A/N: Yes, I know. I'm sorry. It's christmas, I've been very busy. But no matter, it's here now. Thanks a bundle to all my reviewers! Chapter title taken from my own head, lol.
*
Mondays were Lily's least favourite days. She started them off with double Potions, followed by two periods of Arithmancy. Then lunch and two hours of History of Magic. Her last two periods, Divination, were a relief. Lily liked Professor Trewlany, and Professor Trewlany liked Lily, mostly because Lily possessed "the inner eye", as the Professor put it. Lily preferred to call it a vivid imagination.
But this Monday, Lily looked more forward to Potions. It was the only class she had with the Slytherins, and her only chance to see Severus. She could only see him though, not talk to him or make any kind of contact. Sirius had spent the remainder of Saturday and all of Sunday teasing here about Snape, and she didn't want to fuel the fire.
She sat behind Sirius and James in Potions, and caught part of their conversation.
"I'm telling you Prongs," Sirius whispered, "it'll be the prank of a lifetime. And it'll teach the git to leave… certain matters alone."
"I don't know," James whispered. "It's pretty dangerous. What if he gets hurt?"
"He's always going on about how he can hex me in a hundred ways if I don't leave him alone," Sirius shrugged. "Let's see him prove it."
"Don't do it Padfoot," James ordered silently, but Sirius just smiled.
"And I know just the bait to reel him in with," he said quietly, turning to his cauldron.
'Teach who to leave what alone?' Lily thought. She wanted to ask Sirius, but was distracted when Jonathan Wood's potion boiled over, burning it's way through his desk. Amidst the chaos that followed, Lily allowed herself a quick glance in Severus' direction. He was still working, stirring his potion with full concentration. The commotion around him did not seem to affect him at all. She wondered how he did it. He had this way of shutting everything out, no matter what.
*
'Stop staring,' Severus thought desperately. He knew Lucius was keeping an eye out for any kind of signs, and Lily was giving out the best there was. He glanced over at Lucius, and relaxed a bit when he saw that he was busy with his potion. Clearly, Wood's little accident had scared him into paying attention to it.
He looked over at Lily, but she was working on her potion again. She had her hair up in a bun, but a couple of strands of it had escaped and were falling down in front of her face. She looked beautiful, and Severus had trouble tearing his eyes away from her. He did however, when he realised he was being watched. He turned his head slightly, meeting James' eye.
'What's the matter, Potter? Jealous?' he thought triumphantly, smirking at James and returning his attention to the potion.
*
The days passed, and Severus and Lily had no time to spend with one and other. It seemed whenever they tired to make some kind of contact Sirius would show up. Or James. Or even Lucius. There was always someone around, almost making them wonder if the whole school was working against them being together.
On Friday, however, Severus found a note in his Charms book.
'Meet me outside, tonight. 9 o'clock.'
It was not signed, but it couldn't be from anyone else than Lily. Besides, it was her handwriting.
At a quarter to nine he fetched his cloak, and left the common room. No one asked where he was going, but that did not surprise him. They had not cared about him for five and a half years, why should they start now?
The halls were gloomy and dark, and the portraits were mostly sleeping. The ones who weren't gave Severus disapproving looks. He tried to ignore them, but even though he had grown up in a house full of the same kind of portraits, they still gave him the chills. He was glad when he finally reached the oak front doors, and could slip quietly out into the night.
The air was cold, and he pulled his cloak tighter around him. Why on earth had Lily wanted to meet him here, of all places? And at this hour? It was not like her, rule-obedient as she was. But, he thought, she probably had her reasons. And it had been too long since they had been alone together, which was what had, in the end, convinced him to go. He had been worried it might be someone's idea of a joke for a while, but wanting to see Lily had won over his paranoia.
He jumped as the large doors creaked behind him. Quickly, he headed for the large tree next to the doors. He hid behind it, not sure if it was Lily or not. A second later he was glad he had; the doors opened and two figures emerged. One was Madam Pomfrey, an inturn nurse who was training to take over for Nitgale, and with her was… Severus had to blink. Remus Lupin?
