Sundrenched World

[AnneAnne]

Disclaimer- All characters and places belong to J.K Rowling and Warner Bros.
Summary- This story takes place during Lily's sixth year at Hogwarts. It's my version of how Lily and James finally came together, and how Lily and Severus fell apart.

Lily Evans ran down platform 9 and 3/4 trying to keep up with the rest of the students. Her hair was sticking to her face, and her trunk was much heavier than she had anticipated. Frustrated, Lily groaned and came to a stop. Looking around, she saw many familiar faces and smiled. Her break had been rather uneventful, and she was glad to be going back to Hogwarts. The whole summer Petunia had ignored her as usual, and Severus suddenly became too busy to spend time with her. Lily couldn't wait to have some company, and to catch up with friends.

"Lily, goodness! Don't you ever run so fast again, you're going to hurt yourself! Do you have all of your things? All of your books?"

"Mom, calm down, I have absolutely everything," walking over to her mom, Lily gave her a long hug; she had to admit that she was going to miss her parents.

"Now Tunia, give your sister a hug, come on!"

Petunia looked as if she had swallowed a large bug; her nose wrinkled up, yet she walked over to Lily and gave her the stiffest hug that one could possibly receive. However, she pulled away faster than someone on fire, and took a few steps back. Lily, not expecting anything different, waved goodbye and boarded the Hogwarts Express.

"Lily."

She had barely walked down the train corridor, when someone whispered her name. Turning around she saw Sev, sticking his head out of a compartment. He looked as pale as ever; dark circles formed under his brown eyes. He gestured for her to come inside, and she obliged, wanting an explanation for his behavior. Not that Lily was stupid of course, she had known for quite some time now that Sev was involved with a shady group of characters who were keen on supporting a dark wizard, Voldemort.

"Listen Sev, I don't know why you're talking to me now. I told you that I didn't want to be friends with someone who was following Death Eaters," Lily sat down, anger fleeting across her face.

Sev had been her dear friend, after all, he was the first person to tell her about Hogwarts. She thought that they had shared so much, but lately their friendship had diminished. At first Lily had been sad, but with time her emotions were replaced with disappointment and acceptance.

"Lily, please, it's not like that at all. I wanted to talk to you, I was going to write, but I got so caught up," Severus began pleading.

"Doing what? Nasty pranks? Tormenting others?"

"If you're going to talk about nasty pranks, you should really consider what your fellow house members are up to. All last year, Potter and his stupid gang spent all of their-"

Before Severus could finish what he was saying, the door pulled open, and three boys entered, all laughing, and all wearing Slytherin robes. They stopped in their tracks and looked at Severus; clearly surprised to see him. Lily followed their eyes and saw disgust on their faces. Of course, being seen with Lily meant that Sev's reputation would go down the drain.

"Severus, what are you doing? Were you talking to her?"

"Me? Talk to someone like Evans? I don't think so," Severus stood up and glared at Lily. The three intruders looked satisfied and invited Severus to join them in a different compartment.

"One that's free of filth," muttered the tallest of the three, as they all piled out, leaving Lily completely alone.

[AnneAnne]

Straightening her robes, Lily stood up and made her way to the prefects compartment. She wasn't the least bit offended by what Mulciber said. People like him thought that having muggle parents made you less worthy, Lily however, knew otherwise. During her first five years at Hogwarts, she had gained a reputation for being exceptionally smart, plus she had a dab for potions, and was appraised by Professor Slughorn.

What had hurt Lily though, was the fact that Sev didn't stand up for her. Last year, he had called her a Mudblood after she helped him out of a sticky situation with Potter and his friends. After the incident, he apologized countless times, but Lily told him that they had both chosen their sides. It took almost a month for her to forgive him, yet she had, and now she felt as betrayed by him as ever.

"Lily, there you are, we're supposed to be patrolling the corridors, you missed the speech."

"Remus!"

Running up to her fellow class mate, Lily gave him a huge hug. Remus Lupin was the only person out of Potter's circle of friends that Lily tolerated and liked. He was smart and observant, unlike the loud and arrogant Potter. James Potter was in Gryffindor, and in the same year as Lily. However, Lily couldn't stand the sight of him, and often wondered why the Sorting Hat placed him in a house that was supposed to uphold bravery, honor, and chivalry. He thought much too highly of himself, walked around as if he owned the school, and worst of all made it his mission to get Lily to go out with him. Potter had three best friends; Sirius, Remus, and Peter. Sirius was very handsome, but almost just as careless as James. Peter was...well Peter. Lily couldn't tell very much about him, except that he seemed very happy to be included in a group.

"Good to see you again Lily. How was your summer?"

"Not so great. It was nice spending time with my parents, but my sister thinks that I'm a freak," Lily laughed and pointed to her wand. "It's like she thinks that I'm going to curse her any minute. But anyway, how was your summer Remus?"

"Well Sirius and I stayed with James for a while, Peter couldn't make it."

"Honestly Remus, I don't see why you spend so much time with those three. What could you all possibly have in common?"

"The fact that we all find you super attractive Evans."

Potter had walked up behind Lily without her noticing and was now leaning down to whisper in her ear. Lily jumped, turned around, and smacked him on the side of his head. She had told him so many times that she would never be interested in someone like him, but he remained just as determined, and refused to give her space.

"You toerag, get away from me!"

"I might if you agree to go on a date with me. How does a trip to Hogsmeade sound?"

Lily rolled her eyes and pushed around Potter, walking in the opposite direction. She was in no mood for his stupid jokes. His humor was plain ill, and Lily wanted some peace and quiet. She began looking into every compartment, trying to find her best friend. Where was that girl?

Lily kept walking along until she saw one compartment whose door was slightly open. She was almost about to pass it, when she heard hushed voices coming from the inside. The voices were clearly arguing and as much as Lily felt that she should walk away, she couldn't. Not because Lily was nosy, no, but because one of the voices belonged to Sev.

[AnneAnne]

"I don't know, I just don't know," yelled Sev.

"Come on Severus, you have to do it sometime, what are you waiting for? You're about to turn sixteen, forget making school your top priority. Listen, we can help. Avery's father is very well connected if you know what I mean. All I'm saying is that we need to take further steps to assure that we have the highest honor when the time comes. We can do something useful for a change, mere support and admiration won't get us anywhere..."

