A/N : Okayy, I want at least 45 reviews for me to update… I know it's more then 5 people but… yeah. So Anywayss this chapter won't be as long as the last one, that one was just obscenely long, I'll try to make it not too short.

Chapter Eight: Dinner and Days After

Disclaimer: Not J.K. Rowling…I don't own anything except the story plot =]

Alex ran down the empty street as fast as she possibly could so that she could get ready before Severus and his mother showed up for dinner. She was really nervous, most of the time everyone got along when Severus's father didn't come, but even when he's not there, with Benjamin (Ben), her little brother, he normally started trouble with Severus. Alex ran into her house slamming the framed front door closed behind her. She sprinted up the stairs one at a time and slammed the door to her bedroom closed before her mother even got to say hello. Alex swung open her closet doors and dug through all of her clothes to find an appropriate outfit.

Twenty minutes had passed and suddenly the doorbell rang and Ben opened it up. Standing in the doorway was Severus and his parents, Severus and his mother both looked exhausted and a little nervous.

"Hello Ben, how are you?" Mrs. Snape asked. Ben smiled, flashing his teeth and putting on the sweet and innocent act.

"Good, do you wanna come in now?" he asked innocently still smiling.

"Yes, why thank you," she responded then her and her husband headed into the house. Once she was out of vision, Ben sent a mischievous, evil smile at Severus, who didn't seem the least bit surprised.

"Listen punk, if you do anything to mess up this dinner Alex and I both will be very angry at you," Severus threatened. At that very moment, Ben slammed the door shut right in Severus's face. Severus made a face and then opened the door right back up and found Ben rolling on the ground laughing. He gave Ben this look that if looks could kill, Ben would've died in an instance.

"Oh I'm so scared," Ben mocked after getting himself off the floor and seeing the daggers that were being shot at him. Severus just walked around him and continued into the dining room, completely ignoring Ben all together, where everyone was waiting. Alex had her hair up in a high pony tail with curls hanging around it and she wore a tight white tee shirt that said princess on it and a gold gini tee under it, but the only part of that, that was showing was where the tee shirt stopped, the gold kept going until it reached below her waist. She also wore tight blue jeans with the calf area lightened a bit. "Alex, you look amazing." Alex almost never wore tight jeans and clothes like that, but when she did everyone knew that she looked absolutely stunning. Alex smiled and Severus took the seat next to her. When Alex saw Severus's father she did everything that she could not to flip out.

"What is he doing here?" she whispered in his ear when she hugged him.

"Did I mention earlier that he came back from his business trip early?" he whispered back. Alex glared at Severus quickly but then smiled sweetly at Severus's mother and father.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Snape," she greeted.

"Hello Alex," Mrs. Snape responded cheerfully.

"Hi," Mr. Snape grumbled. Alex rolled her eyes undetectably.

"Mom, what's for dinner?" Alex asked. Her mother smiled and winked at her.

"You'll see," her mother replied. Suddenly Rila and Pinta (the Smith's house elves) came out with chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, rice, garlic bread, stuffed shells, steak, and carrots. Severus and his mother looked amazed at how much food was prepared, Severus's father's expression didn't change, and Alex and Ben just looked hungry.

"It looks amazing Helena," Mrs. Snape gestured.

"Thank you Eileen," thanked Helena Smith as she picked up the wooden spoon to scoop some mashed potatoes into her plate. Alex reached out with her hand to grab mashed potatoes out of the bowl and her mother smacked her hand away with the spoon.

"Ouch!" Alex screamed jolting out of her chair. She pouted when her mother just continued to get herself some potatoes so Alex just kissed her red hand. "That really hurt."

"Stop complaining," Ben whined getting himself some corn rolling his eyes at his older sister. Alex stuck her tongue out at him and made a face, and he repeated that action back at her but kept getting his food anyway. Severus just laughed. Then he looked at Alex's death grip on her steak knife and his expression became pained.

"Alex, please just calm down," Severus whispered into Alex's ear trying to be discrete about it. Alex's jaw tensed and she death glared across the table to Severus's abusive father Tobius. Her knuckles clenched tighter around the knife and Severus reached for her hand trying to take the knife when Alex slammed it back down on the table. Severus yelped and Alex looked guilty.

"I'm so sorry Sev, are you alright?" Alex asked quickly.

"Come upstairs, now! And can you please bring my fingers?" he asked grabbing her wrist and yanking her away from her full plate of delicious food. Once they were upstairs in Alex's bedroom, Severus shut the door and exploded.

"What did you do that for? I've told you before, it's my problem and I can handle it myself! God, you have anger problems," he shouted.

