Chapter 12 - Hogsmeade

The Hogsmeade weekend had come, followed by a kind of commotion Severus could have gladly gone without. The students were leaving the Great Hall in disorderly groups, eager to forget any thoughts of their studies and looking forward to filling their pockets with useless objects and sweets.

Severus waited for a particularly large group to free the entrance. He knew very well the chaos that would follow a late breakfast and yet there he was. His mouth twisted in a small grimace. He had taken some time to spell his robes clean and make himself look more presentable; the realisation of having done such a thing and of the reason behind it had been quick to trigger a pang of embarrassment.

This was not a date. So, why did her presence cause him to act no different than the horde of teenagers around him? This was not the first time they had gone to Hogsmeade together. Trying to improve his appearance was both pointless and pathetic. Indeed, the only thing he had accomplished was sparing himself the embarrassment of looking unclean.

He looked around, feeling all of a sudden quite anxious. His heart sped up in the most shameful way when he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

He swallowed hard, catching a whiff of a sweet scent, a scent that was unmistakably hers. She smelled like cinnamon and flowers, a smell that in the course of the years he had come to associate with the brewing of Amortentia. He closed his eyes for a moment and swallowed, wondering whether, upon opening them once more, he would find himself back in his classroom, old and miserable.

He had done his upmost to forget that such scent had once been hers, of course, the brewing of such potion periodically putting in in a foul mood. He shivered, his eyes narrowing in pain, the feeling of her, standing just behind him, evoking a sickening rush of self-loathing.

He took a deep calming breath and slowly turned around. The small smile she gave him caused his chest to tighten all the same. He braced himself as a wrenching sense of guilt took over, followed by the inevitable tightening of his chest. She felt more like an apparition than an actual living being, a fact that punctually left him wondering whether it was mostly joy or pain he felt whenever he looked at her.

And yet he couldn't help but seeking her company, drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He relished in her smile and beauty, her kindness and warmth having the same soothing effect of water on sharp stone.

And then there were hormones, of course. He was still attracted to her, his body and mind craving the comfort offered by her mere presence, longing for her smallest touch. Was this what it meant to be young again?

It was utterly wrong, but he could not avoid tainting her with his mere presence. Severus grimaced and occluded; his emotions difficult to control without the clarity of mind offered by the Mind Arts. He was still to manage being in her presence with his mind bare of these defences.

'Morning, Sev' Lily said brightly and despite the use of Occlumency an uncomfortable look flashed deep into his eyes.

Lily smiled faltered. She had headed to breakfast with every intention of pushing in the back of her mind everything that Potter and Dorcas had said about him, but… She gulped, the absent look in Severus' eyes sending a cold shiver down her spine. She stared at her best friend's gaunt face, and to her great shame, she found herself looking for a telling sign that he might not be himself. But Severus looked like he always had, if not for the fact that the dark circles under his eyes were now a shade lighter.

He still looks tired, she found herself thinking. And yet, despite his tired looks, his hair, if still lank, looked clean like she had rarely seen it, the face framed by it as thin as ever, but clean shaved and smooth. He looked… much nicer like this, Lily found herself thinking, a slight blush spreading through her cheeks.

She stared into his familiar black eyes, not even knowing what she had expected to find in his gaze, because those were not the eyes of a stranger. A rush of shame caused her to flush even more. Of course, it was him, what had she been thinking?

Her eyes inevitably shifted on the Gryffindor Table, mortified by the direction of her own thoughts. It did not take her long to find Potter. He was chatting with a group of Ravenclaws at the end of the Gryffindor Table, his arm placed jovially on Black's shoulder as the other let out a heartily laugh. How could she had given any weight to what he'd said?

She grimaced, her face flushing scarlet when she met Dorcas's eyes, the glare Lily had sent in Potter's direction merely causing the other girl to raise an eyebrow. Her heart faltered when she noticed Severus had followed her gaze.

He was staring at Potter now and sure enough, the look of pure hatred that crossed his features had the same effect as a gush of fresh water.

