I know it was a long wait but here is another one. Enjoy!

"You guys suck." Lily muttered.

She, Severus and James were sitting in the hospital wing while Madam Hart, the nurse, scrambled around them, looking for an ointment to reduce the swelling of Severus right eyes. Professor McGonagall had just left after giving both Severus and James detention, and a stern warning to Lily.

"Sorry Lily." The both boys said in unison and then glared at each other.

Lily had received a black eye from Severus accidentally elbowing her and a couple of bruises from James shoving her into a table when trying to get her away from the fight. The both boys however were worse of, James had gotten a split lip, cracked two knuckles and dislocated a finger. Severus was badly bruised all over and could hardly see out of one eye. It was clear which one of the boys who was the most experienced fighter, James had received most if his injured from punching while Severus had mostly gotten his while getting punched.

At that moment the door opened and Marcus Jonas, looking bewildered, stepped in.

"Lily! Are you alright?" He asked, walking over to her, "What happened?"

"I'm fine, I just happened to get in the middle of these two idiots." She said, still rather irritated.

"I'm glad you're alright." Marcus said, and leant down too kiss her. When his face got closer Lily could smell the alcohol on his breath.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked pulling away her face before their lips met. The other two boys both smirked, they were both good at recognizing Lily's annoyed voice, and liked hearing it directed at Marcus.

"Maybe." He said with an unsure smile.

"Have you?" Lily demanded, not at all pleased with his last answer.

"Ehm yeah, Dorian had a just received an old bottle of whiskey from his brother and we figured we'd just taste it." Marcus answered, looking a sheepishly at Lily.

"Smells like you did more than just taste it." Lily muttered, "Why didn't you join me at the party, you said you'd stop by if you had the chance." Lily felt her annoyance at Severus and James speeding to Marcus.

"I'm sorry babe, I swear I was going to join you after we were done." He said, not all together convincingly.

"Whatever, let's just go," Lily said. A little louder she said: "Madam Hart, would it be alright if I left?"

Madam Hart came out of her office and answered with a sweet smile and a "Yes hun', take care." And then when back into her office still searching for the anti-swelling ointment.

Lily grabbed Marcus arm and together they left the room and the two uncomfortable boys.

James and Severus sat in silence for the next couple of minutes, until James suddenly decided to speak. He didn't know exactly what made him ask it, maybe his burning curiosity or his inability to shut up, and before he could think about it the words had left his mouth.

"When did you two meet?" He knew hardly anything about Lily and Snape's friendship, other than it had begun before they all arrived at Hogwats.

"What's it to you Potter?" Snape asked with apparent hostility in his voice.

"Nothing, just curios I guess." He hadn't truly believed that Snape would answer but he couldn't miss an opportunity to learn something about Lilys affairs with Snape, if only just so trivial as when it began.

Severus stayed silent for a minute and then answer: "Around eight years ago." A trace of longing in his voice. He never realized how much he longed to talk about her, none of his friends had ever wanted to hear about her unless it was to make sure he didn't care about her. It felt nice to tell someone something about her, even if was James Potter.

"That's a long time." James said, amazed and pleased that he'd gotten an answer.

"Yeah, it is." Severus said lamely. They didn't say anything after that and after a while Madan Hart let James leave.

As he walked back to the Gryffindor common room he pondered what he knew about Snape and Lily and made a mental list:

They were friends for almost eight years.

They had been close.

They weren't now

Snape loved Lily.

Lily probably didn't know.

Snape had hurt her badly.

James realized how short his list was and vowed to fill it out, one way or another. He also couldn't help comparing his situation to Snape's when he realized that half of the facts would fit in on his own almost unexciting friendship with Lily. Who would have the best chance of winning her affection in the end? Would her history with Snape be in his favor or in James? He refused to think that Marcus Jonas, or someone like him, would really end up with the angel that was Lily Evans in the end. James would certainly not ditch her at a party to get drunk. He didn't even leave her at the party this time, and he didn't have the privilege of calling himself her boyfriend. He would do a much better job than Marcus Jonas ever would, why couldn't she see that?