Lily pulled away from the door, shock flowing through her body. What was Mulciber talking about? Whatever it was, sounded dangerous and Lily didn't know why Sev had gotten himself into this whole deal. Was he planning to actually do something to help Voldemort? He was still in school, only a sixth year, there was no way that Sev would hurt anyone.

"Lil! Where have you been?"

A perky little brunette, with curly hair, green eyes, and a large smile on her face, ran up to Lily and gave her a huge hug. Amelie had been Lily's best friend ever since their first year. Even though the two girls had many different traits from one another, they had somehow balanced each other out and stuck together. Amelie adored Divination and was intent on becoming a Healer. While Lily studied however, Amelie found more pleasure in chatting up boys.

"I was talking to Remus, and then I overheard Sev talking to Mulciber and Avery. Mulciber was trying to persuade Sev to do something, I don't know what, I couldn't tell, but it sounded really suspicious. He hardly talked to me all summer, but I just don't want for him to get involved with that crowd," ranted Lily.

"Lil, you have always cared too much for that boy. He is obviously up to no good! You are so kind and trusting, but you have got to leave him alone. The way that he treated you last year? Unacceptable! But if they really are up to something then I think that we should tell someone, maybe Dumbledore? Professor Mcgonagall?"

"No! No way Amelie! Sev was my friend, and as much as you don't like him, I don't want to get him into trouble over something that I know nothing about. We should at least wait, find out more."

"You mean spy on Severus?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I'm implying. I want to know what he is up to."

"Well, if you're really up for that, I know a few mighty fine boys who have a knack for things like that," giggled Amelie.

"Ugh, you need to develop better taste," retorted Lily, knowing that Amelie meant Potter, Sirius, and Remus.

Amelie had become infatuated with Sirius last year, when they had to be partners in Herbology. Ever since then, she had begged Lily constantly to go out with James, and to set her up with Sirius. "You can tell James that you will go on a date with him if he brings Sirius along, then you can bring me, and voila!" Lily, who found the idea revolting, always shook her head, and told Amelie that she was sure that Sirius would be perfectly happy to go out with her if she had asked him herself.

[AnneAnne]

Shortly after night fall, the Hogwarts Express arrived at Hogwarts. Lily had just finished putting on her robes when Amelie pulled her outside. Amelie had never been the patient type, and she was definitely found of the first day back feast. Lily however, was not as eager, seeing as she knew that the possibility of having to sit close to Potter was high. She couldn't even count all of the times that Potter had ruined her dinners before, either with stupid remarks, or just by being himself.

"We'll never find a carriage at this rate," complained Amelie, as the two girls made their way towards the road that led up to Hogwarts.

"Don't be so negative, look, there is one right there," replied Lily, pushing Amelie into the first carriage that she saw.

Amelie tried to fight back, but it was too late. Lily got in behind her, closed the door, and sat down right beside Severus. An awkward silence passed, as Lily exchanged looks with Amelie. Amelie's eyes slowed on the door, but Lily shook her head. It would be too rude to leave now. Glancing over at Sev, Lily saw that he looked just as mortified.

"Lil, I know that you probably don't want to hear this, but I need to apologize. I am so sorry. Please understand."

"I do understand. I understand that I was right about what I said last year. You're on a path that is leading no where good Sev. Stop now, why are you doing this? What does Voldemort have to offer you?"

"Don't say his name," shrieked Amelie, getting into the conversation.

"Lil, you don't get it, you weren't brought up in the same family that I was. You're a Gryffindor for goodness sakes! Everything is so much easier for you, your parents don't care about the path that you choose. But it's not even about that, it's about the fact that you're too blinded by the whole chivalry thing to even look at what could be better for you."

"Lily is ten times the person that you are," chirped Amelie.

"Amelie, please," begged Lily. "And Sev, I am not the one who is blinded. Yes, the world is not black and white, but Mulciber and Avery are not just dabbling into something that's in between. I overheard the conversation ya'll had on the train, not all of it, just a small part, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, but tell me Sev, what was that all about?"

"Don't ask questions that you don't want answers to. I don't know what you heard, but I suggest that you put it out of your mind. You don't want to get into Mulcibers's business," warned Severus.

"I don't care about Mulciber. Anyway, what he said sounded a lot like it was going to become your business Sev."

"Maybe, maybe not. Look, why can't we just be friends without you interrogating me? Am I doing anything to hurt you? I still think that you are wonderful Lil."

"Oh please, don't make me laugh. Was it not you who said that talking to someone like me would be a disgrace?"

"I didn't say those exact words, and I didn't mean it! You know that I didn't!"

"Just leave me alone Sev, you have done too much damage," snapped Lily, sitting back in her seat, and turning to look out of the window.

For the rest of the ride up to Hogwarts, everyone was silent. Lily was glad that Amelie didn't try to make small talk because Lily's mind was far off in wonder land. She thought about her and Sev, how they had always supported each other. He had told her all about his drunken father, and she had told him about being the black sheep in her family. At the beginning of last year, Lily could have never predicted that things would end up like this. Sev had really liked her, he had taken her on walks around the castle, he had been a gentleman. Lily even considered that their friendship could grow into something more. How stupid of her.

[AnneAnne]

Minutes seemed like hours to Lily, who despised having to be in such a confined space with Sev. However, the carriage finally came to a stop, and he jumped out without saying as much as a goodbye. Amelie huffed, and followed his lead; carefully, trying not to mention the conversation that took place earlier to Lily.

"It's okay, you can say what you're thinking," suggested Lily, who knew that her friend wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut for much longer.

"I think that Severus is in trouble, but as I've said before, I don't think that he deserves your kindness. Lil, I know that you had feelings for him, but he's not worth it."

"I did not have feelings for him. We were just friends."

"Are you kidding me? He obviously adored you! He couldn't ever keep his eyes off of you, and he has always been super jealous of James. Envy like that doesn't just spur out of no where."

"Well, whatever he felt for me, he doesn't anymore," retorted Lily, making her way into the Great Hall.

Deep inside, Lily knew that Amelie had a point. Lily wasn't ever the girl who knew much about boys, but she wasn't dumb either. Sitting down at the Gryffindor table, Lily looked to the other side of the room, where Sev was huddled up with Mulciber. Deciding to ignore the current situation, she then looked over to the head of the room, and saw that Professor Dumbledore had stood up to make his usual speech.

"Good evening boys and girls, and welcome back to Hogwarts. I hope that you all had pleasant vacations, but now it is time, once again, to pursue your education..."

"Evans, you look a bit spooked out. Everything okay?"

