*** The Continuation of To Love Is A Mistake ***

Chapter Four

A/N: I really hope you like my story so far, and in this chapter things start to get a little awry...so watch out for that ^_^

Lily shut her eyes in thought, then opened them and consulted her watch. Nine-fifty in the night. Strangely enough, even though she didn't want to go and meet James Potter, she sub-consciously and naturally kept staring at her watch.

"I know your secret," he had said. Know what secret? She didn't have anything to hide.

Unless he was talking about Severus breaking up with her, which the rest of the school kind of knew about already. Just thinking about it made her sad, and a lone tear fell from her striking emerald eyes. She was deeply in love with Severus, but until now she had never felt unrequited love before.

"That's it. I'm going to see him anyway," Lily pondered out aloud.

"Lily...where are you going?" Dawn said sleepily.

"Shhh," she reassured her best friend. "Just out for a little stroll. Okay?"

"Mmm," Dawn replied.

Lily shut the door behind her and made her way cautiously to the tower.

*

He had kept his promise. He was waiting there for her, lazily staring out at the inky black sky beyond. His black hair was still the same as always, sticking up at the back as it did usually. Something about him gave out this aura that made her feel at ease, and calm her fears down, as if she could spill out her heart to him.

"I thought you wouldn't come," he said quietly.

"Do you really think of me that way - a person who does not keep promises and makes others wait in cold in the dead of the night?" she countered.

He didn't reply. "I expected that answer, Lily Evans," he answered.

"What do you mean?" Lily said.

He snorted. "This isn't who you really are, is it?"

"Look, I don't like time-wasters. If you have something to say, just spit it out!" Lily said.

He smiled wryly. "Yes, this isn't who you really are."

Lily knew he was dangerously close to the truth. "This...is the secret of mine you were talking about?"

"You're just like me, Lily. But I've changed, haven't I?" James replied.

"If you're talking about changing from a stupid idiot who went around creating trouble, to a stupid idiot who goes around getting pushed about by other people, then the answer is yes."

"You know that's not what I mean," James said. "Two years ago, I was a stupid, naive, arrogant Quidditch player who founded the Marauders with my other three best friends and played pranks on other people, acting like I was tough and everything. But that wasn't who I am," James now turned around to face Lily. "The shy, quiet, dense guy you see is the real me. I was scared of who I was."

Lily tried to ignore the fact that he bore an amazing resemblance to her character. "You know that's not true. You just became wimpy after Dumbledore lost his faith in you."

James shook his head sadly. "That wasn't the case. I was disgusted with myself for trying to pretend to be somebody I wasn't. And aren't you tired of pretending somebody you aren't too?"

"What are you talking about?" Lily said angrily. "I'm leaving now."

"No," James said firmly, took her hand and pulled her back. "To the rest of the world you present a cool princess face, but to me you present a face that tells me you don't want to do this anymore."

Lily wrenched her hand out of James' grip. "Liar," she said softly.

"I'm not lying," he said. "I was the one who pulled you out of the water in our first year, remember?"

The flashback came back into Lily's mind. "It was you," she said.

"And you hated being pushed around by those bullying girls, so you took on a negative attitude towards life and became Hogwarts' most famous ice queen," James explained.

"You...you know," Lily said, defeated.

"Of course I know! I was like that," James said.

The attitude had settled back in into Lily again. "Well, okay, so you're right. But that's you and I'm me and I like getting all the attention! So leave me be."

"Really?" James cocked an eyebrow disbelievingly. "You like being such a cool girl so much that you don't care if Severus breaks up with you?"

Lily shot him a lethal glare. She could feel her defences crumbling, as it always did whenever Severus was mentioned. "I...I don't care," she said, trying to sound smug about it.

"You don't care? So you drink twenty-eight bottles of strong Butterbeer because you don't care if Severus breaks up with you?" James asked indignantly.

"Please...stop it!" Lily broke down and cried, harder than she ever had in her life. "Why are asking me such questions?"

"I'm...I'm sorry," James said, surprised. He tried to wipe the tears away from her eyes.

"Just go away and leave me alone!" Lily said, swatting his hand away.

"You really loved Severus, didn't you," James stated. It wasn't even a question, it was a statement; a fact.

"O-Of course," Lily blubbered, sniffing.

James waited for her to regain her composure.

"I...I have to go now," Lily said.

"Okay," James said tonelessly.

Lily started to walk away, but turned back to look at him for one last request, which proved she still wanted her reputation more than anything.

"Please...please don't tell anyone that I cried, okay?"

*Seen through the eyes of Severus*

"Today, we have a new member in our faction," the stranger announced. "he was recommended by our spy in Hogwarts - the Potions master. He is young, a student from Hogwarts, but is willing to be part of our secret society. With him, we can all unite and become more powerful! Our ranks will rise!"

Everyone applauded.

"Thank you. I'm not worthy of your applause, and I still have much more to learn. Please give me your guidance," Severus replied.

"We aren't a strong group of Dark wizards yet, but the bigger, the better. It means our hopes have risen. Right now, our leader is still training to become the best Dark wizard, so we wait for his return while we recruit more members into our society.

"We must be sure of your loyalty. We have predicted that in two years, our leader will take over the world. But we must be sure you will follow him throughout.

