This is another story about our favourite character in the wizarding world. Please read and review.

I own the plot.

The Three Broomsticks was busy, as always at the time of winter. Crowds of people rushing to escape the cold bitter wind, raking their faces with its icy fingers. Butterbeer was being served on a magical rotary, due to the high demand for the creamy delight. Witches and wizards stood or sat (often under tables) to accommodate themselves. The Three Broomsticks was also a popular place for past Hogwarts' students to stay at.

Everyone had someone to be with. It was nearly Christmas, why wouldn't they? And yet all alone in the corner of the pub sat a figure. Crouched over several sheets of parchment, he dipped an elegant quill into some black ink. He wrote carefully, neatly, as if these simple notes contained the secret to life. His unkempt ebony hair hung over his thin gaunt face. His onyx eyes shined in dark beauty. They were eyes that had seen too much, for someone so young. At twenty years old, he had left Hogwarts three years ago. He spent those three years alone, in a small apartment. His cruel life had hardened his heart; so his feelings were void, save for the occasional hate. The few who knew him well, knew to stay away. That being said, he wouldn't attack anyone who ignored him. This led the majority to believe he was a harmless youth. On the contrary. His intellect had surpassed many, and he had often been compared to Tom Riddle. He knew curses to the highest level and spent most of his time practising magic or learning new spells.

Still writing he felt someone approaching him. It was Madam Rosmerta, the bartender. She placed a cup of boiling Butterbeer in front of him, smiled and walked away. He watched her walk away and scowled. There were many times she had felt sorry for him and given him free drinks. And yet he hadn't spoken more than two words to her. She was only a couple of years older than him. He frowned. He didn't understand the occasional acts of kindness 'strangers' did for him. Just the other day an old man gave him a Galleon! He was very tempted to curse the old man for thinking he was a beggar, but decided against it. He would be far better off outside Azkaban. He had a thin black cloak on, that did little to protect him from the cold. One day Severus would need to get a thick winter cloak, before his current one was reduced to holes.

After leaving Hogwarts, Severus Snape did not keep in contact with anyone at all. Well not on a friendly basis anyway. He had a few encounters with Lucius Malfoy, merely discussing "business". Again he felt someone approaching him. He sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. 'Why can't this woman leave me alone?' He thought moodily. He was a little surprised she had come over, considering he hadn't touched his Butterbeer yet. He continued writing and tried to ignore her but found he couldn't. He could smell a distant aroma belonging to his past. The past he had tried to shut out and overlook. The steel clamp around his heart softened a little and he looked up. He stared and his eyes widened slightly.

"Lily?"

In dark blue robes stood the five foot four Lily Evans. Snape grimaced. Or Lily Potter now. Her hair was long, auburn and shiny – just as he remembered it. Her eye were sparking emeralds and sent a wave of unpleasant nostalgia running through Snape's spine. The very past he had been trying to disregard for three years was now brought back to him in that instant. The bullying, tormenting… his heart's pain. Snape shook his head and mentally scolded himself. 'Enough of this! You're past childhood is a distant memory. You're goal in life is not to be hindered by any one person. Remember your heart is made of stone. Stones can't melt.'

Lily looked at him, and smiled nervously. "Hello Severus, do you remember me?" Since he didn't curse her immediately she took this as a good sign and sat down. He simply looked at her, his face hard to read. It was a mixture of confusion and hard resentment. She continued speaking. "I didn't come to argue. I was in the area and heard you were here so I thought I'd come and see you for a while."

Severus' throat finally cleared away its phlegm. "Hello," he began, and paused, uncertainly knowing what to say next. Lily smiled again.

"So are you okay?" he asked.

'Am I okay! My life has been a living hell for fifteen years, and when I'm sorted out you show up!'

Lily seemed to read his mind. "I know you didn't… enjoy Hogwarts as much as I have. I- I know you've had a difficult life". She stared at the table. Snape was a little surprised. As he was very good at Occlumency, he didn't understand how Lily knew what he was feeling. He just didn't understand human semantics. "I'm sorry if you were hurt by anything I have done." She looked directly into his eyes.

Suddenly his body blazed with anger. She never bullied him. She never hurt or humiliated him. She never laughed at him. In fact she had tried to help him, offer compassion. And yet she had committed the biggest crime: she married James Potter. Seeing the look in his eyes she looked away. Was that shame on her face?

"I have no reason to hate you," he said coldly. She looked at him startled. He sipped some butterbeer. Realising his notes were exposed, he casually put them into his bag. "Why would I hate you?" he challenged her."

"…I want you to know Severus," she answered carefully, "I would never want to hurt you."

He raised his eyebrows. "You've never hurt me," he drawled lazily. Inside his heart was thudding. After distancing himself from most people he found he could act detached very well. It was lucky no one could read his mind! He laughed mentally. He'd just made a joke. How rare.

Lily's featured relaxed slightly. "Good. Because I know how you felt about James."

"Pure hate?" he said sarcastically.

"Well I-"

"Save it. If you're going to disturb my work to talk about James then go away."

Lily didn't take offence. Instead she asked, "What are you writing?"

"Poetry."

Lily laughed at his sardonic response. The sound was rather unusual for him. He hadn't heard genuine laughter for a very long time. It was either derisive mocking or a cruel cackle. He savoured the moment then stopped. Why was he enjoying himself? 'Because Lily's different, Lily's not one of them. She's-'

"She married Potter," he blurted out. She blushed.

"Yes I have."

"Well don't sound so happy about it!" he snapped and banged his fist on the table. The noise in the pub carried on.

Lily seemed rather pleased he had shown some human emotion, but even so she cautiously chose her words. "I married James because I love him."

