Harry Potter 1. The Return

**Chapter One:**

The day was January 9th, 1975. The cold air was filled with snow and Hogwarts had come back into session. Everyone ready with their presents to show off and their happy stories and triumphs. Severus was alone with his worries.

The Christmas holiday was never something he celebrated and was glad to keep himself at Hogwarts. More importantly than that, he kept himself away from his Muggle father. The man was insufferable, unintelligent, and down right cruel. He could never understand Severus and never saw the want. Severus was reading in the library hoping to keep the Marauders at bay for as long as possible.

Severus Snape was a boy without kind words. A boy with shaggy black hair that hid the love within and kept a firm exterior. He heard her voice from afar.

His dark black eyes were piercing. He knew that many years ago, down by the river, that very instant, he had fallen for her. However, he could never admit it to himself let alone her. His voice wasn't strong enough to tell her everything he wanted.

Lily was the embodiment of his love. Her flowing red hair that slithered down her backside; her kind smile and gentle words; the touch of her hand against his.

"Sev!" Lily exclaimed from afar with a wide smile that closed her beautiful eyes.

Severus was sitting against the wall writing in his _Advanced Potions_ book. His face craned to the side looking towards the voice that rudely interrupted his studies. He caught a glimpse of Lily and immediately stood up from his obsessive work. His pitch-black frame opened up to the glimmering light coming through the windows. He wanted to smile at her but could never find the muscle function to do so. His hardened upbringing made sure that his happiness was kept at the strength of a whisper.

"Lily." His voice beckoned back in a monotone softness.

She bounded up to him with long strides keeping her hands wrapped tightly around her back. Lily was clutching onto a gift she had made him. After all birthdays only come once a year and Severus, her best and closest friend, was turning the bright age of 15. She had to celebrate it somehow. Surprise just happened to be her strong point.

Severus was curious. Lily was always joyous and bright but never commonly to this degree. Her face was brimming with smile after smile and she was lightly swaying back and forth from heel to toe. The Gryffindor scarf swung against her dark cloak and his eyes caught the fraying ends with slight dismay.

"Is there something you wish from me?" His voice was a bit alarmed and mixed with the sounds of accusations and excitement. He loved watching her but his face remained sharp and unfeeling. His mask was holding up.

"I wanted to ask you something Sev." Her pet nickname for him always sent electrified jolts towards his heart. The pressure rose a bit but the physical reflection was not to be seen. "What are you doing for your birthday?"

Severus furrowed his brow turning away from her for a second. His face inverted from the cold exterior to one filled with pangs of guilt, sorrow, and torture. His birthdays were never bright and he never cared to mention them. He wished that she would never bring the sorted subject up again. Snape could never deny her though. He wouldn't let her be rejected away as much as he hated to think of being with his Muggle father and the memories with them.

Lily stared curiously at her friend stepping a bit closer and watching him transform into a painful sheen of a boy but as soon as her silky green eyes met his, Severus pulled back. "Nothing Lily." His voice trailed a bit of softness into her name but as soon as the moment became a bit too tendered, he backed away. His grip was tightening around his potions book trying to send the nervousness of his body to the leather bound object.

"Well Sev, I have something for you." She revealed a box. A plain box wrapped in brown paper and tied with a white knot on top. "I want you to open it and I hope you will be impressed. It took me almost 3 hours to get it right!" Lily Evans shoved her hands into his and lightly dropped the gift into almost shivering hands. The feel of her soft skin on his sent chills into Snape's spin. He drooped his black hair across his face abruptly. His cheeks flared a sudden red and he hoped to avoid the possibility of her seeing through his disguise.

"Thank you. I will open this later. I must insist that I get back to my studies however. Join me if you would like." Severus motioned to a desk nearby with a pair of matching chairs.

Lily loved studying next to him. As misunderstood as Snape was she never could deny his presence while reading always calmed her and focused her thoughts. Together, in unison, they sat into their usual spot and jointly studied in silence. Her warmth and closeness comforted his soul and let Snape view his passion more clearly. He always wanted to show her the Dark Arts that his close friends invited him into but he knew better. Lily hated to see them and he hated to make her unhappy. So instead he would delve himself into potions. He was always good at that. Severus was content as things were until a gripping voice boomed behind them and immediately Snape's heart turned to ice. _Potter._


	2. The Potter Incident

**Chapter Two:**

James Potter strode into the library. His eyes glistened back and forth looking for the girl he adored. She continually rejected him but no more. He shoved his glasses to an appropriate position with a push from his pointer finger and immediately grumbled loudly. He readjusted his long gowns and gently tugged at his red and yellow scarf. Sirius Black appeared behind Potter and gave him a shove. "She is right there you fool." James shooed the comment away. He grinned to himself and replied loudly.

"Why isn't it Snivellus Greasy?" The words echoed across the corridors with a resounding shout. His words bounced off the walls.

Lily's red hair fluttered upwards as she turned and exclaimed back to her fellow Gryffindor. "You aren't funny you bullying toerag! Leave us alone Potter!"

James became excited to hear her reply and Severus turned to view what was going on. His dark eyes gave a chilly glare that was meant to kill any hope Potter had to get closer. Snape stood to his feet and took a step towards the Maruders leader.

"Leave Potter." His voice was cold, calculating and a little bold. Severus positioned his wand to be ready at any moment waiting on either Sirius, or James, to take another step. James gave a huge guffaw at Snape's reaction. "Look at old Snivelly here! Got a back bone finally?" Potter took out his wand and flicked his wrist casting a stinging hex on Severus.

Snape instantly deflected the spell and gave Potter a taste of his own medicine. With a sudden flick of his wrist, a white light appeared from the tip of his wand. The flash suddenly gashed itself across James Potters cheek. Blood began to trickle down his face and James was stunned in place. _Did Snivelly just injure me?_ The spell was, however, inaccurate. Unsaid and with Snape's aim, he slashed the side of Potter's face but missed his intended target. Severus would have preferred to hit the annoying Gryffindor's heart but was satisfied at the result nonetheless. Sirius pulled James away, tugging on his loosely fitting robe. Black's voice was low, "Let's go. We will get him later." Potter remained stagnant for a few moments unable to fully comprehend what had happened. His body was tugged towards the exit by Sirius and James held on to his cut letting the blood flow down his fingers. His eyes were blank and he bolted out of the library waiting for a chance to return the favor to Snivelly for the injury on his cheek.

Snape's voice was filled with anger and bitterness, "Run away Potter! Black! I will see you expelled this year! You and your little gang of 'Marauders'!" They went out of sight and with confidence he turned to Lily. He wasn't sure what to make of her face. There was a combination of confusion and worry. Her words came first.

"Severus, what was that spell you just used?" Her jade eyes were fraught with cautiousness.

He gritted his teeth and cursed himself in the back of his mind for using the spell openly in front of her. The dark arts were something he studied heavily over the break. It was impressing but Lily never wanted to see what they could do. Snape never understood her hate for the Dark Arts. They were spells; that is all he thought of them. How bad could they be? All of Slytherin house were able to have a taste of the Dark Magic.

"It was something I saw in a book. That is all." Snape turned his eyes towards the open potions book and hoped she wouldn't follow his intent gaze. The word 'sectumsempra' was written at the top inked in his own handwriting. His own spell.

"That was a Dark Art wasn't it Sev? What did I tell you about those things? I don't want you doing them. Your Slytherin friends are getting to you; aren't they?" Lily's words were sharp, precise, and honing in on his weakness. He had friends. His only friends were the few in Slytherin house and the girl he loved in Gryffindor. The girl standing in front of him.

"Lily. These are powerful spells that will help me become a greater wizard. They have nothing to do with my fellow Slytherins. They helped me defend myself as you saw just now. Dark Arts or not they-"

"That's the point Severus! They are _Dark Arts_**. **You shouldn't even be using them!" Her voice was high and angry. She was packing up her things and slamming each book in her grasp. Snape didn't understand what to do other than try and stop her from going. He couldn't let the only angel he had ever seen leave his presence. Not now; not after his small triumph.

"Lily, spells are spells. Whether Dark or not, they are an attempt to defend one's self. You cannot honestly be upset for my choice. Potter was going to hex me yet again. Do you wish it for my knees to be turned around or for my voice to disappear until you begged Potter to give it back?" His reply was accurate and logical but held no emotional sway. Severus shook his head back and forth trying to understand her upset nature and could not fathom it.

"Sev, I do not wish it but you cannot think that these Dark Arts are sending you to a good path. Can you?" Lily was slowing her process of leaving. She lightly folded and unfolded her potions book on the corner. She fiddled in place hoping to find the answer she was looking for; she was hoping to hear a no.

"Can you say it is sending me down an unfulfilled barren one?"

Lily stood up infuriated and grabbed all of her belongings in sight as quickly as she could. She was furious with Snape. How could he honestly believe what he was doing was right and just? She retorted to him with a fierce sigh through her nostrils. She stomped off towards the exit with everything in toe.

Severus let her go. He did not want to argue the same subject with her over and over again. That was pointless and unproductive.. He gathered his potions book, quill and ink, and Lily's' delicately wrapped present into his black robes, tucked his house scarf in, and walked quietly out into the corridor and down to Slytherin common room regretting every step along the way.


	3. The Aftermath

**Chapter Three:**

Lily stormed into the Gryffindor common room where there was slight commotion going on. James Potter was sitting on the couch with his crew around him. A few others were circling close to him making an incident of what had happened. They all turned to look who entered the room. Each gave Lily a sneer and a glare as if she had done the deed herself. Peter, Remus, Sirius; they all gave her the look of shame. Lily sighed to herself shrugging her body into a slumped position and headed upstairs. Everyone in Gryffindor watched her walk of disgrace. Potter jumped up from the couch and after her.

His voice announced her to stop moving, "Lily. That's what you call a friend? He just attacked me!"

She was still reeling from Severus's idea of goodness. She bit her lip and turned to face James. Her green eyes glowed with frustration. She tactfully chose her words.

"Potter. Did you ever stop to think that perhaps he was defending himself?" She took a step closer to James daring him to stop her from talking. Instead, he bowed to her movements and took a step away. "Did you ever think about _him_? Huh? What Potter? You treat him like a stranger without a name. You treat him as dirt. You treat him like an ignorant know-it-all Slytherin! Potter, you deserved what was coming to you!"

James almost grabbed her wrist in disgust. His hand reached out to nab her by the arm but he quickly deviated to resting against the railing. _How could she defend that_ _scruffy, light weight, white-complexioned Slytherin? _"You. Are. Crazy. Lily. Evans." His voice rested heavily on each word as if he was insulted by her insinuations.

"Snivellus deserves everything he gets and I will get him back him for this. No one does this to James Potter." His arrogance was woven into every syllable and then James simply pointed to his right cheek that was still red from the spells slash. He directed her eyes with a light tap of his finger to only let his hand fall back to his right side. "No one." He turned around letting the swerve of his gown lead the way. James moved back to the common room where his friends were waiting. They all served his speech with pats on the back and words of exultation. They were scheming Potter's revenge as a unit.

In disgust Lily Evans rushed to her room slamming the door behind her. None of her dorm mates were there and it wouldn't matter anyways. They never would talk about Severus with her. All of them detested him. They despised him as a Slytherin and as a person. They just didn't understand Severus. They didn't want to at all. All Lily wanted to do was help him. He was always there for her but could she ever be there for him. _Why can't you understand Sev? I just want you to be good. I just want you to be whole. I just want to be there..._

Severus sat down in a black leather chair in Slytherin's common room. He took out his _Advanced Potions _to continue work on each potion listed in the pages. Correcting and changing as he saw appropriate. His incurious, pitch-black eyes looked up over his elongated nose.

No one ever looked at Snape for more than moment. This time they were all locked intently on his presence. His dark glares and sneers did nothing to avert their unwanted eyes. He soon rose from his chair annoyed by everyone's intent being focused on him. Avery and Mulciber came by and championed a smirk at their friend Severus. "Nice job mate." Their voices were in unison.

Severus was confused and unsure of what they were referring, "What about might I ask?"

Avery and Mulciber looked at each other as a unit and gave a solid nod in unison. Avery spoke first, "Well, what you did to Potter of course. He deserved every last bit even if you were defending that Mudblood Lily." Avery and Mulciber both spat at the word Mudblood with such disgust they nearly shivered.

Severus fused his emotions together and hid them carefully. His words were firm. "What I did to Potter he had coming and nothing more." He tried not to lean on the fact that he and Lily were good friends let alone the fact that he had defended her in the slightest. He already had enough trouble with Gryffindor brawns. He wouldn't need trouble in his own house.

Avery and Mulciber gave him a pat on the shoulders and Severus suddenly pulled back from their grasp. His hands cleaned off their marks on his clothing with a flick of each wrist. "Potter is dealt with and that is all. If you will excuse me."

Each Slytherin continued to stare at Snape as he headed down the spiraling stairs to the dungeons and finally into his room. He shut the door quietly and slid to his bed letting the mattress fold to his figure and slowly sink in. There was still a light disturbance up in the common room. The chirps of gossip and people talking of his small fight with Potter.

Snape was still impressed with himself but bitterly frowned to the side. His pale white hands slinked to his robe pockets with a light motion. Snape pulled out the tiny box Lily had given him for his birthday. Slowly, he removed the light-colored strings, gently unwrapped the box and opened the lid. There, in the small cramped space, was a vial. The liquid was a molten gold in colour, The light bounced off the container with a small glimmer of hope. Severus knew the concoction and he only had brewed it perfectly once. _Liquid Luck._ His midnight black eyes stared across the vials surface rubbing its exterior with his thumb. The brew was perfect and as he held it up in the light droplets would bounce in a wave from one side to the other. He stuck the vial back into its box and neatly hid it in his trunk rigged with a manner of charms and hexes. No one but Severus could open the chest without consequence.

Still his deeply brooding eyes stared at the trunk hoping to find her presence next to him.. Hoping to see her. Hoping to express his happiness at the effort she put forth for him and more so about how perfect her potion of Felix Felicis had turned out. Severus was impressed. There was nothing he could do now though. He wouldn't be tired for a bit. He stayed up with quill and ink in hand. He wrote down his thoughts and feelings into a letter like he had always done after Lily and him had a disagreement. Especially when he was thinking of how to apologize to her. It was not his strength.