Of course it's him, you idiot, she thought. She watched Marlene as she whispered something in Dorcas' ear, a wolfish grin crossing her face when the other girl cracked a smile. Lily took a deep breath, her heart skipping a beat when she realised that Severus was now looking suspiciously at Dorcas.

She stiffened when Marlene gesture for her to come over. Severus' black eyes bored into hers.

'If you no longer wish to go to Hogsmeade with me, Lily, you need only say' he said coldly, his voice instantly causing her to wince.

'What? I'm not-'

Severus stared at her, a muscle in his jaw twitching when her friends did not desist in their attempt to free her from his clutches. He vaguely registered that she looked uncomfortable, her lips parted in confusion. He saw her bit her bottom lip, mistaking the guilty look in her eyes for doubt, a change of mind she was too kind to voice aloud.

Why had he thought she would spend a whole day with him? She had seemed to enjoy their study section so far, oblivious as she was of who he was, but a whole day in Hogsmeade? His eyes drifted once again to her friends. Friends who were neither reformed Death Eaters nor acting as though she hadn't asked them to keep away from her more than two decades before. Severus took a deep breath before he looked at her once more.

"No- listen, I didn't mean-"

"- to call me Mudblood? But you call everyone of my birth Mudblood, Severus. Why should I be any different?"

He gulped, averting his eyes. She hadn't wanted him to approach her after calling her Mudblood, if she knew what he had become she certainly wouldn't have wanted him to be anywhere near her now. What was he even doing here? He should let her go with her friends, people her own age who were not…

'Sev? Are you alright?' Lily asked, the obvious note of concern in her voice only making everything worse.

She was still glancing at her friends, her discomfort making quite clear that she would've rather stayed with them. He forced himself to swallow, his mouth twitching as though he'd tasted something foul.

'A trip to Hogsmeade is of little to no consequence to me, Lily. If you wish to go with your friends, feel free to do so' he said stiltedly, the words struggling to come out of his lips.

She looked taken aback for a moment, then there was relief, that new reaction causing a new rush of discomfort; for he had been right, she did not wish to stay with him. He wondered if she'd agreed to go with him out of pity; the thought alone was almost unbearable.

'All right, Sev. I'll go with my best friend; one I happen to be very happy with and whom I have known for quite some time now' she said with a smile.

Severus gulped, his eyes flashing with bitterness and hurt before he pushed those emotion aside, not trusting himself to speak. He stared at the two girls, a blank look in his eyes, then he looked away. It was only then that he noticed that a third person had caught Lily's attention: Lupin, he thought, the bile quickly rising in throat when the wolf's eyes rested on Lily.

'And who would that be?' he asked, his narrowed eyes still fixed on the cowardly boy.

This was turning out to be harder than he thought. He could accept the girls, but Lupin… A chill ran down his spine when he remembered the werewolf's confession that he and his friends had roamed the school grounds at night, too young and stupid to care about the risks. The people they could have killed, Lily…

The sound of her laughter was like a bucket of ice water.

'It's you, Sev' she said, shaking her head and unable to suppress a smile.

When had she come close? Severus thought, her face a mere foot from his own now, her close proximity preventing him from thinking clearly. Why did she have to be so beautiful? He stared at her bright green eyes, gulping, his whole-body tensing when she kept staring at him, showing no sign of wanting to back away. To his horror, Severus felt a rush of blood flooding his cheeks. Indeed, as he slowly registered her words, he suddenly felt very stupid.

'You know, Sev, for someone so clever you can be incredibly stupid sometimes' she said brightly, shaking her head when she took his hand, leading him towards the Ravenclaw's table.

Severus squinted, the rays of the morning sun hurting his eyes as he looked at the clear waters of the Black Lake, the gnarls of the great oak Lily had picked up for a breakfast spot not at all gentle on his back. He grimaced, unable to fully grasp the appeal of having breakfast with nothing above their head but the open sky and a swarming cloud of midges.

He would've rather sat on a bench; the thought made him feel strangely old and reminded him that he was nearly forty, his back and neck often hurting from the many hours spent sitting on a desk.

