The next morning I was let out of the hospital wing. My leg was in perfect
condition, thank heavens.
As soon as I walked into the common room, Severus stormed up to me.
I didn't notice his dark expression immediately. "Severus!" I greeted him joyfully.
He glared at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked in a hurt voice.
"'What's wrong?'! You should very well know what's wrong!"
"No, I don't! I've been in the hospital wing since yesterday."
"Oh, yes, but how did you get there?"
"James Potter took me there."
"Took you? You were clasped in his arms!"
"How do you know that?"
"He's been telling it around the school, Lily!"
"But if he hadn't found me..."
"Lily! He could easily have conjured up a stretcher or something to carry you. But, no, you had to be lying in his arms helplessly."
"I guess he didn't think of that-"
"Then why didn't you remind him? Just say 'Oh, yeah, you're a wizard, aren't you? Can't you do some magic to help me?'"
"I didn't think of that," I shouted back at him.
"Well, why didn't you use your own wand?" he yelled. His face was a dark red. He looks like a tomato, I thought furiously.
"My wand was lying ten feet away out of reach! Why does it matter to you? Don't you care that I'm back, safe and sound?"
He glowered at me. "Don't you think it might bother me to know that James Potter not only carried you in his arms but took advantage of you?"
"He didn't--" I stopped and gasped. "How do you know that he--"
"He's been bragging around the school that he kissed you! Lily, how could you?!"
"I didn't want him to!" I wailed miserably.
"You should have slapped him for that."
"I would have but if I did he would have dropped me."
"You know better than that. He would never do that to you. He's seriously infatuated by you!"
"How was I supposed to know he wouldn't drop me? It's my own life!"
"I thought you would care more about my feelings than that!"
"What do you mean?" I hissed. "You don't care about me at all!"
He scowled at me. "Lily, you're sick of me. You want to get rid of me. That's why you've been off cavorting with James Potter! James Potter!" he spat. "You make me sick!" He turned on his heel, his robes swishing, and stomped up the stairs.
"No!" I yelled. "No, Severus, no! I didn't! It wasn't my fault!"
Slam. I heard the door of his dormitory shut.
I collapsed onto the closest chair, sobbing. When I looked up, to find a handkerchief, I noticed about twenty people staring at me. No one spoke. They must have seen our fight, I realized.
Dahlia stepped out of the crowd and ran up to me. "Oh, Lily," she cried, "I'm so sorry."
She threw her arms around me and I wept harder.
"I need a tissue," I whispered.
She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to me.
"Thank you," I sobbed.
* * *
An hour later, I had regained my composure. I hoped Severus had calmed down by then and started to think rationally.
After washing my face in the dormitory and hoping my eyes were no longer red, I returned downstairs to the common room.
Some boy to whom I had never spoken in my life walked up to me and said, "Your boyfriend's in his dormitory, sulking."
"Which dormitory is it?" I asked.
"The second from the stairs," he replied. Then his eyes widened. "You're not going to go up, are you?"
"Yes, I am," I replied. "I'm going to talk some sense into him."
Then I glared at the crowd gaping at me. "Don't you dare follow me just so you can listen!"
I climbed the stairs. The second door from the stairs was shut. I turned the knob and stepped in.
Severus sat on a bed, his face in his hands. "Severus?" I whispered.
His head whipped up. "Lily! You can't come in here!"
"I have to tell you something."
"What?" His eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I'm sorry for the fight, I'm sorry for letting him kiss me, I'm sorry for everything."
I looked at his face, hoping to see him smile and say he was sorry too.
He glowered darkly at me. "That's not enough!" he bellowed. "You can't take back what you've already done!"
Taken aback, my anger swelled up again. "I don't know what you want, Severus! How can you say that! I was sorry, but I'm not sorry any more! I don't want to speak to you ever again!"
I ran out of the room before my tears could spill and slammed his door shut as hard as I possibly could.
I ignored the staring faces and ran out of the common as tears streamed down my face.
Once out of the common room, I had nowhere to go. I just ran through the halls, my vision blurred by tears.
Slam. I had run straight into someone. I fell forward, but my hands broke my fall.
"Are you all right, Lily?"
I looked up, into the concerned face of James Potter.
