AN: A section of the chapter has been copied from page 542, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

"Mudblood." The word rang in her ears as she ran away from the lake tears leaking down her face. She didn't know where she was going, she just kept running, getting away from them, him. Lily would have kept running had she not tripped, she fell down hard and broke down, not really having the strength to get up. She knew she sounded like a wounded beast, but Severus, her best friend had done the unthinkable. She knew this was going to happen someday but she always believed that she would be able to make Severus see reason; she never would have believed that Severus saw her as something dirty.

Her heart ached; memories started flitting across her eyes, Severus telling her that blood status didn't matter. Severus promising that he would always protect her. Severus always promising her that blood status did not matter to him, that she was too special, too good and no one would hate her for being a muggleborn. How could Severus do this? Who was this Severus Snape? Where was her best friend who never said such hurtful words?

Lily tried to get up, wiping her eyes but failed, she had hurt her knee pretty bad. Just then someone offered her a hand; she took it gratefully looking up to see Sirius Black looking at her with concern. She let go of his hand, it was all their fault. Had they not harassed Severus so much, maybe Severus would not have called her a mudblood. Deep down she knew this was not true, they had not made Severus hate muggleborns, if anything Potter and Black should have made Severus hate purebloods. She crossed her arms, looking away, angry tears spilling down her eyes.

Black sat on the floor across her, watching her warily. "I am sorry." He said his eyes downcast. Lily stared at him. "I should have known better. I swear to Merlin, I had not thought that Snape would call you that word." Lily did not answer, she just kept looking away. "Lils please, say something. Shout at me, hex me, hell, use an unforgivable on me but please say something."

Lily's lower lip quivered, "He was my best friend." She whispered through her tears. "He told me being a muggleborn would not matter. And now he- now he-" Lily started sobbing again. Sirius moved forward and engulfed her in a hug. Lily started hitting him, "Why did you provoke him so much? Didn't you know better? You are worse when you are around Potter!" She screeched, punctuating each sentence with a punch on his chest before going limp in his arms. "Why did he call me a mudblood, Sirius?" Lily sobbed, "Does he honestly think that I am dirty? Am I really worthless?"

Sirius made a noise as he forced her to look into his eyes, green eyes met stormy grey. "You are not worthless. Do you hear me?" He said gently but firmly. "You are an amazing person and Snape is an idiot to hold your blood status against you." Fresh tears leaked out of Lily's eyes, Sirius hugged her again, helping her on her feet. "Come on; let's get you to Madam Pompfrey. I know a couple of healing spells but I would rather she fixed you up. Okay?" He said gently, half carrying her to the hospital.

After a short trip to hospital wing, Sirius walked back to the common room with Lily, to find Remus waiting for them there with Alice, Marlene, Mary, James and Peter. As soon as Lily clambered through the portrait hole she was attacked by all of them together. Before she knew she was being hugged by Remus who was quickly batted out of the way by Alice, Marlene and Mary who gave Lily a group hug. They held on to her for a while, before giving way to Peter who patted Lily's hair. James stood in front of her, eyes downcast. He knew she had been crying, Sirius had won a round of Stone-Paper-Scissors with Remus to go talk to Lily. Lily took one look at him and marched away with Alice and Marlene in tow. They sat in a corner revising their transfiguration notes till supper.

Severus was waiting for Lily outside the Great Hall, he started as soon as he saw her approach the hall, but Alice, Mary and Marlene flanked Lily protectively while Remus and Sirius followed the group their jaws set. James walked behind the group feeling horrible. The Marauders had sworn that they would break Lily's illusion regarding Snape but he was not ready for the heartbreak he witnessed and felt. Years later James would not be able to explain, what possessed him to act the way he did that day. He knew he had crossed all lines.

Severus ignored the rest and approached Lily, but Marlene, held Lily's arm firmly and lead her away, glaring at Severus. Lily sat at the table, not really eating anything, Severus sat next to Regulus, looking forlorn and not really eating anything either. Avery and Mulciber had congratulated him on publicly humiliating the deranged mudblood who believed Severus was her best friend. Regulus however, knew the truth. He saw the misery in Severus' eyes, he knew that misery well; he missed his elder brother too, except that Sirius seemed to have replaced him with Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew.

"For heaven's sake!" Regulus whispered to Snape. "Get a grip. Go apologise after dinner. Convince her that you didn't mean it and don't act rash if she is angry with you."

Severus nodded, looking at Lily again who was playing with her food. Just then, Marlene fed her some food from her fork, followed by Alice and Marlene. Severus was jealous; he thought it was unfair that they got to be the ones to take care of Lily, his Lily. It was his job to cheer her up, at some point Black said something and Lily laughed. She didn't laugh for long, but she laughed and Severus saw red. He stood up his hunger all but gone and left the hall. It took him a few minutes to calm down. He made his way back to the Great Hall determined to talk to Lily, not really caring about who saw him talking to her.

He searched the Gryffindor table for Lily but she was gone, so were half the people her age apart from Prewett and MacDonald who were quizzing each other. Severus would have walked up to them, demanding for Lily but he caught Regulus' eye who shook his head as he approached him.