Not that he could complain now; for as much as he hated being young again, Severus did not miss the downsides of having to deal with an aging body and nerve damage.

She had insisted they brought their breakfast outside, telling him that they ought to enjoy the good weather while it lasted. Severus had never particularly cared, his last year of life being so stressful that he'd barely noticed such things. Scotland never got too warm during the summer, but this particular year seemed to have been an exception. He could remember a draught and his father's rage at his mother inability to conjure water.

'Hungry?' Lily asked, the smile on her face leaving him with no doubt that she had heard the faint rumble of his stomach. He did not answer, but he stared at her as she rummaged in her bag and handed him one of the two sandwiches she had prepared.

'Thank you' he said, unwrapping his sandwich, the smell of bacon and scrambled eggs causing him to realise for the first time how hungry he was. It unbecoming how unaccustomed this body was to skipping meals and unhealthy habits.

'I have another one if you're still hungry' she said, looking expectantly at him.

Severus raised an eyebrow, the food in his hands still untouched. He was too thin and needed to eat, those were the unspoken words. He huffed, torn between annoyance and amusement.

'Do you find yourself at the mercy of unruly motherly instincts or is it merely concern that I might not make it to the village?' he inquired smoothly. Lily's face flushed, but her lips still twitched in a smile.

'Sorry… I just thought you might want another one. It wouldn't be a bad idea for you to try to, you know… eat a bit more' she said tentatively.

Severus scowled an annoyed look crossing his features, his eyes inevitably drawn to his bony knees, his old uniform shamefully failing to cover his ankles and worn socks. He shifted on the hard ground as Lily's gaze followed his, the position they were in making him feel strangely exposed.

He said nothing, but as his eyes fell briefly to the sandwich on his lap, he briefly wandered how pathetic of a sight his body might be to her, when compared with the other boys in their year. It had always sickened him how disgustedly handsome Potter and Black both were.

He awkwardly stretched his long legs, the hem of his robes sliding down a bit. But if on the one hand he could no longer see his skin, the sight of his discoloured socks was not helping him feeling any less conscious about his appearance. He was ashamed of the fact that the rags he was wearing were now his best piece of clothing. He'd looked respectable in his robes, his manners and reputation hiding his unfortunate background. Indeed, Severus Snape had been one of Lucius' most successful pet projects. The Malfoys had taken Severus under their wing and Severus had never forgotten that kindness.

Lily shifted uneasily on her seat, the angry look in Severus' eyes as he stared at his pallid legs causing her to feel a bit guilty. She hadn't meant to stare, not really, she thought, looking sideways at him. Her heart filled with sadness when she realised how very thin he was or how self-conscious he had seemed to have grown in those past few days.

She stared at him, her eyes carefully taking in his whole figure. He seemed to have grown quite a bit in those last months, his features looking a bit sharper, his legs longer. How tall would he be by the end of the summer? Would his mother think about buying him a new set of robes? As far as magic could go, Lily was painfully aware that there was just so much one could do to clothes that should've been replaced years before.

She turned her sandwich in her hand, the small charm she had placed on their breakfast being the only thing keeping the food from becoming cold. She hadn't felt comfortable in the Great Hall that morning, the look that Mulciber and Rosier had given them when they had sat together on the Ravenclaw Table still sending shivers down her spine. And then there had been her friends, the Marauder's glares and her friend's looks another good reason to look for somewhere nice and quiet.

She looked worriedly at him, the memory of Mulciber's large hands as they'd closed on Alecto Carrow's shirt making her worry even more as she stared at her much thinner best friend. Mulciber alone was more than twice his size. She gulped. If they forsake magic and came to hands…

'Sev?' she called after a while, 'Your housemates… they're not giving you trouble because you won't… hang out with them, are they?' she finished, staring at him with unhidden concern as he frowned, taken aback by her question.

'Of course not' he said, his voice carefully measured as she looked at him straight in the eye.

'You know you can trust me with everything, right?', a pained looked seemed to cross Severus' features; gone before she could even ask herself whether she had just imagined it.

