A/N:

Written for the January Event over on Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (Challenges & Assignments)

Pairing: Lily/Severus

Chocolate Frog: Gold – Severus Snape – Challenge – Write about Severus Snape

Stopping James

Severus hurried down the corridor. He had to find her before Potter, before the arrogant prick could execute his latest master plan to woo his best friend and the girl he loved more than anything in this world.

The young Slytherin replayed in his mind the details he had overheard the stunt he was planning to pull. Somehow the prick had convinced Lily's best friends Marlene McKinnon and Emmeline Vance to aid him.

Marlene and Emmeline were key to his plan. They were supposed to bring Lily to the Great Lake where Potter would be waiting with a select few members of the choir to serenade her, and then they would enjoy a candlelit picnic for two.

If the two Gryffindors didn't despise him as much as they did, Severus would have asked them to help him by refusing to help shit for brains, but the duo always made a point of telling him that James was a much better fit for Lily and one day she would see it as well.

The Slytherin could not take any chances. He had to make sure that Lily wouldn't go anywhere near the Great Lake, and the only way he knew to do this was by ensuring that she was busy with him.

He found Lily in a secluded area of the library quietly studying.

"Hey Lily," he whispered, keeping his voice down for fear of incurring the wrath of Madam Pince.

She looked so beautiful as she looked up from her book and shifted a lock of her flaming red hair out of her face.

"Hey Sev, what are you doing here?" she asked. "I thought you had plans with Nott and the other bunch of idiots."

"Well, I thought to myself would I rather spend time with you, my best friend, or with those idiots, as you like to call them, and I decided that there was no competition," he explained, flashing Lily a toothy grin.

"Aww, that's sweet Sev, but I'm not going to be very good company," Lily smiled, nodding towards the Defence Against the Dark Arts essay she was currently working on.

"You're always good company Lils, but if you feel bad you can always make it up to me later by coming with me to the Wizard's Chess Duel night," Severus suggested hopefully, internally cursing himself for not being able to think of anything better than that

"Sure, why not? You never know I might pick up a few tips and finally be able to beat you." she answered as Marlene and Emmeline entered the library to play their part in James' plan.

Too late girls, Severus thought gleefully to himself, too late.

Severus bid a quick farewell to Lily, whose face fell when he said he was going but changed to one of understanding when she noticed two of her best friends.

He stopped just within earshot and listened on as Lily informed her friends she couldn't accompany them as she had plans, before heading back to his Common Room with a slight spring in his step.

A/N:

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