Disclaimer: I only own Jane, who doesn't show up much anyway. I mean, Lily has to have friends, right? But the rest belong to JK!

To Be Young Again

Chapter 2: In Her Mind


Ugh, Lily sighed. What is with this James Potter? He won't stop pestering me with these owls! she thought silently as a tawny owl flew through her open window and landed on her bed. Where does he get all these owls anyway? Never mind that, she told herself. I'm not writing back, she told herself sternly.

"I won't," she said aloud.

Lily sighed. She couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts, where she could se her best friends, Jane and Arabella, again.

She smiled, thinking of Arabella. Everyone thought she was a Squib. Tests had been run, and they proved negative. She couldn't conjure up the simplest Levitating spell.

But last year, their 5th year, all that had changed. Arabella had gotten top marks in her O.W.L.S., and almost single-handedly saved Jane's life. She was back in the 'in' community.

Then, out of the blue, in midst of these memories, she had a flashback. A horrible memory that she was scared of.

Flashback

Lily, Jane and Arabella were walking to Potions class. They were talking, trying to rid themselves of the dread of the class looming ahead of them. That's when it happened.
Severus Snape, a greasy-haired, big-nosed boy, who was always teased by the Marauders (the name by which James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew called themselves) approached Lily.
"Uh, Lily? Could I have a word?" he asked, wringing his hands in nervousness.
"Uh, sure," Lily replied, surprised that Snape called her by her first name instead of her surname. "Be right back," she added to Arabella and Jane.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Snape said to Lily, "Are you doing anything tonight?"
Lily raised her eyebrows.
"BecauseIwaswonderingifyouwouldgotoHogsmeadewithme," Snape said in a rush.
"Pardon?" Lily asked.
Snape sighed. "Will you go out with me tonight? To Hogsmeade?"
"Uh, I'm sorry, er, Severus, but I'm busy tonight," Lily's cheeks flushed. And before Snape could suggest another time, Lily rushed back to her friends.
"What was it?" Jane asked.
"He asked me out," Lily replied, still panting slightly. Arabella and Jane gasped.
"But I said I was busy," Lily said quickly.
Then, later that day after their Charms O.W.L.S., Lily walked out onto the bank of the lake, just in time to see what James was doing to Snape.
"Leave him ALONE!" Lily shouted.
"Alright, Evans?" said James.
"Leave him alone. What's he done to you?"
"Well, it's more than the face that he exists, if you know what I mean..."
"You think you're funny, but you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him ALONE."
"I will if you go out with me, Evans. Go on... go out with me, and I'll never lay a hand on old Snivellus again."
"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid."
James got hit with a jet of light, and there was a gash down the side of his face. He whirled around and hit Snape with a jet of light, and Snape was hanging upside down in the air.
"Let him down!" Lily cried.
"Certainly." James jerked his wand and Snape fell to the floor. "There you go. You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"
"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"
"Fine," said Lily coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you, Snivellus."
"Apologize to Evans!" James roared.
"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily snapped. "You're as bad as he is."
"What?" yelped James. "I'd NEVER call you a-you-know-what!"
"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can-I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK!"
And with that, Lily turned and left. James called after her, but she ignored him and didn't look back.

End of Flashback

Lily let out an exasperated sigh. She did think James was still conceited, but he was getting better. She went back to packing her trunk.