Lily sat gloomily in front of the fire with her arms wrapped around her legs. She sniffed every now and then as she rapidly blinked back her tears.
It was her first Friday at Hogwarts; she had the afternoon off like everyone else, and Severus had ditched her for his new Slytherin friends. The fire became blurry as tears filled her eyes again.
Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter sat in a corner on the other side of the room. James kept glancing over at the lost look on her face. He looked torn between going to help her or staying with his friends.
"She wont talk to you, James" Sirius pointed out bluntly.
James cast him a dark look before returning his gaze back on the pitiful figure.
"So? I wasn't going to go." James fibbed.
Sirius watched him for a moment then snorted.
"Yeah…and I'm really a Muggle." Sirius muttered sarcastically.
James sighed and turned his back on the quietly crying girl.
Remus suddenly set aside the calendar he was holding.
"When do we have flying lessons?" he asked.
"Two Thursdays from now. Why?" Peter replied.
"Oh drat," Remus muttered, "that won't do."
He began scribbling on the September page, under the same date he had has flying lessons. Sirius looked curiously at the calendar but Remus stood up abruptly, look terrified.
"What--?"
"I'm going to the dormitory, if you need me." he said hurriedly.
The three boys nodded and Remus hurried towards the staircase. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Lily wipe away tears. On a split of the moment decision, he turned and walked towards her. Lily had her head resting on top of her knees. Her dark red hair hanging was hanging in curtains around her, hiding her face from view. Remus quietly sat down across form her in one of the red, squashy arm chairs.
"Erm…Lily?" he asked uncertainly.
Lily looked up into his young, tired face. Remus had deep, dark shadows beneath his brown eyes. His face was pale and his eyes had a worried, scared look to them.
"'Lo, Remus." she sniffed.
"Something wrong?" he asked as she plucked at a loose thread on her seat. He looked alarmed as it all spilled out,
"Severus said he would be with me this weekend but today in the Great Hall at breakfast he said that he had made plans with some of his other friends for the weekend and Pat is going to be with her older sister Camellia and I have no one to be with."
Lily dissolved into tears again. Remus watched her for a moment.
"I can't believe he did that," she choked, :we're best friends."
Remus patted her arm as she cried some more.
"He's a Slytherin,"
"So?"
"What did you expect, Lily? All of them have Gryf--"
"Don't bring houses into this! He said he would still be my best friend no matter what!" she snapped.
Remus only shrugged and her face fell again. She looked vulnerable and lost as tears welled up in her eyes, making the emerald color glitter. Her lower lip stuck out slightly and when she spoke her voice was a trembling whisper,
"I don't want him to change."
[X]
Later that evening, Pat came into the Common Room with a letter in her hand. Remus stood up and went to join his friends again when she walked over to them.
"That Slytherin boy told me to give you this." she said, handing Lily the letter.
Surprised, Lily took the parchment and opened it up.
Lils,
Sorry I was such a prat today. Let's hang out tomorrow--just you and me. What'd you say?
Sev
"Where is he?" she asked as she finished the letter.
"In the entrance hall." Pat replied.
Lily folded the letter and stuck in in her robes on her way out the portrait hole.
[X]
"Lily!" Severus's gloomy expression lit up when he saw her.
"I can't believe you, Severus. We made PLANS." Lily snapped.
His face fell.
"I know, but they--"
"Are you saying we're not best friends anymore?"
"No!"
His voice echoed around the large space. Lily ran forward and threw her arms around him.
"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Severus Snape." she whispered into his shoulder as he folded his arms around her.
Severus had his hand on her soft red hair. He smoothed it gently and promised,
"I won't."