"Potter? How did you get here? Be quiet, can't you see that Dumbledore is talking?"

"What are you going on about? You sat down by me Evans, finally coming to your senses I see huh?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I didn't see you there, or I would have picked a better seat."

"Well your friend Amelie doesn't seem to mind," grinned James. And sure enough, Lily saw that Amelie was now admiring Sirius who was sheepishly smiling.

"That's because she is not right next to you."

"She can wish. But really, are you okay?"

"What is it to you? You're foul."

"Whatever Evans, I was just trying to be nice," snapped James, as he moved further down the row.

Lily realized that she had probably been too harsh, and that her anger was being taken out on the wrong person, yet it felt good. She had never been malicious, in fact she was known to be quite a sweet girl, but tonight was just a bad night. She had never gotten into a real fight with anyone before, which made fighting with Sev that much more difficult. There had been arguments with Petunia, but they could hardly count. Tuning back to Dumbledore's speech, Lily heard the last few words of advice.

"As you all know, a dark wizard, Voldemort, is on the rise. Therefore, I would deem it prudent to stay as safe as possible. Like always the Forbidden Forest is off limits to anyone wishing not to get detention, and being out of bed after hours will be punished. But now, let us all get some rest."



Feedback would be highly appreciated

[AnneAnne]

Lying down in her warm bed Lily pulled the blankets up to get neck, and fluffed her pillows. Finally settling in a comfortable position she reminisced over her long day. Everything was different now. People started growing into who they really were, and Lily wasn't sure whether she liked it. She missed the way that things were, when they were all just eleven. Being eleven had meant innocence, ignorance. Ignorance was bliss...

Just as Lily began drifting off into sleep, she was awakened by a loud noise. She bolted up and looked around. All of the other girls in the room were dead asleep; their slow breathing echoing through the room. But there it was again, the noise. If Tristan was trying to sneak out of bed again, Lily would not permit it. Last year, Tristan was only a first year, yet he gave Lily more trouble than any other boy in Gryffindor. She was always catching him out and about. Deciding to investigate, Lily slipped out of her bed and tip toed to the dormitory door. Pressing her ear against the crack, she listened.

"Be quiet, you're going to wake someone up with all that racket, where is the cloak? Come on, put it over us. Damn it, you stepped on my foot!"

"Yeah you're right, someone will wake up if you don't stop talking, now let's go."

Lily heard Fat Lady's portrait open and close before everything became silent once again. Not wasting any time, she put on slippers and ran down the stairs. Potter and Sirius were out of bed after hours. This was something that Lily had never had the pleasure of catching them doing, even though she knew that they did. Climbing out of the portrait hole, Lily followed the barely existent footsteps. She couldn't see Potter or Sirius, yet she knew that they were there ahead of her, for she could hear them.

"Do you think that he's okay?"

"I don't know Sirius, you know how he gets. He is always so hard on himself, always blames himself," whispered James.

"Well that's why it's important for us to be there to cheer him up."

"How long do you think it will take until we can master...well you know," questioned James.

"I have no idea, it's really complicated magic, very tricky and if it goes wrong, well, never mind that now."

"I bet we can do it in a week tops."

"I wouldn't be so sure," replied Sirius.

"So did you see the way that Evans talked to me today?"

"When was that? When she accidentally sat by you?"

"There are no accidents my dear friend, only fate," recited James, holding his hand to his heart and laughing.

"Right well, where did you put the map? Let's check it again."

"No need, everything is completely clear, Filch is sleeping in his office."

Lily's heartbeat quickened as she processed the conversation. Who were they going to see, and why were they so worried? Perhaps Lupin had been hurt, but that didn't make much since. Lupin was a Gryffindor, he slept in the same room as them, they wouldn't of had to go out to check on him. All that Lily had to do now was to stay unnoticed. As long as Potter and Sirius didn't discover her, she would find out what they were up to.

[AnneAnne]

As it turned out, staying unnoticed was rather difficult; Lily had no idea of which way Potter and Sirius were looking so she had to keep on hiding behind walls and statues. Once they were outside, they started running. Lily ran too, but stayed a fair distance behind; not to be heard. They ran all the way down the hill, towards the Whomping Willow. Here, Lily stopped and stayed further back. It would be downright crazy to get close to that tree. Having read 'Hogwarts: A History' a few times, Lily knew that the Whomping Willow was known for causing a few accidents and bruises.

A moment later, Potter threw off what looked liked some sort of a cloak, and the two boys were revealed at last. Lily, remained hidden behind a bush, crouched low to the ground. She watched as the two boys approached the tree without a second thought, bent down, and slid through an opening. Standing up, Lily was about to head back to the castle, when her curiosity got the best of her.

Certainly if Potter had managed to not get hit by the tree, Lily could do the same. Making her way closer, Lily took out her wand and held it out; ready for anything. She was within a few inches of the branches, when she felt the wind being knocked out of her. Clearly, the Whomping Willow saw her face as a much more attractive target than Potter's. Falling face flat in the grass, Lily moaned and scrambled up.

"How am I less worthy of entering than Potter huh?"

Pointing her wand at the tree Lily stood there for a few more minutes, until finally deciding that trying to get near it again would be pointless. Gathering up any strength that she had left, Lily made her way back up the hill. The walk back to the Gryffindor common room, was much more unpleasant than earlier. Lily was alone and the shadows seemed to lurk out at her, as if they were going to strike at any second. It felt like ages until she found her way back into her warm bed, however, when she did, she was asleep before she had the chance to reflect on what had happened.

The next morning, Lily woke up later than usual, and hurried down to the Great Hall for breakfast. Amelie had already gone down, and Lily felt frustrated, seeing as she had wanted to share with her best friend what she saw last night. Instead, grabbing some toast and strawberry jelly, Lily settled for reading the morning post of the Daily Prophet.

"That's a very unique scratch that you have there Evans."

Looking up, Lily saw that Potter was standing above her, examining her head with a confused expression. It was as if she could see the wheels turning in his thick head as he thought of what could have given her such an injury. Thinking of an excuse, Lily stuffed more toast into her mouth and shrugged.

"Have you been...well what I'm trying to say is that...where were you last night?"

"I was in my bed just like you were I suspect," declared Lily, knowing that she wasn't ready to admit to anything yet.

"Right, exactly. It's just that the cut that you have on your forehead tells a different story."

Lily studied his face and saw that he didn't look mad, in fact, he looked amused. Did he know? Well even if he did, there was no way that she was going to come clean. Especially not when she was so close to discovering a secret of his.