Remus was also in Severus' year. He was a pale, thin boy who seemed to constantly be away. Severus had never learnt why, and he had not bothered to ask either. Clearly, there was some sort of secret about Lupin that was not supposed to be commonly known.
He watched Madam Pomfrey lead Remus towards the Whomping Willow, a large and rather fierce tree that had a nasty habit of trying to kill anyone who got near it. It had been planted the year Severus started, and had been a popular dare for the male students up until the point where Alan Backle had almost had his eye poked out by one of the branches. Since then Dumbledore had declared the willow off limits. Not that he needed to though. Most of the students did not dare go near it as it was. But Madam Pomfrey and Lupin was heading right for it.
"Good evening, Grumpy," a voice whispered in his ear, and Severus spun around.
"Black?" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Could ask you the same thing," Sirius said, wearing his usual, irritatingly teasing smile. "But I won't bother since I know the answer." Severus shifted.
"Hit a weak spot, didn't I?" Sirius triumphed.
"Stop acting like a child, Black," Severus spat. "Now, did you want something? Or did you just sneak out here to see me? (he put on a fake smile) Maybe you've been leading all those poor girls on, and your door swings the other way."
Anger flashed in Sirius' eyes.
"Don't make me hurt you, Grumpy," he said as calmly as he managed.
"Try, I dare you," Severus hissed.
"I'm not here to fight you," Sirius said, though he was clenching his fists so hard his knuckles were white.
"Then why are you here?" Severus countered.
"Thought I'd let you in on a little secret," Sirius said, his devious smile back. "I take it you saw Pomfrey and Lupin."
Severus nodded.
"Well, guess where they went," Sirius grinned.
"If you're trying to feed me some idiot story that they're having an affair or something, you've severely underestimated my intelligence," Severus snorted.
Sirius just laughed. "Nothing like that, I assure you. You know the Whomping Willow, right?"
Severus nodded again, wondering where this was going.
"Well, what if I told you there was a tunnel underneath it?" Sirius said, now dead serious.
"I'd say you where more mental than I first thought," Severus smirked.
"Well, then I must be a total fruit cake, because there is a tunnel under it," Sirius said, lowering his voice. "And it leads out of the grounds."
"Nonsense," Severus said. "You can't get near enough, unless you're telling me the entrance is somewhere in the middle of the lawn."
"But what if I told you there's a way to stop the tree whacking you senseless," Sirius whispered. "Because there is. There's a little knot on the trunk, and if you press it, the tree freezes up."
"You think I believe that?" Severus snorted. "You must think I'm an idiot."
"Stating the obvious, but that's not the point here," Sirius said. "I would tell you where the tunnel leads, but since you're not interested I guess I'll just go back to bed." He yawned. "Night Grumpy."
Severus watched him disappear around a corner. 'How stupid does he think I am?' he thought to himself. Tunnel under the Whomping Willow. He had always known that Sirius disliked him, but trying to get him killed was taking it a bit too far. A sound made him turn around, and to his great surprise he saw Madam Pomfrey emerge (seemingly) from under the willow. The tree was standing perfectly still, and did so until she had gotten almost up to the castle.
Severus hesitated. If he went over there, found the tunnel… If he somehow solved the mystery of Remus Lupin, it might earn him some respect from his fellow housemates. And God knows he could use it. But he was an idiot if he trusted Black's information. The bugger was probably hiding somewhere, waiting for Severus to take the bait and get himself killed.
He looked at his watch. Lily was extremely late. It was ten o'clock already, and he started getting worried. What if Filch had caught her?
A cloud shifted, and the pale full moon appeared on the sky. Severus sat down against the tree. He hated to have to admit it, but Sirius had made him curious. Lupin had been a mystery to him for years. To everybody at school. It couldn't hurt if he had a look at the willow. He doubted he would get near enough anyway. And as for breaking school rules, he was already breaking enough to have him expelled as it was. One more couldn't hurt.
Making up his mind, he threw a quick glance at the front doors, and started crossing the lawn.
