Hogwarts, Great Hall
Lily sat with Mary and Alice, giggling about Alice's date with Frank. But inside, she felt unsettled after what happened with Severus yesterday. The way he looked at her as he was taken away stayed with her, making her feel guilty and regretful.
She knew she shouldn't have told anyone about Severus's parents, but in the heat of the moment, she wanted to get back at him. They'd had a little fight over schoolwork, and she let it slip while chatting with the girls in the common room. James just happened to be nearby and overheard.
It's not like she marched up to everyone and blurted it out—James simply caught wind of it. Plus, Severus seemed fine hanging out with Malfoy later that day, so he couldn't be too upset with her, right?
Her thoughts scattered as Mary shook her. "Hey, everything okay?" Lily blinked, meeting her concerned gaze. She forced a smile. "Yeah, why wouldn't it be?"
Marlene's glance toward the Slytherin table didn't escape Lily's notice, and she quickly turned back to face her friends. "Is this about Snape?" Marlene's question hung in the air, causing Mary and Alice to glance over to the Slytherin table where Severus was nowhere to be seen.
Lily's heart skipped a beat. "What? No, why would you think that?" She busied herself pushing around her eggs, hoping to deflect Marlene's probing. Mary shot her a knowing look before clearing her throat. "Speaking of Snape," she set down her fork, "Sirius and James should be out of the hospital wing and on their way to breakfast by now."
As Mary uttered those words, a silence descended upon the Great Hall as the doors swung open, revealing Sirius and James, seemingly unscathed. Her gaze locked with James's as he strode confidently over and took the seat beside her, flashing his trademark flirtatious smile.
"Hey, Lily." His voice was warm, inviting, and despite herself, she couldn't help but return his smile. Even after enduring a beating, James still managed to exude an undeniable charm. Yet, beneath her smile, a twinge of guilt tugged at Lily's conscience. She knew she should be directing her thoughts towards Severus, offering him an apology instead of exchanging pleasantries with James.
Almost as if the castle read her mind, the doors swung open once more, yet this time red ties were replaced by green. Her eyes fell on one of the figures moving towards Slytherin table, Severus.
He stood tall instead of his normal hunched-over look, She also noticed his shirt was un-tucked, something Severus never did. He looked different yet the same, but the biggest change of all was the witch on his arm.
Bellatrix Black had her arms locked with Severus's, her body might as well be on top of him as they walked. The whole sight made her blood boil, Sev knew Lily hated Bellatrix with a burning passion yet he still walked with the girl?!
As Lily watched Severus and Bellatrix glide across the Great Hall, her mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. She couldn't believe what she was seeing - Severus, the boy she had known for years, the one who had always been there for her, was now seemingly enraptured by Bellatrix Black.
Her fists clenched at her sides as she struggled to make sense of it all. How could he betray her like this? How could he let Bellatrix, of all people, drape herself over him so casually?
Her gaze flickered to Severus, going over every detail of his appearance again- the way he stood, the uncharacteristic looseness of his shirt, the relaxed demeanor that seemed so foreign on him. It was like he was a different person entirely, and the realization only fueled her anger.
But it was the sight of Bellatrix feeding him a strawberry that truly ignited the fire within her. That simple, intimate gesture was something she had longed to share with Severus, something she had dreamed of for years. And yet here he was, allowing Bellatrix to do it as if it meant nothing.
She knew she had to confront Severus, to demand an explanation for his actions. But for now, all she could do was seethe in silence, her heart heavy with disappointment and betrayal.
Hogwarts, Courtyard
Severus lay on the grass, enjoying the sun and watching clouds float by. He had detention soon but wanted to relax first. Then, he heard his name. "SEVERUS SNAPE!"
He sat up, spotting a redhead girl marching toward him. He immediately realized the girl - Lily, Her expression was fierce, her steps determined, and he sighed and braced himself for whatever confrontation awaited him.
She stopped in front of him, breathing heavily, and placed her hands on her hips. "What the hell is wrong with you!?" Severus just gave her a blank stare, confused by what she was talking about.
"What?" the words barely left his mouth before she yelled back at him, her eyes narrowing as she searched his face for answers. "You know exactly what I'm talking about," she insisted, her voice tinged with exasperation. "Why are you acting like nothing's wrong?"
He just stared, not in the mood to waste his breath if she wasn't gonna tell him what was wrong. Her yelling was gaining attention as a crowd started to form.
"I can't believe you'd let that... that tramp all over you!" she exclaimed. Rising to his feet, he decided he'd had enough and was ready to walk away from the escalating confrontation.