"Oh that little thing? I fell in the bathroom this morning while getting ready. How clumsy of me."

"Mhmm, bathroom."

"Look Potter, I'm trying to enjoy my breakfast, if you want to ask someone else pointless questions, go right ahead, but leave me alone."

"Feisty, just how I like them."

"You make me sick."

"You know, I hear that when women get defensive, it only means one thing."

"I'm not afraid to curse you Potter."

"Fine, I was leaving anyways," he started walking away, but had only taken four steps when he turned around and added "By the way, the Whomping Willow has very particular taste."

[AnneAnne]

Lily felt herself getting warm, and knew that she was blushing. Potter probably thought that she was some stalker now, what a nice way to increase his ego. Glancing back down at the Daily Prophet, Lily saw that there had been more attacks. Rumors suggested that it was work of Voldemort and his supporters; he was on the rise.

"Morning Lil," Amelie sat down by Lily and looked over her shoulder, reading the headline.

"Hey Amelie, I have some news."

As Lily retold the story of her adventure, Amelie's face lit up with wonder. However, she listened without saying a word, and when Lily was done, she slowly nodded her head.

"I wish you could of woken me up."

"Well I would of, but I thought that it was just Tristan again. Then, when I realized that it was actually Sirius and Potter, I had to follow them right away or I would of lost them," replied Lily.

"But so James knows that you saw them?"

"I guess so, but like I said, he didn't look mad. It doesn't fit, if they were up to something bad he would of cared more," debated Lily.

"You're right. What I really want to know though, is who they were talking about."

"I have no idea, I thought that it was Lupin for sure, but it can't be."

"How odd. Come on though, let's head to class, we don't want to be late for potions," said Amelie, standing up and throwing her bag over her shoulder.

The girls got to class just on time and took spots at the table near the back of the room. Professor Slughorn beamed at Lily and called the class to order. Looking around Lily saw that not very many people had decided to continue taking potions, yet she was not surprised for it was a very tricky subject. What did surprise Lily though, was the fact that Sev was sitting with a girl.

Ever since their first year at Hogwarts, Lily and Sev had shared a love for potions, in fact he always joined her and Amelie at their table. Last year, after their fight, he sat alone at a table next to hers. But now he was sitting with a girl, and not just any girl. Natalia Berlova was in Slytherin, very pretty, and very clever. She was known for her ambition, and was also a member of the Slug Club. Looking closely, Lily saw that Natalia was now leaning towards Sev, excitedly whispering something into his ear. Something swelled up inside Lily as she slammed down her books and tried to pay attention to the lesson. Finding concentrating unbearable however, Lily turned to Amelie and nudged her in the ribs.

"Ow, what was that for," mumbled Amelie, looking taken aback.

"Look at Sev and Natalia over there, they look a bit cozy don't you think?"

"Yes actually, they do. How did Severus manage to get her to sit with him? All of the boys think that she is gorgeous," said Amelie looking struck with awe. Seeing the look on Lily's face however, she quickly changed the direction of the conversation.

"But I mean she's really not that attractive at all, Severus probably didn't even want for her to sit with him. I'm sure she just wants to copy his work," comforted Amelie.

"She doesn't have to copy his work, she is smart on her own."

"Lily, are you jealous?"

"Jealous? Of course not! I just want to know why he is so interested in her all of a sudden. I mean look at them, she's all over him."

And indeed, Natalia was now holding on to Sev's shoulder, writing down notes. Lily noticed that he looked rather smug, but not too happy. Then he turned around, and looked straight at her. Lily froze and quickly looked away, but not before she saw how hurt Sev looked.

[AnneAnne]

After potions Lily had a free period during which she decided to take a walk down to the lake. She was by herself since Amelie had to go to Divination, a class that Lily had decided to drop. The water sparkled from the sun's rays and the sky was a brilliant blue; not a single cloud in sight. Sitting down by the water's edge, Lily put her head in her hands and dosed off. When she opened her eyes for the next time, she came within inches of Potter's face.

"Mind if I join you? I saw what happened in potions and then I saw you walking down here so I thought that I would, you know, check up on you."

"What exactly did you see in potions," inquired Lily.

"Snape and Berlova."

"Severus is at liberty to be friends with whomever he wants," stated Lily, trying to cover up her real thoughts.

"I have always liked you Lily," began James.

"Yes I'm aware of that."

"No, listen Lily. I have always liked you, not just because you're beautiful, but because you're not like the other girls. You are kind, witty, and strong. If Snape can't see that, then why are you wasting time on him? He didn't appreciate what he had, look at how easy it was for him to throw what you two shared away. I admire your courage, the way that you stand up for your friends, the way that you carry yourself. Look, basically what I'm trying to say is that the Lily that I know wouldn't stand to be treated this way. Don't let Snape do this to you," and standing up, James walked away.

[AnneAnne]

Lily was left speechless and stunned. She never knew that Potter had so much insight, that he actually paid attention to who she was, not how she looked. But what astonished her the most was that he was precisely right. If a boy did to Amelie what Sev was doing to Lily, she would of put her foot down, and protected Amelie, knowing that her friend deserved better. Lily never made excuses for people like Potter and his friends, yet she made them for Sev.

There was always something that made Lily pity him; his parents, people making fun of him, the way that he was misunderstood. But deep down Lily knew that all of that was nonsense. Sev's circumstances weren't the best, but he went along with everything instead of fighting.

The rest of the day Lily sat through her classes, trying to think of what to do. Did she really have the strength to end her friendship with Sev, and if she did, was that even the right thing to do? By dinner time, Lily was starving. She sprinted down to the Great Hall and saved a spot for Amelie, who was almost always late. The girl joined her a few moments later and gave her a reassuring smile. Lost in her own thoughts, Lily didn't realize that everyone around her was silent. Glimpsing at the front of the Hall, she saw that Dumbledore was standing at his owl podium, holding up his hand, as if to gain attention.

"I stand here this evening with a heavy heart, less hopeful than I would like," began Dumbledore in a solemn tone. "Two hours ago, a muggle neighborhood was attacked by a group of Death Eaters. It is with deep regret that I inform you that Abby Brentwood's parents were murdered during the incident. Abby has been pulled out of Hogwarts by her grandmother, but I am sure that you will all send her your condolences. The world that we live in..."