Lily was done carrying on in her mind. The same frustrations as before. She was sick of fighting with Severus over the Dark Arts. She was sick of James Potter hounding her for friendly relationship with Snape and for a date. She wanted balance to her life but it was seeming to become impossible. There were loud rumblings downstairs in the common room. Shouts of 'Yeah!' championed their ways through closed doors. Many of her fellow housemates had opened their doors in curious pursuit. Lily knew what was going on and wanted no part of it. She had already felt the judgments of James Potter. She didn't want to know what they were going to do her best friend.

Lily took in a deep breath and changed for bed. Before turning the light off, she peered out the window into the night sky. The moon was shaded rather dimly tonight. She lowered her gaze in slight disappointment due to the events that had occurred earlier. She needed to talk to Snape. She needed to warn her best friend. Hopefully the Marauders were not planning an early assault. She would see him in Potions class first thing in the morning. The room went dark and Lily Evans fell fast to sleep.

Severus Snape finished his letter, sealing it into an envelope. He moved to his trunk and lightly placed it next to the stack of ten letters he had written before. Snape resealed the object with a few charms.

Quill and ink in their rightful places, his potions book placed in a neat stack next to his other books for tomorrow's classes, and his robes set out for the next day, Severus slid into bed falling asleep moments later.


	4. The Sudden Movement

**Chapter Four:**

The morning started as usual. All the students gathered in the Great Hall for breakfast and sorted themselves by House. Severus sat next to Avery and Mulciber. They all drank pumpkin juice while Snape only ate a piece of toast plain. His dark eyes looked around the hall. _No Marauders. _Snape's body shifted to a cautious sitting stance. He sipped lightly at the pumpkin juice seated in front of him. Avery and Mulciber sat together mumbling about a prank to pull on the kind-hearted Hupplepuff students later that evening. Severus never paid attention to their mundane talks about mockery. He was more concerned with what the Gryffindor buffoons were doing.

Lily entered the Great Hall refreshed from her rest and sat down to her usual breakfast of 'Egg in the Basket'. She slid a cup of pumpkin juice her way from the center of the table and conversed lightly with her fellow Gryffindors. Her eyes wandered a bit but never too far from the cone of vision in front of her. Lily was starved as she had skipped dinner to avoid the commotion in the common room and the possibility of another incident with James Potter. After the meal had been scarfed down, she guided herself out into the hallway. Her first class would be Potions and of course, Severus would be in it. They would have to apologize, or Lily would have to apologize. She knew it was his one weakness and so long as Severus let her look at his book corrections, it meant he was sorry too. Lily smiled widely at the thought and happily curled a loose strand of hair behind her ear. There was a small gust of wind that caught the hem of her scarlet and gold scarf. It tugged to one side until it loosened from her light-colored neck and fell to the floor. She huffed loudly at predicament but before she reached to pick it up, a pale hand grasped it from the rock-hard flooring.

Severus had bent down to his knees to carefully remove the worn scarf from the dusty ground. With his left hand he slowly brushed the dust off of it with a gentle movement hoping to not fray the ends anymore. He rolled himself upwards from the abdomen up taking a deep breath. Snape's jet black eyes met Lily's forest green in a moment of shock and sincerity. It was as if the instant had translated everything he wanted to tell her. The deepest secrets he kept from her. How he wished she knew his intentions were good and that all he ever wanted to do was love her. She was in a daze. Lily forgot to breathe as if she had floated into the emptiness of space. Severus felt the hurricane of emotions begin to overtake his senses. He quickly withdrew his intent gaze and let it fall to ground noticing the small space between them. Severus cleared his throat momentarily then handed the garment back to Lily. Her hands unknowingly took the somewhat dusty scarf.

Snape quickly maneuvered around her and down the hallway as if the rush to Potions class was urgent. His strides became longer and swifter in order to escape the incident with Lily. He promised himself repeatedly in his mind that she wouldn't think anything of it. He wasn't blushing. He was just giving her the scarf back. _It meant nothing. Nothing...nothing Severus Snape. Get it together._

Lily stood stuck in the same spot stunned from what she had just seen. It was as if the flood gates of soft memories had rushed over her senses and she didn't know what to make of it all. He was vulnerable and showing her something but she couldn't assume what he meant. _Maybe he just wanted to give me the scarf back, or maybe he wanted to..._ She shooed the idea away for now. She was making too much of it. Lily dismissed the idea as a simple mistake. It had to be.

Professor Horace Slughorn welcomed his students in after their winter break. He walked around making light comments on everyone's gifts. All ranging from little trinkets to ornate necklaces and rings. Severus took his usual seat leaving the empty spot for Lily if she intended to show, but why wouldn't she? Slughorn's gooseberry eyes reached Snape and the underling Slytherin nodded respectively to the Head of his House. "Professor." Horace nodded back in a slight echo and finally turned to see his favorite pupil walk in.

Horace's voice was overfilled with joy, "Ah! Lily m'dear! How was your break?" Lily had entered the room barely catching a grasp on Slughorn's greeting. Her deep green eyes stared at Severus as if the mere presence of him commanded her to look. Snape felt the contact of her gaze as if a tender whisper was being breathed upon his neck. It shot boosts of adrenaline to his heart and nervousness to his figure trying to shake the strong foundation he tried to maintain. He had to close his eyes slowly and look away as if the mere sight of her would break him.

Lily reconnected with reality, blinking several times, and then gleefully returned Professor Slughorn's greeting with a tender hug and a small reply. "It was great Professor. It was nice to be home with my family. Thank you for asking." She moved aside to let Horace continue his passes throughout his first class. She pulled a stool tenderly to her side and sat down slumped a bit over her potions book trying to review the proper treatment and execution of making Strengthening Solution. Snape opened his eyes slowly and looked to his left with a lowered tilt to his head. His lips bitterly pursed together trying to complete a sentence in his mind before actually saying anything to her. He would need to tread carefully. "How much of the chapter did you read?"

Lily replied in a calm yet short manner, "Only half of the chapter." _And if we hadn't fought at all it would have been the entire thing!_ Severus had already gone through the session the day before in the library. He opened his copy of the book and flipped to the beginning page of Strengthening potion. She glanced over to his side notes and began to exam his small changes adding tiny comments of her own on how to stir it thoroughly with less effort. Snape nodded to a few of her thoughts and scribbled in the margins feeling the anxious emotions drain from his exterior to hide underneath. He took a few more moments to add her details with a small 'L' marking. Lily curled a smile for a second but just went through the process with Severus until Horace called attention for a tiny lecture. Her eyes caught way of a few words written across the top of the page. The only one that she could recall was 'Muffliato'.

Snape closed his potions book with a low-density thud and listened intently on Professor's speech of how to treat cauldrons and potions alike with care. He went over the proper cleaning process to ready their brewing tables for the Strengthening potion. Severus had already done the necessary preparations for both his and Lily's pots when he had rushed in several minutes before class. Slughorn continued to walk lazily through the class nodding approvingly to the two Slug Club members. Both Snape and Lily began their draft which dictated attention until the near end of class. Horace dismissed both of them early letting them set aside their cauldrons for the mixture to mature. Severus picked up his things and moved to the door in some haste but this time Lily wasn't in a daze and she quickly followed after him.

"Sev." Her voice was soft and tender resting heavily across his nickname. Snape stopped dead in his tracks and turned around on his heels to face her. The motion caused his black hair to flick over the tops of his dark eyes and he simply ran his slightly stained fingers through the strands to manage their unwillingness to cooperate. His proud nosed pronounced itself more openly without the frame of his bangs. Lily had a task and she was sticking to her guns. This was the only class all day they had together. She was still curious. Severus, however, was sweating bullets.

Lily took in a small breath and paused for a second reevaluating everything; each moment in a glimpse. She waited for another instant to pass before smiling widely, "Have a good day Severus Snape."

The relief was tumultuous as if an onset heart attack had been magically whisked away. He was slightly amused by his sudden alleviation and replied with an almost sweet rapture, "You as well, Lily Evans."

The two of them parted ways thinking about what had happened and whether or not the other was thinking of what the other was thinking.


	5. The Deceptive and the Judgemental

**Chapter Five:**

Lily headed away from Potions class with a contagious smile. She wanted to believe in the truth of what was going on but she rejected it at the same time. Severus was her best friend. He was almost a brother, someone she trusted, but her mind wandered from the thoughts. The Marauders waited outside her next class with everyone else. Professor Minerva McGonagall waved for her students to enter the classroom with a wide grin upon her face. The current class was filled with her Gryffindor underlings with all but one exception. Potter pulled himself to a desk and sat down with a slight slump. Rumors were spread that Potter was finally beaten in a duel. His status of being unbeatable had been scuffed upon. His right hand pressed against his left cheek with slight disdain trying to hide the scar that fueled the defeated gossip.

Sirius patted his friends back gently and whispered a few things into his ear and Potter perked up. Lily passed by with a slight glow of unsure happiness. She didn't even feel everyone's eyes locked on her entrance. She merely sat down with a tender thud. Lily pulled out her _Intermediate Transfiguration_ book and lightly sat it on the table in front of her. Minerva called attention to her class. Her voice was a beckoning call for all to listen."Students! Perhaps if we stop all this bickering and light chat we will be able to get some work done."

Professor McGonagall called the class to attention and began to comment on what their lesson of the day was going to be. Lily flipped through the pages of her book not paying attention to the class around her. A paper airplane landed gently next to her hand. Flecked against the side of her palm, Lily blinked out her trance and picked up the curiously folded piece of paper. Her green eyes inquisitively gazed around the room hoping to catch the person responsible for the letter. With no luck, she unraveled the tightly folded sheet. There were words scrawled in a dark and familiar inking: '**The key to making things disappear is to close your eyes and pretend it isn't there already -HBP**'.

Minerva started her session with the Vanishing Spell. Every student began with a snail. She had explained in her lecture how creatures without vertebrae are easier to make disappear. Each student echoed the same words over and over again hoping to make the snail vanish into thin air but no such luck for almost everyone. Professor McGonagall passed by Lily with a slightly curious look, "Miss Evans, is there something wrong?" Lily shoved the piece of paper nervously into her transfiguration book. She replied in a rushed tone, slightly anxious, "No Professor. I was trying to clear my mind before attempting the spell."

McGonagall smiled with a brimming amount of annoyance, "Well, m'dear, the spell will not say itself you know. Let's try it like everyone else." A huge laugh boomed behind their light conversation and Minerva's eyes dashed across the classroom. "Mr. Pettigrew! Now that is no way to attempt such a spell!" She sighed openly in front of Lily and excused herself to go aide Peter.

Lily took out her chosen wand. The elegant piece of wood was 10¼ willow and fit perfectly into her right hand. She slowly closed her eyes letting the room's noise dull out. She lifted her wand upwards to an almost a 90 degree angle and then downwards towards the snail muttering the spells words gently to herself, "_Evanesco_". Her dark jade eyes opened to see that the snail was no longer sitting on her desk. A few students gasped loudly at Lily's first attempt at the spell being successful and Minerva stood proudly moving away from Peter's failing aura to Lily's successful one. "Well done Miss Evans. Well done."

Lily's body was filled with pride. A tiny grin presented on her face at the triumph. The letter was correct though. Pretending as if it wasn't there already made it much easier to cast the spell upon the creature. The only question is who sent it. Her eyes fell to the closed book in front of her. She tenderly tugged at the sheet wedged between the slightly worn pages. Lily reexamined the document carefully, her wand was placed on the desk, and as her fingertips brushed across the pale surface, the words began to disappear as if the ink was being drained from them. Lily stared at the letters trying to memorize as much of the styled writing until the composition was gone. She grimaced to herself and tucked the sheet back into her book hoping no one else noticed the small tip she had received. The class continued on until every student had, with success, casted the Vanishing Spell. McGonagall then dismissed class eagerly pleased with every students' individual progress.

Lily packed up her belongings and slid out of the classroom before the Marauders had time to notice. Her scarf patted against her side and slowly became unraveled. The motion had turned her around in sudden twirl and before she knew it, there was James Potter. None of his Marauder friends were to be seen and she was curious as to what he wanted. He cleared his throat as if to wash away all that was bothering. Potter's smile was slightly contemptuous but it slowly fell from his face. He spoke plainly, "Lily. I wanted to let you know that we are going to let your friend Sniv-". He cut himself off for a moment to tenderly correct his name for Snape. "Your friend Severus alone. It's been five years and I think I have pushed him a bit." His hand again reached for the red scar that was scathed across his cheek. "I figured you would want to know and pass the information to the Slytherin." He still bitterly chewed at the House's name. Lily simply nodded to James and turned away with a bit of curiousness as to why he cared now but she didn't question the goodness in people. She glanced over her shoulder before moving quickly out of sight. She had to tell Severus of this new development.

James Potter waited until she was gone and leaned his head to the back, "Think she fell for it?" There was a low group of laughter beckoning from the emptiness. Sirius's voice was proud of his fellow Gryffindor. He appeared from under the cloak of invisibility with both Peter and Remus. Black responded with respect, "Definitely James." Potter grinned widely and rubbed his chin with a devilish look in his hazel eyes.

The lunch hall was actually quite empty. Severus had written down small annotations through out his books and took into account lessons that were to be taught soon. His quill halted for a moment feeling the slight shaking and he knew that she was getting closer to him. It was strange. She never came to the Great Hall during this time. Snape allowed a slight smile to escape from his concentrating exterior before charming the quill to remain still. Lily Evans rushed into the room with a curious delight on her face. He was peculiar as to her pace as if she had done the most amazing task ever. She was almost breathless but approached Snape with a fervor that was revolved around excitement. "I have some news." Each word was uttered with a following gasp.

