DISCLAIMER: Nope, the characters still aren't mine! I'm working on it…

AUTHORS NOTE: I present to you… chapter 6! Yes, I know, I got distracted last night and started writing random inspirational quote things… but I was stuck on how to go about this chapter. Well, here chapter 6 is, hope it turned out okay! Alright, I admit that this story is becoming less and less about Neville as it continues, but I promise you that I'll skip a few years so that Neville can actually talk! And for all you Jily shippers – I don't think that Lily will ever break up with James and go back to Snape, but who knows what will happen? I certainly don't, which is scary, because I'm supposed to be writing this! I guess I'm just going with gut instinct at the moment, writing whatever feels like going into my notebook/laptop… Anyway, keep reviewing! I haven't had many reviews :'( I'm feeling quite lonely… does anybody even read this?

Also, put me on story alert! I promise I'll update as much as I can – I want to find out what happens as much as you guys do! And next chapter – I promise it'll be about Neville!

Snape sighed as he slumped down into a chair between Minerva McGonagall and Dumbledore.

"What's up with you today, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"Everybody hates me."

"That's not true," McGonagall said. "I like you, Dumbledore likes you."

"The students hate me though, Lily still hates me. And it's my fault… if I hadn't been such a jerk at school, disappeared off to be a death eater after…"

"She doesn't hate you, Severus," Dumbledore sighed. "You saved her life, James' and Harry's too. Give her time, she's confused. Saving her came with a price; Alice and Frank Longbottom are both dead. Lily's a good person – she'll forgive you."

"If you say so…"

…..

Lily couldn't sleep.

Whilst James lay next to her, one hand still holding her own even during sleep, Lily lay staring up at the ceiling, thoughts whirling around her head.

For the first time since her marriage to James, she'd seen Sev.

So much had changed since then, despite it being only a year.

She knew she'd hurt Sev, but she loved James. Lily had never been able to completely forgive Sev for what he did at school, and on her darkest days, James had been there, a mischievous sparkle in his eye, a special smile just for her. Sure, at first that smile had only been returned with glares, but over the years she found she'd smile back, or laugh at the plan she could tell he was plotting inside his head. Sev had been her dark knight. James was her angel, her saviour. She couldn't imagine her life without him now, but she wondered sometimes how different life would be if Sev had never betrayed her like that.

Lily was surprised how much it had hurt to see Sev standing there, gazing at her as if he was seeing her for the first time, screaming out apologies, yet never saying a word, dark shadows under his eyes from the stress from his time as a death eater. The pain wouldn't be over for Sev for a long, long time, so why couldn't she forgive him yet?

And James… where to begin with James? He'd changed a lot since school, that was true, but he still hated Sev… they'd always hate each other.

Lily knew that to James, Sev would always be 'the boy who tried to steal his girl', but now that she was married to him, why couldn't he move past it?

Lily sighed. She was one to talk – she had enough to worry about without trying to get James and Sev to get along...

…..

'Lily,' Snape wrote.

'It was good to see you again. I'm sorry about everything I've done. I was stupid, and selfish, and I regret that. I hope one day you can forgive me, and we can be friends again. But I know you need time, so I'll stay out of your way. Enjoy yourself, look after Harry and Neville.

Give my regards to James,' he continued, hoping Lily wouldn't pick up the sarcasm in that last sentence.

'Severus.'

Snape sealed the short letter into an envelope. It had taken at least ten attempts to write this letter… there were no words to describe how he'd felt when seeing Lily again.

He wanted to tell Lily that he loved her, but he was scared of how she'd react. And she was with James now; she'd never take him back. It was too late for him.

He tied the letter to his owl, a snow white one with red tipped feathers (which of course he would never admit to anybody that she was named Lily), and sent her off to Godric's Hollow.

Lily wouldn't forgive him for a while, he knew. He'd give it time. She'd never be his again, but maybe one day he'd get a smile from her…