Lily stopped listening as a big tear rolled down her cheek. Abby had been in Gryffindor and although her and Lily never became close friends, she was a very sweet girl, and they had shared the same dormitory. Lily couldn't imagine how someone got pleasure out of destroying families. It was unthinkable. Today it was Abby's parents, what about tomorrow? Lily's own parents were muggles who would be helpless if Death Eaters came knocking.

Feeling an arm wrap around her, Lily leaned against it, pressing her face into someone's chest. Then, regaining herself, she sat up and pulled away. James was reaching to her, holding out a handkerchief. Taking it, Lily nodded in thanks and looked down at her lap. All that could be heard was the clicking of spoons and forks. Except for the occasional whispers, no one was talking.

When it was time to head back to the Common Room, Lily rounded up the younger students and led them to the stairs. Now there was a lot of commotion seeing as everyone had processed what had happened, and was free to discuss it. As Lily passed people in other Houses, she heard that all of them were saying similar things.

"Can you believe it?"

"It's terrible isn't it?"

"Do you think that my parents will want for me to go home too?"

"This is a start of a war I'm telling you."

Lily pushed through, trying to avoid overhearing other's conversations. Bumping into someone, Lily stumbled and fell. Getting up, she came face to face with Sev. He looked as if he had seen a ghost for the first time. His face was whiter than she had ever seen it before, and his hands were shaking.

"Sev are you okay?"

She said it before she had a chance to stop herself. Breaking off their friendship had to wait. If he needed to be comforted Lily would be there for him like the old times. Lily waited patiently and looked into his eyes, wanting to decipher his thoughts.

"Why do you care? You have Potter now," snapped Severus before he disappeared into the crowd.

[AnneAnne]

Once she was safe in the Common Room, Lily sat down in an arm chair and began writing her charms essay. Four scrolls of parchment due by next friday, not to mention all of the other homework that she had gotten even though it was only the first week back. However, after having written six lines, Lily realized that it would be impossible for her to finish now. All that she could think about was the look on Sev's face. Sev didn't personally know Abby, and although Lily couldn't say with complete certainty that her death wouldn't bother him, it was unlikely that that had been the cause of his anxiety.

"Hey Lil, how are you holding up?" asked Amelie, quietly walking up to Lily.

"I'm fine, it's just so sudden, so unexpected. Even Dumbledore looked worried, things must be getting serious. I just wish that we could do something to help, do something to fight back. I mean Voldemort has his Death Eaters, I don't see why Dumbledore hasn't created some sort of an organization himself."

"You don't know that he hasn't. Dumbledore works in mysterious ways, for all that we know he already has a plan up his sleeve," suggested Amelie.

"I hope so. I'm just a bit put out. My parents are muggles, I'm afraid for their safety. Also, I know that you don't want to hear about him, but I bumped into Sev when walking up here. He looked like a nightmare. I was just thinking, what if he had something to do with this?"

"Lily, you can't possibly mean that. He is sixteen, whatever he is up to wouldn't be that extreme."

"I know that, but I just have this feeling, an instinct almost," pressed Lily.

"Fine, personally I don't agree, but Professor Trelawney told me that it is always important to follow even the smallest of hunches."

"What are you saying?"

"I am saying that you need help finding out what Severus is up to," smiled Amelie.

"I hope that you're not about to tell me that Potter would be the perfect person to offer that help."

"Why not? Think about it Lily. You can put your differences for him aside for a brief period of time, can't you?"

As it turned out, Lily could. After having Amelie pursuade her for another fifteen minutes, she agreed to ask James and Sirius for help. There was no other way around it. Lily wasn't mischievous enough on her own to manage prying in Sev's business, and she was sure that both boys would be more than happy to accept her offer.



Please give me some feedback! Criticism would be super appreciated!

[AnneAnne]

Thanks to anyone who has been reading and giving feedback. You guys make me happy


The next evening, Lily decided that it was time to act. She and Amelie both agreed that Lily had to be the one to ask for help since Sev was her friend and no one else really cared for him. Lily was surprisingly nervous; she could feel small butterflies in her stomach as she approached James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter. The four boys were sitting huddled in the corner of the Common Room, looking distraught. For a second Lily thought about turning back and abandoning her plan, which seemed rather stupid and downright mad now. However, after remembering the importance of finding out more about Sev and his buddies, she pursued on.

“Hey guys. I was wondering if I could have a word?” asked Lily, shifting her gaze from one boy to the next.

“Well sure Lily,” replied James, quickly standing up and offering her his seat.

“Oh thank you, but I’m okay standing up,” breathed Lily. “I’m just going to get straight to the point. I need help, and with all of your records, well, I just thought that it seemed proper to ask the four of you.”

“We would be honored,” piped up James before any of the other boys had a chance to say anything. “What do you need done Lily? Do you want to sneak out of the castle at night? Do you want to know about secret passage ways? Are you trying to get into Hogsmeade? Or perhaps you want to pay another visit to the Whomping Willow?”

“No, no, it’s not like that at all. I’m not trying to do anything for me,” stammered Lily.

“Does Amelie need something? Is she okay?” asked Sirius, his eyes growing bigger.

“No, Amelie is okay. It’s Sev actually.”

“Snape? Lily, are you serious? You want for us to help Snape?” laughed James.

“Not help him personally, I just want to know what he is up to, he has been acting very mysteriously lately. He has been spending all of this time with Mulciber and Avery, and the way that they talk, it’s like they’re plotting something to help Voldemort. I know that they want to join him, but Sev is not like that,” pleaded Lily.

“But I don’t understand, how do we play into this Lil?” asked Remus.

“I need to spy on him, but I don’t know how.”

“This is out of the question,” barked Sirius.

“Sirius come on, don’t you want to know what Snape is up to? Once we find out, we can tell Dumbledore and then Snape’s perfect student reputation will go out the window,” whispered James, his face glowing.

“Get off it James, Lily wouldn’t let that happen,” fought back Sirius. “You know how I feel about Snape. Listen Lily, I came from a family who is obsessed with the whole pure blood mania, but I didn’t follow in their footsteps. I was the first person to be in Gryffindor, my own mother disowned me, but I continued finding my own path. Snape…”

“It’s not like that! Sev’s family is different!”

“It doesn’t matter, we’re straying off subject. Lily, I will help you,” promised James. “And guys, I would really appreciate having some company. If Snape is really trying to help Voldemort, then we need to put a stop to it.”

“Fine, I’m in. But don’t think that I’m going to do anything to get him out of his mess,” warned Sirius.

