"Pumpkin Juice Evans?" I stare at him in shock and it's not just me Remus and Sirius look at him mouths open as well. Everyone knows I detest pumpkin juice, and Evans well no one calls me that anymore except Sirius on occasion. James used to call me that before I finally said yes to his incessant inquiries.
I fight back irrational tears and stand up grabbing my things and just before I turn around I whisper,
"No thanks Potter" I walk purposefully out of the great hall and head to the one place that I feel sane, The Library.
I reach the Library and realize I have nothing to do here. I finished my homework for the next two weeks and its a Saturday. I could always start researching spells the boys would need. 'But why on earth should I help that Git Ja-Potter' 'Maybe because you love him' I slump, I do don't I, that's why I'm so worried about this goddamn tournament. James always gets so excited about stuff like this and being a Gryffindor and a Potter he naturally runs towards danger and naturally gets hurt as a side effect. My heart beats a little fast at that. I hate it when they get hurt. I begin looking through spell books and taking out my notebooks I being making lists of defensive and offensive spells they could possible use if necessary in the up coming tournament. 'you don't even know if they are going to be chosen, well even if they aren't chosen it's still good information to have' I tell myself. I didn't hear the person come up behind me and I dint really mind when they sat down next to me, I just assumed it was Remus. I look up to greet him and my eyes are met with my ex best friend Severus Snape. I glare at him but go back to my routine note taking. He keeps staring at me and after a moment I lay down my quill and look at him,
"Can I help you Severus?" he has enough sense to look down at his shows under the table before gazing sheepishly up at me,
"I just saw you were upset and I wanted to make sure you were okay." I am visibly taken aback I didn't expect that at all, I had had a snarky biting remark ready to spit at him but his sincere concern caught me off guard.
"Oh well thanks Sev" reverting to my old nickname, "I'm fine just had a bout with Potter, nothing traumatic but I appreciate your concern, I say politely constantly reminding myself what he did to Sirius, and that I can't have friends with he dark mark. He looks at me like he can't believe I'm actually talking to him and personally I can't believe it either.
"Well you know if you want any help making lists, or finding spells I'm here or to talk I know you probably hate me for everything I have done to your friends and you but this is me offering a very real Severus Snape apology for how much of an also I've been lately and I want to prove something to you," he holds out his left arm and pulls up his sleeve I brace myself expecting the Dark Mark but...it wasn't there. His arm was smooth, pale in color, and unblemished except for a freckle near the crook of his elbow. I stare in awe at his arm, all this time I had thought he was a death eater and he wasn't well don't I feel like a shmuck.
"See no Dark Mark. you were right I had thought about it but I realized earning you friendship back meant a whole lot more than going along with the crowd." I want to believe him I realize looking into his deep black eyes but after what he did to Sirius I don't think I could ever convince myself it was safe, let a alone what the boys would think.
"Look Severus I appreciate everything your saying and it is a bigger relief than you realize to se you don't have that damned mark but after what you did to Sirius I don't think we can be friend again I'd be glad for you help and Ill try and keep their pranks to a minimum but how can I even try to trust you when you go around cursing peoples and not just people good friends of mine." I look at him imploringly begging him to understand and daring him to prove it wasn't him you cursed Sirius. He chose the latter.
"Lily what if I could prove to you that it wasn't me who cursed Sirius."
"But you said..."
"I know what I said and I'm sorry really I was angry and a little more than confused at what you were talking about and why you were accusing me of it when you yelled "MADE HIM DO" I started thinking about it and then you told me I cursed one of your friends and it clicked. I wasn't going to try and defend myself once they entered the room but I knew that if I could catch you, I could explain. I look at him my head cocked to the side trying to comprehend what I was hearing.
"But you knew it was Sirius" I say finding a flaw in his story,
"I knew it was going to be Sirius, Malfoy had been planning his revenge on Black for a while for that prank that turned his hair Gryffindor colors, which by the way was pretty funny..."
"What was pretty funny Snivelous the thought that Lily is actually paying attention to what you have to say?" Severus immediately shuts up at Sirius' remark and looks down at his hands, I glare at Sirius and notice Remus coming in and spotting us. I look back at Severus and smile,
"Go on Severus, I believe you so far so keep going." I urge him, Sirius huffs but makes no move to leave, Severus goes to continue when Remus interrupts,
"Sorry to cut you short Severus but what exactly is going on?" Severus looks politely at Remus and then to me.
"Severus came up because he saw me leave in a ditz and was concerned, he also wanted to apologize and prove that one no Dark Mark and two he wasn't the one who cursed Sirius last night" I quickly explain my two friends growing more and more confused. Severus chooses this moment to hop in again,
"Yea I really am sorry about everything by the way and I know I'm a Git but give a guy a break, but anyway no I don't have the Dark Mark and no it wasn't me who cursed Sirius." Sirius and Remus looked shocked,
"So if it wasn't you then who was it?" Sirius asked curious now, not that he'd care to admit it.
"It was Malfoy, he already hated you but he was using your Gryffindor hair prank which was the think I was saying was funny as a reason to get back at you. I had gone to the library to look for Lily once Malfoy had left the Dorm, and when she wasn't there I decided to wait for her because I knew she would be there soon, so I then wandered over to the Dark section and began looking for spells that could counter anything Malfoy planned on doing. When Lily came storming in assuming it was me I felt hurt but I understood why she thought what she did. I got really angry at one point and said yet another stupid this but I meant what I said when I said I regretted hurting you lily." Severus ends his shpeal and looks at me. I to be honest was now pissed at Malfoy and I felt bad for immediately assuming it was Severus. Said boy suddenly turned to look at Remus and said,
"Im also sorry for calling you a werewolf like it was a bad thing and," then turning to Sirius "sorry about calling you a filthy blood traitor, I really am a git when it comes to name calling that's how I lost my best friend." he says whispering that last part. I smile at him proud that he apologized to my friends.
"Well I'm sorry too for two things, On for never forgiving you for one name and two for jumping to the immediate conclusion it was you Severus." Severus shrugs,
"Don't worry about it." Sirius pipes in,
"You know Lils I didn't ever say it was Severus I just said it was a Slytherin kid with a crush on you." Now I really feel bad about my epic failure, and Severus raises an eyebrow in an expression I know far to well,
"Sorry okay" I mumble turning as red as my Ginger hair. Remus pats my arm gently and smiles,
"Its okay Lily, and Severus its okay I'm used to it." he says kindly,
"That doesn't give me the right to say it though" Severus replies
"Well this is all fine and dandy but what does this all mean?" Sirius asks, I look at him and then to Severus.
"Well I know I just got a friend back I don't know about you," I say, Severus smiles.
"Well I'm pranking the blonde son-of-a-gun so I don't know if we are all friends now but who's in?"
"I am" I say,
"Me too" Remus chimes in eyes glinting mischievously,
"I'm in if you'll have me" Severus agrees as well
"Its settled then we can all meet here after lunch right? We can start planning phase then, I have to go find James and what not, BTW Lily James really needs to talk to you meet him by the willow at 11:30 okay and Snape if we go through with this maybe we can be friends your really not as bad as James says..." with that Sirius leaves the library and us in shock.
"Was that Sirius Black doubting James, remembering to tell me something and offering to be friends with Severus Snape or was that just a kid that looks a hell of a lot like him? What has this world come too..."
A/N: WOAH plot twist much hehe evil grin for me heheheh