As I promise, the second chapter of the day... There's two tiny twists, no biggies. It's amazing what you can get done when there's no school.
Lana
Two months later, Lily and Severus boarded the Hogwarts
Express together, much to James' surprise. Lily had been asked to take
on the position as Head Girl, and unfortunately James was now Head Boy.
As long as Severus was with Lily, James didn't dare come up to her. Still
thinking Lily was playing along with his game, James decided it was best
to leave the couple alone.
"How was the rest of your summer?" Lily asked Severus as the two sat down in an empty compartment.
"It was… terrible, I guess." Severus shrugged, looking down at his hands.
"Why?" Lily asked gently, placing her hand on his shoulder. Severus shrugged it off, and then pulled up the sleeve on his left arm.
"My father made me."
Lily's eyes widened with surprise when she saw the Dark Mark burnt into his forearm. She instinctively started to move away from him, but she stopped herself.
"You didn't want to…. Right?"
Severus shook his head, "No. I fought him tooth and nail, until he threatened to kill me. My father… He would have done it too, had I given him the right reasons. My father insisted his Lord didn't call me during my stay at Hogwarts, as it is too dangerous, since I would be right under Professor Dumbledore's nose."
Lily sighed. "You have to tell him… He can help you."
Severus nodded, "I am. Once all the hype of the first few days of school dies down, I intend to."
Lily nodded, "Good. He might even be able to take that thing off of you, if you want."
Severus shook his head, "It's too risky. My father might notice it, or Voldemort might sense it. He is rather ugly, you know."
Lily laughed in spite of herself, "Really?"
"Yep, red skin, snake eyes… If he wasn't so ugly, he might just look intimidating."
After they got off the train, Severus escorted Lily to the Great Hall, where the rest of the student population was sitting. The Feast went by without a hitch, James sitting three seats away from Lily. However, as the Gryffindor House slowly retired to their dormitories, Lily once again heard James creep into hers. He quietly lay down next to her, and then pushed her hair back behind her ear.
"I know you're awake, Lily… talk to me." He whispered.
"Sorry." Lily mumbled, turning towards him. "What's going on?"
James looked displeased, "Explain to me why you didn't dump him over the summer, like I told you to."
Lily rolled her eyes, "Shouldn't it be my decision?"
"And why would it be your decision?" James mocked, sitting up.
"Why wouldn't it be? It's my relationship, not yours."
"And you're MY girlfriend, not that low life's!" James exclaimed.
"He is NOT a low life, James. He's… he's a whole lot better than you ever were." Lily mumbled the last part, hoping it was so incoherent James wouldn't understand her. Unfortunately, he understood her perfectly, and the next moment she felt the stinging sensation of being slapped on her check.
"You have your priorities mixed up, Lily. I'm your boyfriend, remember? Me? James Potter? I made you what you are; Head Girl, popular, loved by all. Get it straight."
Lily felt five years worth of anger boil up inside her, and she finally mustered enough courage to speak.
"No James, I'm the reason you're Head Boy. Without me, you wouldn't have passed half your classes. Without me, no one would think you and your little Marauder friends were funny. They'd see you as immature little children. But no, you were dating me; therefore you couldn't have been all that bad." Lily muttered through a clenched jaw.
James clenched and unclenched his fists, his face turning red with rage. "How dare you ever speak to me like that! Severus Snape is warping your mind; first, all this ignoring me and second, now you're talking back. What gave you the right to do that to me?"
Lily was now shaking with fear, but she held her ground. "Has it taken you this long to realize I'm a human too? I'm not some play thing you dump and discard after you're done, or beat when you're angry. For five years, I've let you get away with that, but I'm finished. If you're going to continue to treat me like this, I-"
"You'll what, Lily? Break up with me?" James asked quietly.
"Yes." Lily answered, trying to calm herself down.
"If it'll make you feel better." James got up and looked down at her once more. "Go to Snape, tell him how almost every night for the past three school years you've slept with me. Tell him all about how I've had you for five years, and how I've loved you more than anything in this world for what feels like forever. If he means that much to you, fine, leave. Just remember Lil, I'm the only one you've ever been with. He's never going to have you like I had you, you might think he will, but I'm yours and you're mine forever. Just remember that, Lil." With that, he walked out of the room, not bothering to shut the door behind him. Lily sighed, tears silently running down her cheeks.
It was over. It was finally over.