As soon as I walked into the common room, Severus stormed up to me.
I didn't notice his dark expression immediately. "Severus!" I greeted him joyfully.
He glared at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked in a hurt voice.
"'What's wrong?'! You should very well know what's wrong!"
"No, I don't! I've been in the hospital wing since yesterday."
"Oh, yes, but how did you get there?"
"James Potter took me there."
"Took you? You were clasped in his arms!"
"How do you know that?"
"He's been telling it around the school, Lily!"
"But if he hadn't found me..."
"Lily! He could easily have conjured up a stretcher or something to carry you. But, no, you had to be lying in his arms helplessly."
"I guess he didn't think of that-"
"Then why didn't you remind him? Just say 'Oh, yeah, you're a wizard, aren't you? Can't you do some magic to help me?'"
"I didn't think of that," I shouted back at him.
"Well, why didn't you use your own wand?" he yelled. His face was a dark red. He looks like a tomato, I thought furiously.
"My wand was lying ten feet away out of reach! Why does it matter to you? Don't you care that I'm back, safe and sound?"
He glowered at me. "Don't you think it might bother me to know that James Potter not only carried you in his arms but took advantage of you?"
"He didn't--" I stopped and gasped. "How do you know that he--"
"He's been bragging around the school that he kissed you! Lily, how could you?!"
"I didn't want him to!" I wailed miserably.
"You should have slapped him for that."
"I would have but if I did he would have dropped me."
"You know better than that. He would never do that to you. He's seriously infatuated by you!"
"How was I supposed to know he wouldn't drop me? It's my own life!"
"I thought you would care more about my feelings than that!"
"What do you mean?" I hissed. "You don't care about me at all!"
He scowled at me. "Lily, you're sick of me. You want to get rid of me. That's why you've been off cavorting with James Potter! James Potter!" he spat. "You make me sick!" He turned on his heel, his robes swishing, and stomped up the stairs.
"No!" I yelled. "No, Severus, no! I didn't! It wasn't my fault!"
Slam. I heard the door of his dormitory shut.
I collapsed onto the closest chair, sobbing. When I looked up, to find a handkerchief, I noticed about twenty people staring at me. No one spoke. They must have seen our fight, I realized.
Dahlia stepped out of the crowd and ran up to me. "Oh, Lily," she cried, "I'm so sorry."
She threw her arms around me and I wept harder.
"I need a tissue," I whispered.
She pulled a handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it to me.
"Thank you," I sobbed.
* * *
An hour later, I had regained my composure. I hoped Severus had calmed down by then and started to think rationally.
After washing my face in the dormitory and hoping my eyes were no longer red, I returned downstairs to the common room.
Some boy to whom I had never spoken in my life walked up to me and said, "Your boyfriend's in his dormitory, sulking."
"Which dormitory is it?" I asked.
"The second from the stairs," he replied. Then his eyes widened. "You're not going to go up, are you?"
"Yes, I am," I replied. "I'm going to talk some sense into him."
Then I glared at the crowd gaping at me. "Don't you dare follow me just so you can listen!"
I climbed the stairs. The second door from the stairs was shut. I turned the knob and stepped in.
Severus sat on a bed, his face in his hands. "Severus?" I whispered.
His head whipped up. "Lily! You can't come in here!"
"I have to tell you something."
"What?" His eyes narrowed.
"I'm sorry," I murmured. "I'm sorry for the fight, I'm sorry for letting him kiss me, I'm sorry for everything."
I looked at his face, hoping to see him smile and say he was sorry too.
He glowered darkly at me. "That's not enough!" he bellowed. "You can't take back what you've already done!"
Taken aback, my anger swelled up again. "I don't know what you want, Severus! How can you say that! I was sorry, but I'm not sorry any more! I don't want to speak to you ever again!"
I ran out of the room before my tears could spill and slammed his door shut as hard as I possibly could.
I ignored the staring faces and ran out of the common as tears streamed down my face.
Once out of the common room, I had nowhere to go. I just ran through the halls, my vision blurred by tears.
Slam. I had run straight into someone. I fell forward, but my hands broke my fall.
"Are you all right, Lily?"
I looked up, into the concerned face of James Potter.
