Lily

Alice walked down with Frank , Molly , Arthur and Lily to the pitch.

" I better go get changed " said Frank to Alice. " Coming Arthur?"

" Yeah ...see you later " he called back.

" Are you alright Lily?"

" I'm fine Molly."

" That was something at dinner wasn't it. The way Oriane treated you."

" I was impressed with James " said Molly. " The way he stuck up for you."

" Yeah well...he was just being a friend thats all. Gryfindors stand up for Gryfindors...it's nearly always been that way."

" If you say so " said Alice smirking.

" Hey there go's James " said Molly.

" Woh look at him fly " cried Alice.

James flew out onto the pitch and began giving orders.

" LONGBOTTOM FLY SOUTH OF THE PITCH. WEASLEY HIT STRONGER...YOU CANT EXPECT THE OTHER BEATER TO BE WEAK ...HE WONT BE..." James caught sight of the snitch and within seconds had caught it with his hands. Lily without realising it clapped and cheered loudly. James turned suddenly and with seeing her...beamed and nearly fell of his broom. He gave a grin when he saw her smiling face.

" HEY YOU! came a nasty voice.

Lily looked over at Oriane desending from the steps.

" I'm warning you Missy. Potter is my partner for the dance and so keep your dirty Mudblood hands off him got it?"

" How dare you " cried Lily.

" Dont speak to me you Mudblood. Just listen. I will do everything in my power to be with Potter , if you even try to stop me..."

" What's going on here?"

Mcgonagall had stepped out from the shadows.

" Nothing Professor " said Oriane sweetly. " Lily and I were just having a chat."

" Is this true Miss Evans?"

" Ah yes Professor " lied Lily.

Malfoy walked by with Narcissa and Severus Snape. Lily looked away as Snape passed... but for a second she detected a hint of remorse in Snapes eyes.

" Good evening Severus " she said softly to him.

Snape looked taken aback and he quickly glanced at Malfoys and the other Slytherins shocked faces. Bellatrix Lestrange let out a gleefull laugh.

" The Mudblood actually spoke to one of us."

Lily didn't flinch but stared determined at him.

" Evening Lily " he muttered discreetly and he walked off just as quickly as he had come.

" I've always thought there was something strange about him " said Alice.

" I think he fanices Lily " said Molly.

" What?" cried Alice. " Are you mad? He called her a Mudblood two years ago."

" I think he is jealous that everyone loves James...he was so mad to be riddiculed by him in front of Lily that he called her that...dont you remember how Lily had tried to help him and then James mocked him for that. There's something about that lad and I think it involves you Lily."

Lily shook her head. " He doesnt seem to fit in with those Slytherins or belong with them and yet I feel he would not fit in with us either...he seems like a lone character actually...stuck in a lonely life. I can only feel pity for him now...even if my feelings of anger at him were high that day two years ago."

" Did you hear him ranting on about James nearly killing him?" asked Molly.

" Yes but I heard also that James saved him too although they refused to tell us how or what happened."

" Those two have always hated each other... they will never agree or come to reconsile."

" No good can come out of this " sighed Lily.

" Severus Snape is a dark Character " said Molly.

" I think " replied Lily. " Had we shown him the goodness that people can show to each other and the kindness people can treat each other with...maybe he would not appear so dark after all."

" Well he's always seemed dark to me and not very sociable " said Alice.

" A plant if left in the dark " said Lily. " Will slowly wither and die and all that will be left is the dark rotted remains of once a good bright plant. However the plant that is left in the sun and soaks up all the light and all the water grows to be the most colourfull plant of all. Severus Snape has lived in the dark...been taunted and deprived of friendship and love. If he turns out to be cold and maybe dark...we can not blame him entirely. We had the power to help and we didn't. It is us who blocked the sun from getting through and us who deprived that boy of friendship when we could have given it to him.

Alice and Molly stared at her. Lily smiled. " I had a long summer and a lot to think about. I had plenty of time to mope about myself...feel pity at my misfortunes and cry because I was insulted by him. But then I looked at him and wondered what made him so bitter and unhappy to turn around and call me that. I searched and found a boy who no one really knows anything about...a boy who has no real friends at school...a boy who clearly is bright but is taunted when he excells at something... we can call him a bully if you want... but then what do we call the people who taunt him and hurt him. How can we call him a bully when all he does is defend himself against the people who torture him for fun?"