Hi guys, sorry I haven't updated in so long but this was my first week of college so I was incredibly busy. This was written in bits and pieces over several days so I hope it isn't too choppy. Thanks again for the great reviews!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything you see from the books.

Chapter Eleven

Klutz

Instead of the sneers he was so used to receiving, Severus Snape was getting glares. Everyone in Hogwarts knew his name and it did not serve him as it did Potter and Black. He had actually come to prefer the glares compared to what some of his housemates insisted on giving him—warm grins and enthusiastic pats on the back. Some of the younger ones used him as a rallying point, they saw him as some sort of Mudblood vanquisher. They yelled encouragement from across the hall.

The cursing of Mary MacDonald served to make his life even more miserable. However, he realized with a guilty pang, it gave him some perks. Everyone in his House respected him. Avery and McNair were actually holding civil conversations with him. No one had treated him so well since—Lily Evans.

In many ways Lily had it worse than Severus. She was constantly critiqued and lambasted by her friends who were furious she continued to stay at his side.

"Even if he didn't do it, he's probably close to someone who did," they reasoned many times over and not incorrectly, "And even if he's perfectly innocent—he's a freak. A weird, greasy, ugh!"

At that point Lily would glare them into silence. If only they knew they would be attending the Yule Ball together! She smirked at the thought of their horrorstruck faces.

Potter had somehow become more unbearable. His advances wore her every nerve. He seemed more determined to keep her away from Severus. Lily pointed this out to him as he badgered her on the way to Charms class.

"Potter, you seem to have quite the obsession with Severus Snape. Can't stand a bit of real competition?" she smirked as Potter stopped following her, mouth agape at what she said.

How she wished she could wipe that arrogant smirk off his face! Posturing, cocky, rich boy! She loathed everything he stood for.

She snarled these thoughts at Remus as they walked to Potions class, "Godamn stupid Potter!"

Remus gave his soothing smile that did not match his sly reply, "Well, you'll have your day when James sees you and Severus at the You-Know-Where."

Lily grinned, Remus had been the only one she trusted to tell about her and Severus going to the Yule Ball. They kept all of each other's secrets, which was more than could be said for most of their friends.

Lily sighed, she decided to plea to Remus once again, "Can't you tell them to lay off Sev?"

Remus returned her sigh, "You know I have, remember? I told James and Sirius off a good deal after the grease and nose incident—and they pranked me!" he hastily added, "Not that they're cruel people, they just can't seem to suffer him," he lowered his voice, "Besides, he gives as good as he gets oftentimes…I know it's not my place to say this but Severus is rather dangerous, Lily."

"I know," Lily said simply, "It's one of the reasons I adore him. He's not a poser dangerous like Potter, nor is he an evil dangerous like a Death Eater. He's more of a 'Danger: Wet Cement' sort of person, y' know?"

"Er, I'm afraid I don't. Sorry," Remus apologized awkwardly as they filed into the dungeon.

Severus was already there by their cauldron. Instead of greeting Lily with one of his shy smiles, he barely registered her. His hand was clenched on his wand. His black eyes were ablaze with fury. Potter and Black (with an occasional unintelligent jab from Peter) were hard at work tormenting him.

"Oh Sev I just adore your greasy hair and your horrible face. Guys who smell like B.O. and pond scum totally turn me on," Black cooed.

Potter growled lovingly in his best impression of Snape, "Why thank you my dear. I am so glad you appreciate my utter hideousness. I hardly have time to keep it up you know, what, with all the cursing Mudbloods, lurking in dark corners, and stalking Lily Evans."

Lily rushed forward, she had to diffuse the situation. Last time Severus looked so murderous, Potter had been thrown from his chair and into pile of grimy cauldrons. Not that she minded Potter injured, but Severus got a detention last time—he could not this time, they had plans.

She put a reassuring hand on Severus's shoulder, "At it again Potter? I love how you are so insecure with yourself, that you feel the insatiable need to put your betters down."

"Evans," James gave the grin that won most people over, "I love how you look after the wretched wastes of breath in our society. A true service. Though I don't think Snivelly is even worth your time, personally."

Lily fumed, but it was Severus's turn, "Potter, why do you even try? Why is it, whenever you enter an argument, without exception, with anyone—but particularly Lily Evans—you come off as a pretentious jackass? I am merely grabbing at straws but my guess is that you actually are a pretentious jackass."

This was all the justification Sirius needed. He had been waiting to use this number with the others at the end of class but he could not contain himself.

"Hey Snivellus!" Sirius waved his wand and Severus staggered back as though he had been punched in the face. Blood trickled from his lip. With another wave, an incredible amount of slimy mud slopped over him.

"Look at that! Snivellus is a Mudblood!" Sirius announced to the captivated class, "Maybe he'll do us a favor now and curse himself!" the class roared with laughter.

