Severus Snape walked back to his dorm feeling as dark as the robes he always wore. He had tried to fight his feelings but it was no use; he knew he was in love with Lily. Now that grinning idiot had won her at last, didn't she care any more what a tormentor James had been to him? True he had got his own back a few times, but they, those 'Marauders', had always started it.

He paused as he got to the portrait door of the Slytherin dorm, dreading the scene that would be on the other side. Taking a deep breath, he muttered the password and climbed in.

The party had quietened down now and some people were kissing, but it wasn't the orgy that Slytherin 7th year parties sometimes, ended up being. Soft music was flowing from a wizarding radio and people were sitting and just listening or talking quietly.

He hoped to walk past them unnoticed, but no such luck. Rodolphus Lestrange stuck out one of his pointy boots and stopped Severus in his tracks. Severus looked down briefly then went as to walk around another way.

"Not so fast Sevvy! I want a word with you, I want you to do me a little favour," Rodolphus said lazily. He was sitting with his arm around Bellatrix, his girlfriend, his feet out in front of him, resting on a table. He smiled, trying to look friendly, but more like a snake about to swallow a mouse. Severus looked at him with distain at being called 'Sevvy'.

"What do you want Rodolphus? More sustaining potion?" He smiled inwardly at this clever, cutting remark, Rodolphus had wanted to keep this little fact a secret, especially from Bellatrix.

Rodolphus scowled at Severus, while Bellatrix looked on curiously, but she knew better than to question her boyfriend about trivial things when he wanted to talk business.

"No! No.. I want to talk about your little friendship with that mud-blood, Lily Evans" Rodolphus's face broke into a smile again as he saw the shock on Severus's. "I, or should I say, we, would like to use it to our advantage. My spies tell me that she has now agreed to go out with James Potter, we also know how much she means to him. I would like you to take your relationship up a notch.." he broke off waiting for Severus's reaction

"How did you.." but then he remembered that not much got past Rodolphus, he had spies everywhere, either paid or threatened into his service.

"Why should she want to take up with me now she has agreed to go out with him? I don't believe she has any romantic feelings towards me whatsoever, so it would be pointless for me to try. What advantage would you gain from it anyway Rodolphus?" Severus finished, looking at his fellow Slytherin with a suspicious look on his face

"Oh I just need to get revenge on him that's all. He's as slippy as an eel, always seeming to get out of my carefully planned attacks. He also goads me on the Quidditch pitch, nobody could be that good, I swear those soft teachers favour him and let him cheat..anyway back to the plan.."

Severus listened as Rodolphus told him that he and his gang, planned to attack James when he was at his most vunerable; one, when he was alone without his friends to aid him and two, when he was angry – too angry to notice people creeping up on him. Severus hated being used as a pawn in this way, but he knew he had no choice, Rodolphus was very powerful both in magic and in influence. There would be a lot of trouble, if he did not do as he had been told. Severus had merely nodded curtly in agreement, when he had been told his part in the plan and had then gone on to his room.

He undressed and got into bed, closing the curtains tightly around it. He lay back among his pillows with a sigh, glad to be alone at last. He felt very tired as it was now way past his usual bedtime, as he closed his eyes he thought about Lily , picturing her beautiful face in his mind. If only she could think of him the way she thought about James, but he knew it was impossible; he had none of the looks, charm or talent that James had.

Severus had been brought up to be stoic and not show emotions openly. His father had thought it to be a sign of great strength. He had been beaten regularly and expected not to cry to 'toughen him up' as his father had put it. It had the desired effect but had also made him feel resentment instead of respect for authority figures, or anyone with something he hadn't got. Sometimes he felt the whole world was against him, that no one understood him. There was only one person who shone a light against the darkness of his existence; Lily. She had still stood up for him even when he had never asked or thanked her for it. She seemed to see into his soul, to see the suffering that lay inside and reached out the hand of friendship to him, time and time again. She was so insightful; she seemed to know him better than he knew himself at times. It had been a gradual process; she had slowly worn him down into being on friendly terms with her. He did not trust easily, in fact he did not trust anyone at this school apart from her. He had told her things no one else knew, things she had promised never to tell. He hoped that she would still keep that promise now, now she was going out with Potter. He was more than a little afraid that she wouldn't, especially after what he was about to do. What would James do to him? Would Rodolphus protect him, as he had promised, from James's inevitable wrath? He sincerely hoped so, James was not someone you 'crossed' lightly, he was a very powerful wizard.

He had been told him to arrange a meeting with Lily near the Forbidden Forest the next day and they would do the rest.