Changes

Merry Christmas
„I have to apologize, Lily." Severus said on December 24 in their seventh year.
They were lying on the couch in the Head Girl suite, watching the fire.
Lily's eyebrows shot up and she blurted out, "For what?"
"Fifth year. You know my father is a muggle so I was a stupid hypocrite. I was angry and humiliated at the time but that doesn't excuse calling you a Mudblood." He paused for a moment. "Calling anyone a Mudblood really."
His right hand stroked her bare stomach where her shirt had slipped up. Suddenly he stopped. "Why are you so tense?"
Lily forced herself to relax. "Thank you." She turned around to face Severus. "I can truly forgive you now. It hurt so much to hear my best friend call me that. I don't think it would have hurt much from anyone else. But I can forgive you now."
Then she leaned forward to kiss him.
Now they could finally celebrate Christmas properly.

PastPresentFuture
Lily and Severus' relationship had steadily progressed through their sixth and seventh year; their first date in Hogsmeade at the beginning of their sixth year had only been the first of many. Their first (official) kiss had, after many interrupted almost-kisses, finally taken place under a branch of mistletoe, in front of the Great Hall. They had officially become a couple on Valentines Day.
That day James Potter had come up to them, offered his hand and wished them luck. He hadn't asked Lily out again nor had he humiliated Severus. Any pranks that affected Severus were aimed at all of Slytherin.
Remus Lupin had struck up a tentative friendship with Lily and Severus shortly after that while Sirius Black could only be persuaded to an openly reluctant truce by Lupin and Aletha Freeman, Sirius' girlfriend.
Peter Pettigrew separated himself from the other three and got his own friends. Somehow, with independence came courage.

Today, on the day of the Leaving Feast, the graduation ceremony was taking place. Therefore all the seventh year students were gathered in the Great Hall, chattering with nervous excitement.
Severus stood near the other Slytherins and silently watched as Freeman laughed at something Lily said and even Black couldn't quite suppress a smile.
As he heard the door behind the Head Table open it occurred to him that he was wearing a rather silly smile on his face and he quickly rearranged his features into something resembling boredom. The chatter around him ceased abruptly when Dumbledore cleared his throat. The students looked toward the noise before hurriedly arranging themselves alphabetically in front of the teachers. Black was almost the farthest out to the left only his cousin Narcissa was farther out. Severus was rather close to the right end. Lupin was almost exactly in the middle and Lily and Freeman were only separated by a pair of twins.
Dumbledore welcomed the students and congratulated them all on graduating. Then McGonagall started calling them forward and for a moment Severus felt very much like a nervous eleven year old. But as the first student reached McGonagall he tuned out in favor of thinking about the future.
He and Lily had found a small flat in Muggle London. For the first two weeks Lily would stay with her parents to say goodbye and pack all the things she would need or want while Severus would go directly to their flat and start furnishing it.
In autumn he and Freeman would start their Healer training and Lily would work in the Ministry of Magic though that was mostly for the benefit of the Order of the Phoenix. None of them was a member but Severus knew that most of Lily's friends would be glad to help. He'd heard Potter and Black talk about Auror training after school.
Severus shook himself out of his thoughts as the girl beside him was called. Then it was his turn.
He'd done well, he thought. In Potions he had, of course, received an Outstanding, in Defense an Exceeds Expectations, in both Charms and Transfigurations he'd only received Acceptable but those had never been his strong suit. In Arithmancy and Herbology he'd gotten two more Outstandings and in Care of Magical Creatures he'd scored Exceeds Expectations. As he walked back to his place in the line he sneaked a glance at Lily. She was staring at the parchment in her hands and even though Severus knew exactly how to read her, her expression betrayed nothing. Funny, she usually wore her heart on her sleeve.
There were only two students left, a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin. And then, finally, it was over. Freedom! Everyone was cheering and people were hugging and congratulating each other. Severus watched all this somewhat numbly until Lily flew at him and he had to hold onto her lest they both fall to the floor. They kissed deeply, both smiling and Severus felt happy.

31 January 1983
On January 31 1983 a whole group of people officially joined the Order of the Phoenix. In alphabetical order the first was Sirius Black. He'd been a full Auror since July 1980 after three years of hard training.
Second was Lily Evans. She worked as someone's secretary in the Ministry. She was an important source of information and messenger for the Order even before she joined. She and Severus had moved into a house near Canterbury in 1980.
The third was her best female friend Aletha Freeman-Black, married to Sirius for almost two months, and nine months pregnant with his child. She had given him the shock of his life when she told him and he'd shocked her right back by proposing. The wedding was held on the 29 November 1982 which was incidentally the day of the first snow of that winter. The baby was due any day now. Aletha had finished Healer training last July after four years of hard work.
Next was Remus Lupin. He'd been travelling a lot, only stopping by every few months and he always brought at least one person with him. Most of them were werewolves and older than him and most of the werewolves had only been bitten a few months before he found them. With the Order's help they found work and places to live, including a safe room for their transformations. On her eighteenth Birthday Remus had brought his younger sister, Kassandra to one of the Order meetings. Apparently she had demanded he take her there. He'd arrived red-faced that day with a short young woman with frizzy brown hair and dark brown eyes clinging to his arm. No one knew what she'd done to persuade him to bring her with him.
The youngest new member was Peter Pettigrew. He didn't work really, at least not since he'd realized that the weird blackouts/daydreams were actually visions. As a result he'd been living at headquarters for almost five years. He did a lot of research on anything the Order needed. And he walked around beet red and dazed every time Kassandra smiled at him.
James Potter had finished Auror training together with Sirius and he'd moved out from his parents' a year after Hogwarts. Somehow he was the only one in their little group without even a potential partner. He'd never really moved on from Lily and he'd gotten more serious over the years. Even Remus dated every now and then. James still made them all laugh and he still played the occasional prank on people but he made sure never to hurt or humiliate anyone.
The last and by far the most reluctant of them was Severus Snape. He'd finished his Healer training along with Aletha last July. On Christmas Eve he'd proposed to Lily during dinner with her parents and sister. Apparently Petunia fainted from shock and Mrs Evans cried of joy. Mr Evans only commented that it was long overdue.

On the 31 January 1983 a whole group of people joined the Order of the Phoenix. They were all interconnected by the bonds of friendship and love. Lily and Severus, Aletha and Sirius, and Peter and Kassandra all loved each other. Lily and Aletha, and Sirius and James were best friends. Severus was often seen with either Peter or Remus. Aletha and Sirius' child was loved by everyone even if Severus did his best not to show it.
A whole group of people who would die for each other if necessary. At least one of them would pay that price before peace could be achieved. One of them would die.

The End

(for now)