A/N: Ok, guess what? I forgot all about poor Iris in the last one, oh well, she was magiced to Lily's house over the holidays. Sorry for the delay, but since it's the holidays and I had next to nothing to do all week, I just couldn't be bothered. Plus I typed half of this, then lost the disk so I had to re-type it (it isn't as good anymore, oh well) please review at the end. And please don't flame me for what I'm working up to.
*********************************************************************
The Christmas holidays came and went, Petunia was being the biggest bitch she had ever been.
It seemed that she had spent the whole term thinking up ways to make Lily feel unwelcome. She never did or said anything in front of Lily's parents, but as soon as they left the room, she would plunge into a harsh description of a medieval witch burning.
Lily's friends from primary school were always to busy to talk to Lily for long, for some strange reason, Lily had a feeling they were avoiding her. It was all very strange.
Anyway, when the day came for Lily to return to Kingscross to board the Hogwarts Express, she was all packed and ready. Her mother was taking her this time.
She dropped Lily off with 15 minutes to spare, and Lily was left to carry her trunk and Iris' cage into the station by herself.
She walked calmly through the barrier, closing her eyes as she passed through the stone.
Once she was through, she looked around. The scarlet steam train was already awaiting the students. She stood still for a moment, looking around for a friendly first year she recognised, suddenly, something rushed into her from behind, causing her to fall to the ground.
'Oh, God, sorry.' Lily got up and turned to face one of Sirius and James' friend.
'That's ok, I shouldn't of been standing so close to the barrier anyway.' She said smiling. 'Remus right?'
'Yeah, have you seen James or Peter anywhere?'
'Nuh, maybe they're on the train.'
He nodded tiredly, and they made their way onto the train.
They searched the train, but Peter and James weren't to be found, they found a spare compartment and Remus leaned his head back and closed his eyes.
He looked so very tired that Lily decided to let him rest. She looked out the window at the number of students who were gradually moving onto the train.
Suddenly, through the crowd, she spotted James and Peter running as fast as they could towards the train.
She looked behind them and saw a very angry (and dirty) looking Snape running after them. He looked angry.
James and Peter jumped into the train and rushed into the compartment panting heavily. They both collapsed into the seats the compartment had to spare.
When James had recovered after a minute, he looked up and saw Lily and Remus looking expectantly at him.
'Oh, hi.' He said grinning from ear to ear. 'How were your holidays?' He asked.
'Fine.' They said together.
'What did you do to Severus, James?' Lily asked hesitantly.
'We bombed him with dungbombs.' James told her, as though this was as normal as eating toast.
Lily sighed and shook her head in disbelief.
Just then, the compartment door opened, and a very angry Snape barged through. He looked as though he had tried to wipe the gunk off his face.
'Potter! Pettigrew!' He started angrily. 'You two are going to pay for this.' He told them icily.
'Why Snape?' James asked innocently. 'We were only trying to make you wash your hair, I mean, it really does need it...'
The boys cracked up, Peter chuckling, but looking very nervous.
Snape reached into his pocket and pulled out his wand, getting ready to curse the compartment.
'Hi Severus.' Lily said quickly so he wouldn't do anything rash.
Snape, realising she was there for the first time, quickly changed his attitude. 'Oh, hi Lily. Did you get my owl?' He asked in a totally different voice. James stopped laughing and quickly looked up at Snape, as though daring him to continue talking to Lily.
'...Er no. Did you send one?' Lily asked confused.
'Yeah, it probably got lost again. I'm getting a new one during the summer holidays though.'
'Oh, that's good.'
James stood up now. 'Ok Snape, well it's been really great having you here, but I think it's time for you to leave.' He pushed Snape out of the compartment and magically sealed the door with his wand.
Lily frowned. 'James...' She started in an annoyed voice.
'Yes?' He asked innocently. 'I'm really sorry Lily, but I just couldn't stand his stench one minute more.'
'I personally agree with James.' Remus told her. 'I mean, did you smell him Lily? I mean he smelt of ...of dung.'
Lily did not look impressed.
Peter just sank lower in his seat, being the babbling idiot he was, he couldn't stand the tension in the dimly lit compartment.
'So, anyone want to play exploding snap?' James asked cheerfully.
***
Hours later, they pulled into the Hogsmeade station. This time, the first years were not taken across the lake as it had frozen over. Instead, they lined up with the rest of the students to get into one of the horseless carriages.
When they reached the entrance to the castle, they were ushered into the great hall where the student's who had remained behind were already waiting.
Lily sat down next to Jasmine, with James, Remus and Peter sitting across from them next to Sirius.
'Hi guys, how were your holidays?' Jasmine asked excitedly.
'They were great. How 'bout yours?'
'Oh well, you know,' Sirius leaned over and grabbed Jasmine's hand. 'I forgot to get her a Christmas present, so now we're engaged.'
'Oh? Is that how it works?' Lily asked in mock amazement.
'Of course it is.'
Just then, Dumbledore stood up to speak. 'Welcome back everyone; I trust you had a short, but none-the-less good Christmas. Anyway, please, tuck-in.'
The empty plates in front of them immediately filled with the delicious food only Hogwarts can produce.
They ate and talked and in what seemed like no time at all, everyone was trudging up sleepily to their common rooms and dorms.
