Losing Lily

Chapter 6: A New Plan

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Severus Snape was lying in the Hospital Wing recovering from the injury James gave him. He'd been there for almost two days and was getting stir crazy. Madame Pomfrey wouldn't let him leave until tomorrow morning, and Severus thought he'd go mad by then.

Stupid git. Severus thought to himself. Now I'm stuck here in the Hospital Wing on a perfectly good day. Well, at least Lily knows Remus's secret. It's a good thing too. I was beginning to worry that she actually liked them! Now that she knows his problem she can dump the plan and we can go back to being friends.

But what if she still likes them? What if she chooses them over me? No, she wouldn't do that, I mean I've known her since we were nine! She'll defiantly choose me. Won't she? Severus was beginning to panic. If she chooses them over him he'd be all alone. He couldn't let that happen, but how could he prevent it? Get some other friends besides her. He told himself. That way if she did dump him he wouldn't be alone. And maybe if you made the Marauders look really bad she won't want to be their friend anymore. Yeah, that'll work, but first I have to see if she dumped the Marauders and choose me. But then he remembered that Lily hadn't visited him the whole time he'd been in the Hospital Wing. Maybe she had already chosen. Okay, then. I guess it's time to put the new plan into action.

Lily was having the time of her life. After watching the quidditch tryouts (during which Peter flew backwards instead of forwards and crashed into a goal post), they all headed down to Hogsmeade (which was open for the weekend). At Hogsmeade the all decided to go to the Three Broomsticks and get a butterbeer.

"That sure was some amazing flying you did today, Peter," James teased.

"Yes," Peter said oblivious to the sarcastic tone. "It was,"

"Hey, did ya here?" Sirius asked. "Snape is getting out of the hospital today.

"And we didn't even visit him," James said.

"We'll just have to give him a welcome back present then, won't we?" Sirius said.

"Yeah!" the other three Marauders chimed in, but Lily just sat there quietly feeling bad she hadn't even visited her friend.

"Lily," James said quietly as he leaned towards her, "are you okay?"

"It's just- oh never mind," she said as she remembered that James hated Severus.

"What is it Lily?" he coaxed, as he looked at her.

"Well," she said as she decided she might as well tell him. "It's just that I didn't visit Severus while he was in the Hospital, and I feel really bad about it."

"If it'll make you feel any better," James offered in a sincere tone. "We can call off the welcome back present."

"Really?" she said in disbelief. "You'd do that?"

"Yep," James replied and then he said in a louder voice. "Now let's go!"

"Okay," Sirius said as they all got up. "Let's head up to the castle."

Once they were back in the common room Lily remembered that Severus was out of the Hospital.

"Umm, I gotta go," Lily said. "Be back later. Bye!" and with that she rushed out of the common room to find Severus. Now if I was Severus, where would I be? She thought to herself as she went over all the places Severus normally was. I should probably start with the library. He's always reading, and he probably finished his last book while he was in the hospital. There's nothing else you can do while you're there, unless someone visits you… which I didn't. She thought guiltily to herself. Severus probably thought she hated him now.

Well, here's the library. And she walked inside to look for Severus. Hmm, he doesn't seem to be here. Where could he be?!? Maybe he's in his common room, yeah that's it. She thought doubtfully.

I better get back to my common room, its getting late. I wonder what time it is. Probably close to dinner time… I hope. I'm famished! Wait. Who's that? Lily thought as she heard someone coming down the corridor. Oh great. It's my favorite people. (a/n: she's being sarcastic incase you cant tell.) Malfoy, Lestrange, Black (meaning Regulas) and… SEVERUS?!? Why the HECK is HE with THEM?!?

"Hello, Gryffindork," (a/n: I didn't come up with that… some other person did… darn it! Malfoy said.

"H-hello Ma-Malfoy, Bellatrix, R-Regulas, and…" Lily trailed off.

"It's Snape to you," Malfoy said as he glared at Lily.

"Yeah," agreed Bellatrix, "Now run along Gryffindork, you wouldn't want there to be an accident, would you?"

Lily just stood there dumbfounded. What was Severus (or Snape) doing with THESE people? And why was he acting so mean? It just doesn't add up.

"Well, I warned you," Bellatrix said as she took out her wand, "but you just wouldn't listen. Hope you like the Hospital Wing. Stupefy!"

The last thing Lily saw before falling into unconsciousness was a sneering Severus Snape; then everything went black.

"Hello? Is anybody home?" Lily heard as she gained consciousness, "Hey, I think she's waking up!" The voice said.

"What? Who's there?" Lily said as she opened her eyes.

"It's me, James," he replied as Lily looked around. She was in the Hospital Wing surrounded by James, Remus, and Peter.

"Hey, where's Sirius?" Lily asked as she noticed he wasn't present.

"Oh, he left to get your special get well present from the common room," James said, "He'll be back in a minute."

"Okay," Lily said, "Now, how long have I been here?"

"U-umm, w-well, y-ya see," James stuttered, "w-when you p-passed out you –er- kinda slipped into a, uh, coma, and uh y-you've been unconscious for s-several months."

"WHAT?!?" Lily cried, "NOW I'LL HAVE TO REPEAT THE SEVENTH YEAR BECAUSE I'VE MISSED SO MUCH! I've missed Christmas and the quidditch cup, and N.E.W.T.S.! OH MY GOSH I'VE MISSED N.E.W.T.S.! What am I gonna do?"

"Whoa," James said uncomfortably, "relax, I was only joking. You've only been here a couple days, sheesh. No need to go ballistic."

"That wasn't very funny," she said as she glared at him.

"Sorry," James said in a very sincere voice, "Are we still friends?"

"Oh, alright," Lily said after she noticed how sincere and concerned he was about being forgiven.

"Great!" James said as he showed one of his famous grins, "And look, here comes Sirius!"

"Hello, Lily," Sirius said as he entered the room, "Glad you're awake, I need help on this Charms essay…"

"Nice to see you too," Lily chuckled, "So, care to tell me what's behind your back?"

"Oh, nothing," Sirius said in a teasing voice, "At least nothing you'd like to see."

"Oh, come," Lily said in an annoyed tone, "give it here already."

"Okay, but only if promise not to tell a teacher about it," Sirius said as he pulled out an envelope.

"Oh, my, gosh" Lily laughed, "these are great!"

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Editor's Note- There's chappie 6! Wow, that was good wasn't it? I really wanna know what the marauders got Lily. Ho hum, I guess I'll have to wait like the rest of you. Review!