Severus furrowed his brow momentarily to only retract his muscles backwards and then do it once again, "News? Of what?" His voice was laced with a hint of curiousness but refrained from shifting from his spot. He instead motioned for Lily to sit down as she was obviously exhausted. He pulled across a small cup and took out his wand. With a small tap and an unsaid word, Severus summoned water to spill into the cup from the tip of his wand like a small fountain. "Here." His right hand tenderly pushed at the bottom of the cup sliding it to Lily. She sat down and carefully curled her dainty hands around the container taking a swig of it before continuing. "This is delicious..." She was taken aback. Her senses tasted the water with delight as if it was taken directly from a spring. He smiled inwardly at her reaction. She shook her red hair trying to concentrate on her news for Severus, "Anyways, James told me something."

Snape's demeanor immediately changed as Potter's name was mentioned, "What did he tell you?" There was a bitter taste in his mouth for a second after he had thought of the over-popular Gryffindor.

Lily smiled and took another sip of the fresh liquid, "He said he would stop pestering you." Snape rejected the thought immediately. Nothing would stop the conquest of the Marauders from moving forward, not even his own actions. He had feared he had stoked a fire that was now burning out of control. He wasn't going to let Lily know though. She wouldn't like it at all.

"I see." Snape's voice trailed off and went back to concentrating on his charms work. Lily placed her hands over his book, her fingertips pulled the pages towards her body, and commandeered his attention. "Snape, didn't you hear me?" Her voice was heightened a bit as if his reaction had scared her. He cleared his throat and looked up from her pale hands to her dark green eyes. The eyes he wanted to look into for the rest of his life. "Yes, Lily, I heard you." She was glad to see his dark eyes looking at her even if they were hidden behind his untamed bangs. "And?"

Snape shook his head simply and shrugged it off, "And nothing. I don't believe him. As much as I would like to, these past five years have proven something completely opposite of this behavior and I fear he might be adding you into his plans of getting back at me." He was honest and truthful but his voice could never quite curve to match his sincerity. Her hands remained over his reading and she fell slump for a moment thinking to herself. Lily pressed her nose to the top of her right bicep examining the conversation with James trying to find holes in what he did. His voice and behavior seemed serious enough for her to believe him but there was something strange about what went on she just couldn't put her finger on it. "I trust what he said though Sev. He isn't one to apologize so easily."

He retorted quickly, thinking as fast as she could talk, "That's the point Lily. When has he _ever_ apologized? I cannot think of one incident. What is so different about this one?"

"Because this time you beat him Sev." Lily was right about that but something was wrong about the way she said it. She was searching for a reason to trust Potter. Snape covered his mouth with his right hand and slowly massaged his lips together a few times before deciding a few choice words.

"That may be true. However, it doesn't change who he is and what he might do to me...what he did do to me. Trust him Lily. You can." He let his right hand fall to the pages of his charms book and it touched her left hand gently. The pale skin touched her soft olive tone. His body pulsed with the need to hold on to her but simply tugged the charms book out and away, "I don't believe I can trust him." Lily wanted it to be true and she wanted to instill confidence into her best friend, "Then trust me."

It hit him like a bolt from the sky and Severus stared at her watching the fiery red locks curve down to her scarlet and gold scarf. His own hand touched the silver and green weaved on his neck. He looked from the tips of her hair to the tips of her fingers that were still sitting in front of him. He felt defeated by her as if her actions of kindness, and trust of others, were infecting him. Snape looked away with a clenched jaw and with a moment of silence, he stiffly nodded to her request. His hands fell into the middle of the table looking around to see if others were listening in. No one was to be seen.

"Alright, Lily. Alright. I'll trust you." His words were soft and unsure. He wanted to prove himself to be good, to be trusting, to be what she needed but he couldn't help but doubt anything Potter said. She curled her palms around one of his hands and smiled sweetly. He couldn't deny her but it wasn't in Severus's nature to forgive or forget. He grimly returned her smile but closed his eyes to just enjoy the feeling of the closeness. It pulled over him in waves as if the water rushed across his entire body. His heartbeat recoiling back and forth until he reopened his to feel another presence. Severus sat straight up and stood suddenly pulling his now trapped hand from Lily's. "Lucius."

Lucius Malfoy stared at Lily Evan's with a slight glare of annoyance in his grey eyes. He redirected his attention to Snape with a kinder look in his eyes, "Severus. Class." Severus nodded repeatedly to his fellow Slytherin and picked up his things. He motioned for Lily to head out the door. She didn't know what to do but spoke to Lucius, "Hello Malfoy." Lucius bitterly chewed at his lip and replied as gently as he could, "Hello Evans. Would you kindly collect your things from _our_ table?" She felt the sting of his words as if they had been drilled into her skull. He was filled with contempt only because she was a Mudblood, not a pure-blood as he and so many others championed to be the most powerful wizards. Lily picked up her cup and drank the rest of the water only to have it be placed kindly in front of the Slytherin prefect. Snape was already at the entrance to the Great Hall when Lily caught up. Lucius' eyes carefully examined the two and circled around the hall looking for anymore stragglers not already in class.

Severus stood on the steps waiting for Lily's follow and as they climbed the stair, his voice became distant, "Lucius is right. I need to get to class. Charms is something I need to concentrate on." Lily just dashed behind him silently, not sure of what to say at all. The hallways split again and she turned left as he turned right. Snape shouted softly into the echoing walls, "See you in study?" She only nodded to him unable to feel happiness for in that moment she realized that in some people's eyes she would only be seen as a gifted _Muggle born_ witch and nothing more.


	6. The Outmatched and The Obvious

**Chapter 6:**

Saturday came by in a flash and as with all other activities at Hogwarts, the Quidditch game was on everyone's mind. It was Slytherin versus Gyffindor due to the injury of players in a practice accident earlier in the year. In the Great Hall, breakfast was being served and the chatter was at a higher decimal than moments before. James Potter walked in with his scarlet and gold sweater with the rest of the team behind him. The cheers from all the tables, but Slytherin, echoed through out the room. The Slytherin's table simply made seething sounds through their teeth in distaste of Potter's exhuberant entrance. Severus sat with Avery and Mulciber who were writing down a few strategy's for the Quidditch team captain. They glanced over at Severus who sat back, drank some pumpkin juice, and bitterly stared at James Potter. Avery and Mulciber looked at Snape curious as to his unusually sour mood. Avery spoke first, "What's the matter Severus?"

He relaxed a bit loosening his tightened grip around the cup. Severus chewed at the words, "Potter. He thinks he owns this place because he is the best Chaser, and soon to be Seeker. His brawn never outmatches his brain and yet..." His hands displayed how most of the student body were staring at the brown-haired boy's presence in awe. "I'd like to see his brawn taken down a notch. Then he'd have nothing to keep him on his high horse." Severus sipped at his pumpkin juice and lightly sat it down on the table in front of him. He slumped over the liquid with his hands folded together in front of him. His midnight black eyes shifted from Potter and the Gryffindor buffoons to Lily with a calculating stare. She was smiling brightly and joking with her dorm mates. _What is your plan Potter? What does her trust give you over me?_ _Besides everything..._

Avery looked at Snape's frustration and grinned, "C'mon mate. The Gryffindor can't be that annoying. You have a knack for strategy. How can we win this one?" Severus thought for a moment on how to win in both ways. How to rend Potter unable to devise a plan and how Slytherin could win this match to be ahead in points and hopefully win this year. Snape shook his head at the simplicity of the idea but then countenanced darkly at Avery, "Take out the biggest threat and there is no way Gryffindor can win. They rely on him to get the snitch to win. If our Seeker has more time to get it, and if they use a less skilled opponent Seeker, than our chances of winning are almost doubled." Avery was wide-eyed for a moment and then started to laugh with Mulciber at the delicate idea, "Nice. I think we got our strategy for today."

"We need to get Potter." The captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team was standing proud in front of the strategy board. "Use usual formation to keep points on our favor but our goal today is simply this: Beaters to Potter. Use the bludgers as much as you can to keep him off balance and possibly knock him off of the broom. Do that and we can rack up points and have our Seeker get the snitch." The team nodded in unison grinning and muttering about Potter's soon to be demise.

The Gryffindor team was limbering up. Each member stretched out their morning woes as James Potter psyched himself for the game. The team captain touched Potter on his shoulder with a light tap, "You got this James. The snitch is all yours." James nodded repeatedly hoping to get the fact that the points were going to define their year as a team. The Captain's deep voice beckoned all to line up. "This is it everyone. Time to win, and crush Slytherin at the same time." They all cheered and raced out of their enclosed tent.

The Quidditch pitch was cover with a thick blanket of powder. It had been snowing since Thursday and as tradition, most players donned extra clothing to keep warm. The Gryffindor's current Seeker was out on sick leave and thus James Potter took over for her position. The usual Chaser took up his broom and flew around with his team. His hands were shaking with a fervor mixed with excitement and nervousness. The chilly, cold air interjected into his lungs with a sharp sting and his hazel eyes caught sight of the green Slytherin team. They all had a coy smirk brimming across from cheek to cheek. The Slytherin team stared intently on the replacement Seeker. The referee floated upwards with a slow tempo to avoid any high wind interference. "Clean game all, and try to make this a quick one. It's bloody freezing up here." The referee's fingers snapped quickly and out shot the Quaffle, Bludgers, and the Golden Snitch. The game was on!

Severus sat down next to Avery and Mulciber. His black eyes watched the back and forth between the two teams. Ten points to Slytherin, Ten to Gryffindor; he was hoping to see James Potter fall to his demise but to no avail. It was difficult to see anything in the high winds that whipped across the pitch. Both sides cheered loudly promising that as long as they were shouting, that their team would be in the lead. Just as it tied 80 to 80, Severus spotted the Golden Snitch in front of his long nose. He looked sideways to both Avery and Mulciber who then whistled lightly into the air. Snape followed the gentle gesture and the Slytherin's Seeker raced over to chase after the prize. James Potter watched the seasoned Seeker dash across the pitch and soon, he followed quickly after. The golden object darted across the field and the Slytherin's plan was soon in motion. The two beaters shot bludgers straight into Potter's pathway making him curl and dive trying to out maneuver the strikes. His eyes locked intently onto the snitch wishing to speed his way to victory. The Slytherin Seeker bumped into his broom with a swift elbow to the gut. Potter gasped for air trying to continue his pursuit after the 150 points to win the game. The Slytherin Seeker suddenly halted from the chase and James looked back curiously. Both Slytherin beaters took their short bats and hammered the nearest bludger towards the snitches projected path. The Seeker gave a farewell wave as a bludger struck James in the face with such force that he flipped backwards off the broom and hurled towards the white layered ground. James landed onto the compounded snow with a loud thud and the Gryffindors gasped with a sudden silence. A whistle blew lightly as the opposing Slytherins caught the snitch and won the game 280 to 90. The Slytherin student body cheered with a satisfied victory. Avery grinned widely and patted Snape on his back. "Good plan o' yours Severus. Good plan!"

Severus rushed over to the side railing and stared transfixed by the unmoving Potter. He was being turned over by a few teachers and the hit was a massive blow to his face. Glasses smashed, a broken nose, and blood exposed from every cut, the Dopplebeater defense nailed him with the bludger. Potter was out cold. His teammates all raced him to the Hospital wing while the Slytherin team took victory championing the Golden Snitch back to their common room. Snape followed his fellow Slytherins down the hallways and gave a few light smirks as they all danced in revelation of their newest win over the rival Gryffindors. Only a few knew the victory plan came from Severus and that was the way he had hoped to keep it.

Everything died down in the halls that evening as most went off to sit at the local pub, drink pumpkin juice, and talk about the game. The school almost felt empty to Snape as he went to the Library to study once again. There was a looming guilt filling into him as he realized Potter was not doing as well as he thought he would by now. It wasn't his fault James was destroyed by an accurate blow but it was his idea that manifested it. He shook his head trying to rid the guilty conscience from his mind. He sighed openly and pressed his right hand to the crook of his neck gently rubbing away the tension. A small touch flecked against his pale skin and he immediately jerked away. Lily sat down beside him quietly after his skittish spasm. "Are you alright Sev?" His body shrugged away and breathed out a deep exasperation. "As best as I can be. I have a Charms exam soon and as much as I do not worry, I am concerned about this exam." She nodded slowly letting the thought dull away in the back of her mind.

They sat in silence for a few moments waiting for the other to speak. Snape was unsure of what to say while Lily just didn't want to say anything. Their closeness brought a hotness to her cheeks and flushed her senses to attune to his. She didn't want to break the moment or the feeling. He felt his fingertips tense around the quill as he jotted down notes. Like several needles being pressed into him, a twinging was stinging into Snape's arm and finally coursed through his entire right side. Severus almost lost his grip on the writing utensil before leaving it to stay dipped in the ink. His voice cracked as soon as he spoke, "Lily." She shifted in her seat with a nervous gleam to her exterior. She looked up from a nearby library book. Her jade eyes slowly made contact with his and she looked plainly at his bang-covered face,. "Yes Sev?" There was a loud commotion in the entrance as if the world had come crashing down in front of the student body. People shouted and loud cheers echoed down the hallways. Both were distracted by the sounds as Severus stood up from his comfortable chair to view the commotion. A few students raced to Lily. They were wearing the red and gold scarf. "Lily! There is going to be a ball!" Her and Severus gave unsure glances at each other and then looked back to the first-years in front of them. Lily replied with an inquisitive sheen over her eyes, "Ball? For what?" The students giggled loudly. The red-head explained, "Professor Slughorn was absent for his usual Slug Club Christmas party, right? They just announced the ball! It's going to be at the end of the month! The 30th right?" Snape watched the girl's eyes verify the truth with the similarly red-headed boy. He nodded in satisfaction. Lily smiled sweetly and shooed her away with a light wave of her hand, "Well thank you Summer and Anton. I appreciate it the news! Thank you for telling me." Lily cocked her head to the side and bit at her lower lip staring at Severus slightly. His stance suggested he was thinking deeply. The Gryffindor first-years rushed off to spread the unusual but happy news.

Snape furrowed his brow in slight disbelief but sat down with a logical plan burning in his mind. _How to ask Lily?_ She grinned at his deep analysis but then cleared her throat to suggest that there was someone else with him. His strong gaze broke at the abrupt sound and he shook the thought from his already tensed brain. Severus sat down in his previous seat with an analyzing lambency, "Interesting but why would the Professor throw a big party? He generally doesn't enjoy giving unworthy students his attention. Curious of him to say the least." Lily shrugged at his idea, "I like to think Slughorn has an open heart contrary to popular belief."