***
The next morning Lily woke up at 6:30. She was used to this by now, as for all last term she had been waking up early. She reckoned it must have something to do with all the magic in the air.
She moved her legs, and Iris jumped off her bed grumpily.
Lily got up, and went down into the common room with her book from Christmas.
Half an hour later she was so busily entwined with the duel between Indigo and Wesley that she didn't notice a tapping sound on the common room window.
It grew louder, and she resentfully lifted her eyes from the page and looked to see what was making that sound.
An old looking owl was practically head butting the glass pain in eager attempts to escape from the cold winter snow that was drifting down into the Hogwarts grounds.
She quickly got up and let it in.
The poor thing swooped gratefully inside and dropped a letter onto the armchair by the fire where she had been sitting.
She opened it and began to read the letter inside.
Lily,
I'm really sorry about barging into your compartment yesterday.
Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me with my astronomy assignment this Saturday. I'm not good at remembering all the different constellations.
Severus Snape
PS, This owl is Gewst. The owl famous for not delivering letters.
Lily smiled and reached for a quill and piece of parchment to write a reply.
Severus,
Don't worry about barging in, it was James' fault you were covered in goo anyway.-
'It was not!' James' voice came from behind her and Lily flushed with anger.
'James!' She cried angrily. She jumped up, and whirled around to face...nothing.
Suddenly, James appeared, holding a silvery piece of material in his hands. 'It was not my fault he got covered in goo.'
'How was it not your fault?' She asked furiously. 'And what is that?' She asked motioning to what he was holding.
'It was not my fault because he chose to stand in that particular part of the platform when the bombs went off, and this is an invisibility cloak.' He told her proudly.
Lily scowled, obviously not as impressed with the cloak as he was. 'What were you doing reading over my shoulder anyway?' She demanded.
'I was curious to see what you were writing. And you weren't actually considering on going out with that…that Slytherin were you?'
Lily's blood boiled. 'My letter's are my letters James! You have no right to read them! And for your information, I was planning on "going out with that Slytherin"! Not that it's any of your business James!' And with that, she grabbed her stuff, and walked hotly up the stairs to her dormitory, leaving James to feel completely drained.
'They hadn't been back one whole day and Lily was already pissed with him, now does that seem familiar somehow?' He thought annoyed to himself.
***
Jasmine watched as Lily stormed into the dormitory angrily and sat cross-legged on her bed, stroking Iris rather more roughly than she meant to.
'Uh…good-morning Lily.' Jasmine said carefully.
'Not really.' Lily replied grumpily.
Jasmine sighed. 'Want to tell me about it?' She asked hopefully.
'No.' Lily said flately.
Jasmine waited, and then Lily lunged into a steady flow of talk.
'James is such a dickhead! He's acting as though we're going out! Honestly, it is my choice who I spend my time with! And really, helping Severus with Astronomy really doesn't count as a date anyway –not that it's any of James' business anyway! I mean, he shouldn't of been reading my letter anyway!-'
'Hang-on Lily! Slow down, what happened?'
'I got a letter from Snape asking if I could help him with his astronomy, because you know that really isn't his best subject, and James snuck up behind me with his stupid invisibility cloak and read it over my shoulder! And now he's going on about how a Gryffindor dating a Slytherin isn't right, and we're not even going out! It's only me helping him with his astronomy! Honestly, James can be such a dick!' She said this all very fast.
'James has an invisibility cloak?' Jasmine asked in awe.
'Argh!' Lily cried angrily, grabbing her books and heading out back into the common room. She completely ignored James and opened the portrait door and hurried to the great hall for breakfast.
When she got to the entrance hall she was tapped on the back by someone.
'What?' She asked irritated. She turned around to face Snape. 'Oh, sorry Severus, morning.'
'Morning Lily. Did you get my owl this time?'
'Yeah, I was writing a reply, but I was interrupted…' She sighed and brushed a strand of her red hair off her face. 'Anyway, sure, I'd love to help you with Astronomy. I'll meet you in the tower at about ten ok?'
'Yep, that's fine thanks.' Snape smiled ((for the first time in his life…)) and walked over to Slytherin table in the great hall.
Lily made her way over to the Gryffindor table.
A moment after she had sat down, she was joined by one of the girls in her dormitory who she had never spoken to. 'Hi, I'm Katie.' She said holding out her hand.
Lily took it. 'I'm Lily, nice to meet you.'
Katie nodded. 'I saw you talking to Snape…' She started.
'Yeah? So what?' Lily asked defensively.
'Well, you do know that he knows more dark spells most of the sixth and seventh years put together don't you?'
'I've heard that rumor.' Lily said irritated. 'Why?'
Katie raised her eyebrows. 'Oh, I dunno, but don't you think that's a little…strange?'
Lily said nothing and turned back to her toast.
The girl didn't give up though. 'I even heard that his family were You-know-who supporters. If I were you, I'd stay as far away from him as possible.'
'Yeah well your not me, you don't know that his family are supporters of You-know-who, and you don't know Severus.'
'Well, neither do you.'
Lily smirked at Katie and got up. 'Yes I do.'
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A/N: Ok, Please don't flame me for what I'm doing in this fic, I've got it all worked out. Please review, I'll try to get the next part up soon, but I'm going to the carols on the hill tonight and I have a night, so please be patiant. Thank-you to all the people who reviewed last time, you made me J.