"Do you like it?"

"Mm? Oh yeah, it's great, Lily." James levitated his plate to the sink, and then turned to look back at Lily who had barely touched her food.

"You don't seem to think so though." James said steadily.

"It's not that," Lily replied quietly. "I…I have something I must tell you."

James sighed, "Me too."

Lily looked up expectantly. "Well go on then."

"You first."

"Me first?" Lily laughed, "How old are you? 8?"

James chuckled and began twirling his wand in his hand as he leaned back in the chair. "I spoke with the Order and I am afraid I have some rather sorrowing news. Voldemort is gaining more control, building his army and using spies, spies who have been attempting to enter the Order."

Lily's eyes widened, "How did you come by this information? Dumbledore didn't say so, did he?"

"I informed him, you're childhood friend Snivellus was attempting to join the Order the other day."

Lily's expression was a mix of joy and shock; quickly she twisted her face in a look of surprise and tried not to look so overjoyed. "Did he? Well how do you know he was a spy? Maybe he is really trying to turn over a new leaf."

James sat up and looked at Lily with an expression she had never earned from him before: a combination of petulance and confusion. "Lily, when are you going to see that greasy bastard as he really is? A man who betrayed you, tried to make it so we were never together and so that you were in a continuation of misery throughout the last two years of your life at Hogwarts!"

"James, please. I have lived with the guilt of not forgiving him and being as ignorant as you for years. We had some issues, but it was just as much my fault as it was his that we were no longer getting along, and don't you pretend that you didn't contribute to the end of our friendship."

James scowled, "You tried to defend him and he brushed you aside!"

"He was humiliated," Lily said seriously, "No boy wants to be defended by a girl, especially not a girl who…" Lily sighed, "Who they have feelings for."

James stood at once, "So you knew."

"I'm not an idiot, James, of course I knew."

"Then why didn't you act on it?"

"Because I...what he was doing was concerning me and although I had feelings for him-"

"What?"

"I had feelings for him, James," Lily said defiantly as she levitated her dishes to the sink and walked out of the room to the lounge. James practically stomped after her; he could be so juvenile sometimes.

…

"Take this," Severus said gently as he handed a vial of draught to Lily from across the small table they were sitting at in a small pub. "It will help you sleep."

"Thank you," Lily responded quietly. She looked down at her tea and watched the steam rise up in soft coils. It was like breath, as if the cup in her hands was a living, breathing creature, exhaling all of its fears. She wished she could do the same. Lily looked to Severus again. Those dark eyes had not left her at all and she saw now that he was studying her. "You didn't tell him, did you?"

"No," we did get into a fight though.

Severus grunted, "I can see that." He scowled, "He doesn't hit you, does he?"

Lily looked at him in alarm, "No! Oh Merlin no. He is very good to me. He would never do that."

Severus was certainly unsurprised by this response and he listened intently as Lily swept on.

"We just… we can't agree on anything and I have told him that we may need to rethink this marriage. Already we're off to a bad start. He claims it is just stress and that 'we've been together for three years now' and that 'it is the most logical step.'"

"How do you respond to this?" Severus asked.

"I tell him that we should not marry because it seems logical, we should do it because we are madly in love and because he and I cannot imagine being without each other. "

Severus nodded and earned himself a glance from Lily. "You certainly have grown Severus; you are so… different from the last time we were together."

"I assume you're referring to the other night." Severus responded smirking slightly as Lily blushed, "No, since 6th year. You were so focused on the dark arts, your friends and using your talents and immense intellect in negative ways. And now here you are, changed and trying to earn a position in the Order."

Severus was taken aback, "He told you that did he?"

"Yes, last night."

"He wouldn't 'permit me to taint the Order'."

"He can still be childish sometimes, tell you what why don't I introduce you in? Dumbledore would love to have you, I know this."

"It wasn't like that, Lily. I went to Professor Dumbledore's office to inquire about being a member, but in secret. I am not a joiner nor am I a group participator, I am doing it because of the rumors. James saw me come out of Dumbledore's office and apparently he had been listening in because that is when he told me that he wouldn't allow a Death Eater to penetrate the Order and that it was obvious that I was only interested in spying on them, on you."

"Why did you decide to join the Order, Severus?"

Severus leaned forward slightly. "There are numerous reasons. First, I fear for the truth of rumors that both sides have been spreading, I want to make myself available to the Order so that instead of spying on them I would spy for them. Second, I am done with the old ways, they have brought me nothing and new interests have arisen. I can do more for myself this way and as you know Lily, I am a foolish man."

Lily smiled slightly and with that Severus took her dainty hand in his strong one and said softly. "Finally I have discovered that a young witch like you has cast me under a spell that I cannot seem to reverse, nor is it one I desire to rid myself of. You are a bewitching woman, Lily Evans and I am in love with you. I want to be with you."

Lily's lips met Severus' and neither noticed the figure of Minerva McGonagall sitting at a table nearby, by the expression on her face, one could surmise that she had heard the entire conversation.