(an hour before the aftermath)

"Well, it looks like I'm going to miss Care of Magical Creatures" thought Lily ruefully as Severus bawled into the hem of her robes. He had been performing this practice throughout charms and defense Against the Dark Arts and Lily sighed as she came to the conclusion that a third period would be missed.

"But classes don't matter when it comes to friendship" she thought firmly. "Severus needs me right now and I'd be a rather ruddy friend if I wasn't there for him. Curse that Potter and his stupid friends!"

She was trying her best to be a comforting friend. And she had been trying to be a comforting friend for the past three hours. But one can only sit and stroke another's hair at the expense of time for so long. Especially when they can doing so little to help their friend.

"But a little goes a long way" Lily reasoned.

"I'm sure Sev would be really hurt if I told him to buck up"

"Wh-wh-why are they so mean to me" sobbed Severus (it sounded as though he was expelling large gusts of wind with each space-filling sob)

"Because they are a bunch of big stupid gits" replied Lily for the umpteenth time, barely masking the edge of frustration in her voice.

"What did I ever do to them" he wailed.

"Well Sev, you did spread around that rumor that Sirius and Remus were gay for each other. And we all know it was you who placed that hurling hex on James's broomstick. And let's not forget the time that you sold Peter that cure for boils with the porcupine quills added early, telling him that it would make him appear handsome. Yes Severus. I know that you did. Marlene Mckinnon saw the transaction"

Severus looked up in horror and gasped at her betrayal. It was customary for Lily to stroke his hair and purr "absolutely nothing" to him when he made this inquiry. Never once before had she justified the Marauder's behavior.

"YOU'RE SIDING WITH-WITH-THEM?" his voice was nearing a shriek with every word.

Lily quickly realized and regretted her error of judgement far too soon.

"No no no no no. Sev, I'm just implying that maybe the Marauders have a good reason in their minds for poking fun at you"

"Everything I did, I did for revenge against them" he protested.

"Yes, but maybe they don't see it that way. After all, they're so thickheaded that they probably can't recall previous events that happened out of a 48 hour time range"

Poking insults at the Marauders always cheered up Severus. He straightened up a little.

"They are pretty stupid...aren't they?" he asked, staring like a puppy into her eyes.

"Yes they are...total imbeciles" Lily added reassuringly.

And then for the next step of the Severus-comforting procedure, Lily prepared to compliment Severus using comparisons to the marauders.

"You're worth seven times their weight in galleons"

"I am?" he asked, his black eyes widening.

"Yes you are. I'd rather prefer you any day"

Severus straightened up, and finally lifted his head off of her stomach, leaving behind an enormous grease stain on her robes. Lily watched with baited breath.

"They are pretty dumb aren't they?" he asked again, this time with an edge of confidence.

"Yes, complete, utter, total numbskulls. Now if we hurry, we can make the second half of Care of Magical Creatures"

And they would have, if not for the fact that a passing first year, who'd gotten wind of the Marauder's insult of Snape in History of Magic had casually stated "Hey Lily. Hey Troll-Goblin"

This remark reactivated Severus's hysterics and obliterated Lily's still fragile dam she'd built to wall in his tears. A deluge of tears cascaded out of Severus's eyes and with a howl of self pity, he burrowed himself into Lily's robes.

"I'm going to kill you, Potter" growled Lily silently as she resigned herself to her fate.