Lily Evans became friends with Severus Snape when they were ten. They met at the little playground near their respective houses. He was the one who introduced her to the wizarding world and for that, she would be forever indebted to him.

But, she did not know whatever or not she wanted to remain being friends with him after hearing what Black had said.

She wanted it to be a lie. She desperately wanted it to be a lie, but she knew a fact that Regulus Black had very hard time lying. He always ended up spitting out the truth in mere ten seconds. He was adorable like that.

"Severus, is he telling the truth?" she finally asked, her green eyes resting on Severus's face in both disbelief and anger. Her chest beating fast and her face getting redder as minutes passed, she stood stall in front of them.

She could hear Bartemius Crouch whispering to Regulus about how hot she was and how he would have dated her if she was only year younger. She rolled her eyes at that.

"Yes." Severus finally admitted, his dark eyes looking at her like fire and ice. If looks could kill, Lily thought, she would have burned Severus with her stare. "It's true."

"Just tell me this, Severus. You once told me that it did not matter that I am muggle-born. That it does not make difference that I was not raised in the wizarding household. Was that also a lie?"

"No, it's not a lie. It's your parents who are muggles, Lily. Not you."

"So, you hate muggles. That's almost as bad as Lucius Malfoy's hate for anyone who's not pureblood. I never understood why you were friends with him. I guess I can understand why you two are such a good friends now. You are friends with him because you two are so alike!"

"Lily, just listen to me."

"Don't Lily me, Severus!"

"Lily!"

"Fuck you, Severus!" she said as she ran out the door with tears on her face.

Severus didn't follow.

Regulus Black on the other hand did.

"Why did you follow me?" she asked after long silence. He was walking beside her with the equal pace as hers.

"We didn't. We are just going in the same direction. That's all there is to it." said Regulus coolly, his voice low and cold unlike his brother's excited and high voice. "But, if it makes you feel even a bit, I'll tell you this. He's a git, he always was. You just didn't know it."

"Thanks."

Now that he was so close, she could see how handsome he was and how similar yet how different he looked compared to his brother. Regulus was shorter than Sirius, but that could have easily been because he was younger than his annoying brother. Lily could not understand how they were related at all. They were so different. But then again, so was she and Petunia. They were like fire and ice, but they were sisters bounded to each other by the blood ruining through their veins.

"Would you like me to walk you home?" asked Regulus, gazing at her worriedly.

"No, but thanks for the offer." she said with a smile. "Why did you leave your friend there?"

"He wants his drink. I don't."

"I see." she said awkwardly. "I'll be fine from here."

"If you say so." he said, but kept following her and she did not know why.

She and Regulus rarely interacted, but he was the only Slytherin she interacted with in the house of snakes besides Severus. She had tutored him back in her third year when he was in his second and was still so innocent and cute that sometimes when she watched him do his work so hard, made her want to hug him tight. He seemed so lonely even though he had Bartemius at his side. It did not help that particular year Sirius suddenly decided that he was going to ignore his little brother all together.

That arrogant git.

"You are still following me." she said, looking at Regulus curiously as to why he was following her. It could be because he was raised that way; never let lady go alone when it's dark. But, she wondered why Sirius never treated with the respect Regulus treated her? Maybe Potter rubbed him in wrong way and he forgot all his high class manners and instead focused on being world class prankster.

"I cannot leave a lady alone in the pit of darkness and loneliness. I heard that if lady sees something pleasant while she's sad she'll cheer up."

"Meaning you?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Who else? One just cannot resist The Black charm, you know."

"Very funny. Terribly funny." she said mockingly. "You and Sirius are more alike than I thought you are."

"We are brothers. Of course, we are alike."

"He's just plain annoying. You are not. You are actually very charming, well if you exclude that narcissist trait of yours." she said in amusement. Because, it was true. Regulus was devilishly handsome. He had the Black family's natural black hair and his dark eyes were darker in shade than Sirius'. Now that she thought about it, she wondered why she had never realized the reason the girls spooned over the younger Black.

Sometimes, she can be so daft.

"I know. He refuses to admit the fact, but I am the handsome Black. Sirius, well he's the fun one."

"You wish." she said with a roll of her eyes. "Anyways, we are here."

"Well, see you at Hogwarts."

"Regulus? Why don't you come in and have a tea? I heard you like tea? I know you like tea."

She didn't know why she asked. Regulus and she weren't close, but she knew his true self. He wasn't like Malfoy or Snape. He was kind, kinder than anyone gave him credit for. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have saved 'mudblood' like her. He wouldn't have saved her from getting hit by Whomping Willow. She liked to think that he saved her because he cared.

It was just that front he set up at school that did not allow anyone to see him as to who he really was. A very kind yet lonely boy. She liked to think that she was special, that it was only in front of her that he dropped his mask, but she knew that wasn't true.

He dropped the mask whenever he encounters someone whom he can be himself with and her best friend Marlene was one of those few people. She was just one of those few people.

"Sorry, Lily. But, I don't think so. Anyways, see you at Hogwarts."

It has been two and half years since she has fallen in love with Regulus Black. Feelings he may never return back.

Shutting the door behind her, she fell on the cold floor.