*
Lily yawned, looking up from the pattern of tarot cards on her table. It wasn't exactly homework, but she enjoyed Divination. She was not quite sure she believed all of it, but it was interesting none the less.
She looked up at the grandfather-clock in the corner, which showed that it was ten minutes past "Shouldn't you be in bed?". Outside, the clouds had just revealed a full, pale moon. Lily looked down on the grounds, which were bathed in a soft, white light. Suddenly she saw someone sneaking across the lawn. The figure looked awfully familiar, but Lily had no chance of being sure from where she was standing. She reached into her bag, and picked up the pair of Omnioculars she always carried with her, and looked down at the figure, zooming in. Her suspicions were confirmed.
'What on earth is he doing outside at this hour?' she though, staring.*
Severus stopped a little way from the willow. For the millionth time he wondered what on earth was making him trust Sirius Black. But by now his curiosity had long gotten the better of him. He picked up a long stick lying in the grass (probably left there by Pomfrey, he decided) and edged slowly closer to the tree. For a second he thought it was sleeping, but was soon proven wrong when a branch flung at him, missing him by only a few inches. Severus jumped back and looked around, half expecting to see Sirius somewhere, doubled up with laughter. But the grounds looked abandoned. He moved around the tree, not daring to go any closer. And then he saw it, far down on the trunk. A little knot, hardly noticeable if you did not know what you were looking for. Severus pressed it with the stick, nearly getting himself whacked by a branch in the process. The tree immediately froze up. Severus stared for a moment in wonder, but then he remembered that the effect was only temporary and he hurried closer to the tree. And indeed, there was a tunnel entrance, barely visible (and probably magical). For a moment Severus hesitated, but when one of the branches stirred he saw no other option and hurried into the tunnel.
It was pitch black, apart from the little stream of light coming from the opening, and Severus got his wand out. He lit it, and looked around. The tunnel was full of roots and rocks, and he jumped as a rat sped past him, heading for the exit. Outside, he could hear the willow's branches swishing. Carefully, he started making his way along the corridor.
It was dark and narrow, and the light his wand emitted was hardly enough. He kept tripping over rocks, and after banging his head against a root in the roof he found it best to hunch. The air was raw and cold, and Severus pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He was starting to wonder what the hell he had gotten himself into.
He walked for what seemed like an eternity, minding his head and where he put his feet. He felt certain he was outside the Hogwarts grounds by now, and he was beginning to wonder just how far he had to go. Maybe this tunnel didn't lead anywhere at all. Maybe he would come to a dead end around the next corner. It would be just like Sirius, luring him into something like that. But, if the corridor lead nowhere, why had Madam Pomfrey taken Lupin down it?
Suddenly he stopped dead. He was certain he had heard a growl. A second later his suspicions were confirmed, as he heard another one. He instinctively clutched his wand harder, and stood dead still, listening. There was a scratching noise, and a blood-freezing howl. It sounded an awful lot like a wolf, and a large one at that. Maybe even a werewolf. But why would Lupin?
"Severus." He jumped and spun around to face James.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" he hissed, trying to conceal how much James had scared him.
"Saving your arse," James said. "We have to get out of here right now."
"Oh really?" Severus smirked. "And why is that? Afraid I'm going to spoil one of your little secrets?"
"Trust me," James said, grabbing his arm, "this is not one of those secrets you want to be in on. We need to get out of here now."
Severus pulled his lose from of James' grip.
"You go," he said. "I think I'll go explore. You've made me quite curious."
Before James could stop him, he hurried around the corner. The hallway rose upwards into something that looked like an old house that someone had thrashed. There was a set of stairs in the middle of the room, and the sight that met Severus on top of them made him freeze. A large, grey werewolf was running towards them. It stopped at the top of the stairs, and spotted Severus. For a second it only stood there, then it gritted it's teeth at him, and charged down the stairs. Severus was paralysed, and could only watch as the large animal came running towards him. Suddenly James pulled him away, dragging him down the corridor. Severus resumed himself, and hurried after James. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he did not dare stop until he was back outside the Willow. He dropped himself down on the grass, panting.
