Hogwarts, Corridor

Lily walked out of the great hall, hoping to make it early to charms. It was high time she knocked that Hulffypuff bit off her high horse and- she was knocked off the train of thought when she heard his name being called in a tone she had never heard it in before.

"Ah~, Severus~."

Curiosity piqued, she moved quietly towards the voice, peeking around the corner wondering what in Merlins name was she hearing when she froze in shock - Severus and Bellatrix pure-blood Black in a highly compromising position against the wall.

What the...What? No, Lily knew to some people that Severus and that...thing seemed and acted like a couple but She knew that was rubbish, Severus was still supposed going come back to her and beg her for forgiveness, not shag Bellatrix Black in a hidden freaking corridor!

Lily watched as Severus's head snapped towards the sound of Lily's gasp, his face forming in shock before hardening as his eyes fell on her. "Shit," he cursed, his voice dripping with a mix of shock and slight panic as he quickly zipped himself up. "Can I help you?"

Lily stood there in shock at what she was seeing when she finally realized what he had spoken to her. "I don't want anything from you, Snape," she shot back, her voice trembling with a mix of emotions as she tried to act like this didn't affect her at all. "I just thought you had some decency left."

She watched the way Bellatrix's grin widened at the confrontation, her hand tightening on Severus's arm possessively. "Looks like the Gryffindor princess is upset," she sneered, her other hand dipping lower as Lily felt her entire body shake with a mix of rage and betrayal. "You think this is funny?" Lily snapped, her voice rising. "You think this makes you powerful, Black!?"

Bellatrix's laughter rang through the corridor, cold and mocking. "Oh, sweet thing, you always were so naive," she taunted. "This has nothing to do with power. It's about choices, and I chose not to out info that had nothing to do with me."

Lily felt her hand inch towards her wand, her breath coming out ragged as she stared into Bellatrix's cold eyes. How she hated her with every fiber of her being. The smugness, the cruelty, the way she seemed to delight in others' pain—it all fueled Lily's fury. She hated that whenever Bellatrix opened her mouth, it affected Lily beyond imaginable.

Before she could stop herself, she wiped out her wand, a jinx on the tip of her round when her wand flew out her hands and into Severus's.

"That's enough," He pocketed his own wand with Lily's still in his hand, his fingers twirling it around. "Bella, fix yourself and make yourself ready for class." She watched as Bellatrix patted down her uniform, making sure to stare her in the eyes as she wiped her mouth, that cruel smirk at play.

"And you can get the fuck out of my business, ok? We wouldn't want poor little Lily Flower to get hurt, right?" She couldn't help but shiver as his breath sent a shiver down her spine, just like that day in the courtyard. She hadn't even seen him get this close, the heat from his body radiating.

Lily felt like she was being torn apart. She wanted to scream, to hex Bellatrix into oblivion, to shake Severus until he remembered who he used to be. But she knew that wouldn't help. With a final, searing glance at the two of them, she stanched her wand from his extended hand, turned on her heel, and stormed away, her fists clenched at her sides.

She was going to show that pure-blood bit that you should never mess with a redhead. As soon as she's done licking some Hufflepuff butt.

Hogwarts, Courtyard

Charity wandered through various corridors, calling out for Mrs. CuddleCakes, who had wandered off while Charity took a nap. "Ms. CuddleCakes? Ms. CuddleCakes!"

She was about to turn a corner into the courtyard when she saw a flash of red hair collide with the stone wall. Her heart pounded as she quickly ducked behind the corner. She could hear muffled voices, tense and angry, coming from around the bend.

Summoning her courage, Charity peeked around the corner again. There, sprawled on the floor, was Lily Evans, her wand held tightly in her hand. Standing over her, with a look of fury, was Bellatrix Black.

"Is that all you got, Black?" Lily's voice was hoarse but defiant.

Bellatrix ignored her, wand trained on Lily. "Severus told you he was done with you, Evans," she hissed. "But you never listen, do you? You just have to stick your little mudblood nose everywhere that isn't where it belongs."

Charity's mind raced. She had to do something. Taking a deep breath, she rushed forward, positioning herself between the two. "This has to stop, Bellatrix. This isn't right. You shouldn't be fighting."

Bellatrix snarled, "And what makes you think I care about you and what you say?"

Before Charity could react, Lily shoved her aside, sending her sprawling to the ground. "You're always in the way, Burbage," Lily spat, her eyes blazing with fury. "Why can't you just get out of my life?"

Charity's eyes widened in shock and hurt. "Lily... why are you doing this? I know we aren't friends but I thought..."