"Are you ready to prove your worth to the Dark Side?" the mysterious stranger said.

"Yes...yes, of course. Tell me what I have to do and I will do it," Severus said.

"Okay...bring me that girl...the one I said was worthy of sacrifice," the stranger said.

"Yes, Master...at once," Severus said obediently.

*

"Lily..." Severus said seductively.

"What?" she snapped. Apparently she was still heartbroken.

"I'm sorry...for what I did to you, my love," Severus said softly in Lily's ear, and stretched out a long finger to stroke her cheek.

Lily jerked away.

"Why?...Why are you avoiding me?" Severus said, pretending to sound hurt. In actual fact he was disgusted to talk to Lily again. "I thought you loved me."

"Well maybe I did," Lily said. "But...not anymore..." she said hesitantly, as if unsure. Severus noticed that Lily's voice broke on the last word, as if she were choking back tears.

"Come now, Lily...don't hide. You can't run away from our relationship...our feelings..." Severus continued flirtatiously.

"I-I don't..." Lily burst into tears and flung herself at Severus. "I love you, Severus...I can't fake my indifference anymore..."

Severus' mouth twitched horribly.

Oh yeah, Phase One of the plan completed.

*Seen through the eyes of Lily*

Lily's mind was in a whirl! Within days, she and Severus were a couple again, and of course whatever feelings she had for James went right out of the door of her heart. She should've known - he was merely an infatuation, an object of love when she had been lonely. Her one true love was Severus - and he would be with her forever!

Dawn had noticed, of course. "Hey. You seem to be in a happy mood today."

"Of course!" Lily said joyfully. "I'm back with Severus again - I always knew we were meant for each other. That stupid Ravenclaw bimbo was just a fling!" she said with glee.

Dawn looked hesitant. "Um...I don't know if I should tell you this."

"What?" Lily asked, doing a merry jig.

Dawn looked away, guilty. "It's just...maybe you should be cautious of Severus."

"Are you jealous?" Lily cried indignantly. "You're supposed to be happy for me!"

Dawn nodded, but Lily noticed it was forcibly done. "Yes, you're right. It's nothing. Never mind."

*

On Valentine's Day, Severus was extremely sweet to Lily. After giving her flowers, a personalized locket and an emerald necklace which brought out the colour of her eyes, he had sat her down on a Slytherin armchair and made her feel like a queen.

Severus smiled at Lily. "I have a surprise for you."

"Really?" Lily said.

"Yes...meet me at the cliff outside of Hogwarts at eleven. Bring no one with you. I want it to be...just for us," Severus moved in and tenderly kissed Lily on the lips.

Just one kiss was enough. Lily had made her promise.

*Seen through the eyes of James*

She had come to him that night. Dawn had come running to him in anxiety. For a while, he had suspected something, but was not sure of it. He was sure Severus had changed - which meant his girlfriend, Lily, would be in danger if he did.

"He has an evil, maniac look in his eyes recently," Dawn had said. "He scares me half to death."

"I tried to warn Lily, but she was so blinded by her love that she would not listen."

Usually Slytherins did not run to Gryffindors for help, but Dawn made an exception. She knew only James knew Lily well enough to save her from the clutches of the half-insane Severus.

"She's missing from her bed and she hasn't been back for hours! What shall we do?"

James had no clue. Where would Severus go? And why would he take Lily away? Needing to find the answers, James took out his invisibility cloak, and telling no one, slipped out of the castle in search for his loved one.

*Seen through the eyes of Lily*

Severus and Lily had been making out heavily, and Lily was left breathless and giddy-headed.

"Let's head down to the lake, shall we?" Severus asked.

Lily gasped. "The lake!" The lake was a famed make-out spot for couples. After the thousands of kisses Severus had planted on her lips, he still wanted more?

He must really love me, thought Lily happily, tears of joy threatening to spill down her cheeks.

Severus practically dragged Lily all the way to the lake. Lily shut her eyes and pursed her lips out, in anticipation for Severus' kiss. (After all, she was rather obsessed with Severus, and love makes people do silly things.)

Instead, she felt a blow across her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Severus' face looming in dangerously close to her, his cold, black eyes carrying a hint of insanity that threatened to engulf her.

"Severus?" Lily whimpered softly. What had come over him?

"You fool," he hissed. "It was all a sham. Maybe I loved you once before, but now, you are merely an object of sacrifice for me. And now...meet your doom!" he screeched, and dived for Lily, who dodged and took off as fast as she could.

"Help!" screamed Lily. "HELP!!!"

"Impedimenta!" Severus bellowed. The spell hit Lily directly at her pumping legs, and Lily stumbled and fell over. Her speed had rapidly slowed down, since Severus used a slowing down jinx. Severus caught up with Lily and grabbed her - hard - by the hair and dragged her to the flat stone at the lakeside.

"S-Severus...please...what are you doing...?" Lily said, really terrified by now.

"I must prove my worth to the Dark Lord! Die!" Severus flung Lily into the lake, where Lily's head bobbed up and down, gasping for breath.

"Help...HELP!!" Lily shrieked, but her echoes were unheard.

Suddenly, Severus was knocked out by a male figure who had crept up behind him.