"My Mum works for St. Mungo's," Peter piped. He seemed lame after Black, but his inferiority did not affect the gravity of his words, "She owled me and wrote they had the craziest witch in the other day. Throwing a great fit and attacking the residents. Said it was someone she went to school with—Name's Eileen Prince. That's your Mum isn't it Sever—I mean Snivellus?" he finished with an indulgent grin.

The class erupted into whispers. Severus threw down his wand and lunged at Peter, meaning full well to choke the last bit of life out of him. Peter squealed, but Potter had the reflexes to hex Severus into a body-bind. Severus snarled like a feral cat before collapsing on the cold dungeon floor. The class erupted with laughter. James opened his mouth to taunt Severus further, when he saw Lily's face out of the corner of his eye.

Never had he seen her so furious. Where was his sweet Lily flower? Her eyes were ablaze and her hair surrounded her like a halo of fire. She seemed taller than him, than everyone in the room. Her coolness and sugary put downs were incinerated into ash.

"POTTER!" she shrieked, the class quieted instantly.

"Yes, my tigress?" It was all he could do to keep the smirk pasted on his face.

"You sick fuck!" Lily screeched, keeping her earsplitting level of sound.

James quailed, but braced himself and tried humor once again, "Some think so," he waggled his eyebrows, "come with me to the Yule Ball and you'll find out afterwards."

The smirk. It was still there. James Potter held no regret for his behavior. If she were a violent person, she would have slapped or cursed it off—but no, she needed something that would torment him for much longer.

"The Yule Ball?" Lily asked in mock ignorance, "Oh, you mean the dance I'm going with Severus Snape to?"

That did it.

"Lil—lily flower…" James stammered for perhaps the first time in his life.

"Would you like to know why I'm attending the Yule Ball with him?" her voice was sweetly laced with poison, but her expression changed and she became somber.

"Because he is intelligent and kind, humble and sarcastic. Because I love the way his hair feels between my fingers and I love his eyes and how he looks at me. Because he reminds me of summertime and freedom. Because he can play the piano and sing and," she smiled, "He dances like I do. Because he can take everyone's shit and come out alright…Because I can act like a pig or a lady around him and I am always happy—I am always at ease when he is by my side."

She paused and realized she was breathing heavily, but she gathered her strength, "And you, Potter, are not half the person he is. You are callous and perverted, arrogant and narcissistic. I would get sick, if I was ever made to touch you," she spat.

Their eyes met, Potter's dull brown, Lily's earthy green. He trembled, he was not even conscious of whether the class noticed. For the first time, James Potter saw the real Lily Evans. He knew then, he wanted her for more than just the chase. He wanted to tame her, to have her like a caged bird. Even her proclaimed affection for Severus Snape was pushed from his mind.

After a moment of tense silence there was an, "Ahem."

Professor Slughorn had just arrived to class and was standing by his desk rather awkwardly. He could barely suppress shouting with joy. He was right about his Potions geniuses. A great partnership was about to be born.

Lily blushed at him with embarrassment as she knelt down to help Severus, "Sorry professor."

"Would you two like to be excused from today's class?" he asked kindly.

"Really? Oh, thank you, sir, th-thank you," she stammered, her fire thrust behind a veil of meekness.

"No trouble at all Ms. Evans," he grinned, "I trust your make-up work will be sufficient."

Lily gave him a polite smile before pulling Severus out of class by his elbow. In the empty hallway she looked at him, but he was determined to keep his gaze on the floor. He was leaving sticky footprints of mud on the floor and his face was dripping with it.

"Sev," she called quietly.

He did not answer.

"Sev," she said a bit louder but no less gently.

She sighed, she hated when he got like this. After an especially bad round of bullying he would respond to no one, not even her. He would stare coldly into space, thinking Merlin knew what.

Lily decided to get him to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom so she could clean him up in relative privacy. She tried to pull him along, but he persisted in his sullen trudge.

Finally, he spoke, his voice low yet loud in the deserted corridor, "Did you mean it?"

Her eyes narrowed, "Mean what?"

"Those things you said to Potter…about me," his eyes were still firmly fixed on the ground.

Lily recalled what she had said, she did not know where the words came from or why they came. They just sort of poured out from some indefinable place. She meant them though, every word. That much she knew.

"Yes. Yes, of course I did, Sev I—oof!"

A very slimy and grimy Severus Snape threw himself at her. She was locked in a tight embrace that she returned once her wits came back to her. It was as though they were trying to tackle each other during one of their summer mud fights at the swamp. Warm, wet, grime, earthy smell, filth—an experience she never thought she would have at Hogwarts in late November.

She snapped out of her thoughts when she realized he was saying something. He kept repeating it.

"Thank you. Thank you. Even if you didn't really mean it. Thank you. Thank you…" he gasped hoarsely. Suddenly, he pushed himself away, realizing what he was doing.

He had stained her immaculate school clothes. Her hands, hair and face had globs of mud on them. She looked disheveled and surprised—and there was something else. A look he could not identify, it frightened him. She was angry or disgusted, he could not bear it. She took a step towards him and he tried to bolt. He slipped and tripped over his robes, landing in messy heap on the floor.