'Yes' he said quietly, his eyes strangely old and weary as he looked away.

Lily took a deep breath.

'Sev…', she started again, her heart beating a little faster, 'If they threatened you, Professor Slughorn needs to know. I don't trust that Mulciber, he's dangerous even if you say he isn't. I just want you to be careful, I don't want you to get hurt'

Severus frowned.

'They will not hurt me Lily, their displeasure in regard to my conduct is of little consequence to me. Mulciber knows better than to believe that if he insists with such behaviour there will not be consequences' he said darkly, his words sending a cold shiver down Lily's spine.

It reminded her of how he'd almost smiled the last time he'd implied Mulciber was dangerous; as though he, Severus, could be just as bad. And perhaps he was dangerous. Mulciber's hand had been bandaged and Lily hadn't wanted to know what had happened; suspecting it had been bad enough. They all said that Severus knew an awful lot of dark spells; he'd told her that his mother had given him his books, that she'd managed to steal some old tomes from his grandfather.

Eileen Prince had never given her the impression of someone who would check whether any of it was a suitable reading material for a child.

'Just promise me you'll go to Slughorn if something happens and that you won't take care of it yourself' she said after a while, quickly brushing off the thought that Sev might lower himself to Mulciber's level.

Even if he'd burned Mulciber had, he would not use Dark Magic on another student, not when it could get him expelled.

Severus sighed and a part of Lily had the impression he was barely refraining himself from rolling his eyes.

'Very well. Should I find myself in any serious danger, unlikely as that might be, I will take the matter directly to the Headmaster' he conceded, his mild discomfort a clear sign that he had chosen to agree to her request, no matter how begrudgingly.

It was as though someone have just lifted a heavy weight off her stomach. Lily looked fondly at the awkward boy in front of her, her heart lighter than ever.

'Thank you' she said, the smile that stretched on her face too wide to be contained as she gave him a hug, his immediate stiffening evoking a hearty laugh.

It did not take long to reach the small village. The main street that winded between Hogsmeade's peculiar houses and even more peculiar shops was filled with hordes of students. Very much like Diagon Alley, there was something intrinsically magical about the place, something that was hard to describe.

Whether it was its strange shops or the fact that the village was seemingly immune to the passing of time, Lily did not know, but even within the Magical World she'd always thought of it as something otherworldly.

When she'd been little more than a child, she'd often dreamed about asking her dad to drive all the way up to Scotland and showing them both Hogsmeade and Hogwarts. She had never gathered the courage to ask him, Petunia's persistent looks every time her family discussed the holidays daring her to even mention it.

"A magical village? I bet you're making it up, like that castle of yours. If there really is such… such a thing then why no one has ever seen it?" Petunia had said distrustfully, the contempt in her voice causing a much younger Lily to flinch.

"They say the founders cast spells to prevent Muggles from finding out where it is"

"But you're one of them, aren't you? One of those freaks. So why won't you just tell us where it is?"

"I- I don't know exactly where it is, but…"

"If you don't want to tell us, then stop talking about it! Mum and Dad have more important things to do than drive all the way up the country and look for your magic village!"

Lily scratched the back of her neck, her eyes roaming the streets. Yes, where was it? No one seemed to know; in fact, it had been one of the few questions Sev hadn't been able to answer when they'd been children. When she'd later realised that no one seemed to be know exactly where Hogwarts was either, smuggling her family into the village had become all the more difficult to imagine. The castle would look like a ruin to them, Severus had told her that, but…

She sighed as she turned towards her best friend, surprised to notice, maybe for the first time, the way he carried himself. She frowned slightly. When had he stopped slouching?

As though he had sensed her eyes on him, Severus looked at her. He looked, if possible, much calmer than he had been in that last week, the dark circles under his eyes a lot lighter now that he wasn't neither brooding nor scowling. She smiled, she had expected he'd be annoyed, the enormous queue of students that waited to enter in Honeydukes enough to discourage even the likes of her, but Severus was merely staring at her with a ponderous look.