As he turned to leave, the murmurs of the onlookers buzzed around him like an unwanted chorus. His mind raced with confusion and frustration. He couldn't understand why she was so upset, why she was making such a scene.
"Are you trying to make me seem like the bad guy for what James said?!" He stopped in his tracks, his whole body frozen. How could she stand there, pretending she hadn't betrayed him to those damn bullies? The mere thought of her lying to save face made his blood boil.
"Are you being fucking for real?" His voice, laced with pure rage, cut through the tension like a knife. "Are you seriously going to stand here and lie to my face about what you've done!?" There was no trace of emotion in his tone other than seething anger.
His entire frame trembled with the intensity of his rage, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. Every fiber of his being was consumed by the betrayal he felt, the sense of injustice burning like wildfire within him.
Lily had braced herself for Severus's usual apology, expecting their argument to fizzle out as it always did. But the sight of him raging back at her, his body quivering with anger, left her stunned. She refused to yield, though, knowing she was in the right.
"I didn't do anything!" she protested, throwing her hands up in frustration. "It's your fault! You should've been apologizing to me instead of cozying up to Malfoy!" With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she gave him a shove, relishing the rush it sent coursing through her veins at the sight of him stumbling slightly.
"Apologizing for what?" His incredulous tone only fueled her irritation. Why couldn't he just admit he was wrong and apologize? "Apologize for saying I'm second best at Charms!" The words flew out of her mouth like arrows, aimed straight at Severus's heart.
In an instant, his expression shifted from fury to confusion, his eyes widening as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing.
"You've got to be joking..."
Severus's incredulous response hung in the air, his confusion palpable. For a moment, silence enveloped them, broken only by the murmurs of the surrounding crowd.
Lily's frustration simmered beneath the surface, her heart pounding in her chest as she waited for his reaction. She had expected anger, maybe even denial, but not this bewildered look.
"What do you mean?" she pressed, her voice softer now, tinged with uncertainty. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, that there was more to this than met the eye. She didn't know what to accept but nothing could have prepared her for what happened next.
"I, Severus Snape, no longer see Lily Evans as a friend," he declared, his voice ringing out with a finality that sent a chill down her spine. As his words hung in the air, she felt the energy shift around them, the murmurs of the Slytherins in the crowd growing louder, their smiles turning sinister.
She turned to him, her heart pounding with fear and confusion. What had he just done? And why were the Slytherins reacting like this? Before she could voice her questions, Severus leaned in close, his breath ghosting over her ear.
"You're no longer under my protection, Lily Pad," he whispered, his voice like velvet against her skin, sending shivers down her spine. His touch, so unexpected yet familiar, brushed gently against her cheek, a gesture she hadn't felt in what seemed like an eternity.
"A Lion in a snake's den, what could go wrong?" His words sliced through her like a knife, leaving her blood running cold. As he stepped away, his eyes bore into hers with an intensity that sent another shiver down her spine. In that moment, she realized the gravity of what had just transpired.
What had she done?
Hogwarts, Great Hall
News travels fast in Hogwarts, by lunch, everyone knows what had happened between Snape and Lily. The topics at each table surrounded one or the other.
In Ravenclaw, students debated the true nature of Snape and Lily's friendship. Some argued it was high time Lily severed ties with Snape, while others insisted Snape deserved a friend who wouldn't betray his trust.
In Hufflepuff, however, the focus shifted to a different question entirely. With Lily seemingly on the verge of getting together with James, the burning question was whether Snape would seek out companionship of his own. Bets were placed on which girl might catch Snape's eye, igniting a flurry of guesses and whispers among the Hufflepuff students.
In Gryffindor, a palpable tension hung in the air as students exchanged hushed whispers, but one topic remained conspicuously absent: Snape. Although discussions flowed freely among the Gryffindors, there was a collective decision to steer clear of mentioning the Slytherin. A certain group of boys, however, shot venomous glares across the room at Snape, their anger simmering beneath the surface at the thought of one of their own being hurt.
Meanwhile, in Slytherin, the atmosphere was markedly different from the other houses. There was no gossip or debate; instead, there was partying. The day Snape severed ties with the red-headed Mudblood had finally arrived, and every member of the Slytherin table reveled in it. Avery and Evan wasted no time in planning a celebration to be held that very night, following Snape's detention. The prospect of the upcoming party added an extra layer of excitement to an already happy atmosphere, as Slytherins toasted to the downfall of their former comrade's friendship with Lily Evans.
Bellatrix nestled against Severus's shoulder, her fingertip tracing delicate shapes on his palm. "What's going through your mind?" she inquired softly. He met her gaze briefly before returning his attention to his meal. "Feels like the start of a new dawn,"