Snape wanted to bite his tongue, and not disagree, but his voice spoke anyways. "A man with an open heart has no limitations. His limitations, Lily, are good students. There is a reason you and I are in the Slug Club. We are his brand of student. Intelligent and..." His voice drowned out at the end attempting to hide his compliments from her. Severus just cleared his throat and continued to write in his books. Lily looked at him with an intense stare as if she was trying to gain clairvoyant passage into his mind. "Snape, are you upset with me at all?" His darkly lit eyes maneuvered over his right shoulder and gazed at her with an intense softness filling his pallid face, "Of course not. Why would I be?" She lifted her shoulders in an unknowing show, "No reason." Lily grinned to herself and stared at the library book in front of her. She wanted to smile and laugh at the silence but instead she just took quick glances of Snape when he wouldn't notice. Alternatively she just enjoyed the night of studying, the closeness between them, and the fact that he wasn't actually studying.

Severus was thinking of a elaborate plan to get her to go with him to the Slug Ball. He was thinking of how, when, and where. He was thinking of the surprise on her birthday. He was thinking of how much he loved her and how her 15th birthday would be a day she would never forget.


	7. The Nightmares of Severus Snape

**Chapter 7: **

His mind wandered trying to get a grasp on reality. His fingers mumbled and ran through the darkness trying to hold on to what sanity was left. The screams in the dark alerted his eyes to find the source. The voice was so familiar but skewed by the blood-curtling outcry. The room shifted. Beams of light poured out from unknown sources and the darkness morphed into a kitchen. Severus sat in the corner, his eyes weary with regret and unwanted pain. The sound of breaking bones and bruised fleshed were worn into the soggy, wooden floors. Tobias shouted indescribable words into the air that circled around Snape's mother. Her body looked brutalized. The purpled flesh, the gnarled hair, and the sadden eyes suggested she wished to be anywhere else. His father continued to shout useless words and then pointed darkly at the cowering boy. The finger was stern and accusing burning holes into the walls around him. He sat in the corner balled into a fetal position hoping to wish the man away, to wish away the pain. The scene grew dark and he cried to himself. The tears poured down his cheeks washing absent the memories of hurt and anger but never letting them go.

The droplets of emotion lightly tapped at the wooden floors beneath him. Each one spreading slowly out from a pool of vibrant colours until a forested area appeared. The sky was gray, thick with the scent of the rains to come. There were rocks scattered about the area thick with moss covering their smooth, gray exteriors. Severus glided quickly over to one and firmly rubbed his hand over the stone. The name 'Lily Evans' shocked his eyes and he fell backwards into the hardened ground below. His hands scrambled to catch his jolted body but to no avail. Snape's eyes darted around the scene. The world began to swirl into one area, the rain began to fall. His head leaned backwards to feel it's cold embrace. A line of red liquid fell down his right cheek and as his hands wiped away the sensation of wetness, he noted that his hands were covered in it. "Blood..." Voices began to speak piercing into his skull like a fever trying to boil an infection. The words fault, disdain, killer all racked his body with a shaken foundation. Lily Evans' tombstone began to dissolve into the earth before him. Blood spilled from the empty gravestone and washed over his body in a possessed frenzy. The scarlet downpour took over his senses.

The colour washed away from his face leaving the pallid skin to bask in the sunlight. He stood behind a nearby tree watching a girl with red hair fight with her sister. She was a beautiful. Her body took in the sunlight as though God had intended to have only the sun move for her. There was nothing like her on this planet. She was the symbol of all that was good, all that could be, all that he wished he had. The smiles mocked his usually dark demeanor and for a moment he was content. The world could have been burning and all the boy could see was the angel in front of him. There was nothing more that he could wish for other than to be next to her. His step towards the blessed girl led him fleeting downwards. The world crumpled around him drowning him in earth and green. The ground swallowed him whole and as he fought and dug through the tectonic edges, his hands began to tire. The flesh began to feel crisp and cooked.

Severus slipped into an underground cavern. The water doused away the flames burning him alive and as he floated into the cooling liquid, he felt a rush enter his entire body. The gentle ripples settled into the weaknesses in his human flaws and gave him the strength to move. As Severus reached the surface of the water, the liquid turned to gold sloshing waves of dolphins around in the tides. He looked around for the source of movement. A young girl stood at the end of the lake of gold splashing it's gleaming surface. He attempted to speak but found no words. The moment passed and she vanished into thin air. The lake went dark and Potter's voice entered the now empty room. He stood behind Severus with wand in hand. His face was bloodied and mocked with scars. James pointed his wand sharply into Snape's gut with aims to kill. "You meant me to be dead? You thought she was all yours. Well, you are wrong, you know. She could never love an unfeeling, cold, sad little boy with no spine. You are pathetic. You are weak. She is min-" Potter's arm was locked into place by Snape's clawing hands. The rage built into him as though a fire had gasoline doused into it's pit. It raged as Potter dropped his wand with no intentions of picking it back up. Severus took out his own wand, pointed it at the Gryffindor, and shot a spell. The bolt passed through the ghost of a figure and into his mother. She recoiled into the ground splashing into a wave of destruction as the building crumpled on top of him.

The crushing rocks dissolved into a hallway. It was dark. Behind him was a door doused in light and on the other side was one wrapped in a spinning darkness. Both called out his name with great desire. Severus began to shake with a seizure pressing into his extremities. His right hand shook with a forced speed that nearly made it invisible. He looked to both sides again unsure of which to choose and as he went to the dark, the light begged him to stay, to reconsider. It pleaded in Lily's voice. It pleaded for him, and him alone. His right hand stopped shaking mid-swing and reached out for the darkest door's handle. The easiest within reach and as it happened the light began to dim, the world came crashing down, and he let go. Snape's right hand returned to his side unmoving and as his dark robes twisted to the other direction, moving became difficult. The floor beneath him had become muck-ridden grabbing onto his shoes as if to halt his advancement. The brightest door's knob was within reach and as he took it's golden surface, the handle broke away from the secured locking mechanism. It soon grew wings and flitted away from his grasp. As he reached out for it into the heavens, it all disappeared.

Severus was laying in his bed with his right hand stretched out reaching to the ceiling trying to grab on to something that wasn't real. He wanted to catch what he had just lost. He wanted to understand what it all meant. He didn't want to choose between the good and the evil but soon he would have to and it would define him forever. As much as he didn't want it to be true, he knew he would have to choose to be with her or against her. To love her or suffer for the rest of his life.


	8. The Effect of Causality

**Chapter 8: **The Effect of Causality

James Potter was out of recovery and headed back to his dorm room. The night was young with the half-moon appearing low on the dark horizon with a strong glow. He slinked past the Fat Lady's portrait and slowly appeared into the Gryiffindor common room. Sirius sat on the couch with Remus staring into the crackling fire; they discussed classes lightly. The sound of the entrance moving alerted both of them with a light enthusiasm. They had seen James a few days ago and was told not to return until he was almost fully healed from the Quidditch accident. James's brown-hair shimmied into the red fire light and Sirius immediately stood up. "James. Mate.." Both Sirius and Lupin rushed over to him and gave tender pats to his backside. Both noted something different on James. He was now wearing glasses. They were round with dark brown frames and were a predominant feature on his plain face. Potter smiled openly to his friends, "I am fine now. Madame Pompfrey was all over me like a certain girl who should be in love with me." His friends chuckled at the insinuation and they all plopped on to the soft-cushioned lounge furniture.

Potter grimaced momentarily, "So what rumors are there about my fall?" Sirius swayed his head back and forth trying to be careful about how he phrased things, "There are not many. Of course, Slytherin's plan was to hit the Seeker anyways. We've heard a lot of things but nothing to-" James cut him off with an immediate annoyance, "I heard otherwise." His hazel eyes locked onto both of his friends with an analytical gaze that cut through their exteriors, "I heard someone helped plan my demise. I heard _he_ did this to me."

Remus furrowed his brow with some dissatisfaction with his previously injured friends tone, "I heard no such thing James. Who told you this?" Potter ignored his friend with a dark intent looming over his thoughts as if it was infecting his body slowly pulling downwards to his core. He wanted revenge on each and every person who did this but it was first time to find those Beaters and hex them. James finally reconnected with reality and looked at Lupin with a sorted appearance, "A little slithering bird."

Sirius gave a small chuckle at the suggestion, "And you trust this?" James clenched his jaw and stared at the fire with a longing of retaliation held in his hazelnut eyes, "He had no reason as to lie."

The moments after were met with an awkward silence that took over the current mood. Everyone was thinking individually about how James had found out anything. Potter broke the silence, "We need a plan. Something small and big." He stood out of the worn armchair and turned to the curling stairs. He ascended upwards trying to not look back to his friends. Sirius and Remus tailed behind him with a curious glow.

Lupin gazed at Sirius with a small look of worry, "What does he mean?" James entered his dormitory and left the door open for both to follow. Sirius stopped in his tracks and turned to Remus with a low gaze, "It means he is going to get back at Snivellus." Lupin remained confused as if the truth of the incident was still masked, "What do you mean? For the scar?" Sirius shook his head at his close friend, "No, my friend, for his Quidditch injuries."

Lupin searched through his infallible memory trying to connect two and two together. So far nothing made perfect sense. "You mean to tell me that Snivellus thought of a good Quidditch plan? There is no way it could be his fault. Strategy or not, the injuries James received were from those two Beaters and not a know-it-all Slytherin." Sirius sighed at his lycanthropy-infected friend and gently placed a hand on each shoulder, "You cannot imagine the embarrassment. He wants Snivellus to feel what he is done and you know how James is. He won't let this go until he is satisfied. We all know that."

The plan was simple. Severus was good in every single class that he ever took but there was always one class he had to be the best in, "Potions." James had slept soundly in his bed for the night hoping the reprieve would clear his mind. Sirius hoped it would rinse his unusual behavior away to make him think clearly. "Potions class is the answer. He always excels in that class. He doesn't need to excel in it anymore." Sirius and Remus sat back in their own beds listening to Potter ramble on. "What are we making now? Strengthening potion? Use the wrong ingredient and it would not work as necessary but that just isn't enough. Failing at a potion isn't as detrimental as what was done to me. So we use this." James held up a vial filled with an acid-colored liquid. Neither Sirius nor Lupin recognized the brew.

Remus questioned the mixture first, "What is it?" James chuckled out loud for a moment letting the guffaw overtake his body, "Swelling Solution Moony. I'll charm it to look like salamander's blood. As soon as he pours it into the mix, it should look like normal Strengthening potion but as you know, Snivellus always tests his potions after class. He'll balloon up like an overfilled grape. It will be my public revenge." Sirius chuckled at the delight ahead of them and Lupin followed the same tact.

The next early Potions class started as usual. Lily and Snape walked together to the class lightly discussing the early spring weather and their soon to be completed task of the Strengthening potion. Severus tenderly smiled when she mentioned the Slug Club Ball, "Well, as you know, Professor is mandating all of us, all of the Slug Club, to help plan. I am no good with creative ideas as you undoubtedly know. So perhaps we can team up and jointly come up with some thoughts?" Lily nodded lightly to the suggestion and quickly turned her head back letting the fiery tousles of hair whip around her soft jawline. She thought she heard a curious sound almost as if someone was right behind them. Snape stared at her for a moment and then he too looked behind them. Nothing. Lily simply shrugged and Snape opened the door for her to Slughorn's classroom. A few other students filed in behind them and everyone sat in their usual seats.

After a light discussion about amounts of ingredients to add, Lily and Snape pulled their cauldrons from the nearby holding cupboard. They both sat them on top of the burner and slowly stirred in the rest of the ingredients into the mix. Slughorn then placed small vials of salamander's blood on each students table side. The exact amount needed for this brew to work. Just as Severus went to grab his vial, there was a slight pull on his dark, ironed pants and he looked to the side. His dark eyes searched for who dared distract him but saw no evidence to support the inane feeling that someone else was next to him. There was another small sound to his opposite side and though he moved quickly, there was nothing there either. Lily looked curiously at Severus and wondered what was the matter, "Are you alright Sev?"

Snape gazed around the area once more for good measure and nodded to her question contently, "Yes, I am fine." His forehead furrowed slightly frustrated thinking that perhaps his recent lack of sleep was getting to him. Lily still looked at Snape as she began to pour her sample of ruby red blood into the cauldron but was then suddenly jostled from her seat and dropped her tiny bottle onto the floor. The red splash echoed from the floor like a bouncing ball and Horace immediately turned to the sound of breaking glass. "Lily, is everything alright my dear?"

She blinked a few times thinking she had gone mad but returned a gentle smile. Her olive colored right hand curled a loose strand of hair behind her right ear, "Yes Professor. I just..dropped a vial. I am so sorry." Slughorn flicked his wand to the mess and it was no longer to be seen. "Not a problem dear. Let me go get another. After all this is Academics, these kinds of things happen." As he went off to his stores in the back of the classroom, Severus pushed his vial to her in a kind gesture. "Use mine. I will wait." Lily smiled sweetly at her friend and gladly took the vial from his fingertips. She poured the bottle into the concoction and it immediately began to boil furiously. Lily stepped backwards and watched in a stunned awe as the brew launched upwards and towards the ceiling above them. Severus stood in shock watching as the dark red mixture turned bright orange and suddenly turned volatile with a glowing green aura. He moved quickly pulling out his wand and shot a protection charm in front of her. "Protego Totalum!"