"Go to the Gryffindor tower and talk to her there. Do you want to get yourself killed or her cursed by talking to them here? Mulciber, Avery, Nott, Goyle the whole lot of them are watching you." Regulus said as he dragged Severus out of the Great Hall.

Severus paced outside the portrait hole. He had asked; no begged the Fat Lady to let him in and talk to Lily but she didn't budge. He was already planning to sleep here if he didn't find any stragglers to take his message in, but he would talk to Lily come what may. She must know that it just slipped out, that he didn't mean it. He would die before letting her down. He had to tell her that he loved her, always had loved her. He never saw her as someone worthless. How could he? Lily was the only person who chose to see and appreciate the person he was. She had to understand that she meant the world to him. Lost in his thoughts Severus paced for what looked like hours before he saw a third year approaching the portrait hole.

The girl took one look at him and squeaked in fright. Severus recognised her; she was one of the mud- muggleborns Avery and Mulciber had tortured while he had watched. She ignored him, once she recovered from her fear and marched up to the Fat Lady and whispered the password. The portrait hole swung open. "Wait!" Severus called. She stopped and turned to look at him, her expression less than friendly and folded her arms across her chest. "Can you please let me in? I have to talk to Lily Evans. It is important."

"No." The girl spoke angrily before climbing through the portrait hole. Severus swore angrily, bloody Gryffindors. Bloody Gryffindor Mudbloods. Mean little bastards, and everyone thought Slytherins were the black sheep. How can they say so? Here the entire Gryffindor house was set on snatching Lily away from him. How were they nice people then?

It was almost curfew when he saw Prewett and MacDonald approach the portrait hole. "About time." Severus said loudly as he stood in front of the two girls. "I need to talk to Lily and you need to take me inside or call her out here for the same."

"You have some nerve, showing up here." Prewett said angrily, already drawing her wand out. "Get away from us, we are not helping you out, not after what you said to her. Come on, Mary." She said and the girls left, Severus grabbed MacDonald's hand as she made her way through the portrait hole.

"Listen, MacDonald." He said urgently, "I know you don't like me and trust me the feeling is mutual, but I need to talk to Lily. If she doesn't come out tonight, I will sleep here till she comes and talks to me." MacDonald struggled to free her wrist, he let go and she clambered in.

Severus had to wait for another 30 minutes before Lily stepped out in her dressing gown. It looked like she had been crying before that. She stood in front of Severus arms folded; her disappointment in him seemed to seep into the air around them. Severus had planned all his words, but now that Lily was there in front of him, he found it difficult to speak.

"I'm sorry." He managed to say after what looked like ages.

"I'm not interested.'

"'I' m sorry!"

"Save your breath." Lily said before continuing. "I only came out because Mary told me you were threatening to sleep here."

"I was. I would have done. I never meant to call you a Mudblood, it just-"

"Slipped out?" Lily could not feel sorry for him, even when she knew that her words and attitude were hurting him but she had thought this through before coming down to meet him, she had to end this before he hurt her any more. "I've made excuses for you for years. None of my friends can understand why I even talk to you. You and your precious little Death Eater friends- you see, you don't even deny it! You don't even deny that's what you're all aiming to be! You can't wait to join You-Know-Who, can you?"

Severus wanted to deny all of this; he opened his mouth to deny it too but realized that finally Lily was seeing him like everybody saw him. She didn't believe in him anymore. He closed his mouth without saying anything; he knew her accusations were true.

"I can't pretend any more. You've chosen your way, I've chosen mine." She said with finality in her voice.

"No- listen, I didn't mean-"

"- to call me a Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

Severus struggled, what could he say now to make her see that she was special? She was not a common Mudblood, she was Lily Evans, his Lily. He struggled to collect his thoughts, almost saying that he was madly and irrevocably in love with her and that is why she was different. But before he could say anything Lily gave him a contemptuous look and climbed back into the portrait hole.

Severus crumpled outside the portrait hole, sobbing at the loss of the one girl he would ever love. On the other side of the portrait hole, the Marauders watched Lily run up the stairs to her dormitory, trying to stem the tears that were flowing down her eyes.

"Was it worth it?" James wondered as he watched Lily dash away. Remus shook his head.

"She will take some time but it is better that she knows now, rather than later." Sirius said with a shrug. "Don't worry; we will take care of her. She will be fine."

"I am glad she stood up for herself. At least she would not be hurt again and again." Peter said idly. The Marauders all looked at each other and went back to staring at their books, their thoughts with the girl in their house and on the boy crumpled outside their portrait hole.

AN: Sooooooooooooo, another chapter done. I hope you like it. I pulled a lot of hair out of scalp to write this one. Anyway, please, please, please do read and review. Please. Happy reading. Next up a letter from Prongs to Lily and then probably a couple of chapters before Prongs is exposed. Tell me what you think. Please do read my other fics, they are all inter connected. Happy Reading once again.

Thank you for all the glowing reviews.

Much love

The Fishes