I'm totally sorry for my lack of updates. Sometime in the next week or so I'm planning to have at least two new chapters up, seeing as I'll be going on summer holiday to France for three weeks and then I really won't be able to update. Here's a pretty much fluff chapter.

Severus was forced to leave Lily just as they exited Dumbledore's office. McGonagall was escorting the Marauders and Lily back to their dormitory, and Severus cringed under the heavy weight of Slughorn's arm as the Potions teacher placed it on his student's shoulder.

"You know, Snape," Slughorn said, causing Severus to scowl. Despite Sev's love for potions and the like, there were only three things he hated in the world more than Professor Slughorn: and they were Gryffindors, Sirius Black, and James Potter.

James Potter. Ha. Sev grinned. Slughorn's words slowly faded out as he recalled how Lily had snapped at Potter. Sev wanted to cry with happiness. Now, after all this time, James would finally leave Lily alone and Sev would be free to make his move. If things were only that easy.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sev knew the only reason Lily had been holding his hand so tightly was because she had been so scared. But at the sight of all her tears, Sev had wanted to hold her in his skinny arms and kiss every single tear right off her cheeks.

She was so wonderful. So beautiful, so smart. They had so much in common. She loved potions, he loved potions…. He loved potions, and…she loved potions. Sev's face fell suddenly at this thought. What else? What else did they have in common?

Lily was pretty. Sev wasn't all that attractive. Lily had friends. Well, Sev had friends, too. But Avery and Mulciber had just stolen his socks the other day, and after letting Goyle borrow them—well, let's just say that Sev did not want his toes chewed off. Okay. So he really didn't have friends. They were more—polite acquaintances. Lily was smart. Sev struggled in everything except Defense Against the Dark Arts, and…potions. Lily (with the exception of Petunia) had a supporting family. What was more important, Lily had a sober family. Severus did not.

"You think so, too, eh Snape?" Slughorn's voice jolted Sev out of his trance. His big meaty hands, still glistening with pineapple dust, remained heavy on Sev's shoulders.

"Yeah, sure, Professor," Sev replied absentmindedly. They were nearing the staircases where Potter had sliped over the edge, taking Lily with him. God, how Sev wished he had fallen, broken his neck, and had died an excruciatingly slow and painful death, lying there on the staircases as a puddle of his own blood seeped into Potter's excellent hairstyle—

But if Potter had fallen and died, it pretty much meant Lily would have, too. Sev did not want that. His face paled in the darkness at the thought of it. Slughorn raised his wand, which illuminated the way in front of them. Snape, unfortunately, hadn't brought his own wand.

"I thought so too, when I was your age," Slughorn said, continuing on a conversation that Sev wasn't even listening to. "But then I realized I was too concerned with my potions grade, and a girl like her just got in my way. She was beautiful with blonde hair and the greenest eyes you've ever seen—"

No. Lily had the greenest eyes Sev had ever seen.

"And so I forgot about her. And you should forget about Lily Evans, Snape." Snape's head suddenly jerked up. What was he saying? "She's anice enough girl, but if you think you could ever have a hance with a girl like that—" here, Slughorn let out a snort "—boy are you wrong. She'd be better off with someone else. Like that Potter boy. She claims she hates him, but I can tell he likes her. And if a boy likes a girl hard enough, sooner or later she starts to like him, too."

SHUT THE HELL UP!! Sev wanted to scream at his teacher. He wanted to punch him so hard in the face. Don't listen to him, don't listen to him—

"Of course, the boy's got to be good-looking enough. Otherwise, the girl will just think you're a creep and a stalker." Slughorn laughed again, and shook Sev's shoulders slightly. They began to walk down the staircase. "I think we've both got experience with that, don't we, Snape?"

Sev pushed his teacher's arm off his shoulder, stopping in the middle of the staircase. "Stop," he said slowly and darkly.

"Come on, my boy, we both know perfectly well that neither of us—"

"Just stop." Sev didn't want to go any further. If he had that Muggle gun that lay ever so hibernatingly in his father's dresser drawer, he would have shot his teacher in the face ten minutes ago.

Slughorn looked disconcerted, and a bit insulted. "All right," he said with a note of confusion. "I guess I'll leave you here. Don't go sneaking off again, you hear me? And if you ever want to talk about Miss Evans, Snape—"

"Goodbye." Sev's voice was low and dripping with hatred. He knew he was bordering insolence, but he didn't care anymore. Slughorn stumbled off down the staircase, leaving Sev in the dark. Sev's foot started tapping absentmindedly, causing little splashing noises. The subtle glow of the moonlight through the window across the staircase chasm glinted in the puddle. Sev bent down, and dipped his fingers in the liquid.

He sniffed them cautiously. It was butterbeer. Broken glass littered the floor around him, and a small, dark, loafish shape was split in two near Sev's left hand. This was where Lily had fallen.

Sev reached forward, and grabbed the two halves of the bread loaf. He smelled them carefully. He stood up, still holding the loaves, and broke off a piece. Sev placed it in his mouth.

The bread was sweet and delicious, and tasted just how Lily smelled. "God damn it," Sev hissed under his breath. He continued his trek towards his dormitory in a strangeish mood, still clutching the bread as he heard the glass chunks break underneath his feet.