"Lupin," he stared. "He's a…"
"Yes, he is," James said, reaching out a hand to help Severus up. Severus ignored it, getting up himself.
"Now do you see why we had to get out of there?" James asked.
"Convenient I should have gone down there in the first place, wasn't is?" Severus hissed.
"Despite what you think, I had nothing to do with that," James said, rubbing some dirt of his hands.
"Of course not," Severus said sarcastically. "James Potter never does anything wrong. He only comes to the rescue when someone else fucks up."
"I just saved your life, Severus," James said calmly. "It would be nice if you were a bit thankful."
"If it weren't for you and your little club, I wouldn't have been in danger in the first place," Severus said, brushing his robes.
"You really are a bastard," James snapped. "If you hadn't stuck your excessively large nose where it didn't belong, you wouldn't have needed me to save you. I'm actually starting to regret it now."
"Then why did you bother?" Severus said. "I'm sure it would have made your day, seeing me in trouble."
"It would," James nodded. "But it would have ruined someone else's."
Before Severus could ask him what he meant, James walked off.
Severus sat down on the grass, trying to take in the night's events. All he had wanted was to see Lily, and he had ended up almost getting himself killed. He should probably not tell her about this, she would… Suddenly it hit him. Lily. She was in on this! She had been all along. How could he have been such an utter fool? 'Trust me, Severus.' Indeed. What on earth had he been thinking?
He scrambled to his feet, and headed for the castle. As he neared the doors, they opened and a figure came running towards him. It was Lily.
"Severus, what are you doing out here?" she panted, but he only rushed past her.
"Severus? What's wrong?" She grabbed his hand, and he turned, pulling it back.
"Stay away from me," he hissed. Lily stared at him in wonder.
"Severus, what is it?" she asked.
"You've had your fun, Evans," he said slowly. "Now leave me alone."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Lily said, staring at him.
"Take you long to plan it?" he asked, ignoring her. "I bet you've spent the better part of this term on it."
"Severus, if you don't tell me what the hell you're on about," Lily started.
"Don't act so innocent, Evans," he snapped. "It doesn't become you. Now, I wish I could say that I never want to see you again, but since we sadly have class together, I'll have to settle for never wanting to speak to you again. Run off to your little friends, Evans."
He turned, heading for the castle again.
"Severus, I honestly don't know what you're talking about," Lily said, despaired.
"I hope it was worth it," he said without turning back. "Acting the part of a whore, all so Sirius could have his little joke."
He didn't wait for her reaction, only left here there. Lily just watched him go, silent tears streaming down her face.*
Chapter 5 - Willows and Werewolfs
It was one of those nights when Peter would rather have stayed in bed then snuck out. October had turned into November, bringing with it a chilling wind. Thankfully, the sky was clear and the stars were up, but that did not stop the air from being freezing.
'At least it isn't raining,' he though, pulling his cloak tighter around him. It was too cold for rain anyway. The ground was almost frozen, and the lake showed signs of ice too.
He hurried across the front lawn, still wondering how he had gotten out of the castle unnoticed, and how on earth he was going to get back in. But he knew he had to show. If he didn't, he would be in trouble.
He was through the gate now and relaxed a little, marvelling at how easy it had been. Farther down the road was a large oak, and under it stood the figure of a man.
"You are late," the man said when Peter neared him. His voice was the coldest Peter had ever heard. It felt like his blood froze. He shivered, moving closer.
"I'm sorry," he started. "I had to be careful."
"No explanation needed," the man said. "Just make sure it does not become a habit." Peter nodded hurriedly.
"I understand you want to join us," the man said.
"Yes, very much, sir," Peter said, trying to sound confident. Being around the man was making him nervous. And scared.
"And you know what is expected of you?"
Again, Peter nodded, and the man smiled slightly under his hood.
"Very well," he said. "Then you are hereby one of us. I will contact you when you are needed. And I expect I do not need to tell you what will happen if you abandon me?"
"Of course not, sir," Peter hurriedly said. The man only nodded as a reply, and Disapparated, leaving Peter cold and puzzled.
