourth and Sixth Years' desks. "You may begin reading, and at Nine O' Five, you shall be allowed to begin your exam. Good luck to you all."

With that, Walsch stepped down from the podium, and cancelled his noise-amplifying charm. The students began reading through their papers, skimming them from front to back and making plans in their heads as to which questions they would attempt first. When the Clock on the wall chimed Nine O' Five, Walsch flicked his wand once more, this time depositing anti-cheating quills on all the students' desks, and an ink pot as well. Severus shut his eyes, took a few deep breaths to calm himself down—as per the instructions from his occlumency book, and then flipped open the first page of the paper to begin his exam. His Occlumency—irregardless of how rudimentary it was with his limited skills in the mind arts, had proven to be quite a valuable skill as it allowed him to remained focused on the task at hand throughout all his exams over the three weeks. He then reached for his quill, wetted the tip, and then began to write.

When the exam was over, Severus seemed quite satisfied with his efforts. He walked out of the hall with his head held high, confident that he would at least attain an EE, and he even had hopes for getting that O. Studying with Caroline and Scott had been quite the boon to him and his Ancient Runes abilities, and he was feeling much better about his chances of getting an O than he was just a few weeks ago. As he left the Ceremony Hall he had half a mind to wait for Caroline and Thomas to inquire how they did, but he was immediately assaulted by a girl bearing a familiar head of red hair.

"Sev!" said girl squealed as she leapt into his arms, staggering him slightly before he regained his footing.

"Are you trying to tackle me, Lily? What are you doing?" Severus said gruffly as he regained his balance and held Lily upright.

"How was it?" Lily blurted out, her tone more than eager. "Did it go okay? Did the flashcards help? How difficult was the paper on a scale of—"

"For Isolt's sake Lily, just shut up would you? I'll tell you in a mo', alright?"

Lily grinned sheepishly at him. "Yeah, besides I owe you a right, big snog, don't I?"

"Yeah you do," Severus grinned.

"Well come on then, let's not dilly dally, and—"

"Severus!" came the loud shout of Thomas. Severus sighed loudly, loud enough that he hoped Thomas heard him, then turned around in the direction of the voice. Thomas was making his way though the crowd with Nicole by his side, and Caroline trailing a few paces behind them.

"Yeah?" Severus said, not bothering to hide the annoyance he felt.

If Thomas heard the annoyance in Severus' voice, he pretended he didn't hear it. "How was it, man? Carrie said it was a walk in the park for her, and I thought it went alright myself. How about you?"

"It was alright I guess, should be at least an EE, if not an O, if I were to guess," Severus said, shrugging. "How about for you, Tommy? Carrie?"

Caroline was grinning broadly, and from that alone, Severus could tell she'd likely get her needed O on this exam. She was pretty good at Runes after all it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to him that she'd get a good grade. "I think it went really, really, really well," Caroline said, smiling.

"Three, really's, huh? So that must mean at least an O then," Severus chuckled.

"I'm fairly confident my parents won't be disappointed this year," Caroline chuckled.

"Yeah, so long as you come home with four owls and Scott, doesn't with seven," Nicole teased good-naturedly.

"So where are you two off to now?" Thomas asked, his tone knowing, yet curious at the same time.

"Sev and I'll be needing some peace and quiet," Lily answered, her eyes sporting a somewhat sultry look as she gazed over at Severus.

"Ah. In that case, don't let us keep you from…'your peace and quiet'," Caroline said, using air quotes.

Severus and Lily then bade goodbye to their friends and headed off towards their hidden alcove for a little bit of peace and quiet. Their hidden alcove, that they'd discovered almost nine months ago when they'd first come to Ilvermorny and were discovering the school, was on the second floor of the Horned Serpent Wing, and down the hall from Potions Lab No. 4. Classes were out of session now, owing to the fact that all seven years of students were still undergoing exams—until today that is—so that meant the risk of bumping into a teacher, or fellow student that might intrude on their intimacy was very low. They arrived in the deserted second floor corridor that played host to Potions Labs 2, 4, 6 and 8, their alcove too was sandwiched between their usual class, Lab 4, and the neighboring Lab 6.

"You ready for your reward?" Lily breathed huskily, making a show of eyeing up her boyfriend from head to toe.

"Yeah," Severus answered breathily.