"I didn't purposefully cut your fingers off Sev, you shouldn't have put them under my knife. And I'm your girlfriend, and your best friend therefore it's my problem too. And you're going to have to deal with it because I love you," Alex rehearsed as if she'd said it a million times, which she has, well the second part at least.

"I know, and I love you too. That's why I don't want you getting involved, I would never forgive myself if he hurt you. And I'm in a lot of pain can you please fix my fingers?" he explained. Alex pulled out her wand and fixed his severed fingers.

"Sev, you know that if he ever touched me I'd kick his ass! And if he's anything like you then I can easily do it!" she smirked. He stuck his tongue out playfully then wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Just please Alex, try not to get involved," he pleaded.

"Not a chance," she answered and then kissed him. He rolled his eyes at his stubborn girlfriend and the couple continued back into the dining room where the rest of their families were patiently waiting for their return. When they sat down both of their mothers stared at Severus's hand making sure that he was alright and everything was fine.

"Mother I'm fine. I'm just attracted to freak accidents, after all I have to be, I am going out with Alex," he teased. Ben laughed choking on his corn.

"Haha Alex, even your boyfriend thinks you're a dork," Ben mocked.

"I'm a geek not a dork, get it right!" Alex screamed making everyone look at her. She grinned and then shoved a hand full of mashed potatoes into her pie hole. Severus laughed at his girlfriend childish actions and began to eat his food as well, only in a more human way. "So, Mr. Snape, how was your business trip?"

"It was go-AHH!!" he shouted. Alex dropped her fork and it stabbed into Tobias's toe because he was wearing open toe sandals.

"Woops… my bad," Alex sarcastically stated. She crawled under the table and ripped the fork out of his toe, and he screamed in pain. Alex returned to the tabletop with a bloody fork so she turned to her boyfriend who momentarily had a fork in his mouth and smiled. She then took the fork out of his mouth and began eating with it.

"Alex that's my fork!! Give it back!!" Severus yelled.

"Nope!" Alex cheered. Severus sighed and then after a few more seconds he spoke.

"Whatever, im not hungry anyway," Severus explained pushing away his plate which the house elves removed in a jiffy. Everyone else at the table finished their meals shortly after and the Snapes decided they had to head home.

"Thank you for inviting us Helena we had a splendid time," Eileen graciously thanked.

"It was my pleasure Eileen, we really must do this more often.," she responded. Mr. Snape mumbled a small thanks and just walked out the door. Mrs. Snape rolled her eyes and followed after her husband Tobias. Severus turned to Alex and kissed her quickly on the lips.

"I'll see you tomorrow okay Alex?" Severus said concerned by the distracted look on her face.

"Sev, promise me that you'll be careful and you won't let that jack-ass," Alex began but was cut off with Sev's lips on hers.

"Be quiet and don't worry about me Alex. Worry about yourself," Severus responded and then gave her one final hug then retreated to the front door and closed it behind him. The house was quiet for a moment and then Alex's mother appeared beside her daughter. .

"Alex, go to your room. I'll come up and speak to you later," Mrs. Smith calming told her daughter.

"Whatever mum," Alex responded walking to the stairs.

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A few hours after Alex's mom finished her, "Respecting your boyfriend's parents" speech Alex was lying in the dark on her bed. Suddenly she heard a muffled voice coming from her top drawer.

"Alex, Alex pick up," Alex jumped off of her bed scared half to death. She opened her drawer and found her old yellow and black walkie talkie.

"I'm here. We haven't used these in years! What's the matter?" Alex asked suspiciously.

"Actually nothing, I found the old talkies and thought I could contact you," he replied nervously.

"Sev, he didn't hurt you…… did he?" Alex asked practically screaming.

"Alex, its… its nothing I swear… just a few bruises please don't do anything Alex. He won't let me talk to you ever again if he knew that I told you everything. Please Alex I-I can't lose you, I really need you right now," Severus pleaded his girlfriend.

"Sev, you can't let him push you around, you need to fight back. I won't do anything… this time. But if he EVER hurts you again I swear to god!" Alex cried.

"Please Alex, don't cry. Please," he begged. Alex didn't reply but he could hear her crying, she always forgot about the spell they put on them so you didn't have to hold down the stupid button. "Alex, please stop crying." He paused "Is there any way you can sneak out?"

"If I jumped out my window," she suggested. She could tell what he was thinking. "I won't get hurt Sev, and it's the only way. I really need to see you right now."

"Fine, but wait for me to get to your house so I can catch you." She smiled. "Give me five minutes. Over and out." They laughed and then Alex put down the talkie and collapsed on her bed staring blankly at the ceiling. Soon she heard something knock on her window. She got up and ran to it and saw Sev waiting for her on the ground. She quietly laughed and then jumped out of the two story window. He caught and they both plowed into the ground. They stayed like that for a little bit and just laughed then Severus got up and pulled Alex along with him. They ran to the park and laid down in their tunnel and talked.