But this Monday, Lily looked more forward to Potions. It was the only class she had with the Slytherins, and her only chance to see Severus. She could only see him though, not talk to him or make any kind of contact. Sirius had spent the remainder of Saturday and all of Sunday teasing here about Snape, and she didn't want to fuel the fire.
She sat behind Sirius and James in Potions, and caught part of their conversation.
"I'm telling you Prongs," Sirius whispered, "it'll be the prank of a lifetime. And it'll teach the git to leave… certain matters alone."
"I don't know," James whispered. "It's pretty dangerous. What if he gets hurt?"
"He's always going on about how he can hex me in a hundred ways if I don't leave him alone," Sirius shrugged. "Let's see him prove it."
"Don't do it Padfoot," James ordered silently, but Sirius just smiled.
"And I know just the bait to reel him in with," he said quietly, turning to his cauldron.
'Teach who to leave what alone?' Lily thought. She wanted to ask Sirius, but was distracted when Jonathan Wood's potion boiled over, burning it's way through his desk. Amidst the chaos that followed, Lily allowed herself a quick glance in Severus' direction. He was still working, stirring his potion with full concentration. The commotion around him did not seem to affect him at all. She wondered how he did it. He had this way of shutting everything out, no matter what.
He looked over at Lily, but she was working on her potion again. She had her hair up in a bun, but a couple of strands of it had escaped and were falling down in front of her face. She looked beautiful, and Severus had trouble tearing his eyes away from her. He did however, when he realised he was being watched. He turned his head slightly, meeting James' eye.
'What's the matter, Potter? Jealous?' he thought triumphantly, smirking at James and returning his attention to the potion.
On Friday, however, Severus found a note in his Charms book.
'Meet me outside, tonight. 9 o'clock.'
It was not signed, but it couldn't be from anyone else than Lily. Besides, it was her handwriting.
At a quarter to nine he fetched his cloak, and left the common room. No one asked where he was going, but that did not surprise him. They had not cared about him for five and a half years, why should they start now?
The halls were gloomy and dark, and the portraits were mostly sleeping. The ones who weren't gave Severus disapproving looks. He tried to ignore them, but even though he had grown up in a house full of the same kind of portraits, they still gave him the chills. He was glad when he finally reached the oak front doors, and could slip quietly out into the night.
The air was cold, and he pulled his cloak tighter around him. Why on earth had Lily wanted to meet him here, of all places? And at this hour? It was not like her, rule-obedient as she was. But, he thought, she probably had her reasons. And it had been too long since they had been alone together, which was what had, in the end, convinced him to go. He had been worried it might be someone's idea of a joke for a while, but wanting to see Lily had won over his paranoia.
He jumped as the large doors creaked behind him. Quickly, he headed for the large tree next to the doors. He hid behind it, not sure if it was Lily or not. A second later he was glad he had; the doors opened and two figures emerged. One was Madam Pomfrey, an inturn nurse who was training to take over for Nitgale, and with her was… Severus had to blink. Remus Lupin?
Remus was also in Severus' year. He was a pale, thin boy who seemed to constantly be away. Severus had never learnt why, and he had not bothered to ask either. Clearly, there was some sort of secret about Lupin that was not supposed to be commonly known.
He watched Madam Pomfrey lead Remus towards the Whomping Willow, a large and rather fierce tree that had a nasty habit of trying to kill anyone who got near it. It had been planted the year Severus started, and had been a popular dare for the male students up until the point where Alan Backle had almost had his eye poked out by one of the branches. Since then Dumbledore had declared the willow off limits. Not that he needed to though. Most of the students did not dare go near it as it was. But Madam Pomfrey and Lupin was heading right for it.
"Good evening, Grumpy," a voice whispered in his ear, and Severus spun around.
"Black?" he hissed. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Could ask you the same thing," Sirius said, wearing his usual, irritatingly teasing smile. "But I won't bother since I know the answer." Severus shifted.
"Hit a weak spot, didn't I?" Sirius triumphed.