“Well, it doesn’t matter what I say, because I will end up doing something anyway,” smiled Remus.

“I’m always happy to help a friend,” screeched Peter.

“Thank you all so much! Now, can we meet in the library tomorrow to discuss a plan? I want to get to the bottom of this before it’s too late,” suggested Lily.

“Tomorrow works for me,” said James.

When the rest of the boys agreed on the meeting, Lily walked upstairs to the dormitory to share the news with Amelie. For the first time, she felt in control. Lily knew that it would be wrong to break school rules, but she saw no way out. She wasn’t going to sit around and watch Sev throw away his life.

[AnneAnne]

"Well, we all know why we're here tonight so let's get down to business. I have some ideas that I would like to share," spoke up James.

Lily, Amelie, James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter had gathered around a small table in the library. A dim light was flickering near by; it was rather late. Most of the students had already taken books back to their Common Rooms, which was perfect for the six students that remained. However, not wanting to be overheard, they still kept their voices to a mere whisper.

"I think that it would be best for us to monitor Snape's activities, then, when we see that he's up to something, for example let's say that we see that he's talking alone with Mulciber and Avery, we sneak off to listen to their conversation," proposed James, who looked as though he had been working on this plan all day.

"That sounds lovely and all, but how are we supposed to monitor him?" asked Amelie, who looked like she was about to smirk.

"Simple of course, leave that part up to us," spoke Sirius, sitting up a little bit straighter.

"But I want to be in on this. How am I supposed to know what Sev really said? Am I supposed to just take your word for it?" said Lily reluctantly.

“Why would we lie about Snape?” asked James, looking offended.

“Clearly because you can’t stand the sight of him,” injected Amelie.

“Rivalry might be one thing, but James would never sabotage someone,” muttered Sirius, sticking up for his friend.

“Thank you Sirius. Lily, I know that you might not trust my judgements, but I wouldn't make up some story about Snape, not about something so important."

"I just want to hear with my own ears," objected Lily.

"Fine. We will come to you when we think that Snape is up to something. You can join us," offered Sirius.

"What exactly will I be joining? I haven't completely mastered a Dissolutionment charm. I can't become invisible. How am I going to sneak out and stay hidden?" asked Lily shaking her head.

"You can't say that you're not good at hiding," said James winking at Lily. "But don't worry, we will use a cloak that I have. An invisiblity cloak."

[AnneAnne]

During the next few weeks Lily waited impatiently for any signs of Sev being up to something. However, she was sadly disappointed when nothing happened. Lily was so sure that he was working on something with Mulciber and Avery, yet she still had no proof, nothing to go on. The Daily Prophet didn't report new attacks, and as far as Lily knew no one else had been killed. All of the students seemed to move through the school in a haze, as if time had stopped; just waiting for bad news. Lily noticed that letters from parents came much more frequently, less students wandered around after hours, and professors talked in tightly knit groups and kept their voices to a minimum. Wanting to do something, but having no idea of how to help, Lily persisted with her studies and kept an open eye.

It was two weeks after the meeting in the library when Lily and Amelie finally received any sort of news. Both girls were working on their potions essays when Sirius walked over to to their spot by the fire and sat down. Lily immediately dropped her quill and straightened up.

"Any news?" asked Amelie.

"Well, there is something that we saw, but I'm not sure if it's relevant and actually it seems stupid to me," replied Sirius, his face slightly turning red.

"What is it? Anything can be important," whispered Lily.

"Well James, Remus, Peter and I were sitting down by the lake and we saw Snape going down to sit closer to the edge, so we followed him. We didn't have time to go get you," apologized Sirius. "Once we followed him, we just hid behind some bushes, that's when Natalia joined him."

"Go on," pushed Amelie.

"Well it was hard to tell what they were talking about, they were clearly finishing an earlier conversation. However, basically Natalia was saying how proud she was of Severus, how she was so glad that he had come to his senses and how much it meant to her."

"What happened then? Is that all?" asked Lily.

"Not exactly. She asked him if she could help him with whatever they were talking about. He looked really happy about that, and he nodded," continued Sirius.

"Do you think that they were talking about the same thing that him and Mulciber and Avery were talking about?" asked Lily.

"Hard to tell isn't it? They could of been, and it would fit if they were, but who knows," wondered Sirius.

"And you didn't hear anything else? Did Natalia just leave?" asked Amelie.

"Well, she kissed Snape actually, it was a rather revolting sight if you ask me. I wouldn't be caught dead near that greasy hair," replied Sirius.

"She kissed him? On the lips?" asked Lily, looking down.

"Yes, I'm guessing that they will start dat-"

"Don't you want to go help James work on his homework Sirius?" inturrupted Amelie, looking alarmed.

"Oh yes, well we'll tell you if anything else happens, bye."

Sirius walked away as Lily slowly turned towards Amelie. Neither of the girls had to say a word, they both knew that no matter what Lily had said before about not having feelings for Sev was a lie. Lily sunk back in her chair and put her chin on top of her knees.

"I knew it was only a matter of time until this happened," declared Lily after five silent minutes.

"Don't let it get to you Lil, Snape isn't worth it, he just isn't, and Natalia is probably just using him to get to whatever she wants," responded Amelie.

"That's not the point, the point is that he didn't stop her."

Wanting to be alone, Lily excused herself, said that she needed some sleep, and went upstairs to her warm bed. However, sleep was slow to come. Lily tossed and turned, imagining Sev with his new love interest. This time last year they had been close friends, what were they now? Then there was Potter, who was being so polite, so proper whenever he was around her now. What was that all about?


Feedback please!

[AnneAnne]

Feedback please? I have no idea if anyone is reading this

Three days after Lily discovered about Sev's romance with Natalia, Lily got another quite nasty surprise. The day started out as usual; Lily and Amelie went down to the Great Hall for breakfast and finished up some homework. The Daily Prophet reported no new attacks, although measures were supposedly being taken to put further protection upon muggles. Lily chatted quietly with Amelie, discussing the fact that for the past two days Sev was never seen without the company of Natalia, who seemed very taken with him.

"It's just a phase, she is only fascinated with him because he is the new big deal in that whole circle of theirs," speculated Amelie.

"Which brings up the question of why he is so popular with that crowd all of a sudden. Last year he practically had to beg to be included with them," replied Lily.

"That's not exactly true, Snape doesn't seem like he would be the type to beg for anyone's attention, well except for yours."