Severus flinched and shook his head to hide it. "Why do you care about love? How does that get you anywhere in life?"

"It does a hell of a lot more than hate does."

"Hate is power," he said, half to himself and smiled twistedly. His life had been fuelled by hate for three years, and it actually promised a future. Determined not to let anyone affect his emotions he had succeeded in living a better life. However it was impassive and empty. He carried on in life not for happiness; but for power, revenge and knowledge.

"Hate is not power," said Lily, slightly troubled.

"What is then?"

"Love." He had expected her to say that.

"Actually Lily, your life has never been fuelled by hate, so how would you know whether it is power or not?" His eyes bore into hers.

"Well Severus, you've never had LOVE in your life, so how would you know it's not the opposite?"

"How do you know I've never loved?" He looked at his fingers, then at the ceiling, and finally at Lily. Lily looked shocked.

"Severus what are you saying?"

"Don't call me Severus!" he snapped. She recoiled. "In fact, I'd appreciate if you'd go away NOW, and never come back!"

"Why?" she persisted. Snape rolled his eyes. She always persevered someone until they'd give in. He gritted his teeth. Well she wasn't going to break him. His long fingers tapped the table.

"Are you drinking that?" she asked.

"Huh?"

She pointed at his mug. "You've taken only one tiny sip of Butterbeer and I know you hate the stuff. You only drank some so you wouldn't have to talk to me."

He seemed rather amazed. "How do you know-"

"That you hate Butterbeer?" she interrupted. "Easy. Whenever we'd go to Hogsmeade I noticed you'd refuse to take any of it."

"Oh erm, yes?" He shrugged awkwardly.

"So…" she grinned, "Do you still want to me go away?"

Severus's mouth twitched slightly. "I suppose I can spare a minute."

"Can I have some of your Butterbeer then?"

"What!" he exclaimed. "You sit with me just to take my free drink?"

"Of course," she teased.

Snape smiled. This meeting was going a little better than he expected. Despite the fact he chose to be socially outcast from everyone else, he was actually enjoying himself. Lily sensed this. She took his drink away and put it to her lips.

"Wait. You haven't cursed this, have you?"

Snape started, and realised she was joking. "No way." 'Why would I waste my precious curses for such a pretty girl?'

"So," she began, and put down her cup. "Let's talk."

Snape frowned again. "Isn't this what we're doing?"

"No, I mean a proper conversation."

"Oh."

"So what have you done since you left Hogwarts?"

"Shut everyone out of my life. Created a new one by myself."

Lily nodded. This was not the reaction he had been hoping for. Normally someone would sense his hostility and go away, but Lily just stayed put. "I'm trying to shut everyone out, you know." He put major emphasis on the word 'everyone.'

"I understand."

"Really Lily? Do you really? Do you honestly understand me? My life? Why the hell do you care about my well being?"

"Because believe it or not, I actually felt pity for you in school."

"Oh so that's it!" he shouted. "You're only talking to me now out of pity!"

"NO!" she yelled back. "I'm talking to you as a friend, as someone who cared about you in the past!"

Snape tutted. "I have no friends."

"You have one right now."

Snape looked at her in disbelief. "How Lily, is it, that you're talking to me? Your husband is my biggest enemy, and you want to be friends with me?"

Lily looked a bit more sympathetic now. "I know James was a jerk when we were younger, which is why I didn't like him. But when he grew a bit older, he matured. Haven't you noticed that I only started going out with him after he stopped bullying you?"

"Why are you still talking about James?" he said, evading the question.

"You brought him up! Now I noticed you avoided my previous question."

Damn. "Err – yes I know you only went out with Potter after he was so rude to me."

Lily smiled, satisfied. She continued drinking.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Lily put down her mug. "Yes…"

"Why did you pick James? I mean," he said quickly after Lily had opened her mouth. "Remus wasn't so bad. And there's other people in Gryffindor better than James."

She regarded him suspiciously. "Are you sure you want to know?"

"As long as it doesn't kill me, yes."

She laughed. "Well, when James actually matured he turned out to be very nice. He was very respectful to me. He was funny and sensitive," she said louder, when Snape started gagging. "He's a good student, fantastic at Quidditch and very good looking."

"Oh so that's why you picked him. For his looks alone."

"You're just looking for an argument!"

"No…"

"Yes you are! James' good looks were the last thing I mentioned and you had to just point it out!"

Snape's finger traced the shape of a serpent on the table. "So if someone kind, sensitive and clever were from Slytherin, would you have gone out with them?" He muttered.

"Probably not."

"Why?" he confronted. His hands lay in his lap, still.

"Because how many Slytherins actually liked a single Gryffindor?"

"I did."

Lily looked at him quite coldly. "Actually Severus, I recall you calling me a Mudblood several times, as well as refusing to let me help you."

"I also recall you marrying James!"

"Oh for heaven's sake you fool. I love James. You may loathe and detest him. You may wish for him to be dead." Snape snorted. "But that doesn't change my feelings for him… Anyways, why do you care so much? You've tried to shut everyone out, but I can see you're not doing a very good job. I can sense some resentment."

Snape growled. 'Trust Evans to freaking mess things up!'

"Did you love James or something?" she asked.

"What the -" Lily started laughing. He sighed. "Why is it Evans, you always seem to annoy the hell out of me, then repair all the damage?"

"Because, there are good people in the world, Severus."

He jolted slightly, and pushed his notes even further into his bag, despite the fact Lily couldn't see them. "What do you mean by good?"

"I mean those who haven't been tempted by the dark side." She ran a distracted hand through her hair. Severus had a wild urge to smell her auburn locks. He resisted.

'But stones CAN break,' he thought absent-mindedly.