"Thought?" Lily laughed bitterly, a cold, manic edge to her voice. "You thought what? That you mattered? You're nothing, Charity. No one likes you. You're just a pathetic, annoying little pest who tries too hard to be me."

Charity tried to scramble to her feet, but Lily's wand was suddenly in her face. "Stay down," Lily hissed. "You have no idea what I've been through. No idea what it feels like to be betrayed by someone you trusted. Severus was supposed to come back to me, and now he's hanging out with the likes of you and he's with... with her."

Bellatrix watched with an amused smirk, her wand now being lazily twirled. "Oh, this is rich. The Gryffindor princess finally showing her true colors."

Ignoring Bellatrix, Lily's focus remained on Charity. "You act always so perfect, so innocent. Well, let's see how perfect you are now."

With a flick of her wand, Lily cast a spell that sent Charity flying backward, crashing into the stone wall with a sickening thud. Charity's head hit the stone, and she slumped to the ground, unconscious.

Lily stood over her, breathing heavily, her wand still raised. "That's what happens when you get in my way," she muttered, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and sorrow.

Bellatrix's laughter rang out again, cold and mocking. "Bravo, Evans. You've got a bit of a dark side after all."

Lily turned to Bellatrix, tears streaming down her face. "Shut up, Black. This is all your fault. If it wasn't for you, none of this would have happened."

Bellatrix merely shrugged, still smirking. "Blame me if it makes you feel better. But deep down, you know the truth."

Unable to bear it any longer, Lily turned and fled the scene, leaving Charity unconscious on the ground and Bellatrix laughing in the courtyard.

Hogwarts, Severus's Dormitory

Severus sat at his desk, poring over a particularly complex potion recipe. The quiet of the dungeons was a welcome reprieve from the chaos of the day. He had just managed to lose himself in the text when a soft, almost imperceptible creak caught his attention.

The door to his dormitory was slightly ajar. He frowned, knowing he had closed it but before he could investigate, Bellatrix sauntered in, her expression one of casual amusement.

"Well, well, well, look who we have here," she purred, closing the door behind her. She slid onto his lap, draping her arms around his neck. "Busy as always, Severus?"

Severus's lips twitched into a small smirk. "Trix, What brings you here?" He rested a hand on her thigh, enjoying her proximity and the distraction.

Bellatrix leaned in, her breath hot against his ear. "Oh, relax. I just thought you'd like to hear about the little show in the courtyard today."

Severus's curiosity was piqued. "And what show would that be?" One of his hands traced patterns and shapes on her thigh while the other flipped the page of his book, his attention divided.

Bellatrix's eyes gleamed with mischief as she played with a lock of his hair. "Our dear Lily Evans had quite the meltdown. She attacked poor little Charity Burbage, that girl with the cat. It was quite the spectacle."

He paused, his interest more due to Bellatrix's enthusiasm than concern for Lily. "She attacked Charity? Really?" He sounded more amused than anything.

Bellatrix smirked, clearly enjoying the drama. "Oh, you should have seen it. Lily was like a wild animal. She was ranting and raving about you and me. Then, when Charity tried to intervene, she lost it. She hexed her right into a stone wall. I think she might have broken something."

Severus hummed softly, shaking his head. "So, how badly is Charity hurt?"

Bellatrix shrugged nonchalantly, her fingers tracing patterns on his chest. "She'll live, I suppose. But she's definitely worse for wear. The poor thing was out cold when I left. You should have seen Lily's face when she realized what she'd done. She looked ready to cry. Pathetic, really."

Severus felt a pang of something—sympathy? amusement?—but it was fleeting.

Bellatrix's eyes danced with delight as she nuzzled closer. "Just thought you'd like to know what kind of people you used to associate with. Lily Evans, the saint, turns out to be just as capable of cruelty as the rest of us. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?"

Severus's hand moved to her waist, holding her close. "Lily is the past and that's where I want to keep her." He sighed, a touch of exasperation in his voice. "I suppose I should check on Charity, though. Make sure she's not too badly hurt."

Bellatrix pouted, tightening her grip around his neck. "Must you? Can't it wait? I was hoping we could spend a bit more time together." Her voice was a soft, sultry whisper.

Severus's resolve wavered under her words and with a quick flick of his wrist, the door locked. "I suppose it can wait a little longer," he murmured, pulling her closer.

Bellatrix's smirk widened as she shifted in his lap, her fingers tracing along his jawline. "That's more like it," she purred, her lips brushing against his. "the outside world can wait. Right now, you're mine."