"Now that's definitely not true," laughed Lily. "But okay so let's say that he didn't beg, that means that he did do something, or is doing something."

"At least we know that much."

Lily spent the rest of the afternoon listening to teachers talk about how important NEWTs were going to be, how much everyone needed to study, and how much effort they needed to put in. Professor Mcgonagall implied that hardly anyone would be able to handle her NEWT level class, and was treated to groans that echoed around her classroom.

Dinner too, was uneventful until the near end. Lily and Amelie were talking to Becca, a fellow Gryffindor in their year, when James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter walked over towards them. Becca flashed Remus a brilliant smile, and waved. Remus waved back and turned a deep shade of red.

"Lily, we wanted to talk to you," said James.

"I'm going to go say hello to Jessica, I'll see you guys later," said Becca as she got up and walked away.

"Amelie, you're free to join us," added Sirius.

"Shall we take a walk outside?" suggested Remus.

After Lily and Amelie agreed, they followed the boys out into the cool evening. Everyone walked in silence until they reached a stopping point away from any other students who could possibly overhear their conversation.

"We have huge news," burst out James.

"Finally," said Lily, her voice growing more excited by the second. "What are they?"

"We followed Snape and Natalia on their little stroll by the lake today, we hid under my cloak so that we could get close enough to hear what they were talking about. They are meeting tonight at midnight," said James.

"They are meeting at midnight? But couldn't that just be them wanting to get some alone time together?" asked Amelie, looking disappointed by this new information.

"That's not all," said Sirius smiling.

"They are not going to be alone. They are meeting with Mulciber and Avery," said Remus shaking his head in disapproval.

[AnneAnne]

Lily felt quite nervous as she patiently rested in her safe bed. She imagined small butterflies in her stomach as she counted down the minutes until midnight. She had thought before that she wanted to know everything about Sev's new life, but now she was not so sure. What good would knowing do? Turning over on her side, Lily looked over at the nearest bed to her right. Amelie too, was awake.

"Amelie," Lily whispered, clenching her blanket and moving to sit on her friend's bed.

"Lil, you're awake, I knew it," replied Amelie, sitting up eagerly.

Noticing that Amelie had her cloak on, Lily felt unprepared. She stood up once again and paced around the dormitory, looking for something to wear.

"Do you think that we'll get caught?" asked Lily, throwing a dark blue sweater over her head.

"No way, they know what they are doing," laughed Amelie after seeing the expression on Lily's face, that clearly showed just how much Lily hated breaking rules.

"All that I'm saying, is that Filch never sleeps, I swear," protested Lily.

"Shh, don't worry so much. You wanted this Lil, focus," snapped Amelie. "Look, it's 11:50, let's go, come on."

Amelie jumped out of bed, wand in hand, and gently pushed Lily, who stood rooted to the floor, towards the door. Pulling out of her trance, Lily quickly ran down the stairs, tripped, and fell forward.

"Careful there," whispered James, catching her by the waist, and pulling her back up to her feet.

Flushing, Lily gave a short nod, and turned around. James stared at Sirius who gave a tiny wink and a shrug of the shoulders.

"Where is Remus?" asked Amelie, suddenly appearing and flashing a brilliant smile toward Sirius, who awkwardly shifted his feet, looked down, and took a wild interest in the carpet pattern.

"He doesn't feel very well," answered James, holding back a laugh.

"Is he okay?" asked Lily.

"He is fine, just a regular cold."

"Really, so this couldn't have anything to do with-"

Before Lily could finish, Sirius pulled her arm and announced that unless they were to leave now, they would be late. Already, Lily could tell that she was irritated, and gave a heavy sigh.

"What's wrong Evans?" asked James, pulling out his cloak.

"Nothing, let's go," replied Lily as she grabbed the cloak away from James and threw it over her and Amelie.

"Let's learn to share shall we?" remarked Sirius, as the four students huddled beneath the light purple cloak.

They walked in somber silence. Lily realizing with each moment that soon she would be greatly disappointed. She didn't even ask where they were going, she assumed that it must be somewhere outside, probably by the lake.

"Stop!" barked James, pointing over to a group of dark figures. "There they are, let's stand over here, we need to think of the best way to get up close."

"Don't be ridiculous, we're not getting closer," murmured Lily.

"What do you want to do then?"

"Unlike you Potter, I knew what to expect. Pair of Amplifying Ears anyone?" smirked Lily, drawing a pair out of her pocket.

"Shut up Mulciber, Severus is at liberty to do what he deems best," screamed Natalia.

"Of course you would say that, you are his girlfriend aren't you Natalia? Why don't you let Severus make his own choice instead of making him your puppet?" roared Mulciber.

"I am not with Severus for those reasons!" shrieked Natalia.

"Shut up, all of you." retorted Avery. "Listen Severus, we do the Dark Lord a favor, and he will reward us."

"What do you expect of me?" asked Severus.

"Brew a potion, simple," replied Avery.

"What kind of a potion? I can't do advanced-"

"Let's not be modest Snape, I am very well aware of your potions abilities. You need to make a poisonous potion, one that is deadly," said Mulciber.

[AnneAnne]

Wanting some fresh air, Lily quickly threw the cloak off of them, counting on the darkness to keep them hidden. Two things happened at once. Lily saw a confused look on Sev's thin face that quickly turned into one of realization. His lips parted to move, slowly, but before he had a chance to utter a single sound Natalia stretched out her hand and pointed in Lily's direction. Mulciber drew his wand, slashing through the night air.

"Lumos," he mouthed, taking short steps towards them.

"Who is there? You better come out and show your face," demanded Avery.

Petrified, Lily stood still, gasping for air, before someone tugged at her sweater. A large cloak seemed to fall over her head, until she found herself pressed against James, who clasped his large hand over her mouth and gave her a stern look.Turning she saw that Amelie and Sirius remained as they were, except that Sirius now had a strange look of determination on his face. Grabbing Amelie's hand, he walked towards the lit wand and stepped into the light.

"What are you screaming about Mulciber? Amelie and I are taking a walk, is that fine with you or should we have asked permission?" wondered Sirius, a small grin breaking across his face.

"Watch it Sirius," interrupted Avery, shifting his black eyes from Sirius to Amelie, as if trying to access the situation.

"Now boys, play nice," purred Natalia, stepping in front of Mulciber and Avery and glaring up at Amelie. "What did you hear?" she asked, keeping her voice low and calm.

"Hear? I dare say that we were a bit busy to notice anything else," replied Amelie, keeping her voice just as cool.