"Stop acting like a child, Black," Severus spat. "Now, did you want something? Or did you just sneak out here to see me? (he put on a fake smile) Maybe you've been leading all those poor girls on, and your door swings the other way."
Anger flashed in Sirius' eyes.
"Don't make me hurt you, Grumpy," he said as calmly as he managed.
"Try, I dare you," Severus hissed.
"I'm not here to fight you," Sirius said, though he was clenching his fists so hard his knuckles were white.
"Then why are you here?" Severus countered.
"Thought I'd let you in on a little secret," Sirius said, his devious smile back. "I take it you saw Pomfrey and Lupin."
Severus nodded.
"Well, guess where they went," Sirius grinned.
"If you're trying to feed me some idiot story that they're having an affair or something, you've severely underestimated my intelligence," Severus snorted.
Sirius just laughed. "Nothing like that, I assure you. You know the Whomping Willow, right?"
Severus nodded again, wondering where this was going.
"Well, what if I told you there was a tunnel underneath it?" Sirius said, now dead serious.
"I'd say you where more mental than I first thought," Severus smirked.
"Well, then I must be a total fruit cake, because there is a tunnel under it," Sirius said, lowering his voice. "And it leads out of the grounds."
"Nonsense," Severus said. "You can't get near enough, unless you're telling me the entrance is somewhere in the middle of the lawn."
"But what if I told you there's a way to stop the tree whacking you senseless," Sirius whispered. "Because there is. There's a little knot on the trunk, and if you press it, the tree freezes up."
"You think I believe that?" Severus snorted. "You must think I'm an idiot."
"Stating the obvious, but that's not the point here," Sirius said. "I would tell you where the tunnel leads, but since you're not interested I guess I'll just go back to bed." He yawned. "Night Grumpy."
Severus watched him disappear around a corner. 'How stupid does he think I am?' he thought to himself. Tunnel under the Whomping Willow. He had always known that Sirius disliked him, but trying to get him killed was taking it a bit too far. A sound made him turn around, and to his great surprise he saw Madam Pomfrey emerge (seemingly) from under the willow. The tree was standing perfectly still, and did so until she had gotten almost up to the castle.
Severus hesitated. If he went over there, found the tunnel… If he somehow solved the mystery of Remus Lupin, it might earn him some respect from his fellow housemates. And God knows he could use it. But he was an idiot if he trusted Black's information. The bugger was probably hiding somewhere, waiting for Severus to take the bait and get himself killed.
He looked at his watch. Lily was extremely late. It was ten o'clock already, and he started getting worried. What if Filch had caught her?
A cloud shifted, and the pale full moon appeared on the sky. Severus sat down against the tree. He hated to have to admit it, but Sirius had made him curious. Lupin had been a mystery to him for years. To everybody at school. It couldn't hurt if he had a look at the willow. He doubted he would get near enough anyway. And as for breaking school rules, he was already breaking enough to have him expelled as it was. One more couldn't hurt.
Making up his mind, he threw a quick glance at the front doors, and started crossing the lawn.
'What on earth is he doing outside at this hour?' she though, staring.
It was pitch black, apart from the little stream of light coming from the opening, and Severus got his wand out. He lit it, and looked around. The tunnel was full of roots and rocks, and he jumped as a rat sped past him, heading for the exit. Outside, he could hear the willow's branches swishing. Carefully, he started making his way along the corridor.
It was dark and narrow, and the light his wand emitted was hardly enough. He kept tripping over rocks, and after banging his head against a root in the roof he found it best to hunch. The air was raw and cold, and Severus pulled his cloak tighter around himself. He was starting to wonder what the hell he had gotten himself into.
He walked for what seemed like an eternity, minding his head and where he put his feet. He felt certain he was outside the Hogwarts grounds by now, and he was beginning to wonder just how far he had to go. Maybe this tunnel didn't lead anywhere at all. Maybe he would come to a dead end around the next corner. It would be just like Sirius, luring him into something like that. But, if the corridor lead nowhere, why had Madam Pomfrey taken Lupin down it?
