Dream

Fifth year

At half past one, the only two people who were awake in Lily's dormitory were her and Marlene McKinnon, both of whom had their Defence Against the Dark Arts' essays due in the next morning and had spent hours trying to complete it.

"Finally!" exhaled Marlene in relief. "I thought we'd never finish."

"Nox," whispered Lily, and the light at the end of her wand disappeared. "I know. That has got to be the hardest essay we've ever been set for Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Fifth year really is as hard as everyone says, isn't it?" sighed Marlene. "Piles and piles of work as well as piles and piles of other problems."

"Like what?" asked Lily, shifting sideways underneath her duvet.

"Oh, you know," said Marlene. "Boys, mainly."

Lily laughed softly. "Boys? Well, that's just you then. I've got no problems when it comes to love, Marlene."

Marlene sat bolt upright in her bed, her eyes wide. "You mean, you haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" murmured Lily, her eyes closed.

"Oh, come on!" exclaimed Marlene. "James Potter fancies you!"

Lily turned in her bed, opening her eyes the slightest bit. "You're so funny, Marlene."

"Ha, ha," she said. "I don't appreciate the sarcasm, Lily, because it's true! He wants to ask you out!"

"I heavily doubt that," said Lily. "And besides, even if this ridiculous rumour were true, he knows that I'd never say yes. He knows I hate him."

"But he likes you!" said Marlene. "And you really would never say yes? This is James Potter, Lily!"

"Exactly my point," said Lily firmly.

"You're not attracted to him? Not even slightly?"

"Never."

"Hmm…" Marlene smiled wickedly. "I wonder. What if it were between James and Snape?"

"Firstly, it's Severus, Marlene," said Lily, sitting up. "And secondly, euggh!"

"Euggh?" echoed Marlene, her eyebrows raised. "You really can't pick between them?"

"I'd never go out with either of them," said Lily. "End of story."

Marlene chuckled. "Alright, Lil, I hear you, I won't push it."

Lily curled a leg around her duvet. "Let's get some rest, it's so late."

"'Night, Lil," said Marlene, her smile still audible. "See you in the morning."

Lily closed her eyes, and then she was outside, arm in arm with Severus on her left and James Potter on her right, with Marlene laughing and swaying while she walked in front of them.

"Choose me, Lily," urged Severus. "Not Potter."

"Evans," drawled James. "You don't want to go out with that slimy git. Merlin, imagine him kissing you. All that oil on his face smearing onto yours…"

Lily scowled, and tried to shake him off her arm. But however hard she tried, both of their arms were locked tight around hers.

"Oh, come on Lily!" laughed Marlene. "It's not a hard decision at all! Who wouldn't pick James? Imagine your life if you married Snape! You'd end up being the wife of a… a Death Eater!"

"He's not… he would never…" began Lily heatedly.

Beside her, Severus shook violently and began to morph from a fifteen year old boy to a taller, older version of himself. His black eyes were sunken, and seven terrible words appeared like blood on his left arm.

I will be faithful to Lord Voldemort.

His right arm, stuck to hers, convulsed with a heat that felt like fire against Lily's bare skin. The bloody words began to swirl into a shape on his left arm, forming a skull and a snake, causing Lily to scream and rip herself away from him. With a sickening tearing noise, Lily's arm came free of his, and she tumbled away from him, still stuck to James Potter, whose free arm pulled out his wand.

He grinned down at her. "I knew you would choose me. I'm so much better than Snivellus."

And then, with a flick of his wrist, he sent a bright light speeding towards Severus, whose pale face was illuminated with shock and pain, before the light exploded into him, and he was nothing more. Lily glanced up at James, horrified.

His grin was frozen across his motionless face as he fell forwards, dragging Lily down with him. Lily tried to pull free of the dead, cold James, when she saw a shadow fall across his body. She looked up, terrified.

And there, alive as ever, but whose expression was that of a man being led to his own death, was Severus, his black eyes screaming with pain. He stood staring down at both Lily and James, next to a cloaked figure that drew out a wand with a pale, thin hand. Lily knew at once who it was.

And as the high-pitched voice began to scream the Unforgivable Curse that would end Lily's life, her eyes sprung open and her own scream tore out of her throat.