'If you wish to purchase some gifts for your family, we can come back later' he said calmly.

She nodded. Her dad loved their chocolate cauldrons and treacle fudges. She could get some sugar quills for her mum and…

'Why don't we go to Tom and Scrolls? I might still have some money to get us a book' she said eagerly, silently praying that her parents had stopped Tuney from throwing every magical tome she had left at home into the rubbish.

She grimaced at that. She had spent nearly all her savings on Goshawk's Guide to Herbology only to find out that Petunia had had a fit with her dad about what Lily kept in her truck and told him about flesh eating plants and the Devil's snare.

Severus' dark eyes lit with a spark of interest. She did not miss as once inside, his eyes briefly roamed to the ancient books section, the spark of interest in his eyes quickly subsiding as he seemed to remember something. Lily bit her lower lip. She remembered how such books had initially seemed a good idea for a birthday present in her fourth year, their prices far more than she could even afford buying.

She'd like to get one for his seventeenth birthday, if she saved enough money and sold some potions, then maybe … She looked at a small book on the creations of the first charms, wincing slightly when the man behind the counter lifted his head from the book he was reading, his pale blue eyes seemingly looking right though her when she gingerly opened it.

It was left unspoken that there were probably not many students who dared picking up those old tomes, she thought, her hands getting a bit sweaty when the old wizard's eyes kept boring into her. Right, she thought, aligning the book back in its place, fearing that the man might scold her for even breathing next to his precious books. She blinked when the man's eyes wondered to Severus, his lips visibly thinning.

'I am warning you, boy. There are wards that keep you from stealing it' the wizard said, his eyes narrowing as he got up, his gnarled fingers tightening around his cane.

Lily felt her face grew hot, the delicacy with which Severus was handling the books making the accusation nothing short of unfair. The man looked critically at Sev's worn uniform; Lily's face flushed. A chill ran down her spine as Severus turned around, his eyes cold as he returned the man's gaze, his back stiffening.

'I am aware' Severus said his lips twitching as he returned the man's sneer.

The man huffed. He limped towards them, his thick eyebrows making him look like an angry owl.

'So? Get your hands off that book! That text is in Old English, don't even pretend you can understand it' the man said snidely, 'What are you? A Mudblood or some filthy half-blood? Either way, you have no business being here. Young people, you have no respect for my books!' he spat, the venom in his voice causing Lily to flinch.

'I beg your pardon' Severus said in a low whisper.

The injustice of it all hit her like a wave.

'He wasn't stealing!' she snapped, unable to hold her tongue, the lowliness of the man's insults causing her to lose any possible kind of refrain, 'And what does our blood-status have to do with anything?'

The man smiled unpleasantly, the lines on his face growing deeper as his eyes narrowed with barely concealed amusement.

'Nothing and everything, pretty girl, but in a few years, who knows?' he jeered, his words hanging heavily in the silence that followed.

Lily's heart skipped a beat as she found herself stepping closer to Severus.

'We are leaving' Severus said, his voice so dangerously cold that Lily couldn't help but flinch at the sound of it.

She shuddered at the emptiness of his gaze, the hairs at the back of her neck standing up as she noticed that the librarian too seemed taken aback. Before Lily could say anything, Severus opened the door, holding it open for her as they left, the sense of dread she'd felt slowly leaving her as they left the shop behind.

Severus said nothing; but Lily knew him well enough to sense he was furious. They walked for a few minutes with no apparent destination, until all of a sudden, Lily found herself unable to bear the silence any longer.

'Sev?' she called, touching his arm gently when he seemed not to hear her.

'I'm sorry' she said, without even knowing what she was apologising for, if not that she deeply regretted ever suggesting going to that place. It really wasn't fair.

He stopped abruptly, the anger that had lit his gaze quickly fading away as his black eyes snapped back on hers; on his face the look of someone who'd been far away. A worried look crossed his features before his face became incredibly hard to read. He sighed, slowly shaking his head, the gesture looking somehow odd.