What followed after was a blur. The explosion pulsed throughout the entire classroom with orange, fiery liquid spewing on to all of the walls until it suddenly pulled inwards. The implosion to follow knocked against all of the glass in the classroom and was met with an echoing sound of broken shards splashing around. Severus was sucked closer to the blast and then thrown backwards into Horace's office door. He pushed against the wooden frame with a crushing force that bent the locked door into splinters. His body was rocked with a dominating cutting fixation on his back and ribs. The resounding crack of bone echoed at the detonation's end. As Severus landed on the floor, his body instinctively spat out blood as it slowly filled his mouth. The red liquid flowed from his body like a rushing river down stream. His arms curled into his core to hopefully crunch away the excruciating shocks of pain that rippled through his senses. Severus's brain quickly began to shut down as the screams were shouted into the dead air. His eyes tired of being open and as the drawn-out trickle of the leftover, volatile mix pulled over his pitch-black eyes, the pain began to settle into his senses with stinging precision. Just as Professor Slughorn and his fellow students crowded around all trying to see his condition, Severus could have sworn he viewed James Potter slipping out of the classroom, but as delirium sat in he passed out and remained unmoving on the cold, hard floor.


	9. The Master and his Puppeteers

**I apologize to all my readers. I started college back up and its been extremely difficult to find time to write anymore. I will hopefully be able to get back on track with writing soon. For now though, please try to enjoy my sporatic posting. Thank you. -PCS**

**Chapter 9: **The Master and his Puppeteers

James Potter darted down the hallway at top speed blazing past students coming out of their classes. All stared in the direction of the echoing explosion. Professor McGonagall rushed towards the potions class and her eyes watched James perfectly turn corners. His rushed movement held a note of concern in the back of her mind. A point she would most certainly get to at a later time. Her robes flowed behind her tall, lithe body as she made her way to Slughorn's class. "Students! To your current classrooms please!" Minerva attempted to calm the qualm of buzzing in the halls and as most of the student body listened to her command. A few, however, pulled behind her in toe curious as to what had happened. Her wand was resting at the tip of her fingertips ready to fight off anything that could have caused the incident. As McGonagall rounded the corner, she noticed the door was wide open and all of Slughorn's students were surrounded around the broken office door. She inched her way around to Horace. The room was covered in a orange substance that lightly dripped on to the floor. Minerva closed the classrooms door with a flick of her wand and a few students sighed outside the rigged door frame and sombered off. All of the glass in the room was broken. Shattered pieces were scattered about the area and as she moved closer, she could see Horace pouring a substance into a young, pale students mouth. McGonagall cringed to see it was Severus Snape. Her hazel green eyes averted back to a cauldron.. The one she assumed started the incident. Lily Evans rushed over to the McGonagal. Her arms spread open and began to sob wildly. "It's awful Professor. Just awful. He was...it's all my fault."

Minerva lightly patted Lily's head with a small but kind gesture, "Now Ms. Evans, this is no one's fault."

Her voice was then directed to Slughorn with some mixture of disdain and concern, "What did happen here Horace?"

Professor Slughorn lightly stood up with his wand directed at the incapacitated Snape, "I do not know Minerva. It was all academic. Nothing experimental..." He stopped himself from thinking not sure as to whether or not he was indeed to blame for what had just happened.

A few other teachers appeared into the classroom filing in slowly and with Lily Evans crying in her arms, Professor McGonagall directed all staff to help take Severus Snape to the Hospital wing. "Hurry. His injuries look grave."

James Potter ran down the spiraling stairs and past a Slytherin prefect. The Slytherin's grey eyes locked onto the Gryffindor seeker with a stunned silence. His brows furrowed together and as Potter somehow opened the entrance to their common room. The prefect rushed after in a heightened concern. James entered the common room with a light sheen pulling over his brown eyes. They were transforming into dull orbs of unfulfilled satisfaction as he raced towards the dorms and down another set of spiraling stairs. The green glow from the Lake bounced off of the lights and filled the air with a thick sense of urgency.

Potters arms bounced back and forth across the sway of his gowns and as he turned the corner to Snape's room, his hands trembled at the cross way into the room. He shoved the door open and there were two boys draped in gowns. Their faces were covered with silver masks and they knocked out James with a simple flick of their wrists. They both scooted to the Gyffindor's side with slight dismay but chanted a few spells into his ears with a light glee hidden in their voices.

The Slytherin prefect dashed into the dorm corridors looking for James Potter. His grey eyes darted around from room to room, opening and closing each threshold, trying to see the scarlet red and golden lace trim but to no avail.

The rainbow colored smog filled the air, into Potter's lungs, and exhaled a feeling of ecstasy. He stood silently as if he had been awakened from the dead. There was nothing to feel other than an overwhelming sense of joy. Potter then disappeared into the darkness of the Slytherin hall slinking into the shadows.

Lucius tenderly tapped his fingers across the surface of a dorm's entrance. Avery and Mulciber scooted to the door with concern as they hid away their midnight cloaks and shining masks into a bag. They sealed it with a few charms and opened their room door. They both stared at the prefect with smug grins adorned on their happy faces.

"Is it done?" Lucius asked contemptuously as he stared at his right hand. His thumb was gingerly running over the clean surface looking for any type of scuff.

Mulciber simply nodded to his friend with a grin, "Done."


	10. An Embrace and a Word

**Chapter 10:** An Embrace and a Word

Severus Snape woke up in the Hospital wing of Hogwartz with a shocked look in his eyes. There was no one around that he could see. Every time he shifted it sent a striking pain into his ribs that swelled continuously until some other part started to ache. His entire chest was wrapped tightly to the white bed sides. He tried to speak but no words came through his dry mouth. The back of his throat was coarse. He didn't know how long he had been there or what had happened. Everything was a blur. Distant shouts suggested his awakened presence caused an alarm. The head nurse rushed over to examine him.

"Severus Snape. How are you feeling?" Her hands began a through examination of his body. Each of her light finger presses sent waves of nauseating pain.

"Ah...wa...te..r.", his voice was hoarse with a mixture of pain and alarm.

She had forgotten her duties to him as a patient and gently fixed a cup full of water to his lips,"Sorry dearie."

Severus took gulps of the liquid trying to quench his thirst. When he consumed most of the drink, she took the cup away and sat it on a tray next to her. His voice was weak and laced with light worry. Lily's well being was sitting in the back of his mind for an unfounded reason, "Wh-w-what happened?" His voice thick with exhaustion and every word sent a screaming pain that channeled down his sternum and settled into the pit of his stomach.

The Head Nurse explained to the worried boy, "There was an accident dearie. Your strengthening potion exploded in class but you don't need to concern yourself with that Mr. Snape. We must get you well." The notion that he had messed up his potions brew was ludicrous. He was always careful and precise but he just couldn't remember the incident at all.

Snape furrowed his brow tightly, "It's impossible. I would never add volatile ingredients to an already volatile potion. There is no feasible..." As the nurse brushed over his ribs, he cried out in pain and began to pant heavily. She bit her lip tenderly and poured a concoction into the same cup as before and forced Severus to drink it. The liquid was a frothy mixture of bitter berries, dried spearmint toothpaste, and dirt. He gagged on the brew as it's taste was enough to make a maggot curl away and die before trying it.

The Head Nurse held it at his mouth until every drop was gone. "This should take away most of the pain Mr. Snape. The regrowth formula was what tasted so awful. Not to worry though. Only a day or so until you are all better."

The nurse turned to leave and his right hand weakly grabbed onto the hem of her skirt. He attempted to lift his head from the comforting pillows. "Lil-lily Evans." The elderly lady turned towards the injured Severus and with a quick movement placed his fingertips back onto the soft bed. She had a tender smile brimming on her cheeks. Tiny dimples smiled at him as if to suggest there was nothing to worry about, "She's fine dearie. You did well. Now get some rest and let that regrowth work it's way through ya'."

Severus relaxed back down into the cot and let his mind wander in and out consciousness. No restful sleep would enter into him. The pain shot through his nerve endings and pulsed deeply within his mind. It was dull and bland in comparison to the hurting before but it still wouldn't leave him alone. Snape tried all day long to recall what exactly happened and why it did. He could only get fragments of Slughorn and Lily. The candle lights turned on suddenly and there was a pitch black darkness surrounding his bedside. He was alone. There were some light footsteps that shuffled in and out of the hallways but nothing to suggest anyone had come to see him. His dark eyes stared at the concave ceiling with a dreamy intent. He counted how may different creases were in his bed and stared at the flickering lights trying to see the instant fire turned from flame to nothingness.

Snape tenderly pulled his upper body up and away from the constricting wrappings and sat erect to see the injuries to himself. The pallid skin was mocked with purple-blue bruising and deep gashes on his sternum. As he flexed his chest muscles, each twitched with an unhappy gesture as if they were tired of movement. The hurting sensation had left his body and settled into his lower extremities. Severus went to stretch lifting his arm upwards and pulling his hands crookedly behind his head. He squeezed gently letting the tightness alleviate from his tissue and into the atmosphere. There were sounds behind him as he moved from the bed gently planting his feet and the cold floor. The only clothing that he still wore were a pair of generic sweatpants. The freezing sensation sent shivers up his spine and he blinked away the feelings with his eyes.

Snape's palms gripped the side of his bed as his lithe fingers curled around the edges. His body hung forward attempting to breathe freely. There were still pangs of needles poking into his sides and legs but nothing that could not be managed. He closed his chestnut black eyes trying to remember what happened. His mind was thick with fog as if he had inhaled some toxin, some item, that was making him forget or at least trying to douse his memory with a mist that could not be broken through.

"Severus?", the light voice beckoned a questioning word but his name made Snape jump temporarily. He shifted his head over his right shoulder quickly to see who beckoned him and immediately was relieved.

"Lily, you are alright?" His eyes melted from there concentration and took in her radiant appearance. Same as usual, the beautiful red hair flowing down just below her shoulders and the pallid, yet stunning, skin that reflected the flames orange glow. She was perfect with only one flaw. Her cheek had the smallest gash across it's surface the mocked her otherwise impervious beauty. Snape's mouth hung open slightly making sure no other part of her was hurt as his eyes examined her closely. She nodded sorely trying not to let the well of tears beckon forth. Lily sniffled them back and her usually happy demeanor became sadden with grief. Her hand extended to his back trying to touch the bruised surface as softly as she could but Snape winced away instinctively afraid to let her touch him. Her hand recoiled backwards lightly gripping her left hand inwards holding the grasp across her chest.

"I'm so sorry Severus. I-i..." Lily's voice trailed off as she let a few tears drop down. They lightly splashed against her hands and slid down into her sleeve.

Severus was confused. _Her tears are for me?_ He wasn't sure what to do as he had never been good at dealing with others grief. His body attempted to move to her but as he shifted his way upwards, his knees buckled under pressure and instead Snape hit the floor with a light thud. His forearms instinctively braced his impact and as he kneeled on the ground in his pathetic attempt at comforting Lily, she instead came to him. "Why do you cry for me?" His words were soft and filled with unsure emotion.

The tears flowed a bit more and hit the floor with a light tap, "Because—because you saved me Sev. I don't want you in pain either. You are my friend. I-" Her jade green eyes cried more as the pain of his pain traveled through her. She bent down and touched his shoulder with a confident but gentle touch, "I feel like this is my fault. It took me all day to make it here. I couldn't face what had happened. I didn't want to believe it." Her warm touch felt like a wave of the polar opposite.

The trueness of her words beckoned an aching in his heart to comfort her, hold her close, and make sure she never cried again. Snape pulled himself upwards towards the bed using the leverage of his beside and plopped onto the cushion with a tiny creak. Lily's hand fell off his back and slid to her side. She stood slowly making sure that Severus had made his way up and to the bed alright. He shifted his weight back and forth struggling with the words to say, something that would mean more than what she had said or at least validated her feelings toward him. Her genuine stare made him uncomfortable because he knew she was searching him for something. The word 'friend' made him flounder with what to tell her.

"I don't remember what happened. I don't want to make you cry. I only want..you to be safe.", his chest lifted and pulled with every word. Snape's voice was deep with a passion that sat buried beneath the surface.

"I-" He tried yet again to stand and this time he made it look easier. His weight was still a bit unfounded but he took a step towards her. Lily's eyes widened as he moved to her and finally wrapped his, what looked-like, broken arms around her. His arms were shockingly cold but something about him made her mind wander. Lily's arms were trapped against his bare chest. Snape's chest however was warm and tender unlike his other extremities. She felt assured and safe. His lips moved cautiously as if he were waiting on this moment for his entire life, "I need you..to be safe. To be alive. You are my- I..I..."

"What is this?" The head nurse rushed to the two locked in embrace. "You are not suppose to be standing Mr. Snape." Severus let go of Lily as he was practically shoved back into bed. He grumbled in dissatisfaction. Snape was annoyed to say the least and as he nestled back into his previous position staring at the ceiling, Lily came to his side sitting on a visitors chair and lightly grasped his left hand in hers. He closed his eyes and let out a long sigh. _Friend._


	11. Practice and Practicality

**Chapter 11: **Practice and Practicality

A few days went by and Severus was unsure as to continue with his daily routine as many of his teachers encouraged the courageous boy to take a few days off and relax. They all knew that Snape was ahead of the class already. He couldn't disagree to the observations as parts of his body were still sore and finally shaping back to their usual form. Even as he walked the hallways students nodded to him and smiled kindly in the Slytherin students direction. Severus wasn't quite sure how to handle all these eyes and a day away from the crowd would do him good. They had been swarming his very presence for many days. Not just Slytherin students either. All houses reveled in his appearance. Almost marveled by his sacrifice and wizardry power.

Snape sat in the dungeon of his House dormitory and just waited. The rooms were filled with students awaiting the first few hours of class to travel by until the later students were finally all gone and the world was securely empty. His sides ached with a tenderness that choked his ability to say anything with a definite and sharp tone. They stung every attempt and burned every moment he breathed. It was still a tolerable pain however. Severus stood from his chair slunked in the corner and went to a nearby cabinet. Inside held a bottle, a book, and a wand. The bottle was filled have way with an amber liquor that smelt of death to any who attempted to take a sip. The book was dust covered with a green binding that was crimped with a silver lace to the House's colour satisfaction. The wand was a 10 ½ inch with a core of unicorn hair wrapped in oak. Its appearance was somewhat rotten giving it a look as if it were disgusting and almost slimy to the touch.

