All characters etc belong to JK Rowling who has went so far down in my estimation due to her anti-trans sentiments. All Original characters and plot belong to me.

Chapter 2 - Cold Snap

September 1975

Lily Evans stared absentmindedly out of her dormitory window. The heatwave of August had ended the moment the Hogwart's Express had crossed the Scottish border; what was once glorious sunshine had now been replaced by thick dull clouds which seemed to have an unlimited supply of rain. The stone fireplaces were perpetually lit throughout the castle and the site of students wearing scarfs and gloves in the classrooms was now a common occurrence. Lily didn't mind the rain or the fog. She enjoyed the smell of the burning wood in the fireplaces and the sight of Professor Slughorn bouncing around the castle with his usual enthusiasm, only now sporting a pair of garish pink fluffy earmuffs.

"Lily, you coming down to breakfast? If we get their early we won't have to wait ages for our timetables." Alice Roberts asked, breaking Lily from her staring contest with the Hogwarts Lake.

"You mean you won't have to wait ages to see Frank." Lily replied with a wink, slipping her scarf around her neck.

"That's just a bonus...a bacon sandwich and Frank Longbottom, " Alice smiled, as the two girls began the long trek down to the Great Hall, "Not that he'd notice me in a million years."

"I keep telling you Al, just make the first move. Boys are hopeless."

"Easy for you to say Miss-never-without-an-offer. Severus would give his left nut just for a kiss on the cheek and Potter's been asking you out since second year. And those are just the boys in our year."

"Alice I don't know how many times I've got to tell you, Sev and I are just friends. I know it. He knows it. We just get on."

"No sweetie, me and you 'just get on'. I don't go bright red every time your bra strap slips down your arm during class." Alice laughed, as the two girls swept into the Great Hall.

"He's just shy! You know what boys are like, they try and talk a good game but when they actually come face to face with anything to do with sex they just go to pieces." Lily tried to explain, as she had explained a million times since first year. The thought of herself and Severus in anything but a platonic relationship made her uncomfortable. Although Alice was clearly having a laugh, the other girls in Lily's year all seemed to be fascinated with the old adage that boys and girls could never just be friends.

"Sirius Black seems to know what he's doing." Alice nodded down the table as she helped herself to some toast and obscene amount of bacon.

"He thinks he knows what he's doing." Lily replied, as she watched the heir to the Black family throne, his shoulder length onyx hair groomed to perfection deliver his usual morning flirting routine to a gaggle of enraptured girls, some of which didn't even belong to Gryffindor House. The other marauders sat hunched over a piece of parchment, whispering to each other conspiratorially.

"Well whatever he's doing, I wish Frank would take some lessons. I swear he would be more interested in me if I was a Chinese Chomping Cabbage."

"A what?" Lily laughed.

"God knows, I was only half listening when he was telling me on the train." Alice rolled her eyes.

Professor McGonagall swept over to the Gryffindor table, tapping pieces of parchment with her wand and handing them to various students.

"Good Morning, ladies. I trust you both had a pleasant and restful summer?"

"Yes, Professor." Lily and Alice replied automatically, knowing that Minerva McGonagall had no interest in a long and drawn out story about what teenage girls got up to during the summer holidays.

"Good. As you both know your OWL examinations are at the end of the year and i will not tolerate shirkers in my house." McGonagall tapped two pieces of parchment smartly and handed Lily and Alice their timetables.

"Of course not Minny, we honourable Gryffindors would never dream of it!" James Potter's voice shouted down the table, causing a few people to giggle. Lily rolled her eyes, hating the arrogant smile that spread across his face.

"Mr Potter, is it your intention to start the term in negative House Points or shall i take that little outburst as left over energy from the summer?" McGonagall's well trained eyebrow arched dangerously, daring James to go further.

"Just practicing for Quidditch, Professor. Besides, whatever points i lose, Lancaster and Evans will win back by the end of the day. Won't you, Evans?" James smirked towards Lily, his hazel eyes twinkling with mischief, daring her to answer back. Lily clenched her fist under the table, willing her face to remain impassive. She would have liked nothing more than to wipe that stupid grin from his face with a well-aimed curse, to put him flat on his arse for a change.

"That may well be Mr Potter, but i would advise you to leave the shouting for the Quidditch Pitch or you may find yourself sitting on the bench. Mr Lancaster, your timetable."

"Thank you, Professor." The polite and clipped voice of Ryan Lancaster came from behind a red leather-bound book. Lily hadn't even noticed he was sitting a few seats away from her, alone and clearly engrossed in his book. Taking his timetable from McGonagall, he gave it a brief glance before returning to his reading. Lily wondered what complex or rare bits of magic her friend was studying this morning, it was always something interesting.