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"Alex, Sev, are you in here?" A voice called from outside the tunnel. The couple jumped and slammed their heads on the top of the tunnel, they looked and saw a familiar face looking at them.

"How did you know we were here?" Alex asked.

"I have a talkie too guys. I slept at my house last night with Alice because Alice and Lily got into a fight. So I had my talkie with me too, Anyway your moms are going beserk wondering why you guys would run away without at least saying goodbye. I told them you weren't far and not to take it personally, I told them you probably just fell asleep, and apparently I was right," Kat explained.

"Oh yeah, I forgot that you and Lily had talkies too, did Lily have hers…." Sev began but stopped when she shook her head.

"Remember… in fifth year?" she asked they all nodded at the memory.

Lily stomped down the corridor, tears stinging her eyes and her walkie talkie clenched tightly in her left hand. She marched up to her former best friend and showed him the talkie .He opened his mouth to apologize but she wouldn't allow him to speak. She might be kind hearted and beautiful, but everyone knew that Lily Evans was one person you did not want to make angry. She glared at him fire flaming in her eyes, then she threw it against the wall and it broke with a CRASH!

"How could you say that to me? I thought you were my friend… I thought you cared!" she screamed and she slapped him across the face and then bolted back to where she came from, the Gryffindor common room. Severus was looking down at the ground. He closed his eye sand thoughts of losing Lily forever flooded through his mind. He opened his eyes slowly and saw a shadow, then he saw feet standing in front of him, so he looked up.

"Why did you say it Sev?" Kat asked with tears in her kept her face down not wanted him to see her weakness.

"I didn't mean it, I was just… so angry and… I just sort of let it all out… I'm so sorry Kat, please… please don't hate me too," He sobbed. She hugged him and started to cry.

"Sev… I-I can't do this, you're choosing them over us… they killed my brother Sev, Jason's dead because of them. I could never hate you, but… I just can't deal with it right now. You have a decision to make, a decision that you have to make on your own. Tell me when you've made your choice, until then… goodbye," she cried running after Lily only not as angrily. Severus stared after her as she ran down the corridor after her red-headed friend. He turned and walked down the dark hallway alone leaving the amused on lookers to their shallow amusement. He decided to go for a short walk on the castle grounds before going back to the Slytherin common room even though it was after hours. He needed to go somewhere quiet, peaceful, somewhere that he could be alone.

"Well well well, Snivellous." A voice said from around the corner. Severus turned to look and saw four figures standing in the moonlight.

"Shove off Black. Leave me alone," Severus hissed.

"Aw, did little Snivellous lose his best friends?" James mocked. Suddenly James was knocked backwards and he got a blow to the face. He looked up at Severus in awe and brought his hand to his face. His lip was bleeding from where he was punched by Severus. Sirius flipped out and went to attack Severus but James grabbed his wrist and pulled him back. "Leave him alone Padfoot, he's gone through enough today." James stood up, nodded to Severus, who nodded back, and walked off. Remus, Peter and Sirius followed behind him. But before he was out of sight, Sirius turned back and glared at Severus then disappeared in the darkness. Once he knew he was alone, he fell to the ground, keeping his back against the side of the castle, put his head in between his legs, and cried. The realization had finally hit him, no more the four best friends hanging out all night in their park during the summer. No more sneaking out of the common room and running through the woods, no more Lily and Kat. Suddenly he felt arms wrap around him. He jumped then looked up and he saw golden hair draping around him.

"I'm so sorry Sev," Alex said trying to share some of his pain. He looked up at her, his eyes black as coal.

"You're going to leave me too now, aren't you. I'm going to be alone," Severus said coldly. Alex froze in shock. She let go, looked at him and slapped him then stood up.

"Come and get me when you're done feeling sorry for yourself," she turned and left him alone.

The memory faded out as they all shook it out of their heads trying to stay in the present. They tried not to remember the pain they all felt that year, and the wedge that slowly tore them apart, and tested their friendship. Somehow they made it through though.

"Kat! Are we going to finish running or what?" Rori called from the path that they were running on.

"I have to go… catch you later," she called running toward Rori and Alice and then continuing down their favorite path. Lily normally ran with them but since Alice and Lily were arguing she didn't feel like running that morning.

Alex turned to Severus and just stayed there.

"Do we really have to go back? Can't we just stay here forever, just you and me forever?" Alex begged staring into his eyes.

"As much as I wish we could just stay here forever, we do have to go back," Severus said bringing her back to reality. They went back to their houses together, holding hands for the last time for at least a month, they had to make it last, for as long as they could.