Severus lightly grazed his hand over the wand and with his other opened the book to page 567. A few distinct words moved from his curled lips. Each word sent a distinct click that echoed through the empty hallways and finally the cabinet shoved open with a dust ridden thud. He slipped behind the cabinet and down into a spiraling staircase. On the fifteenth step, like all the other times, the sound of a crunch locked the secret entrance in place behind him. The way was illuminated by several candles that lit simultaneously as Snape tenderly made his way to the bottom. There was an almost widely vast room as wide as the Great Hall but not nearly as long. His dark eyes reviewed the scene to be sure that nothing was disturbed or moved out of place. He took out his wand and with a flick of his wrist, he sent out an orb of light into the middle of the room. As it bounced and hit the center, the world around him lit up in succession.

The bookcases filled with dark writing, the dummy figures for practice, and a little area in the back right corner for mixing were all in the proper order. The room was doused in a green glow that surrounded each candle and as Severus took a step inwards the lights reflected his morbid mood turning to a dark blue that flickered with a burning red inside. He was alone and it was finally quiet. The area was almost home to him. As his boots glided across the granite surface, they were hiding with each step scuffs and imprints. The indications as though there were many furious battles that had once taken place.

Severus reached a nearby bookshelf and took out the book he had been studying at a previous time. The book covered a topic not considered to be in the Dark Arts but could be bent in that manner. The topic was Legilimency. This type of magic dealt with maneuvering through a subjects mind sometimes without their own knowledge. Not many wizards had obtain this skill from what Snape could make of it, the practice was quite complicated. An excerpt from the book in the beginning explained it all:

"_This is not minding reading. This is not mind taking. This is the penetration of the mind in all facets. This is control, discipline, and foremost, the understanding of individuals and how the mind truly __works."_

The subject was fascinating. It was not an innate talent, although Snape did in fact have those. This was something to be practiced over and over again in order to control. As with every attack, there was always the defense and Snape had indeed discovered that this book mentioned ways of controlling your mind in order to avoid such attacks. It required the liquidation of emotion. A blank slate and that was something Severus was practicing every day. He was engrossed in the subject but the sound of footsteps down the corridor alerted him to a foreign presence and his sense of urgency dimmed the candles to a light flicker.

There was one figure that stood in the entrance to the room. It was tall and had but a moment of light. The face was slightly hardened but took a softer curve. The hair was light in colour and it stood at approximately 6 feet in height. Snape glided out his wand slowly and shot a spell in the shadows direction, "_Legilimens." _His hand gripped the curvature of the book still held distinctly in his left hand. The memories flashed through him in great succession as if a map was yet to be unfolded and every direction was coming into him and out of him at once. The imprint of Narcissa Black held a strong overlay in the subjects mind and immediately Severus stopped the continuous stream and concentrated heavily on the girl. There were flashes of smiles and tender touches of the hand. The wave of emotion pulled through him and left Snape gasping for breath as he let go of the spell. A final flash of a kiss wrapped around his mind and left an imprinting press upon his lips that left a tingling sensation of lust. He coughed at the disturbing feeling that was unusually comforting.

The figure took another step into the room and it illuminated into the usual dark green. Lucius stood in the middle of the room directly staring at Severus with a disturbed look held in his silver eyes.

"Snape? What are you doing?" The concern was hidden under a small hint of anxiety. He blinked away memories that seemed to rush though his eyes like a broken movie reel spinning endlessly.

Severus lowered his wand and slid it back into his robes with a slightly quivering hand, "Nothing. I thought there might have been an intruder. No one is down here during the day."

Lucius nodded once to his friend, "True, yet here you are." He eyed the book gripped tightly in his fellow Slytherin's hand with slight dismay. "I hear many are championing you as a hero."

Snape gritted his teeth momentarily and moved away from the corner feeling safer than before, "I am no hero." The words were solemn and cold making the lights shift to an exquisite purple filled with black flickers.

"They think you are one though. Even other houses. That is quite a spotlight. Thought you would be forgotten of ? That it would blow over?"

Severus moved to the bookcase and stopped in the middle of putting his reading back. "We never get what we need when we most need it."

"Duel then?" Lucius smirked widely as he knew Snape would always want to practice his abilities and flex the boundaries of his magic.

"Of course Lucius." Severus placed the Legilimens book in its rightful place and stepped to the center of the room. The stones were marked with a mocked circle that kept a tender boundary for each duelist to practice. They both lifted their wands upwards to the ceiling and as small flicks of light came out of their wands, the Protego spell encircled both of them

They parted from the center to the outermost part of the mock circle, bowed, and the duel began. Spells danced back and forth in waves of colours. Shouts of _Stupefy _and _Expelliarmus _beckoned more often then others. Black and purple glows began to flicker off of their wands. Each met in a collision of orange and green.

This went on for what seemed like hours as both Lucius and Severus began to show signs of fatigue through each curse casted. It had only been ten minutes in reality. Ready for it all to be over, Lucius moved to dodge one of Snapes many curses and shot a spell of his own directly at the Slytherin's feet. The flames began to leech slowly out of Lucius' wand until the animated bird made its appearance. The movements were controlled temporarily until Lucius let go of the spell and shot it at Severus.

Snape moved swiftly towards the _Fiendfyre_. The bird dove directly into the reckless student and, as the wings lashed into the ground, a powerful flame broke the protection spell around the marked area. A fountain of water flowed from a meager spot in the corner. As Severus moved through the temporarily open arc, he shot a golden spell at the unsuspecting Lucius who was still impressed at his successful spell. The wand dropped quickly to the floor. Severus dashed quickly and came face to face to Lucius with a blank stare fixed with no expression. _"Petrifictus Totalus."_

A moment later Lucius hit the floor with a loud thud. The wand still bare on the floor Snape picked it up and twirled it about lightly, "_Fiendfyre_ is quite the spell Lucius. Never thought you were practicing so hard. Next time."

Snape placed the wand on a nearby chair and glanced back at the still frozen Lucius with an unsure thought stabbing the back of his mind. The battle scene was filled with smoke and still burning fire. Finally grasping a nearby book, the second shelf up, third from the right, he pulled it lightly. The ledge moved sideways and as he disappeared into the tunnel, Severus muttered, _"Finite."_ The defeated Lucius sat up suddenly staring into the pitch black tunnel with a concerned look hovering over his usually plain demeanor. Lucius curiously wondered if his conclusions were right but there was one thing he was certain of and that was Severus Snape was the most powerful student he had ever seen.


	12. A Meeting with Dumbledore

**Chapter 12:** A Meeting with Dumbledore

Severus Snape made his way from the nearly closed passage hall and into the farthest corner of Slytherin dungeon. He swiftly dashed across the granite flooring and into his room hurried to appear asleep or busy. The duel that ended below could raise questions and Snape had enough attention to annoy the most famous of wizards. He turned on heels dodging every student that glanced his way tenderly slithering his way in between the open gaps until he finally entered his room.

With the door ajar Severus looked almost pale. There in his room stood the Head of Slytherin, and Potion Master, Horace Slughorn. The Professor's gooseberry eyes examined the student with a slight furrow burying its way across his forehead. Snape had a gentle ashen mark of black pressed against his pallid cheek, and what seemed to be burnt clothing, indicating some type of explosion but Slughorn had other items to chat about with his underling.

"Severus Snape, the Headmaster wishes to speak with you."

Severus's heart thudded into his stomach with the weight of a thousand bricks. "The Headmaster wishes to speak with me when Professor?" He felt a cold chill in his voice that spoke of his unsureness and fear.

"Well dear boy, he said now. Beyond that I know nothing else. However if you do so finish early, come down to the Club meeting. The others are getting ready for the Slug Ball. Goodbye Severus." Horace spoke lightly scratching the side of his head with a flick into his golden brown locks. As he moved past Snape in the door frame, Slughorn patted the young student on the arm with his left hand and finally maneuvered out of the way and into the empty hallway behind them.

Severus stood frozen in shock wondering whether or not the practices were discovered ,whether he was to be expelled, whether or not Dumbledore knew. The myriad of choices sent chills down his spine and encouraged him to step into his room. He slammed the door behind him in a slight fury that kept a hold of his mind for the next few minutes. Snape sat down on his bed letting the cushions crunch into his legs and pondered about the situation. _How could he know? What does he know? Why me?_ The thoughts burst through his conscience like a flame at first light. Each flicker letting a flow of new thinking patterns burn and then disappear.

Severus moved to the mirror glancing over himself watching for any singe marks or anything else indicating his duel with Lucius. His whole outfit looked as if it had been through an incinerator momentarily. He undressed quickly and put on his other school outfit. A green and silver tie over a white dress shirt, a gray pullover, and black pants. Snape felt slightly uncomfortable as if he was trying to make himself look normal. He shrugged off the thought and made himself believe what he was doing was going to make Dumbledore less suspicious. Slipping on a pair of black shoes, Severus darted out the door, wand in hand, and made his way to the Headmasters office.

* * *

><p>Lily and the rest of the Slug club stood aloof around the Great Hall making quick designs on spare parchments. The group outlined designs of each decoration and possible food items that could be served. As Horace made his way into the room, Lily looked behind him but still no Severus to be found. She felt a hidden sting of guilt that penetrated deeply into her heart. She almost needed his presence to concentrate. He wouldn't put anything into the ideas but he could improve her own. Sev was always good at making something better.<p>

There was a bitter look that fell over her thoughts and blanketed her away from the rest of the group. A fellow Gryffindor came to her side and lightly tapped Lily's shoulder, "Are you alright?"

Alice Kirsch was a gifted young witch with a knack for potions. The girl was short. She wore her auburn hair in a close fitting cut that met at shoulder length. Her eyes were brown and gently looked over every thing before deciding. She had talked with Lily for a while listening to her cry, becoming a shoulder, after Severus saved both of them in Advanced Potions class.

The touch woke Lily from her domineering thoughts and she smiled sweetly, "Oh, I'm fine. Thank you Alice. Just you know." Her smile disappeared and her focus retrained itself on the task at hand. Each stroke of the quill felt as though it were taking longer and longer.

Alice sat next to Lily with a soft hand grasping her shoulder, "Everything is fine Lily. It will all be okay."

* * *

><p>Severus shifted in his place as the huge double doors kept him from Dumbledore's office. He felt a surge of electricity dig into his heart and take a hold of his senses. Every sound made his body tremble with uncertainty. He only saw the Headmaster when every other student did. He never was singled out before. Snape wondered what had changed.<p>

The great oak doors opened with a slow creak and out came Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor. Severus rarely had any respect for the wizards and witches that wore the red and gold but anyone that mastered Transfiguration, only to replace Albus Dumbledore's position, was someone to respect.

"The Headmaster will see you now ." She drifted to the side inviting him to move inside.

Severus simply nodded his head to the Professor and timidly took steps inside the huge office. His arms were held respectfully behind his back and the doors were gently pushed shut behind him. The nervousness continued to thicken its way into his mind like a continuous snowfall. It made his thoughts sluggish and jumpy. The area was larger covered in lights and candles. Each corner felt illuminated and real. The shadows were nonexistent and the curtains were opened to full breath to let the sunlight douse the entire office. Snape took a few steps in the room following a predefined path. He watched the walls as each portrait held a previous Headmasters' painting. His pitch black eyes were moving as slowly as the steps he took. There were large honey-oak shelves filled to the edge with books of all kinds. Severus went to the largest one and began a tiny search. Philosophy, Theory, Defense, Potions, Runes..every class had its own section. He took his right hand to the bindings and carefully glided them across the books. Each had a unique and imprinting feel as if the text was being read through the tiniest contact. His hand grazed over one book and immediately stopped. It was cleaner and easier to understand but it was a subject that he was quite familiar with and studied often. Severus cautiously moved his hand from the binding and in bold golden text read the words 'Legilimency'. He swallowed loudly as if his deepest secret had been uncovered. A small shift in movement made Snape turn around abruptly and move deeper into the room, "Headmaster?"

There was no response to be detected but the cagey movements became louder and louder. Each step was careful and precise as Severus was unsure of what was going on around the corner. There was a flicker of flame that stopped his motion and he felt the bleeding anxiety rush through his veins like a drug had been injected into his skin. It absorbed his tender face into a suppressed jumble of emotion. He took a deep breath and continued to stride forward eventually seeing the actual cause. There was a bird perched on a swing. Its feathers were orange-red with tail feathers of a sun yellow. It twitched its head to the side in a curious slant at the entrance of Snape into its dark eyes.

Severus was unsure as to what he should make of this interesting creature. At first he had mistaken it for a common bird. _Why would a man of Dumbledore's status keep a common creature such as this?_ He finally drew the right conclusion as he took a quick examination of the area around the bird. Ashes were scattered across the marble floor and the bird's preen showed a remarkable etching across each individual feather. "A phoenix?"

"Quite right ." The words took Severus off balance and, under his shadowing hair, his curious black eyes finally caught the Headmaster.

Albus Dumbledore was a humble man that commanded the presence of every witch and wizard alike. He stood tall man at 6' 5" with a lithely thin body and tender yet skillful fingertips. A beard hung low on his chin that ended just above his sternum. His hair was a mixture of white and gray that streaked down his head and into his well-groomed beard. Snape noted that there was more pepper colour to his beard than salt. He watched Snape closely with piercing blue eyes that made a person both comfortable and unsure. He was definitely a great wizard but more importantly was that he was a genius.

Severus nodded his head lowly and curled his arms back to a respectful position behind his back, "Head master."

"No need for such formality Severus, if I may call you Severus." The blue eyes shaped in an almond hourglass pierced into the students mind with a furious stroke as if to catch a reaction. Snape noted it felt as though fragments of his mind were being collect into a pool of memories to be easily accessed. This made him feel as thought he should refocus to the most important events of recent occurrence but luckily Snape severed the connection with all his might by purging his topsy-turvy emotions and relaxed into a comfortable and informal stance.

"Severus is fine Headmaster." Snape's eyes averted sideways to the magnificent bird with a slight awe and kept the focus of his thoughts on to the knowledge of unique healing objects as well as their properties. He was almost reciting them like a flashcard in the back of his mind to keep his memories safe from perusing.