'There is nothing you should be sorry for. My clothes are what caused such questions. As I said, it is hardly your fault' he said and it was only then that Lily realised that his anger had never been directed at her.

Lily looked at his faded robes, hanging loosely over his much too thin frame. She felt a tight knot forming in her throat, the realisation of how quickly people were ready to judge him based on his appearance sitting horribly in her stomach.

'He shouldn't have called you that, why didn't you…', she bit her lip, for she couldn't even bring herself to finish.

The Severus she knew, the Severus that had been so interested in Dark Magic and Death Eaters wouldn't have waited a second to correct him, face flushed in anger. Eileen Prince had been no Muggle after all, it was irrelevant that her name had been the only thing she had had left of her family riches. It did not matter they had been disowned, her blood, as Severus had often felt the need to remind his pureblood friends, had been ancient and pure.

Lily looked at her best friend, where had that boy gone?

'Why did I not correct him? It would have changed nothing. Men like him believe what they want to believe' he said harshly, not noticing how Lily's eyes visibly widen, his words going against everything she knew about him.

He looked so oblivious to having said something incredible that, despite all, Lily couldn't help but smile.

'You really changed, Sev' she said, voicing her thoughts, her gaze wondering to the crowdy streets once again.

She saw him stiffen, a strange look crossing his eyes before his expression slowly became a tad more guarded. She considered telling him how proud she was of him, but she thought she would probably sound a bit stupid if she said it like that. No, proud couldn't quite cover the enormous relief his promise had caused her or how afraid she had been when she had started to believe it was only a matter of time before he would become everything she feared.

She looked at him, a heavy weight resting upon her heart when she thought about what could've happened had he not changed his mind. She stared at the awkward boy in front of her, the thought that such boy could've become a Death Eater was almost like a dark and log forgotten nightmare.

Lily shook her head as a worried look seemed to cross his eyes. It was only then that it occurred to her that her words might have not been interpreted as she had intended.

'I don't mean it in a bad way, quite the contrary, I…' she took a deep breath, the thought of how open he had been with her giving her the necessary strength to continue, to confess how much she had truly doubted him, 'I thought… I was afraid you would never come back to your senses. The person you were becoming, what you wanted to be… I'm not sure we could have stayed friends had you gone down that path' she admitted, her throat tight.

'I know' he said, his voice so low that, for a moment she thought she had just imagined it. She looked at him, his eyes shamefully lowered to the ground.

'Hey' she said, her hand searching for his, 'It never came to that. You're much better than they all are, you know that, right?' she continued, her heart much lighter when he slowly seemed to relax, her happiness bringing a small smile upon his lips.

'I'll say this, why don't we just go to eat somewhere nice and then-', but she could not finish, for the approaching figures of three boys caused her to stop dead in her track.

'Oi, Evans!', Severus too froze, his face twisting with such hatred that it was hard to believe that a few seconds before there had been any warmth in his eyes.

'Potter' he said, and sure enough there was the sneer she hated, the sneer that accentuated his worst features, all the pleasant changes she had admired in him those last days soon disappearing into nothingness.

Why did Potter always manage to take out the worst of him?

Potter ran a hand through his messy hair and offered her a roguish smile. All the same, there was a hint of worry in his eyes, his posture not nearly as confident as it had been as he sized up her best friend. It wasn't until he noticed her expression that his smile turned in a grimace. Her back touched Severus' chest as she placed herself right in front of him.

'What do you want, Potter?'

'Just a chat, that's all' he said with a smile. Beside her Severus' eyes narrowed, the unpleasantness of his expression causing Potter to focus wholly on her.

'And since we're here, I thought we might as well come to the rescue. You see, not even Dark Magic could make anyone enjoy a day with Snivellus, let alone a precious little thing like you, Evans' Potter said confidently, his posture suddenly straighter as he fell into the stereotypical role of Gryffindor's knight in shining armour.

Severus' nostril flared, his face assuming a dark shade of red as Potter's unspoken accusation caused his features to twist with fury. He couldn't help but glance at Lily. He knew how the whole thing would end, whom she'd marry. And yet the mere thought that she might be having seconds thoughts in regards to her decision of spending the day with him, that she might have already fallen for him, for Potter, was more than he could bear.

