It had been two weeks since Severus found out about Lily's true thoughts. Two weeks in which he had been in a daze; a daze of happiness if you would call it. There was a slight leap in his step which many did not notice, like Severus himself. But the few that had, the select few, swore he must of been on something as he was never this way. Not even on Christmas.
Severus scribbled down the last of his notes off the board and into his black notebook. His quill flew across the page left to right as his thick handwriting marked the page, with not so much as a single blotch of stray ink tampering it. He knew he was the first to finish as he had, most times that is, already experimented with the potion they worked on in class.
This was just a repeat for him. A refreshment if you'd call it.
It was not that Severus looked to have no errors nor to appear perfect in the class. That was not ever his motive. It was that he enjoyed potions as it too was an output along with the dark arts he so often practiced. But this output was not for his frustration and grudges he had with his everyday life, no. It was an output that relaxed him to a point he sometimes did not know ever existed within him. A point only a few could ever reach...
His NEWT level class was far too easy for Severus himself, which almost everyone, including Slughorn, knew about Severus Snape. He was always the one who altered the instructions; making them far better and much more easier. And was always the one who finished first; with his work never slacking the least.
He was gifted in the art which many fought to be. It was never an easy task brewing and the patience and time it took was what imitated wizards and witches the most.
Severus held his many secrets about potions tight. Those secrets had been the key to his success in the class since first year. They were not secrets that were hard to discover, no. They were secrets that anyone could discover if they too had the interest and the will to do so - which was a rare combination for potions as Severus only knew of one other student at Hogwarts that had that skill.
When Severus ever thought about her, it was not just lust he felt. Although that part was still very there, Severus did not just see her as someone who he could sleep with. To him, she was still his best friend - as she would always be; whether she liked the thought or not. She was the best friend he had ever had. Sure he had Avery and Mucliber, but they were more of a friend that was because of a common interest. And of course because they were roommates.
He knew deep down that he would always need her. Although he did not like that as he feared that he could not achieve what Lily wanted in him, and would become weak in that sense like a grovelling fool, it was what it was. All he could do was try. And he would, for her. Though he could not help the terrible feeling he had in the pit of his stomach that it would not work...
Suddenly the inside of his cheek suffered a painful bite that snapped him from his thoughts. Severus gazed around the classroom and saw that he had become lost in his thoughts - a first for Severus. He decided to stop where they were and focus back on the task at hand...How did he even venture off in the first place?
Severus was the last to gather his charcoal coloured cauldron, and the vials of ingredients from the chestnut cabinets upon the faded gray classroom wall. He was glad that with one of his changes would speed up the potion so he would not receive zero marks if he did not finish. After all he was five minutes behind everyone else - that was enough time to prepare most of the ingredients.
The cauldron was set up and connected to the gas source. He proceeded and followed all the steps for the Draught of Living Death from his copy of Advance Potion Making. He made his certain changes and an hour later he was done - again before most of the class.
And he thought he would have not enough time.
Severus smirked at the clear liquid that smoldered with a thick musty cloud of smoke. The sent filled his large hooked nose in a awe worthy manor. He enjoyed the relaxing sent of any brewed potion as he had become use to the sent from an early age. He loved the feeling of pure relaxing he received when brewing. It was as if nothing else mattered in the world. Like nothing was wrong.
"Ah! Mr. Snape, you've done it again. Ten points to Slytherin!" Severus smirked and summoned a medium size faded brown jar, filled it to the rim with a sample of his potion, and corked it with his name on a small white tag attached to a cotton thread.
Severus Snape.
Draught of Living Death.
Brewed October 18th, 1976
NEWT Potions.
He placed it upon Slughorn's desk and proceeded back to his desk in the very back, but he stopped along the way. He saw most of the class struggle with the Advance potion. Some looked as if they had not even started.
Severus saw some that were cutting the bean with the wrong tool as they used a dull knife that was meant for plants - a tool that was not even listed within the potion's equipment list. Severus grumbled and shook his head, how could such dunderheads make it into this class?
Severus watched as a Hufflepuff student added his Infusion of Wormwood before he even measured out the correct amount. The boy's face looked as if he had had it with the class and did not give a care in the world to what he was doing. It took all of Severus's might not to go over there and banish it and prevent any more loss of ingredients.
A large navy blue puff of smoke arose from the boys cauldron prceaded by a high pitched squeek; almost like nails to a chalk board. Slughorn came over, frowned at the... potion? and banished it. The boy's face had somehow turned into that shade of blue in which Slughorn sent him down into the infirmary with. Severus grumbled, What a dunderhead.