Dumbledore's nose tilted upwards with a small reflection beckoning his words, "Well Severus I hear you are quite the hero. Many teachers and students seem to be speaking rather highly of you. I decided it was time I met such a famous boy."

His voice was calm and soothing as if to put the nervous Severus at easy. His stance widened and he moved closer to the Slytherin with carefully placed steps but maintained a distance he felt was right for this particular boy. Snape seemed on edge in front of Albus and more importantly was that he was clearly defending his thoughts from being penetrated. Other people felt a feeling of clarity and togetherness in front of the Headmaster but this student could feel his attempts at Legilimency. _Impressive._

"Yes, Headmaster. That is what they are saying. I merely-" Snape tried his best not to try and remember the incident in Potions class. Each time he did there was a painful stinging that locked his body for a moment. Thinking about anything else would also leave him vulnerable in front of the famous Albus Dumbledore and that was not a mistake he was about to make. "I merely played my part sir."

"Yes, your part. That is precisely what I wish to speak to you about. Everyone else has given their own account of what happened other than you. Do you remember anything at all Severus?" Dumbledore moved from Severus' side and around the corner of his desk. He slowly sat down with a easy thud. His blues eyes seemed to be moving their way deep into the students' somewhat trained mind.

"No sir. Nothing at all. Every attempt I make to recall the events ends with a rather terrible headache and no useable memories come of it." Snape let his guard down temporarily as he searched the back of his thoughts for something important. The only thing he could remember is a boy leaving the classroom before he lost consciousness. He pressed his right palm against the top of his forehead letting the middle finger and thumb massage his temples with a firm grasp. The pressure from trying to remember caused a migraine to shoot into Severus's spine and to the base of his skull with a stabbing motion that kept trying to poke at his senses.

"I see. That can mean many things but perhaps, Severus Snape, you are not ready to see what is needed to be seen. Protecting yourself and someone else?" Albus pulled at the students heartstrings and that seemed to loosen his mind to closer examination. Dumbeldore saw images of Lily Evans and how happy Snape seemed to feel whenever she was around. She was his first love and the only one that seemed to understand his true nature. His capacity for good.

"Perhaps you are right Headmaster." Severus let his hand outstretch to the phoenix and let it rest midair until the bird brushed the long and pallid fingertips across its neck. The phoenix looked anxiously at Snape wanting to communicate with the unusual boy but had no way to do so. Instead, the bird stared at his master Albus and immediately flitted away and out of sight. Severus let his hand fall away and to his side once again. He let his mind wander back to the healing properties of rare items.

Dumbledore smiled momentarily at his pet and finally returned to the conversation at hand, "Fawkes is quite a cunning bird. Brave and loyal. Some qualities I think you might possess . Perhaps you can do me a favor dear boy. If you remember anything at all, do not hesitate to communicate it with me. Now, I have another appointment today. Right now in fact. Perhaps you can kindly let the other student in?"

Severus nodded lowly to Albus with a courteous bow and headed to the great oak doors letting his mind and heart feel excited to be rid of these surroundings and feel free. A tension lifted from him his shoulders but he still kept his mind occupied with studious vigor if only to keep his mind safe. As Snape pushed open the doors with little force a sudden pressure fell upon him again. It felt as though the world had been lifted up and then crashed down upon him. There in the doorway stood James Potter.

Severus was unsure of what to say, if anything, and as he remained frozen in the door frame, the Gryffindor made his way into Dumbledore's office. Their eyes met in a clash of emotions that felt as if they would kill each other at the right moment. As James finally passed through the doors, and into the Headmasters office, Snape could have sworn there was a smirk upon his face. One that indicated he knew everything.

* * *

><p>"Alice." Lily said with a plain tone as they began to wrap up for the day. The Slug Club had gotten some remarkable work done and within the next week, the Ball would be planned and ready.<p>

"Yes Lily?" Alice was curious as to why her friend was so unfeeling. The words pulled out of Lily were uninspired and not what she expected from her newest, rather talkative, friend.

"Has anyone asked you to the Ball yet? I know it is not official official, at least not until we put up the fliers tomorrow", Lily's smile opened widely to a tender grin, "but I was wondering you know. Curious and all."

Alice tried to sigh away her grinning face. Her dimples were pronounced showing slightly worn face muscles but Lily thought it was nice to see the reflection of happiness, "Someone did ask me and I said yes." Alice laughed lightly again letting her white teeth glisten temporarily.

"Oh?" Lily's right eyebrow quirked upwards in an inquisitive glare that was a tender jest. "And who is this?"

"Frank. Frank Longbottom." Alice chuckled again as if her body could not handle the truthful ecstasy she was feeling from saying his name out loud. Lily smiled widely with her and they both stood up from their seats in the now empty Great Hall. "Has anyone asked you Lily?"

"Uhh, no, not yet." Lily stammered out the words with a feeling of doubt in the back of her mind. Her back was facing the entrance to the dining area.

Alice simply smiled to her friend with a gentle but reassuring pat to the side of her arm, "Not to worry. I am certain someone will ask you before too long." And as she dodged around Lily, picking up the plans for the Slughorn Ball, Severus appeared in the huge threshold with a slightly concerned look pressed into his cold, dark eyes. Alice slipped passed him with a tender overhanded wave to Lily and maneuvered her way towards the Gryffindor common room.

Lily had seen that face a thousand times on Snape's face but never this intense and never this afraid, "Sev, what is going on?"

Severus swallowed loudly and rushed close to her leaving a small gap between them, "It was Potter. I know it."


	13. Perspective and Chance

**Chapter 13:** Perspective and Chance

Lily remained stunned for a few moments. She wasn't sure what he was referring to and more than that was his proximity. Severus never went closer in than a few feet and she could feel his breath. It almost made her nervous. Lily took a step back from the feverish distance and looked at his face. A bit disheveled and a bit shaken, Severus looked rather handsome in his gray uniform. Her mind wandered a bit thinking what he would look like all dolled up. She almost smiled widely at the thought of it. However, a moment later, she snapped back to reality.

"What was Potter?"

Lily's jaw clenched at saying his name. James always pestered her about going on dates, and doing this or that. She wished he would just disappear sometimes.

Snape rubbed his face gently with his left palm. He let his finger trail down his pale forehead to push his hand towards the bottom of his chin and eventually off of his face. He wasn't sure how to phrase it.

"Potter. He was the one. He put something in that mix. I know it. I swear to you I saw him that day your cauldron exploded."

Lily blinked away the fraught feeling of unsureness. She wanted to trust Snape but at the same time, what he said would get a student expelled if proven. The problem was he couldn't prove it and he already hated James.

"But where's the proof? How can you be sure? No one else was around us Sev. No one."

Severus sighed loudly letting his diaphragm expend all of the oxygen in his lungs, "I saw him today as I was leaving Dumbledore's office-"

"Dumbledore's office? What were you doing there?"

"He just asked me to see him. He wanted to talk about what happened. I told him I didn't remember anything."

Snape took a nearby seat at the bench and folded his hands carefully in front of him. They landed on the table with almost no sound and his eyes inquisitively focused on the opposite wall with a hardened stare.

"And it wasn't until I left the office, and saw Potter, that I remembered something. When everyone had surrounded me, I had a clear look at the door. I saw the flicker of light off of someone's glasses after they left the room. It was the same glimmer I saw today. James Potter tried to sabotage my potions."

Lily cautiously sat next to her Slytherin friend, "Sev, it could have been Gringie. He sits in the back and he gets scared of everything. He probably ran out of the room after the explosion."

"He wears square frames Lily. These were round. These were Potters'." His voice was cold and calculating as he gritted his teeth. The Gryffindor brawn had tried to hurt him but it wasn't just him. Lily was right next to Severus that day, a detail that would not be forgotten.

Lily went to say something but held her tongue. Obviously trying to pry Severus's mind from the knowledge he though was right was going to be impossible. She wanted to instead focus on something more positive.

"At least your back. You can come back to classes and we can have fun again."

Snape smiled to the side letting his muscles relief the tension built up and he looked at Lily under his dark shaded hair.

"Fun huh? We haven't had fun in a long time. Not since...Filch almost caught us running around the castle that one time. What was it? Third year?" He laughed. It was short and simple.

Lily chuckled momentarily herself and glanced at the doorway. The light was beginning to dim down as the sunset was pulsing orange through the light overcast sky.

"Let's go to Hogsmeade. It isn't that far away and some butterbeer sounds good, doesn't it?"

"Uhh, sure. Let me go get some warmer clothing. It will be quite chilly out there."

Severus stood up and gently moved towards the large frame of the double doors to the Great Hall. He turned on his heels making a sudden 180 degree turn.

"Did you want to meet back up here or did you want to meet at the Three Broomsticks?"

"The Three Broomsticks sounds good to me." Lily said with a smile.

* * *

><p>Severus made his way down an already beaten path that was filled with predefined boot prints and shuffled away snow paths. The air was filled with powder snowflakes. He did hate the outside more than anything else but it was his passion to find rare herbs. The one thing he loved to obtain was in the place he least desired to be. Life always seemed to work out that way for him. The only real advantage to his love for potions was the fact that he could use it as an excuse to get away from his Muggle father. Severus hated the man. He was an insufferable know-it-all man who thought he knew everything about the world. His parents always fought while he was there. They never treated him to anything other than 'a good whipping' as his father, Tobias, always said.<p>

The sun's path was becoming low in the sky as the gray clouds swirled in front of it's slow decline. The passionate red and orange smeared against the dull air like a lightly painted canopy. The warmth beaconed its way into Snape's pale face with a tender embrace. It made him feel enchanted. The Three Broomsticks entrance was slightly clouded with smoke indicating a few passersby were sitting in its warm and welcoming interior. Severus stood under the small door frame and loosely shook off the snow from his garments. He slowly patted his hair trying to brush off the wet remnants of warmed snowfall. He entered timidly into the pub taking in his surroundings carefully until his pitch-black eyes say a flicker of red hair in the corner. The sunset was already reflecting a dark red into the atmosphere that cloaked the plain gray cover of the sky. A few streams of light shot into the large bay window that Lily sat near. She turned he face to wave at Severus and he merely nodded in her direction. He could see that she had already ordered their butterbeer and he sat across from her timidly.

Snape shrugged off his heavy, worn winter coat. The sleeves had patches on elbows and the seams were loosening around the end of the sleeves in a slight fray.

"Welcome to the world outside of the cauldron Severus." Lily giggled loudly with a tender sip into her mug of butterbeer.

A pulsing light coloured orange shot into his eyes with a piercing glare. As Severus covered his dark brow with his own hand, he lightly commented, "And it's rather bright."

Lily laughed loudly to only cover her mouth as people began to stare in their direction. Severus too took a drink of his warmed drink. He always enjoyed the taste of butterbeer as it was quick to taste and light on the stomach. Even with his addiction to pumpkin juice, when butterbeer was warmed it could not be beaten.

Lily leaned over her drink with a lock onto Snape with a purpose brimming over her lips, "Sev-"

Her eyes were diverted outside watching as a few Hogwartz students began to pile into the pub. She recognized the crowd immediately but she tried not to alert Severus. The sun's rays were shooting directly in her best friends' face but they showed the brightest parts of Snape. His curved cheekbones, strong hands, and that one dimple she never ever spoke of in front of him.

"Are you going to go to Slug Horn's Ball?"

"No, more than likely not."

"Why not Sev? It'll be fun. You are in the Slug Club after all. It will be fun. Did I mention?"

Lily pressed the idea of going because no one had asked her yet other than Potter and she would rather go alone but not if her best friend was free.

"I don't dance Lily. You know that."

The sun began to dip below the horizon as the sky grew darker with waves of purple and deep blue splashing against the twinkling stars. There was still a hot red shining in the background as the rim of the sun was showing brightly against its opposite pallete.

"But Sev...I-"

There was a loud ruckus behind them that distracted Severus' dark eyes long enough to make notice as to who was there. The Potter gang was sitting down in a table on the opposite side of the inn making loud enough noise to distract any conversation from the topic. He adjust slowly to a grumbling and bitter position as to avoid the fact he knew the Gryffindor he despised was on the other side of the room. Severus clenched his jaw, tightening the muscles to a contorted feeling of frustration, and sipped the rest of his drink in a rather generous fashion. He hoped that the liquid would calm his senses to not be as annoyed. It didn't work.

"I just thought you might enjoy going with me." Lily let her voice fall to a whisper and she let the disappointment lay heavy laced into her words like a woven tapestry.

Severus felt awkward not wanting to say anything to make her feel worse but he felt the need to escape. The Gryffindor's were declining in volume but were slowly venturing to different sides of the pub and it made his heart dance with a nervousness that kept his hand on his wand and a wary eye.

"Lily, this...I-I don't know what to say. I just—you know me. I can—t."

Snape had never been good at voicing his words in a way that was conducive. It was his one weakness; trying to express his need to be near Lily but trying to tell her why it was hard for him to be in public. He grimaced lowly and closed his eyes into an intense furrow as if his brain was trying to logically think through the next moments. There was a huge guffaw in the background that shook inside of Severus with a painful reminder.

"I'll be right back Lily. Excuse me."

Lily took a deep breath as if to say something but simply nodded to him as he darted away in an annoyed fashion. She turned towards the window and saw the last crook of light beam across the snow white surface. It was finally dark. The window began to fog a bit around the corners. Her greens eyes examined the sky hoping to see a break in the clouds even just for a moment. Lily took a sip of her butterbeer and then placed it back on the table. There was a slight ruffling that caught her attention. There was a small piece of parchment scooting towards her under her mug. Lily craned her neck to the side examining the surroundings. The cloudy atmosphere was thickened with a bit of smoke and the flicker of orange from two fireplaces gave a warming appearance but no attention was given to her at all. She swiftly took the parchment from under the mug and unfolded it with haste.

Lily hid it in her hands as if she was holding a baby bird. She read the words as they began to appear:

"**Would you consider taking a chance? Go to the ball with someone you have not met yet. If your answer is yes, put an X on a sheet of paper in the owl tower. There is a black bird who will deliver it to me. -HBP**"

"Lily?"

