Contrary to Severus's anticipations, school proved much more fun with a friend. Though they were in separate houses, Severus and Lily themselves were nearly inseparable. Severus had never known such ecstasy.
They met often in the library to whisper behind books or in the owlery to try out forbidden items. Lily was the top of their class in Potions and was always willing to help Severus, while Severus was best as Defense Against the Dark Arts and could soon better Lily at anything she lagged at in the subject.
"Lacewings not squidwart!" Lily squealed at Severus.
The two of them were hidden away in the most private place they could practice Potions togther: Moaning Mytrle's bathroom.
"I know!" snapped Severus crossly as he feverishly stirred his cauldron. He paused and wiped his dripping forehead with the back of his sweater sleeve. His narrowed black eyes darted enviously at Lily's cauldron, the contents of which was giving off a rosy pink shimmer as their Potions book had detailed.
Lily shook her head at Severus's boiling, red concoction, bent over his open Potions book, and scribbled a few notes.
"There," she said, straightening up brightly. "Why follow the book's instructions? They aren't helping you a bit. Follow mine," she said to Severus's outraged expression.
"Lily!" he cried, lifting his own book. She'd crossed out the instructions here and there and written her own, even over the original text.
"It will save you a world of trouble," Lily told him casually as she added frog tongue to her potion and it gave a loud hiss. "Do that to all of your Potions books each year."
Severus set his book down again, grumpily resigned, and began stirring his cauldron afresh.
"I don't know why you're so good at Potions," he said crossly, throwing her filthy looks as she happily stirred her own potion, "When it's clear you're -- " He looked startled and stopped himself, glancing at her almost nervously.
Lily had frozen in the act of rolling her sleeves up further. Her green eyes narrowed on Severus, "It's clear I'm what, exactly?"
Severus didn't answer her. He went on stirring his potion, wishing he hadn't spoken.
"A Mudblood," Lily said quietly, her hands now at her sides. "You were going to call me a Mudblood!" she accused.
"I wasn't," lied Severus.
"As if you're so 'pure' yourself," went on Lily, sneering. "Isn't your dad a Muggle?"
"Leave my dad out of this," Severus said in a low voice.
"But he is," pressed Lily, "and that makes you half-blood, doesn't it?"
"So what?" demanded Severus, throwing his ladle against the wall now. "So what if I'm half-blood?"
"So what if I'm Muggle-born!" Lily cried fiercely. "I thought your meaness was just an act, but now I'm starting to see that you really aren't nice!"
"You aren't nice either!" Severus cried.
Lily stared at him, "What do you mean?"
"The other day -- when Potter was harassing me -- "
"Oh, come off it!" cried Lily over him, her eyes firing incredulously. "Did you really expect me to step in an defend you when you started the whole fight to begin with?"
They stared at each other.
"Potter's no good, Lily," Severus said in a low voice, his chest heaving. "Stay away from him."
Lily lifted her chin, "It isn't up to you to decide who I hang around."
"He's no good!" Severus cried, his eyes wide. "I've seen him and his little tagalongs, always blowing up people's heads, always sneaking around the castle . . ."
"Maybe if you weren't always spying on them you wouldn't notice!"
"And what about you?" Severus snapped. "You act like you don't like him, but I've seen the way you look at him -- "
"People aren't bullies for no reason, Severus," Lily cried. "They aren't born that way, they're made. And just because you hate him, doesn't mean I have to! But I don't like him either -- and that's the end of it!" She'd become so bad-tempered that a few red sparks shot from her wand.
There was a pause as they both caught their breath. Then Lily sat on the wide step beneath the sinks and Severus, hesitating at first, sat beside her. Lily had tears standing in her eyes. She turned her head away and wiped them hastily, but Severus wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he stared guiltily at his own worn shoes.
"You know what I was just thinking?" Severus asked quietly.
"What?" Lily said, sounding as if she had a cold. She still would not turn her head to him.
"Red isn't so bad a color after all."
Lily looked at him at last, her face streaming with tears, and laughed.
"What?" Severus was startled.
"You're weird."
"So?" he said roughly.
"Don't you want to know what I was thinking?" Lily asked.
"No."
"I was thinking . . ." Lily leaned in close anyway and whispered, "You're not so mean after all -- only -- only . . ."
"Only what?" Severus demanded.
"Lonely," finished Lily.
Severus shook his head and stared at the opposite stalls as if he'd only realized, "Not with you, I'm not. Never with you."
Lily laughed again, and Severus was startled into flushing when he felt a light, quick, peck on his cheek.