He proceeded towards his seat in the very back. Severus eyes sat upon Lily who's fiery red hair was upheaval as it looked to have been caught in a wind storm of some sort. Her green orbs were wide with frustration as he could tell she was livid at the potion's book. He watched as she mumbled the words over and over, her eyes scattered back and forth, page to page through out the chapter. But she could not figure it out. Severus knew that.
He still thought she looked beautiful at the moment. Even more so as he could tell that despite not being able to brew it correctly, she was still gaining enjoyment from it. But he could not help but feel as if her cauldron was only seconds away from coming in contact with a nearby wall or even the floor. He knew Lily's temper all too well.
Severus inwardly smiled, this was a chance. He knew what to do. He could help her and make her potion as good as his. Surly he did not mind Lily knowledge of his secret to success. It was Lily after all.
Feeling brave, Severus moved his black school-shoed covered feet and made his way over to Lily who was now flipping throughout the whole book vigorously. A page was just about to rip and Severus cringed. He quickly took the book from her hands and placed it down upon the desk. He turned her cauldron back up and added new water.
Severus had not done much since he had discovered Lily's true thoughts two weeks ago. In fact, he had done nothing. Sure he wanted to but he had found himself become afraid. Afraid to make a mistake; afraid of rejection. He had been given a second chance and he was not to fail, not this time. He would make sure of it.
He thought it might be best if he slowly worked his way back into her life. He was afraid that if he confronted her like he had back in fifth year and begged, she would shut him down. Severus cringed at the memory.
"I'm sorry!"
"Save your breath!"
Her words were like salt to a wound.
He knew he needed to prove to Lily that he was actually going to try.
He was thankful all the other students were busy with there potions and did not notice him approach her. He was glad too. The last thing he needed was having someone call him Snilvious in front of her.
"You should crush the bean, Lily. Like this." He took the spot next to her. He was close to her, only inches separating them apart. Severus could smell the sweet sent of the perfume she had on, the same one he smelt in the Library not long ago.
His long fingers draped over the large knife that lie upon the mahogany desk on the spiral rack of tools in the middle. He begun to crush the bean with little effort on his part. Sophophorous beans were hard, but if crushed down upon the very center(where there was a weak point) it was a simple task. Something Severus had discovered himself upon experimenting with it weeks ago.
His raven black hair curtained over his face. It just touched his shoulders as he hunched over the table he worked at. This was the main reason why Severus's back had become hunched over the years. It was not because he was too lazy to carry himself, no. It was because he had spent hour upon hour leaning over a cauldron while he noted it's every change.
It took little to no time before Severus was done and placed it in a small glass dish for her use. The black bean now had become a thick chocolate brown like goo.
Severus looked over to Lily who did not say anything. She just stood there, emotionless. As if someone or something had caught her tongue.
He took the small opportunity to have a good look at her. She had indeed grown up over the months and her features had become more mature. Her hair was a tad shorter, just falling past her shoulders now as it had been a bit longer before. It could be because it was slightly curled at the bottom?; and that too could of been because of the potion's stem. But he did not care.
Her green eyes were still the same as well as her rosy red lips. Severus noted that her ears had become pierced which held one rust coloured Garnet stone incased in a silver metal stud. One was on each ear lobe.
He looked down at his hand that held the dish. Severus peered up to see that Lily's green eyes were now fixed upon the dish as well.
Was she confused?
Severus pushed it forward and finally, her small hand took it.
"The instructions say to cut it Severus." She said in a small voice, stating the obvious. Noting that this was not in the book, and that she knew what could happen if potions ingredients were prepared the wrong way.
"It's wrong. Trust me." He said. His voice sturdy and confidant as he knew this for some time.
Lily half snorted and turned back towards her work table. Severus bit back a huff and watched as Lily added the goo into her simmering brew. A puff of lilac smoke arose and he smirked.
Lily's eyes became wide and she bit her lip; nibbling on the bottom for a few moments. She picked up her stir stick and worked in the ingredients. Another puff of Lilac smoke arose.
Severus left Lily to work on her own. He knew she was good at potions, but he knew she probably had never brewed this one. She could figure out the rest on her own as there was only one other small change, but it was not necessary.
He did not know what to expect from her, but in some ways that few moments had gone better than he had hoped for. And some ways, it did not.
Severus walked back to his seat and proceeded to clean up his work area. He did not know if it was his imagination, but he swore he heard Lily whisper a fait 'thank you' to him.
He let a small smile slip. He knew he had made the gap between them, just a tiny bit smaller.
A/N: I got this update out before the New Year! The next update should be soon as well! Thank you for the reviews and follows! I tried to base Lily's hair on how Harmione's looked in the Half Blood Prince movie during Potion's class. I thought it looked quite funny and thought that probably Lily's hair would go the same.
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