Severus was standing near his chair with his long coat already donned around his thin body. His eyes looked confused at her appearance. He was shaking in place with a fervor that suggested he did not want to have to confront Potter right now. There was a sinking feeling that pitted its way deep into Snape's stomach that gnawed slowly at his nerves. Lily was holding an unsure furrow across her brow but she smiled it away. She followed suit and replaced her coat in its proper place. She slid the parchment subtly into her tiny pockets.

"Okay. I am ready. Let's go."

Lily and Snape left the pub without being seen and headed back to the castle as friends without saying anything to each other. As they passed the Owl Tower, going towards the castle, Lily stopped in her tracks and Severus looked at her with a curious gleen in his coal eyes.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I just remembered. I need to send something..."

"This late?"

Lily nodded to Snape with closed eyes and bite over her bottom lip. Severus nodded a few times and sighed through his nostrils with a loud noise.

"Good night Lily."

"Night Sev."

Lily made her escape towards the top of the tower in bounds and leaps. She almost slipped a few times on the thickly layered ice. She curved the corner into a very unkept owl tower and looked at the slip of paper again. The words lifted from the surface and disappeared slowly into the atmosphere with a black puff of smoke. She took out her wand and slowly engraved an X upon the paper's surface.

"Here goes nothing."

A black owl flew in front of her and crooked its head to the side with a bright set of eyes staring into Lily's hands. She blinked away the weary feelings of tiredness settling in and folded the parchment. Her hand extended the small note and the owl took it graciously in it's mouth. The feathers fluttered out and towards the castle with a fast pace. Lily thought of Severus for but a moment and then realized that she couldn't hold on to things forever. More importantly, she couldn't change her mind anymore then she could change his.


	14. Just Once

**I have had writer's block for quite some time. Sorry for not putting out a new chapter in so long. Hoping to keep on going! -PCS**

**Chapter 14: Just Once**

Lily was sitting in class thinking about the previous weekend. She had a good time sipping her butterbeer and watching the sunset but there was something about Sev that made her wary. She wasn't sure whether it was the fact that Severus was obsessed with Potter and the idea that he wanted to hurt him or the fact that he felt so distant recently. Lily was losing faith that she would stay friends with Sev. Every time he disappeared it was for those Dark Arts. The things that she detested so much but she could see the good in him. It was a conflict she tried to influence in the correct direction. Lily had yet to see success but she tried all the time even if she thought it was a losing battle.

Severus was grinding his way through his last charms class and headed out the door with some haste. There was a Slug Club meeting to discuss the winter ball and the final touches. He was trying to avoid being seen by anyone who would scoot him into the Great Hall. Snape wanted to be alone. He took the corners of each corridor with accurate precision and right before the Slytherin common room entrance he ran into Professor Slughorn.

Snape nearly ran into him but stopped himself short. He gloomily looked up to the Professor's face and attempted to avoid talking about the ball.

"Excuse me Professor", he said with a small attempt to escape Slughorn's rather long and inane discussions.

"Where you going m'boy? We have the meeting in the Great Hall. You weren't thinking of skipping it now, were you?"

"Uhhh- no Professor. I was just going to my room for a second to-"

"No time for a second. Come now. Time to get this show on the road as the Muggles say."

Slughorn flashed a long but simple smile and Severus unwilling followed his Potion's master to the one place he did not want to be.

Lily and the others were already circled around a sketched out drawing of the Great Hall. The decorations looked marvelous with a nice arctic feeling to the atmosphere. She and the other Slugs pointed out different ways to hang the decorations and how to light certain areas to point out more subtle designs. They were interrupted by the sound of clicking boots as Horace Slughorn entered the room. Their enthusiasm for their ideas halted and all turned to their Club leader. Some students glanced behind him as Severus scooted towards a nearby bench to sit alone and listen.

"Well students, all the arrangements have been made and soon our ball will commence. Before we go any further, would anyone wish to comment or say anything in particular? Do not be afraid."

Alice stood up slowly and said, "Well sir. It seems the Ball has died off as the talk of the school. Whether we announced it too early, or the want for one is rather low, no one has spoken of it at all in a week. This seems to be a problem as it is less than a few days away."

"Yes, Alice, that does seem to pose a problem. Perhaps some of the other students have any ideas to bring this ball back to life?"

The group mumbled a bit and no one said much, if anything. There were a few suggestions that the students themselves shot down before anyone else could say a word. The silence creeped into the conversation and eventually everyone was quiet.

"Make it a masque." The words broke the dead air with a strong thought.

Everyone glanced over past the group and to Severus who was sitting alone in the corner of the room. They all looked at each other with a slightly perturbed look behind each glance but then they reevaluated. They all stammered with a "Huh." or a "Hmm...". No one seemed to add much until Lily finally stared him down with a curious eye. He was being serious from her perspective which was something different for Snape to do. He wasn't one for contributing to group activities.

"A masque sounds wonderful." Lily said with a simple smile. Her green eyes concentrating sharply still locked on to Severus, the person she had not talk to for days.

Slughorn nodded in unison with the rest of the group, "A brilliant idea, dear boy. Brilliant. Well done."

Severus barely lifted his dark eyes towards the words of admiration. He just stared at his hands with a contemptuous gleam for being caught and for being there period. His heart ached every time Lily looked his direction. Heartstrings that were tugged each and every way until he couldn't stand the thought of her green eyes even looking at him. Snape wasn't sure if he should have even suggested the masque but there would be only one opportunity to get just one dance.

"How to implement it though?" Slughorn thought aloud with a quirky tinge to each word.

Alice grinned widely and she stood up immediately, "Well, sir. I have been studying charms recently. Advanced ones, sir. I was glancing over and I saw this charm to protect one's self from Dark creatures like Dementors. I believe it was the Patronus Charm?"

"Yes dear. It is a very advanced charm indeed but what of it?" The Professor asked with curious grin skimming across his face.

"Well, sir, I was wondering. Is there any way that the charm can be used to make the masques?"

Slughorn slummed over the idea for a moment before fully commenting. "I am afraid not my dear. That magic draws upon inner memory to power it. The happiest memory you can remember to make it become a fully formed, animal-like shape. That would take a lot of magic to have it attach that image to a mask. More magic than some would be willing to use for a simple ball of ours. We will just have to encourage students to make their own."

Alice nodded solemnly before sitting back down and giving a tender shrug. Lily gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before taking Alice's place, "All the decorations have been planned and simulated several times giving quite a nice atmosphere. With these new plans, we could add some small details to show the masque detail. Other than that, we are in a wrap up phase and should be ready for Friday to commence Professor."

Horace's gooseberry eyes stared at Lily for a moment, nodding at the right intervals, and he spoke, "Well, it seems all is in accordance. Now to spread the word around about it being changed to masque and we shall be on our way. A few posters at a few select points should do the trick. Until our next meeting at the Ball, all have a lovely few days. Don't come without someone adorned on your arm." He gave a tender wink before curling around his robes and heading out the Great Hall.

As soon as Slughorn had left so did Snape. He tried to wriggle his way out as the Slug Club was busy thinking of ways to tell the students and staff. He made it to the exit of the Great Hall before an "Ahem." was announced clearly and crisply behind him.

Severus turned on his heels biting his lower lip momentarily and turned to face Lily.

Her jade green eyes stared at him with a clean glare that was mixed with concern and confusion, "What was that back there?"

Her head turned as to indicate in the Hall behind them. Lily's fiery red hair curled around her jawline, wishing in the small movement, before settling back to its shoulder length position. Snape took in a small breath through his flaring nostrils and stared at the gray, cobbled ground to think of an excuse.

"I realized that if no one else could think of a solution that perhaps adding a bit of mystery to something would intrigue everyone." It was clean, simple, and logical but the way he said it indicated there was some other motive, some other thought. Severus clenched his jaw and moved his lips in a motion that showed his nervousness.

"I see—"Lily looked at him for a short while taking in his whole presence before noting the dark bags under his coal black eyes and the even lighter shade of his skin. He had clearly not been sleeping well. "It was a good suggestion. It was nice to see you again. I missed my best friend in Potions, Sev."

Severus looked away from her, he had to. The words felt like a sharp sting in his chest; a puncture that would never heal. He nervously rubbed his left shoulder with his right hand trying to massage the hurt away from his mind. It didn't work. Snape's lips moved to make words but nothing came out. His dark, midnight eyes apologized to her with all that he could but it felt as though he was failing. He closed his eyes in disappointment.

Warmth curled around him and it scared his pale, cold skin. He suddenly opened his eyes in a slight shock. Lily was hugging him; comforting him. Snape's lithe arms fell to their sides unsure of what to do in this instant. It felt like forgiveness but he never had received it without trying harder than this. He didn't know if this was real or imaginary.

Severus wrapped his arms around her in a loose fit as if hesitant to accept her close to him. As if he didn't want to be this vulnerable to her actions, but he let it happen. He let her in as he always had in the past. Lily was the only one that knew him. The only who cared and that meant everything to him. She let go and backed away leaving Snape awkwardly arms wide but that quickly dissipated. He cleared his throat and dropped his lengthy arms to his sides once more.

"I'll see you at the Ball, Lily." He said shortly.

She looked somewhat confused with a sideways smile donned on her lips. "Thought you weren't going?"

He turned to walk away and remarked lightly, "Slughorn said I needed to be there. I will be but for a short while. I have a previous engagement to work on."

"Oh, well, in that case, we should dance together!" Lily said with excitement laced within her demeanor.

"Perhaps we will." Snape remarked before waving a short goodbye. The ball was going to be soon enough.

* * *

><p>The night of the ball had finally arrived. All of Hogwarts was invited and students flooded into the Great Hall. The room was decorated to the coldness of the late January air. The hall was transformed into a winter wonderland. There were icicles hanging from the frame of the door to the huge windows at the back of the hall. The room was lit brightly with lights beckoning off of each crystal piece on the room giving a magical glow. The blue and white snowflakes fell down from the roof above and drifted back and forth with the flow of the music. A refreshment table was located in the back corner. The blue tablecloths when touched had a vibrant red hue form across its surface in the shape of what affected it.<p>

The students were dressed in the highest fashion and each wore their own homemade masks. There were ferrets, dogs, cats, and even a werewolf. It was quite a loud ruckus in the Hall but when Dumbledore stood to speak, the noise fell silent. He remarked that the festivities were open and that all should have the time of their life. At the end of the speech, the music began. The Slug Ball was underway.

Severus sat in the corner with a fresh pair of dress robes. He had them delivered this past week in light of the events. However, he did not purchase them himself; someone had gifted them to him in a kind gesture. He didn't know who or why but he was grateful. Snape was one of the few in the room without a mask. He attributed not wearing one to the fact that the effort would not be worth the cost of making it. He would have to leave early. His eyes skimmed the room looking for Lily but to no avail. Slughorn had seen him and that was all the clearance he needed to leave.

Severus approached the exit gladly when a doe entered the Hall. Her fiery, red hair was an outstandingly recognizable feature and more importantly her eyes were something that Snape could see from a mile away. As soon as they met gazes, they both stopped in recognition. Lily's friends stopped but she motioned them to move on without her.

"Hello, Sev." Her beautiful smile curled upwards under her doe mask. Snape thought it was a fitting thing to wear. She was a free, light, and kind person. The perfect match.

"Hello, Lily." Snape stood straight and smiled widely in return, "You look beautiful."

Her freckled cheeks burned with a bright red that matched her hair. Lily was unsure of how to reply. Their gazes, however, remained locked.

"About that dance…uhm. It will have to be delayed for a bit. I have a previous engagement to get to but enjoy." Snape quickly dashed out with no other words and Lily felt a little stranded.

Her fingers curled around a small note that she had received the previous evening from her date. It read:

"**I believe the day is tomorrow. I will be there and I am hoping you can recognize me. I will be wearing a silver tie and black dress robes. My animal is a match to yours in every way. Will you be able to find me? I am quite certain I will find you. – HBP"**

As soon as Lily entered the room and her eyes perused every single mask in search of her other. Her match was somewhere in the sea of endless students. It was a flood to the senses. The colours that bounced around threw her eyes a curveball when she saw bright hues. She didn't mind it thought. Lily was going to find this boy who admired her from afar. Her heart brimmed with an excitement that couldn't be tamed. It was an endless wave of stigma that washed over her again and again. She paused for a moment staring down a stag that was on the other side of the room. The boy in the mask was wearing a silver tie and black dress robes. Her heart jumped as he began to approach her with a smirk on his face.

"I see you found me, Lily." The gruff voice was very familiar to her ears and she backed away for a moment.

"Potter?" Her green eyes sneered at the very thought that this was his game. His trick. His way of getting her to date him.

"The one and only." He laughed at his own elation of the events that were about to unfold in his mind but as soon as he looked away from her, the sooner she disappeared back into the crowd.

A hand had snatched Lily backwards and held a firm grip around her own hand. Her savior led the way as the two fled through the waves of students as the song began to die down and everyone applauded the beautiful ensemble. The next song would be only a minute away.

When he finally let go and turned to her, Lily finally had a good look at HBP. He had light brown hair, and dark black eyes. He stood a foot or so above her own height with pale skin like most of the Londoners that went to Hogwarts.

HBP stood there letting her examine him. She glanced at his silver tie and fresh dress robes. She was, needless to say, impressed. Lily finally greeted him hello and noted his mask.

"A fox?" Her voice inquired curiously. _How is that my match?_

"Yes, a fox. Intelligent, quick, agile, sharp and sly." He smirked widely revealing a small dimple that only showed on one side of his face.

"How exactly is that—"

"-your match? Well, it's quite easy to think about. A doe is kind, gentle, resourceful, and beautiful. Things a fox does not have. But what he does have, he can offer to a doe. A balance for both. Is that not what a match means in that end? Balance?" His words were weaved with logic but also with a compassion that was reflected in his dark eyes that held her gaze and never let it go.

Lily could not really think letting the moments soak into her. She just looked around in a constant smile. The music was beginning again and his strong hands gently wrapped their way around her tiny waist and took her hand in his.

"Are we going to dance then?" She said getting ready for the night of her life.

"Perhaps just once." The waltz music had begun and soon their feet were off in perfect unison.


End file.
