Lana
Severus was waiting patiently for Lily near the entrance to Professor Dumbledore's office when Lily burst out of the wall with a smile as big as Severus had ever seen.
"Hey Lil, what're you smiling about?" Severus grinned in spite of himself, then wrapped his arms around her shoulder.
"Promise not to be mad?" Lily asked, looking up at him.
"Since you're smiling, it can't be all that bad."
Lily shrugged, "Depends on your perspective."
Severus nodded, "I promise I'll try to be as happy as you are."
"You sure?"
Severus nearly burst from anticipation, "Yes! I'll be as happy or happier than you are, I promise!"
Lily shook her head, "You can't promise that on something like this."
"Spit it out Lil."
"Promise not to be mad?"
"I promise! Stop teasing me, Lil."
"You can't be mad."
"I won't be."
"Yes you will. What's the best possible thing that could happen to you right now?"
"Passing all my classes."
"With me, I mean."
Severus thought for a moment. "Starting a life together, I guess."
"What's the worst?"
"You're not breaking up with me, are you?"
Lily laughed, "Of course not! Why would I do something like that?"
He shrugged, "As from what you're telling me, it could be anything."
She shook her head, "Just remember, you promised not to be mad."
"Like I said, I could never be mad at you."
Lily nodded, "Ok, you remember the week you spent at my house for Petunia's wedding?"
"How could I forget? It was the best week of my life."
Lily noddedonce more, "Of course, you remember what we did…"
"Seven nights in a row."
"Yes, that. Anyway…"
"Lily, you're not pregnant, are you?"
"Would you be mad if I said I was?"
"You mean…?" Severus' eyes widened. "My God, Lil! That's great news!" He took her in his arms and swung her around.
Lily kissed him, her grin still not fading. "You mean you're not mad?"
"Of course not! Lil, we're both 17, I can easily get a job somewhere and get a house for the two of us in Hogsmeade or someplace, wherever you want to go."
Lily shook her head, "I'm sure Dad'll be ok with you staying with us during the summer while we set things up… I'm due in April, so I'm not too sure how we're going to do this. Papa might let us stay in a private room, if that's ok with you. I'd understand if you wanted to stay in your dorm with your friends."
Severus smirked, "Those people? My friends? Mere acquaintances, nothing more."
Lily nodded. "It's a girl, by the way."
"We're going to have a daughter?" Severus exclaimed.
"Yes, a daughter. I asked Papa, and he said that even though James did all of that… stuff, I'm perfectly fine. He also told me it was a girl."
"Wow… we're going to have a daughter." Severus whispered, as if he was in a daze.
"Amazing, isn't it?"
"I'll say."
Back in the Gryffindor common room, James was surrounded by his three friends. He had been in a slight daze for nearly twenty-four hours, and they were determined to get to the bottom of it.
"You know that saying, 'you don't know what you've got till it's gone'?" James asked out of the blue.
"Yeah, why?" Sirius answered, gazing into the fire.
"It's true… Way too true." James mumbled once more.
Remus turned towards James, a curious expression on his face. "This wouldn't have anything to do with Lily and Snape, would it?"
James smirked, "Of course it does. Did you know we never really broke up? It was all staged."
Remus looked only mildly surprised, "And why did you two stage it?"
"To make Snape's life hell. We all know he liked her back then, and Lily was the perfect pawn to get back at Snape. Make him fall for her – hard – and then have her break up with him. Hurt him so much he wanted to die."
Sirius looked confused, "So you two are still going out?"
James shook his head, "No, she broke up with me last night. She broke up with ME for that slimy bastard Snape!"
Remus shook his head, "You did deserve it."
James turned towards him, a furious look on his face. "What did I ever do to her?"
"I couldn't touch her without having her wince. You hit her so hard, so often, she had permanent bruises for three years straight." Remus commented.
"Not to mention we all knew what you two did on a nightly basis. The first year we met her, she was all about chastity. People don't change over night James, it's obvious you forced her at some time or another." Sirius added on. James finally turned towards Peter.
"You don't think I deserved it, do you?"
Peter merely shrugged, much to James' rage.
"God damn it… I loved her, you know I did… I still do… why the hell did she have to leave me? Why couldn't she have just told me she was unhappy? You know I would have tried my best to change."
"She was terrified of you." Remus said casually.
"What do you mean, 'terrified'?"
Sirius scoffed, "Please tell me you're not that big of a dunderhead. You hit someone, chances are they're gonna be scared of you."
James rested his head in his hands for a few minutes, thinking. He finally looked up, his tired expression not changing.
"So how would one go about getting her back?"
Remus laughed, "You honestly think that after all that, she's going to take you back? It'll take a miracle, and you don't have a miracle."
Just as Remus said this, the portrait door opened to reveal a giddy looking Lily. James immediately stood up, determined to make up with her. He walked over to her quickly, looking her straight in the eye.
"Lily, can we talk?"
She looked up at him cautiously, considering his proposal for a moment. Finally, she nodded and allowed him to guide her up to his empty dorm.
"Lily, I'm sorry about everything I did. I know that's not going to even remotely start to make up for it, but I just wanted you to know, if I could take it all back, I would."
Lily looked up towards him, regret showing in her eyes. "James, did you ever love me? Honestly? Don't give me any bull, I can tell."
James nodded fervently, reaching out to touch her arm. "Yes, I did and still do. I don't think I'll ever stop loving you… I'm so, so, so sorry about everything that's happened, and if I could turn back time, I would. I'm sorry I hurt you; I never realized how much I was hurting you. I can't give you a reason, but I can guarantee you it wasn't your fault, it was mine."
Lily sighed, turning away from him for a moment, then turning back to face him. "James, I'm pregnant."
He was rendered speechless for a minute, then finally managed to sputter out a few words.
"How… How far along?"
"Two months. Do the math."
James was silent for a few more seconds as he quickly counted backwards in his head. Realization finally hit and his expression quickly turned to anger.
"That BASTARD! I told you not to f-ck him!" James yelled, starting to pace. "You and Snape… My God… that's unbelievable… Here I was, thinking that maybe we could work things out. God, I'm such an idiot."
"No you're not. He loves me; he's willing to take care of this child… He has no regrets, he's happy for me. I just wish you could do the same."
"Was it worth it? Fifteen minutes of fun leading to a lifetime of expectations?"
"Yes, it was." Lily crossed her arms. "If it was your child, which I'm positive it's not, you'd beat it out of me, I know you would. Maybe not now, if you were being honest, but before… You would have."
James looked shocked, "You think I'm that much of a monster? Is that what I am to you now? I've become so horrible you believe I would have killed a child we made, if it came to that? It that honestly what you think?"
Lily shook her head, "I don't know what to think anymore! I just want to know you're ok… I want you as a friend, if we can't be anything more. I'm with Severus now, nothing's going to change that. I just want to know that you'll be there if I need someone to talk to; a friend, if anything. Please James, I need you."
He sighed, considering it for a moment. "As much as I love you and always will, I don't think I could stand just being friends. I'll try, but it's going to be the hardest thing I've ever had to do. You understand that, right?"
Lily smiled, nodding. "Thank you James."
"You owe me, big."