Their little alcove was no more than four by four meters with barely enough height clearance for Severus. Severus brushed aside the tapestry, revealing their little nook, and allowed Lily past into the elevated alcove, before following her in and letting the tapestry flutter shut behind him. He cast a silencing charm over the alcove, while Lily lit her wand with a Lumos, and set it down against the wall and facing upwards to lend them some light. The Alcove was small, just large enough for the two of them, but it served their needs perfectly and lent them some much needed privacy when needed.

"Sev, please look at me," Lily said, her voice firm.

Severus pocketed his wand and turned to face her, holding her gaze. "Kiss me," was all she said. And he wasted no time obliging her request.

His lips found hers, caressing them gently with his own as his hand rose to cup her cheek. Lily smiled at the sweetness of his gesture, but she quickly grew tired of the placid nature with which she was kissed. She gently grasped his hand, the one on her cheek, and then brought it lower, letting it rest on her breast. Severus pulled back abruptly, his eyes wide, an expression of shock clearly etched onto his face.

"Lily…w-what are you doing?" he asked, quickly pulling his hand back.

"Don't you want to?" she asked, frowning slightly with confusion. "Or how about…how about you see what you're dealing with first," she mumbled.

Lily undid the buttons on the front of her robe, then reached for the hem, and pulled the garment over her head. She didn't stop there though, and began unbuttoning her shirt, starting with the topmost button and working her way lower. She'd only made it to the second button when Severus' hands were on her's, prying them away from baring her chest to him.

"No, Lily. I can see you're shaking, if you're…if you're not comfortable…please don't."

"But don't you—"

"It's not about me," Severus said firmly, leaving no room for argument in his tone. "It's about you. And if you…if you don't want to do this, or are uncomfortable with doing this…then don't."

"I want to Sev," Lily countered resolutely. "I want to do this, and I…I want to see you too. I want to see you, like you want to see me."

"You don't know what you're asking," Severus muttered darkly, folding his arms across his chest.

Lily made to retort, but she quickly swallowed her protest, silencing it after bearing witness to his misery. "Hey look at me," she said softly, reaching for his chin. She tilted Severus' angular jaw upwards, so she could gaze into his eyes, but more importantly, so he could see into hers—and see her earnestness, her honesty.

"I do want to see you Sev, and I will love you either way. Of that there is no doubt. I love you, and you…you don't have to be ashamed of those scars anymore, okay? I love you, and nothing will change that, least of all your appearance. It will only make me love you even more, love. Please?"

Severus appeared to think over her suggestion for a moment, much to her delight; but in the end, he shook his head all the same. His face was obscured with a dark, pained look, and she felt her heart crack just a little bit at seeing that look on him. She knew how self conscious Severus was about his scars, but it still hurt her that he was unwilling to take that next step with her, it hurt that he didn't trust her enough to go just that little bit further.

"Kiss me instead?" he said quietly.

Lily smiled broadly and didn't waste a second waiting. Unlike his kiss earlier, she was far less gentle, or reverential either. Their lips clashed together—pressing harshly into one another, and their tongues collided soon after. More emboldened than he'd ever been before, Severus backed Lily up against the wall, and plundered her mouth with his tongue. She moaned loudly at the passion she felt emanating from his kiss, and wasted no time returning his passion in equal measure. She bit down on Severus' lower lip, pulling a moan from him, giving her an opening for her tongue to slip into his mouth. Severus' hands migrated higher, and found a home over her shirt-clad breasts, whilst her's locked around his waist, tugging him closer to her by the hip and increasing that irresistible friction they felt. Severus' hands remained planted on her breasts, but Lily wanted his touch elsewhere. She pried them away, and placed them on her hips, then lower, onto her arse beneath her skirt.

"'s alright, Sev, feel me. Touch me," she murmured against his lips.

He pulled away entirely, and Lily quite nearly moaned at the loss of pressure on her lips. The way he kissed her, whether it be violently and brutally, or gently and reverentially, never failed to stoke the burning torch she held for him. At seeing the concerned expression on her face, she smiled broadly, knowing what question was coming her way before Severus himself even had time to ask it.

"I'm sure," she said confidently. Her hands found his again, and guided them up her thighs, under her skirt, and cupping the soft flesh of her arse. Severus squeezed once, and the wanton, sultry moan he pulled from her lips gave him encouragement to do it again. Lily arched against him, pressing her body into Severus' as further encouragement for him to explore her, and keep fondling her arse to his heart's content. She'd have been lying if she said she wasn't enjoying it herself, and she knew from the hardness pressed into her abdomen that he was enjoying it too.