It was within her rights to walk away from him at any moment, that he knew, but he did not have the strength to say that. Not now that after more than twenty years she was talking to him again, ignorant of all the damage he had done. But Potter was right, at the end of the day, he was deceiving her.

'Lily, I…', he stopped, because Lily was now looking at Potter angrier than he had ever seen her.

'I'm here out of my free will, Potter and we were both very much enjoying ourselves until you came strutting along' she said, looking at the boy with great dislike as well as what looked like disappointment.

'Hey! I wasn't strutting!' Potter objected, his hand flying once again to his obnoxious hair, his eyes burning with fury as they fixed on Severus. Had he been ignorant of the outcome of the future, Severus would've almost smile. The boy was almost wary of him, drawing courage by the fact that he knew Severus would not retaliate, not in front of Lily.

'You'll leave us alone, Potter, we already had this conversation. This has nothing to do with Severus' Lily snapped, taking a step back until her shoulder touched his.

A feeling of warmth spread through his body as he realised she had never had any intention to leave him for Potter, not today, not when she thought him repentant.

Potter's eyes visibly widened. He opened his mouth a few times before he looked at him torn between incredulity and utter disbelief.

'Come on, mate, she's not worth it' said Black, resting a hand on Potter's shoulder, 'Let's go to the Hog's Head. I bet this time old Aberforth might close an eye if we-', but Potter wasn't listening.

'But, Evans, what about the date?' he asked boldly, a hopeful look crossing his features as his eyes fixed on Lily's, 'What about Madam Puddifoot's? Come with me. And as I said, if you don't like it, we-'

Lily sighed, taking a deep breath as she tried to get a hold on her temper.

'I said no, Potter' she said calmly. Had he not just been a jerk to her best friend, she would've found herself in a much better mood to discuss Potter's feelings and his inability to understand the meaning of rejection. She just couldn't believe how rude he always was to Severus, implying he must've used dark magic on her to his face… it was almost sickening.

'But…' he started, the confusion never leaving his eyes as he continued to stare at Lily.

'I'm already going with Severus' she said; the look of utter horror crossing Potter's features was a clear marker of how he must've interpreted her statement. A date… she thought, some warmth creeping up her cheeks.

She shot her friend a worried look, blushing when Severus' dark eyes fixed on hers, but it was too late to apologise or to take back what she had just said.

'You've got to be kidding me' Potter said, his eyes lingering on Severus' figure before he looked at Lily as though she was insane.

Black snorted. She narrowed her eyes, knowing full well that they were judging him for his appearance and reputation, that they thought Severus was cruel and ugly, that he was a slimy Slytherin and nothing more than that. Why had she ever thought that there might be something good in James Potter?

Lily's mouth thinned, disappointment washing over her like a bucket of ice water as she stepped closer to her best friend, wandering what would've happened had she not been there. All those threats, those absurd suspicions that Potter had about him… What if it was nothing but an excuse to hurt him, to punish him because she had said no to that stupid date?

And suddenly there was guilt and fear, because she might have actually just made everything worse. Professor McGonagall would stop him, she told herself, preparing herself to go straight to the Headmaster, if Potter so much as thought of some kind of retaliation.

She gave Severus a desperate look, praying he would forgive her for having dragged him into this, for he had never deserved to suffer because of Potter's hurt feelings and pride. He was trying so hard to change path and here she was, fuelling an old rivalry, when he hadn't so much as said a single word against Potter for a whole weak.

She reached for Severus' arm, unsurprised when he flinched at the unexpected touch, the situation created by both Potter and her own carelessness nothing short of unpleasant.

'Bad luck, Prongs' Black said, but Lily ignored him, her grip on her friend's arm tightening when, unable to hide his confusion any longer, Severus opened his mouth.

'Let's go, Sev' she said quietly.

He regarded her for a few more moments, her heart feeling a bit lighter when he finally nodded.