Suddenly he stopped dead. He was certain he had heard a growl. A second later his suspicions were confirmed, as he heard another one. He instinctively clutched his wand harder, and stood dead still, listening. There was a scratching noise, and a blood-freezing howl. It sounded an awful lot like a wolf, and a large one at that. Maybe even a werewolf. But why would Lupin?
"Severus." He jumped and spun around to face James.
"What are you doing here, Potter?" he hissed, trying to conceal how much James had scared him.
"Saving your arse," James said. "We have to get out of here right now."
"Oh really?" Severus smirked. "And why is that? Afraid I'm going to spoil one of your little secrets?"
"Trust me," James said, grabbing his arm, "this is not one of those secrets you want to be in on. We need to get out of here now."
Severus pulled his lose from of James' grip.
"You go," he said. "I think I'll go explore. You've made me quite curious."
Before James could stop him, he hurried around the corner. The hallway rose upwards into something that looked like an old house that someone had thrashed. There was a set of stairs in the middle of the room, and the sight that met Severus on top of them made him freeze. A large, grey werewolf was running towards them. It stopped at the top of the stairs, and spotted Severus. For a second it only stood there, then it gritted it's teeth at him, and charged down the stairs. Severus was paralysed, and could only watch as the large animal came running towards him. Suddenly James pulled him away, dragging him down the corridor. Severus resumed himself, and hurried after James. His heart was pounding in his chest, but he did not dare stop until he was back outside the Willow. He dropped himself down on the grass, panting.
"Lupin," he stared. "He's a…"
"Yes, he is," James said, reaching out a hand to help Severus up. Severus ignored it, getting up himself.
"Now do you see why we had to get out of there?" James asked.
"Convenient I should have gone down there in the first place, wasn't is?" Severus hissed.
"Despite what you think, I had nothing to do with that," James said, rubbing some dirt of his hands.
"Of course not," Severus said sarcastically. "James Potter never does anything wrong. He only comes to the rescue when someone else fucks up."
"I just saved your life, Severus," James said calmly. "It would be nice if you were a bit thankful."
"If it weren't for you and your little club, I wouldn't have been in danger in the first place," Severus said, brushing his robes.
"You really are a bastard," James snapped. "If you hadn't stuck your excessively large nose where it didn't belong, you wouldn't have needed me to save you. I'm actually starting to regret it now."
"Then why did you bother?" Severus said. "I'm sure it would have made your day, seeing me in trouble."
"It would," James nodded. "But it would have ruined someone else's."
Before Severus could ask him what he meant, James walked off.
Severus sat down on the grass, trying to take in the night's events. All he had wanted was to see Lily, and he had ended up almost getting himself killed. He should probably not tell her about this, she would… Suddenly it hit him. Lily. She was in on this! She had been all along. How could he have been such an utter fool? 'Trust me, Severus.' Indeed. What on earth had he been thinking?
He scrambled to his feet, and headed for the castle. As he neared the doors, they opened and a figure came running towards him. It was Lily.
"Severus, what are you doing out here?" she panted, but he only rushed past her.
"Severus? What's wrong?" She grabbed his hand, and he turned, pulling it back.
"Stay away from me," he hissed. Lily stared at him in wonder.
"Severus, what is it?" she asked.
"You've had your fun, Evans," he said slowly. "Now leave me alone."
"What the hell are you talking about?" Lily said, staring at him.
"Take you long to plan it?" he asked, ignoring her. "I bet you've spent the better part of this term on it."
"Severus, if you don't tell me what the hell you're on about," Lily started.
"Don't act so innocent, Evans," he snapped. "It doesn't become you. Now, I wish I could say that I never want to see you again, but since we sadly have class together, I'll have to settle for never wanting to speak to you again. Run off to your little friends, Evans."
He turned, heading for the castle again.
"Severus, I honestly don't know what you're talking about," Lily said, despaired.
"I hope it was worth it," he said without turning back. "Acting the part of a whore, all so Sirius could have his little joke."
He didn't wait for her reaction, only left here there. Lily just watched him go, silent tears streaming down her face.
There you go then. Next chapter? Name-calling, Christmas and shocking news