forty-four - sacrilegious
He watches with a curled lip as the silver doe leaps elegantly from the end of her wand and canters the length of the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom. Professor Flitwick and Professor Folly (due to the difficulty of the Patronus Charm, the two teachers were taking the Seventh Year classes together while they were covering this area of the syllabus) utter sounds of surprise and congratulations, beaming as the doe soars over the students' heads, and Lily herself is smiling bashfully. James laughs, and whistles at her, and it's shining through his eyes how proud of her he is.
Although his friends might have issue at the fact that Lily, a (wonderful talented beautiful perfect) Muggle-born witch, has managed to produce a corporeal Patronus before any of them, it is James' expression that makes Severus' stomach churn.
Across from Lily, Roberta lets out a gasp as a translucent owl swoops around the room, and with the attention of most people diverted, James wraps his arms around his girlfriend and kisses her. He bends slightly to whisper something in Lily's ear and she giggles, swatting his arm; and he tells her how brilliant she is, and she hits him again, blushing. It makes Severus sick to see her like that; it's the kind of half-pleased-half-embarrassed flush that comes from the loving words of someone she cares about tell her she's wonderful. It's sacrilegious; an actual desecration of something sacred: Lily is magical, and James is defiling her with his dirty hands. Severus is not sure if he wants to be the one holding Lily (he does, and the ache inside him is so great he feels like it's washing down over him and he has to gasp for breath or else he'll drown), he just doesn't want James Potter to be the one doing it.
Lily's eyes are getting wider and she's nodding at James and laughing and go on, James, you do it.
He's uncharacteristically unsure and glances at Lily. She smiles at him, hopping up and perching on the edge of her table. She swings her legs.
"You can do it, love. Expecto Patronum. Just think of something that makes you happy."
James turns so he's facing her fully, and he scans her face with a soft smile. Raising his wand, he calls the incantation, and lets out his breath in a short huff as a silver stag bursts forward.
His eyes meet Lily's and she looks at him with an eyebrow cocked. "Well, would you look at that?" she comments dryly. "We match. You love me, Potter, and you can't deny it."
Severus' breath hitches at the word love. James doesn't love her. He's using her to get what he wants, and she's too deluded to see it. A fool, blinded by kind words and lingering touches.
"What can I say, Evans?" James spreads his hands in a gesture of innocence, the wicked grin on his face somewhat ruining the impression. He takes a step closer to her and lifts her chin with his fingers. "You're irresistible."
Severus snorts and raises his own wand, scowling. By now most of the class have managed to conjure a Patronus - a half-formed wisp if not a corporeal one. Severus murmurs the incantation, refusing to be beaten by James Potter, but as the doe skips around his head his eyes widen and his face morphs into an expression of surprise infinitesimally before it falls back into a glower. With another snort, he tosses his wand down. Just his luck.
His wand stays discarded on the top of his desk and he (resolutely absolutely definitely) does not look at Lily and James for the rest of the lesson.
a/n: I'm so sorry for the late update. You have permission to throw virtual tomatoes at me.