"What are you trying to do, Lancaster? Find a spell that turns you straight?" McLaggen laughed down the table, his friends sniggering behind their hands. Lily felt her rage begin to boil.

"Mr McLaggen, may I remind you, this is your final year at Hogwarts. As a seventh year, and of age, I expect you to show a better example to the younger students, by keeping your immature thoughts in check or you will find yourself in detention." McGonagall snapped, her cheeks turning slightly pink before going to wrangle some first years.

"He's the one who should be in detention. Either that or the nut house." McLaggen continued, his friends nodding obediently in agreement.

"If you've got nothing nice to say, why don't you just shut up Douglas? Mind your own business." The words had escaped Lily's mouth before she knew what was happening. The anger inside her burned her lungs like acid and she was aware that a few people, the marauders included were staring at her.

"A mudblood standing up for a faggot? Merlin, this place is going downhill." A small pregnant pause filled the table, before anarchy erupted.

"What the fuck did you just call her?" James Potter was on his feet, quickly followed by Sirius and Remus. Lily's stomach turned. That's all she needed, James Potter placing himself as the prince to her damsel in distress. Well to hell with him, she wasn't a damsel.

"James, leave it. Come on, we've got Potions." Lily said simply, picking up her bag and nodding at Alice and Ryan to follow.

"No, what the fuck did you just call her?" James ignored her, his arms folded across his chest as he glared at McLaggen, air puffing through his flared nostrils like an enraged bull. McLaggen deflated slightly before standing to his own feet and meeting James eye to eye.

"A mudblood, Potter. That's exactly what she is. And the only reason that little shit-stabber," McLaggen jabbed his finger quickly at Ryan, "wasn't kicked out is because of who his mother is."

"Alright mate, that's enough." Sirius stood shoulder to shoulder with James, carefully eyeing both of their wand hands.

"No, it's not Black. We shouldn't have to share classes with either of them. I heard the muggles aren't too fond of puffs in the first place. What's your excuse, Evans?"

"Is there a particular reason you seem to be obsessed with what i do and whom i do it with? Do you find it that titilating?" Ryan stared directly into McLaggen's eyes as he finally stood up from the table, his voice calm but cold and deliberate.

"Just what exactly do you mean by that?" McLaggen's eyes didn't blink or waver for a single second.

"I think the gentleman doth protest too much. Is that it McLaggen? You jealous Stebbins got to me first?" Pupils were now craning their necks to see what was going on, as James and Sirius turned to Ryan and then back to McLaggen as his ears turned scarlet.

"Careful Lancaster, I'd watch that smart mouth if i were you. Could get you into all sorts of trouble." McLaggen seemed to be vibrating with anger; his voice had lowered to guttural whisper. Lily tugged gently at Ryan's sleeve, leading both him and Alice to Potions.

"Ryan, that was bloody stupid." Alice scolded, biting her lower lip nervously.

"I thought he was magnificent!" Lily defended, slapping her friend heartily on the back.

"It was funny but bloody stupid. McLaggen won't forget that in a hurry." Alice explained as they trudged down the slimy cold steps towards the dungeons. The cold air in the sublevels of the castle had caused slippery green moss to begin the form on the walls and floor.

"I hope he doesn't. Might make him think twice before opening his mouth again." Ryan reasoned, although his eyes looked worried.

"Evans, wait up!" James called, running to catch up with the trio.

"Speaking of prats..." Lily rolled her eyes as she turned face James Potter, who was sprinting while trying to keep his balance on the damp floor.

"Be nice. He stood up for you." Ryan advised, a slightly smirk forming at the corners of his mouth.

"We'll meet you in class." Alice suggested before winking as she and Ryan entered the classroom.

"Yes, James?"

"Just wanted to make sure you were ok." James could barely catch his breath.

"We're both fine, thank you." Lily said pointedly.

"McLaggen shouldn't have said that to you, he's a disgrace. Not all of us think like he does."

"Could have fooled me."

"Whats that supposed to mean?"

"It means you had no issue with the way McLaggen was speaking to Ryan." Lily explained, pretending to check her nails.

"He didn't call Lancaster a mud-a you-know-what!" James replied hotly, running his fingers through his messy unkempt hair.

"No but what he was saying to Ryan was just as bad! You can't pretend to be all moral when you'll happily watch someone else get bullied. Not the hero moment you thought it was eh, James?" Lily said as if talking to a small child.

"Look that was just boys being boys. We all wind each other up. He wasn't bullying Lancaster, he was just-"

"Just what, James?" Lily felt her rage beginning to build again.

"He was just saying how he felt. At least he's honest." James blurted out quickly. Lily felt as if someone had thrown a bucket of ice cold water down her back.

