AN: Hey, just wished to thank you for all the reviews. I'm glad you are all enjoying this- I'm so into it, it's insane. I had up to half of this chapter in a notebook that I've been typing. Most of the rest is planned, but some… is just a complete surprise to even me. This chapter was a surprise, actually. And I must credit someone, though this has nothing to do with it… I had an RP long ago where a similar situation played out 'cept it was ice cream and it was JP/LE. So it wasn't half as good. (Lily, yes. Potter.. No, no.) But I must give her credit. Those were the days.
Anyway- thanks! And keep the reviews, coming, please! I love reading them.
Chapter Six
"HA, HA!" Slughorn was hooting. "I knew, I knew, I knew it! I knew it, knew it, knew it!" He began to skip around a certain desk, where a potion was brewing beautifully, an hour early. "The greatest match in the world and it was all my doing!" he sang, and despite his humiliation for this being Slytherin's house leader, Severus grinned widely.
If only Slughorn knew the extent of his match-making skills.
Some of the class mates were laughing. Others, like Remus Lupin, looked perplexed. And of course, there was James Potter, with uttermost fury written upon his face.
Excitedly, Slughorn had them give a play-by-play of the way they'd shortened the potion's brewing time, and was thrilled at the news that they had used their skills to moved ingredients around, despite what the recipe had said.
"Obviously," the professor began proudly," these two were using their brains, which is more than I can say for some of you. Potions is not like Tranfigurations, nor Charms- do this step first, this step next, or the spell will not work. You must be keen to get ahead in Potions. Brilliant work, Evans and Snape."
Snape surveyed the sea of faces, quite amused. Although he finished early quite often, he was not one of Slughorn's favourites, and never received so much praise. He felt as though he were being stared at from behind, and turned.
James Potter was glaring at him fixedly. He'd never looked this angry. Rather, he'd always had the upper hand, and never looked worried in the least.
Get away he mouthed, which Snape took to mean to get away from Lily.
"I didn't understand that," Snape said, cupping a hand over his ear. He sneered and looked away, leaving James fuming in his seat.
Slughorn clapped, and proclaimed," Imagine the possibilities if you lot were not so concerned with all of this Hogwarts rivalry mess!"
Potter dropped a vial he had been handling. It smashed into a million pieces and for the moment, the two Potions geniuses were forgotten.
-,-
"Severus!" came Lily's voice from down the staircase.
He turned. He had been heading to Divinations. Narcissa turned, too and looked at Snape accusingly. He figured she was preparing for Divinations by channeling her boyfriend.
Ignoring this, he headed down the hall. "Lily, all right?"
"Yeah," she panted. "Except I just ran three flights to catch you." She leaned against the wall, looking beat.
"That's maybe as pathetic as me," Severus stated, smiling.
"Shush. Anyway, nice job in Potions."
"You too. How did you end up finishing first?" he teased.
"It was all me, even though my partner claimed to know a lot. It was definitely all me."
"Really?"
"Maybe he helped a little." She laughed. "But, I was wondering if he'd like to sneak out to Hogsmede tonight, around seven."
"I dunno. I know him, and he's pretty sensible. Do you know how to do so without getting caught?"
"Yes, I've done it a ton of times. So, why don't you tell him to meet me in the Great Hall, seven o'clock sharp? I want to celebrate our little victory."
"Sure, I'll tell him. You have a good fourth period," Snape told her.
"You, too."
Smiling, Severus headed to his class, feeling rejuvenated.
-,-
A little after six forty, Snape set out to the Great Hall. He was clad in his white school shirt, jeans, and black boots. He was proud that he'd managed to charm his normally "disgusting" hair into what he found to be a good imitation of an elegant ponytail. His pallid face was decidedly clean and smooth, and his boots dusted. The only features left that truly belonged to the old Snape were his eyes; the pupils were dark, darting and reproachful.
He hurried up from the dungeons, and emerged into the main part of the school, walking hurriedly down the hallway. A few second year girls giggled as he went past. One Ravenclaw girl actually waved slightly and said,"Hi…"
Taken aback, Severus turned around. He flexed his fingers in a feeble wave, and muttered in his velvety voice," Hello."
The girls squealed as he wheeled around and continued. One of them exclaimed," Yum!" Severus was awe-struck. This was an entirely different sort of situation than he'd ever gotten himself into before. Usually, the younger kids had been taught about him by their older peers, and they'd hold their noses as he walked by.
His heart beating crazily, he searched the hall for Lily. And there she was, standing near the teacher's table.
He hurried toward her, and then stopped short. She was not in the school uniform he usually saw her in. Instead, she was clothed in a tightly fitting emerald sundress. Her dark red hair was free and wavy. She turned toward Severus, her crimson lips a pout which became a smile when she spotted him.
"Blimey," she commented, her eyes working their way down. "You look so…"
"Bad, is it?" he asked.
"Not quite the word I was looking for. Do you think refined does justice?"
"Wha- really?"
"Don't pretend," she joked. "What about this?" she questioned, and to his delight, she held out her arms and twirled around.
"I don't have a word in my vocabulary to describe that," he muttered.