"In fact…I think I want to do this, as well," Lily muttered. Her hands came up to his cheeks, cupping them, then kissing Severus gently on his lips for all of three seconds, then pulling away.

His hands stilled on her arse, still gripping her loosely down there, but his attention was solely on her eyes. They flickered with…something, he didn't know what, but whenever he'd seen that gleam in her dazzling emerald eyes, he knew she was up to something. Lily reached for the black buttons on her shirt, and began undoing them with renewed confidence and vigor. One after another, each black button was released, and her shirt fell open just a little bit more as she went. He saw her collarbones first—sharp and jutting—he'd felt them before when they'd started petting each other, the soft swells of her bra-clad breasts came next, and Severus found himself transfixed, causing Lily to laugh lightly. Compared to when Lily began unbuttoning her shirt earlier, she seemed far more at ease now. Her hands no longer shook, and she was no longer sweating, so Severus didn't stop her this time and let her go all the way. She exposed the milky, pale skin of her abdomen last as the final button popped free. With a swift tug, she pulled the hem of her shirt up from her skirt, and then shrugged the garment off her shoulders.

What little insecurity she had left over Severus' reception to her baring her chest to him was quickly thrown to the wind. His reaction did not disappoint to say the least. His jaw had quite literally, dropped, as had his hands from her body which now hung limply at his sides. Under his dark, scrutinizing gaze, Lily blushed slightly, but her smile was telling of the lack of insecurity she felt.

"Do you…like what you see?"

"Like?" Severus whispered. He shook his head, once, then twice. "I…much more than like, Lily, so much more."

"Then show me," Lily said more firmly, pressing up against him. She arched her back off the wall, and pressed her chest into his. "Touch me, Sev," she said, "and show me how much you love me."

Severus captured her lips in a brutal kiss, but his touch remained gentle and soothing—such was the dichotomy of his actions. While his lips attacked hers, nipping and sucking and thrusting his tongue forcefully into her mouth—adding heat to the fire Lily bore for Severus; his hands ghosted over her like she was made of porcelain. Satisfied with the passion in his crushing kisses against her lips, but desperate for more than just his gentle touches, she arched off the wall entirely and forced him across the tiny alcove to the opposite one. "Lily…what're you doing?" Severus groaned against her lips.

Lily pulled away, a deep, green fire blazing in her eyes. "I want you to touch me, Severus, I want you to feel what you do to me, what you create within me—" she reached for his hand and planted it firmly over her breast, "—I want you to feel all that I feel. And then, if you're willing, I want to see you too."

Her thigh moved between his legs, and she could feel his hardness growing, she knew he wanted her, but he wanted him to know—to understand that she wanted him just as much, in spite of all that he perceived brought him down. Her eyes softened, and she pulled away entirely; but the loss of her touch on him and the reaction he gave her as she stepped away from him was an encouraging sign.

"Please, Sev. I want to see you. I won't think differently of you either way, but…I want to see you too. Please."

Severus looked conflicted, far too many emotions forming on his face for Lily to keep track of. He eventually gave a weary nod, throwing in the towel to her requests. Lily tried not to look elated but she'd be willing to bet she failed on that front. Severus reached for his robe, and pulled it over his head before it too joined her shirt, and robe on the ground.

When Severus reached for the topmost of the black buttons that secured his shirt, Lily bounded towards him and caught his hands in her's. "May I?" she asked quietly, just as he'd un-looped the first button.

Severus nodded tightly, still wearing that pinched expression of distress not dissimilar to one a frightened animal might have. "Thank you," Lily murmured, smiling a small, little smile.

She leaned up on her toes and kissed him sweetly, hoping her gentle affections would pull his mind far away from the scars that littered his chest and back as she got to work undoing the buttons. One by one, she freed them, baring his chest more and more with each one. She didn't watch her work however, her hands worked of their own accord as she kept her eyes on his. Kept her eyes on his dark ones, watching as looks of pain morphed to pleasure, then back again. It hurt her, seeing that scared look cross her face, but she wanted to prove him wrong, she wanted to prove to him that she didn't just love him in spite of the scars he wore, but that she quite possibly loved him even more because of them. To Lily, they were marks of strength, and how much he'd gone through, live through, and thrived through. It was a true testament to his will and courage, and she loved him so much more for it. When the last button had popped free from its bindings, his shirt only hug loosely on his shoulders now. Severus discarded it himself, beating Lily to the punch.