"And was he just being honest about me?" Lily's eyes narrowed.

"No Evans, look, it's different. You know it is."

"No James, it isn't. If you don't know the difference between honesty and hate, you have a problem." Lily smiled as she saw the look of hurt cross over James' face, finally she had said what she meant to say and it had hit him where it hurt. He wasn't flat on his arrogant arse, but this was definitely a close second. James straightened his back and silently walked passed her into the classroom.

"Ah Miss Evans! I was wondering what was keeping you; I was just about to start." Professor Slughorn chortled as Lily took her spot at the cauldron she shared with Severus. Lily could feel him eyeing her from the side but she kept her eyes fixed on the blackboard.

"Now everyone, as we are in a bit of a cold snap at the moment and the fact it is time to get ready for OWLs, i thought we would review the Pepper-Up Potion!" Slughorn's voice boomed across the classroom, as he bounced between desks.

"You have exactly two hours to prepare the potion. Please follow the instructions carefully as a faulty brew can lead to vomiting flames and excessive flatulence. You may begin."

A collective scrape of stools filled their classroom as students began igniting cauldrons and chopping ingredients. Lily noticed that Alice was stood at a cauldron with Frank and Ryan was issuing short, sharp instructions to Peter Pettigrew who was barely keeping up.

"So what was all that about at breakfast?" Snape tried to sound nonchalant as he ground cloves into a sticky paste.

"Just McLaggen being Mclaggen - are you sure we need cloves in this?" Lily squinted over her book, noticing the ingredient wasn't listed.

"I'm sure. It looked like Potter was causing trouble yet again. Regulus said he heard him shouting."

"Since when have you been hanging out with Sirius' little brother?"

"Thats not the point. We need to slice the Girdy roots length ways, not chop them." Snape explained, stirring the cauldron precisely three times clockwise. Lily had always marvelled at his innate mastery at potions. His books were constantly covered in scribbles, correcting instructions, adding to them. He had even crossed out entire potion recipes and written them out again on the end pages. Lily knew she was no slouch when it came to Potions, she loved the various broths and brews that could cure the sick, induce love or euphoria, change someone's luck or kill them within seconds. Potions took work. It took concentration. It wasn't as easy as waving a wand, or saying the right incantation. It took blood, sweat and tears. Snape, her lonely little friend since before their first year was the only person in the class that seemed to understand that. She loved to watch him mix a potion while he kept up with their conversation, she felt like she was watching a conductor guide a symphony. He never missed a beat, he was always three steps ahead. However, Lily noticed that his shoulders seemed more hunched than before the summer and his eyes now had dark rings under them. Puberty had hit all of her classmates like a ton of bricks over the summer, to varying degrees of success, but Severus seemed to be getting smaller and gaunt.

"James was standing up for me actually. McLaggen decided to serve breakfast with a side of racial* and homophobic slurs." Lily explained, carefully lowering her voice so no one could easedrop. She noticed a few people were casting glances her way and talking behind their cauldrons. Great. The talk of the school. Again.

"I see." Snape said simply, before adding precisely three drops of dragon's blood into the cauldron which caused it to turn from a murky blue into a shimmering yellow. Lily noticed her friend hadn't bothered to defend her or Ryan. He hadn't seemed shocked or disgusted at what had happened, but merely as a usual part of everyday life. Perhaps, Lily thought that was closer to the truth, she and Ryan would always been in the minority of wizard life, and raging against that fact would only make her miserable. Maybe James and Severus had a point.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Slughorn praised as he dipped a teapsoon into their cauldron some time later. He slurped the potion and smiled as thick white steam shot out of his ears.
"I daresay that would secure you both an Outstanding come July, the cloves were such a nice touch. It tends to help with the heartburn that can occur because of the dragon's blood. Take 10 house points each!" Slughorn explained to the rest of the class as they began to clear away their belongings. Lily had to stifle a laugh as she watched Ryan drinking a pint of water as fast as he could. Peter had apparently read that the three drops of dragon's blood was actually thirteen drops of dragon's blood. Slughorn had reasoned that it was perhaps best if in future Ryan either work alone or be partnered elsewhere, as his potion work had never been so abysmal. Sirius and James had laughed hysterically, confident that their thick, pink concoction was of course, perfect, with minimal effort.

"I've got Charms with the Ravenclaws next, see you at Lunch?" Lily offered, while packing away her ingredients.

"Maybe, I've got to see some friends." Severus countered, his cheeks turning a light pink.

"OI! Come on Lancaster! Time to redeem yourself! You know the Ravenclaws and Flitwick are taking bets to see who can beat you this year!" James' voice rang through the dungeon, as he swung his arm over Ryan's shoulders. Perhaps he was capable of listening to Lily after all.