"Hmm. I'll take that as a compliment." She held out a strangely coloured cloak. "Right, so here's the plan. I borrowed this from James. It's an invisibility cloak. We can both get under it, and this way, no one can see us."
"You know, this explains a lot of mysteries I've had in my childhood here," Snape said thoughtfully, examining the cloak.
"I can imagine."
Dumbledore entered the hall, humming.
"Quick," she whispered, and they ducked beneath the cloak. They walked slowly toward one of the entrances, away from the headmaster.
Suddenly, Dumbledore looked in their direction. "Where are you going?" he said calmly.
They stopped dead in their tracks, not even breathing.
"Back to study hall," came Frank Longbottom's voice behind them," I can assure you!"
Lily sighed in relief. "I thought he meant us," she whispered, and they headed toward the door again.
"No, Miss Evans, I'd rather like it if the two of you had a fun evening," Dumbledore told them matter-of-factly.
"Oh. Thanks, Headmaster," she said quietly, and quite bewildered, she and Severus headed out.
-,-
"So," Lily started," where to?"
They had uncloaked and were now in the middle of Hogsmede's square. Taverns, eateries, boutiques, and other shops were lit up prettily in the dusk.
Severus shrugged. Hogsmede was much nicer without his peers frolicking about. "I'm not sure. Where do you usually go?"
"That wouldn't be any fun!" Lily protested. "Besides, I don't think those placed would suit you. James and I usually look around the clothing stores and all."
"Oh." He definitely did not want to replay a date Lily had all ready been to with Potter.
"C'mon! Tell me where you go," she begged.
"To tell you the truth, I haven't been to Hogsmede since third year. And back then, Malfoy and I would just look at the Shrieking Shack, and kind of punch each other and say 'I dare you to go in!' and then never do it."
Lily cracked up. "Why doesn't your choice of amusement surprise me? Normal places just aren't good enough for you, are they? You have to have haunted houses instead."
"That's when I was a kid!" Snape declared, blushing. "You don't honestly think I would still do that, do you?"
"Would you quit being so damned defensive?" Lily inquired, and without warning, she snuggled against him, her arm tightly around his lower back.
Totally mortified, Severus uncomfortably stayed in place, unsure of what to do. He was not used to touching people. Every touch he had known had been unpleasant.
"You really don't know, do you?" she inquired softly, facing him.
"Sorry- no." He lowered his head, bangs falling in his eyes. "You can go back now. I know I'm sort of stupid- I can't help that. It's just this is the first time, and I'm not really used to being social in any aspects, especially romantic ones, so you can just go home. I would understand." He muttered all of this in a single breath.
Lily laughed. Severus flinched.
"Why would I leave you for that? Just because you aren't a hot-to-trot bastard? No way! Here," she said helpfully, putting his arm around her shoulder. "You can do it this way, or you can put it the way I had it against you, or anything, really. What do you reckon?"
"This is good," Severus said, and pulled her closer.
They wandered down the street in silence. When at the end of the lane, they stopped, both uncertain of what to do. A small coffee shop was directly in front of them. Built of stone and looking quite grungy, it was plastered in flyers advertising poetry readings, bands, and missing owl posters.
"Looks a bit dodgy," Lily commented. "I'm up for a risk. How about you?"
"Not dodgy at all to me," he replied, desperately wondering how to turn her away. He hadn't any money.
"Come on then, Mister Adventure, I'll buy you some brown-coloured water," she stated, and pulled him in.
With that settled, Severus followed, a little ill at ease.
A bell jangled as they entered, and a twenty-something year old witch with hair charmed to look as though it were on fire showed them to a seat in the back. Not too far from their table was a little stage on which a band of three girls were singing a rather depressing folk song. The walls inside were covered with things, too- artwork, wanted posters, promotional flyers. The waitresses, all of them dressed uniquely, were laughing and looking as though they were having a lot of fun.
"I kind of like it," Lily stated. "It's cool inside."
"Sometimes you have to look harder, I guess," Severus told her, shrugging, and they looked at their menus.
A few moments later, the fire-haired woman returned. "Hey there. What do you fancy?"
Lily motioned to Severus.
"I guess I'll just have a cup of coffee," he said, pushing his menu toward the waitress.
"Lemme guess," Lily said. "Strong, dark and bitter, no cream or sugar?"
Severus grinned. "The only way."
"Ten points to the redhead. I like your dress," the waitress commented. "Now what will you have?"
Lily smiled. "Thanks, and I would like the iced cocoa. We'd also like to share a piece of your chocolate cake."
"Romantic," the lady put in, twitching her eyebrows.
"You don't have to do that," Severus said.
"You like chocolate, don't you?"
"Well, yeah, but-"
"Then it's settled." She shrugged at the waitress. "Sorry. He's a little argumentative."
"I understand." The woman winked, cleared their menus, and walked off.
This all seemed surreal to Severus. It was simply mind-blowing for a person so sensible. He couldn't help but shake off the worry that any moment, James Potter would jump out and laugh in his face.
Lily tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
He laughed a little ruefully. "We never really discussed your boyfriend. I mean, you know how I feel about him. But you two are dating. And what does that make us?"