Only now when he was bare-chested as she was(except for her bra), did she pull her lips away from his; but despite him now lacking a shirt, she kept her eyes on his. His eyes were shut, and his head was hung low with resignation as she pulled her lips away, he looked afraid, and Lily wanted to take that look away if it were possible in any way, shape or form. She took another step away from him, and his hand fell from her breast to hang limply at his side, he still didn't want to look at her, but she kept her eyes on his.

When Lily finally looked down, already knowing what to expect given the glimpse she'd gotten of his chest all those months ago, it took every ounce of willpower she had not to scream. In her silence, Severus finally looked up, sensing that her eyes had left his and had fallen onto his scarred chest and abdomen.

"It's hideous," he muttered, but the true meaning of his words were there, just buried beneath the surface under the shell of his spiky exterior. I'm hideous. You're repulsed by me.

"No," Lily choked out. "No you are not, Severus you are not hideous, not to me, nor anyone with an ounce of common sense!"

Severus looked angry, but of greater importance to Lily, he didn't look like he believed her at all. "So you say," he grit out, his teeth gnashed together.

"No Severus, no, just…no," Lily pleaded.

All of a sudden, rage, anger, and hatred seemed to bubble up from deep within Lily, she felt such anger—anger that she'd never known since Severus had told her what Tobias had done to him by the river. Her rage found a target in Tobias Snape, responsible for the majority of the scars she could see tattooed across Severus' chest, and another target in James Potter and Sirius Black—they too were responsible for some of Severus' wounds. But the last person in the world she wanted to get angry at, the last person in the world she wanted to release her anger on, was stood in front of her. And she knew that right now, there was no time for anger, it was no time for righteous rage and fury on Severus' behalf when the people that had hurt him so were half a world away. Right now, in this moment, the very last thing she needed to be feeling, and giving out, was anger. Right now, all Severus needed was some reassuring, some loving, and the gentle touch and lips of the girl he loved, who was decidedly not repulsed by the marks of bravery and resolve he wore.

Above all else, Severus needed her love. And she'd be damned if she were unable to show him that.

Lily locked her rage in a box, and buried it under six feet of earth in the deepest recess of her mind. After taking several deep, calming breaths to rid herself of the anger she so desperately wanted to express on his behalf, she finally felt ready to speak again—and she was confident she wouldn't explode like a nuclear bomb when she did. When she exhaled that last breath, and re-opened her eyes to find Severus looking at her guardedly, with his arms crossed over his scarred chest; she only felt serenity and love for the boy stood across from her. Her anger had all but been cast into the wind.

"Severus look at me as I say this," Lily said softly, yet firmly.

His eyes stared into her's intently, wanting to believe whatever it was she had to say, but still guarded and concerned. He didn't say a word, nor did he make a move to uncross his arms. He silently awaited for Lily to speak.

"I love you, Sev. I love you, and nothing you show me, or reveal to me, will change that. I don't care what it is you show me, as long as you stay true to who you are, and what you wish to be, I will never stop loving you. I will never stop loving you. Just be your usual, brilliant self, and that's all I need Sev. All I want, and all I need, is you."

For a long time, Severus didn't speak, he just stared deeply into her eyes as if by doing so, he could gauge her sincerity. Evidently, he must have been satisfied with what he found, since after several long minutes, he said; "I trust you."

Lily choked on a singular sob in relief, and tears welled in the ducts of her eyes. She quickly wiped them away with the back of her wrist though, she doubted Severus would take well to her crying on his behalf. He'd never handled her crying well, and he'd handled her crying for him, even worse than that. Merlin knew she'd cried enough for Severus in years past so she wouldn't be doing that now. Better than tears, she needed to show Severus, and put words into action—the depth of the love she felt for him. To Lily, they were marks of strength and resilience, and his everlasting grit that marked him as a Spinner's End kid. Slowly, she crossed the small gap between them, and hugged him tightly.