When he summoned the courage to look up he saw Lily kneeled by him. Her face looked even more radiant up close.

"Sev?" she asked quietly.

"Yes?"

"Remember when we were kids and I always called you a klutz because you said you would fall down the stairs and run into doors?"

She started to cry, and Severus froze. What was he supposed to do?

"You're not a klutz, y 'know? I mean…I bet you're really graceful…you would be if you weren't always made to run into doors," she choked down a sob.

She covered her face, "I was always so stupid. I am so…"

Here was something Severus could grasp. He could make sense of this part of the outburst at least. He put a hand on her shoulder, "You're not stupid, you're brilliant, Lily. Always have been."

Lily wiped her tears and said, "Professor Slughorn is giving us free reign of the Potions room for a 'project' every afternoon."

"What?" Severus said stupidly.

Lily smiled, "Promise you won't go off brooding. You'll be there with me, won't you?"

"Aren't I always?"

She pulled a clump of mud out of Severus's hair balled it up in her hands. She hurled it at a mousy looking first year who had been gawking at them for the past five minutes. He squeaked and skittered down the hall.

"Creevy," she growled.

Severus snorted, "Haven't seen him run that fast since he tried to photograph Potter after the last Quidditch match."

"And then they--" she burst into giggles, "Crashed—fell off the—stands!"

"Into those ill-fated first years," Severus shook his head somberly, but there was laughter in his eyes.

&

Severus gawked at the phonograph, thoughts of what he was going to have to do pushed out of his mind for a moment, "You transfigured that from a cauldron?"

"I know, I'm a genius," Lily said as she flipped through the records she brought from her dormitory. She smirked as she chose one and put it on. As the opening riff blared, they looked at each other.

"Sabbath!"

They began what could be called a dance. Lily swung her head about and pumped her fists. Severus wavered in a series of serpentine motions and shuffled his feet. If the pickled and jarred animals along the walls were not long expired, they would have shaken their heads in embarrassment.

This was not so bad. It was like home, in Lily's room when they would dance like idiots. It relieved much of the stress that Severus accumulated over the past few months.

As the song faded Lily sighed and reached for another record, "We have to get down to business."

Severus protested, "We don't need to learn to dance. We don't have to dance at the Yule Ball, we could…we could drink punch…or something…"

"We have to Sev," Lily insisted, "We're going to show them!"

Severus raised his eyebrows, "Show who what?"

"Them! Don't pretend you didn't notice all the stares at lunch."

"They always stare when we sit by that suit of armor and not at our tables."

"It was a lot more than usual. They want to see us ruined—your friends and mine and everyone. I just want to shut them up. I don't want to give them anything to pick at. I want them to see," she blushed, "How wonderful we are together, at least just this once."

Severus nodded, despite his outward lack of enthusiasm, he wished for nothing more than to sweep her off her feet in front of the whole school. He wished he could be dashing and charming.

"O.K. don't laugh. This is Petunia's record, it got mixed in with mine," she paused, "At least it's danceable."

"Lily, you know disco makes me murderous," Severus said calmly.

"Fine, ballroom dancing it is, then," Lily pulled out another record and a book, "Had my parents order me these."

The book was entitled, "Become an Expert Ballroom Dancer in 15 Minutes a Day." Severus groaned.

"Oh, c'mon, Sev. It says here to put your hand on my waist and I put my right hand on your shoulder, and…"

"OW!"

"My foot!"

"Damn table!"

"How did you step in a cauldron?"

"Woah!"

BOOM!

Severus and Lily were thrown several feet after crashing into a cupboard of volatile concoctions. They lay on the dungeon floor covered in a sticky orange substance. They were quiet for several moments before Severus spoke.

"I don't suppose the book says that we were supposed to have destroyed half a Potions lab in our first 15 minute lesson, does it?"

"No," said Lily, "It doesn't."

After hours of arduous cleaning, the two emerged from the classroom exhausted. They had missed dinner and Lily was fuming as they wandered down the corridors. She would stop every so often and pace in frustration. Severus found it very amusing.

"We need to find out how to dance!" Lily cried during one of these pacing episodes and Severus gasped.

"A door!"

"What?"

"It just appeared, as you were walking…"

"Cool!" Lily exclaimed, all frustration swept away at this new curiosity.

She opened the door without hesitation, Severus followed her apprehensively.

"Incredible."

The room contained an opulent ballroom, magically animated instruments, mirrors and a dancing ghost. His dance was beautiful and sad. His ancient yet rich robes flowed about him like water. He seemed to be dancing with an invisible partner. He took no notice of them but continued to dance like something possessed.

Severus and Lily exchanged looks before Lily stepped forward, "Excuse me, sir."

Thoughts and suggestions are great. I love feedback of any kind. Dance lessons and Yule Ball up next.