"We aren't dating!" Lily exclaimed so quickly that Severus braced himself.
"Uhm… What?" he questioned satirically.
"Really! I didn't tell you, I guess. We're sort of on a break. I mean, so we're together, but not really."
Severus stared at her. "Why? Is it because of the thing you were arguing about?"
"Hm? Oh, that. Yeah, that's what it's about," she told him, nodding.
"I don't know how that makes me feel. Today, Potter was so angry at me for working with you, and it felt a little dangerous, I guess."
"It is," she insisted. "I mean, we're still a couple."
Severus was gripping the table, his knuckles becoming very peaked. "What is it that you want with me, exactly?"
"What are you talking about?"
"If you and Potter are sort of together, sort of not, and you kissed me, well, what does that make me?" he half-shouted.
"Severus, stop! I like James okay, sure. But I like you in a different sort of way."
"A feel sorry sort of way, is it?"
"Is it sick to say you're my fantasy?"
Snape stared. "I'm you're what?"
"Don't you make me say it again," she told him defiantly, and put her head in her hands.
"No. Please. What do you mean?" Severus beseeched, leaning forward.
"Everyone was always so obsessed with you since we all met in first year. Snivellus. You were quiet, introspective… All of my mates are loud, optimistic, jolly. You weren't. You aren't. I hated James, Sirius, Remus and Peter for what they did to you, but I liked it, too. Because then I got to see more of you. I got to defend you, though that never went anywhere, and when you said you didn't need me-" she looked crestfallen.
"I didn't want to look weak," he whispered.
"You weren't."
"You've liked me all of this time?"
"Yes- at least I've been fixating about you. But this year, James became more mature, and I realised that I like him, too. But it's different. It's comfortable, predictable. It's a little boring."
"Boring?"
"I didn't mean to be cruel to you. I really didn't- I was hurt. We were all brats back then, weren't we?"
"Pretty much…But, Lily?"
"Yes?"
He hesitated. It's the truth- you have to say it.
"I'm still one."
"Me, too."
"Here you are," said the waitress, placing their cake and drinks upon the table.
They realised that they were only inches apart. They were leaning across the table, hanging on to each others' whispered words.
"Thank you," Lily muttered, not taking her eyes off of Snape.
"Don't get too serious in here," the woman kidded, and walked away happily.
Embarrassed, they settled down and gripped their drinks.
Wanting to talk so much that he was afraid, Severus drank a large gulp of coffee which was, unfortunately, very hot. He swallowed, but coughed violently, his face red. He held up his arms and breathed in.
Lily looked as though she were concerned.
They resumed their drinking, Severus a bit more cautious this time around.
"Does it scare you?" Lily asked, finally breaking the silence, to Severus' relief. "Me saying that I've been fascinated in you?"
"Scare me?" he asked softly. "No. It surprises me, but it doesn't scare me. The thing is, I've always been the same about you."
She smiled contemplatively. "Who would have thought?"
"Not me," he said honestly. He sipped his coffee, wondering why he was so lucky this week.
"We'd better eat this cake, then," she said to no one. It was a fairly grand piece of cake, with dark fudge icing and what looked like strawberry filling. Two forks were lying beside it. Slyly, she picked up one fork and dropped it upon the floor. "Oops. I guess we won't be using that!"
Snape looked at her quizzically.
"Do you want some?" asked Lily.
"Sure, but we should order another fork, or something-"
She put her finger to her lips to silence him, and slowly stabbed the utensil into the gooey cake, getting quite a large piece. "If this is to work, you'll have to loosen your lips."
"What?"
"Just do it," she commanded softly.
He opened his mouth a little, sweat trickling down the back of his neck as she slowly prodded his mouth with the spongy dessert. He gave in and took the offering, his whole body tingling with a sensation.
She handed him the fork when he was done. "How was it?"
"Good," he said, in awe.
"I'd like some now, if you don't mind," she hinted.
"O-okay," Snape put in hurriedly, eagerly. This was going a bit faster than other relationships he'd head about.
But, shit! I have to make up for lost time!
He cut off a piece of the cake and fed her, his eyes focused on her lipsticked mouth and the way it widened around the square. She licked her lips as though she knew what he was watching so intently.
"That was delicious," she said casually.
Severus was fully aroused, now.
They continued this until the cake was gone, which, in Snape's opinion, was much too soon.
And it was nine o'clock.
The two of them picked up the fallen fork, joked with the waitress, and left the coffee house, trudging along in the summer night.
-,-
"I don't want to go back," Lily admitted when they were almost back to school.
"Me either. I've never done anything like this before," he told her. "Though I'm sure you probably do it all the time with Potter."
"Ha!" she scoffed. "Right." She looked away.
"Seriously?"
"Nothing like that." She cleared her throat. "Anyway, it was fun. Really fun."
He was still hung up on her comments about Potter, though he was glad she'd never done this particular thing with him. He couldn't believe this news; Potter always made it seem like he was quite the Casanova.
"When will I get to see you again- like this?" Snape asked heavily.
"Soon, I think," she promised.
"Are you sure?"
"Soon! I should go now," she told him, and was off.
What have I gotten myself into? Severus thought, and he felt excited.