Their bare-chested bodies seemed to mould together, and despite having never touched skin to skin before today, it simply felt right to her, and to him. Her lips found the first of his many scars on his chest—a poker mark on his collarbone from his father. When she kissed it, she felt him tense in her arms, and beneath her lips, but he didn't try to squirm away. Severus stayed as still as he could be, and allowed Lily to bestow her love on him without protest. He said he trusted her, and right now, he was doing just that, and allowing Lily to banish the hurt each of those marks represented. She then kissed another, this was a laceration from a cutting spell Black had used on him when he'd been dueling them three-on-one. She kissed that too, and let her lips linger, suckling gently on the skin almost as if she thought she vanish away the pain of the scar with her lips. Alas, she couldn't, but it didn't stop her from trying to regardless, and letting her mouth linger just a bit longer on each of his scars.

As Lily's lips caressed his chest, and her hands stroked his back, Severus found his own arms doing the same. Her bra strap was annoying and got in the way of the long, sweeping strokes his arms made up and down her back, but at least it served as a pleasant distraction from what Lily was doing to him now. Lily seemed to appreciate it too, and his hands found a gentle rhythm caressing her pale back as her hands did the same.

He didn't want to believe, he didn't want to hope that she was sincere, that she was right. For the last time someone had caught a glimpse of his scars—his roommates back at Hogwarts—they'd called him all sorts of names and made fun of him relentlessly for it. They called him a freak, an aberration, and since that day no one had seen his scars until now. With her lips, and her hands, and the sweet words she murmured against his skin, she was quite literally rewriting the code of Severus' brain, and changing his perception of himself. She was showing him he needn't be ashamed, or afraid of showing his scars to her, and that she still loved him all the same.

When he finally relaxed wholly in her arms, Lily felt a sense of victory wash over her. As Lily pulled her lips back from a belt laceration, Severus finally stepped back and out of her embrace, standing taller than he ever did before. He didn't need to speak, for Lily felt his gratitude wash over her in waves, but he voiced his thoughts nonetheless.

"Thank you."

Her lip twitched into a small smile. She didn't get to wear it long however, as Severus' lips covered her's once more, in a kiss that conveyed his passion—but lacked any harsh aggression that was present earlier. When they parted, they did so reluctantly, and then sank to the floor of the alcove and sat next to each other on the cold stone floor.

"Can you tell me about them?" Lily asked, after a long period of contented silence between them.

"What do you want to know?" Severus asked, glancing over at her. He lacked the nervousness and apprehension that Lily knew had enshrouded him earlier, for he was assured by the sincerity in her words and actions.

Lily tilted her head to gaze at him, her gaze dragging up the side of his chest, and taking in the laceration scars along his ribs. Gently, she put her fingers on one raised ridge of scarring, and he no longer flinched, quite the opposite actually. He leaned into her touch and sighed with nary a burden as her fingers glided over his skin.

"This one. Was it your father?" She kept her voice level and calm, pushing back her anger towards his father, as well as her pity on his behalf, knowing neither would sit well with him.

He nodded tightly. "Indeed. For burning Tobias' trousers by accident with an iron."

"How old were you?"

For this, she would not receive an answer, since Severus shook his head firmly. "That, you don't want to know."

Lily nodded in acceptance, and wisely chose to drop the issue, knowing Severus wouldn't be budged on this, at least. For a long while, Severus and Lily just sat on the floor of their little alcove and talked. And once Severus got going, he hardly needed Lily to prompt him any more. There were some scars that Severus adamantly refused to talk about, and so he didn't, but there were others that he was willing to divulge the story behind—that Lily frequently found herself fighting back tears, or frothing rage as a result. He seemed to talk for hours and hours, so much more at ease with himself—and silently relieved that Lily indeed hadn't run away in horror or disgust at the marks he suffered in moments of weakness; and the more he talked, the more he found himself believing in her, and in her words of trust and love earlier. In the end, Lily hadn't run, she was still there by his side listening attentively to all he had to say; and that was worth the world to him.

A/N: Sooner or later, the line will be crossed and this story will delve into M-territory. Not just yet, but sometime in the not-too-distant future. Severus finally opening up wholly to Lily was a long-time coming, and much needed for Severus to now fully realize his self-worth, and how much he's worth in Lily's eyes. The final barriers between them have come crumbling down so now their relationship can move in an entirely new direction.

As this chapter goes up, the Russian GP has just ended and Lando Norris has lost his maiden win. It sucks, but it is what it is. Vettel and Gasly not scoring a point between them also feels like a gut-punch so I hope this chapter cheers you up as much as it does for me.

Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the next update!