Natalia's face seemed to instantly relax, as did Mulciber's and Avery's. Only Sev remained as he was, nervous; anxiety washing over his shadowed face. Lily wanted to step out, to say that she had heard everything and that she would not be a part of this, but her limbs were locked, her hands were sweaty, and Potter was gripping her tightly, probably making the most of the situation at hand.

"We'll go now, clearly this spot has been taken," said Sirius, gently pulling Amelie along.

The pair walked, and after seeing Mulciber, Avery, Natalia, and Sev walk back the opposite way, James softly pushed Lily to follow Sirius and Amelie. Nobody said a word. It was Amelie who spoke first, her voice carrying across to Lily.

"We have to tell Dumbledore."

"No. We can't," stated Lily, running now to catch up.

"Stop it Lily, you heard them. Just don't pretend like he is still the same. They are dangerous," replied Amelie, glancing behind her back.

"No listen, you don't understand. I can talk to him tomorrow, I can help him, I can find something out," begged Lily.

She did not receive a reply. All three faces looked at her with pity, clearly thinking that she was taking on a lost cause. She saw James and Sirius exchange a rather worried look, but neither of them deemed it important to talk about. Potter, who always had something to say, was now speechless. Lily's stomach clenched in knots, twisting and turning, building up. A deadly potion. Blush flooded her cheeks as a wave of shame flooded into her heart. Sev was going to make a deadly potion, a potion that could possibly cause harm to a human being, and here she was, still trying to protect him. Looking up, Lily saw the many tiny lights that were still on in Hogwarts. Windows and windows and windows. Dumbledore was only minutes away.

"I will tell Dumbledore," she said finally, forcing herself to look at the ground. "I will tell Dumbledore after I talk to Sev."

Feedback Please

[AnneAnne]

Lily got up early the next morning; throwing on her robes, and briskly walking out the common room. She wasn't stupid enough to try to talk to Sev around other people, so the only solution left was to corner him before breakfast. Patiently, Lily sat down her book bag and leaned against a cool brick wall; waiting. Time was slow, and Lily could not stop herself from occasionally yawning. She had known Sev long enough to know that he would soon be up, he had never been a morning person; his parents too loud to allow him to sleep in. Of course, she was quite right. Not long after she began getting nervous, a large portrait swung open to reveal Severus.

"Sev," Lily breathed, running up to him before he had a chance to go back inside or to hide from her. "Can we talk? Please."

"I knew you were there last night, with Potter and his gang," whispered Snape, turning around to look over his shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about. Listen, Sev I'm worried, I know I said that I didn't want you in my life but I just think that you're making a huge mistake and-"

"You know nothing. Nothing," barked Sev, his voice rising sharply.

"I am going to tell Dumbledore," stammered Lily.

"Go ahead. You think that Dumbledore will know what's going on any better Lily? You think that Dumbledore will be able to protect you? Please Lily, you're poking your nose into business that does not concert you. Stop it before it's too late, before you get hurt."

"What are you trying to say?" gasped Lily.

"I am trying to say that Mulciber and Avery are not as dumb as they seem. Don't play with fire Lily, and tell Potter that if he ever sets foot near me again I will personally-"

"Severus? What's going on?"

From the corner of her eye, Lily saw Natalia standing in the middle of the portrait hole; her icy gaze focused on no one other than Lily. Frustrated, and unable to deal with seeing the Slytherin queen, Lily bolted and sprinted in the opposite direction, not daring to look back. She felt a lump rise in her throat, tried to force it down, but it was no use. Hot, angry tears fell to the ground as she walked through the halls, not bothering to figure out where she was headed.

[AnneAnne]

Thank you for everyone who has been reading here is some more!

After spending some time in the girl's bathroom, Lily finally decided that crying over Sev wasn't worth it and headed down to the Great Hall. She felt empty and disappointed but she also had enough pride to keep her going. Her stomach grumbled as her mouth watered at the thought of some warm toast. The four house tables were rather empty seeing as it was still early; only a few people had taken seats on the benches, most of them looking sleepy and yawning. Finishing up some of her homework, Lily didn't notice that the tables were filling up until Amelie sat down beside her and mumbled a drowsy good morning.

"I tried to talk to Sev this morning," mouthed Lily, wanting to make sure that their conversation was not overheard.

"And?"

"He told me to stop playing with fire, but we couldn't finish talking because Natalia came out and there was no use in me staying," replied Lily.

Shaking her head, Amelie directed Lily's attention to the podium, where Dumbledore had now taken stand.

"Good morning students, I hope that you are all experiencing a pleasant start of the school year. Professor Filch has asked me to remind you that going out after hours is strictly prohibited, and that he has posted a new list of forbidden items in his office. On a different note however, your fellow professors and I have decided that it would be most prudent for sixth and seventh years to begin taking a defense course in the Great Hall every Monday after dinner. It is my duty to inform you that a man known only as Lord Voldemort is on the rise. Him, along with a group of his devoted followers, called the Death Eaters, are now threatening the whole foundation of our world. I believe that you all have a right to know this information, no matter what the Ministry of Magic might believe. But for now, enjoy your breakfast," said Dumbledore, waiving his hand until the smell of jam filled Lily's nose.

"How awesome is this guys?" barked James, sitting down right across from Lily and Amelie, grabbing toast.

"I don't see anything great about a monster being on the rise," shrugged Amelie.

"I think what James means is that we are going to get proper training from Dumbledore himself," inserted Sirius.

"Exactly mate," replied James grinning.

"Well personally, I believe that it will be a great opportunity," stated Remus.

Zoning out, Lily looked across the room, where Sev was huddled with Natalia; his nose in a large leather bound book. A tiny jolt of envy struck her, as she tried to erase the thought from her mind. It was not as if she had any romantic feelings toward Severus, he had always been just a friend. Possibly, it was the idea of seeing him with a girl so evil that infuriated Lily.

"Lily? Hello, Lily, what do you think?"

Focusing, Lily realized that Amelie was staring at her, waiting for an answer.

"Sorry, what do I think about what?" Lily replied, stuffing a strawberry into her mouth to avoid the awkwardness of the situation.

"About going to Hogsmeade this weekend, with Sirius, Remus, James, and Peter," blurted Amelie.

"Don't worry Lily, I will be on my best behavior; a true man's promise," added James.

"Sure."

Lily finished up breakfast once again wrapped in her own world. She knew that the others were talking, but was glad when they did not force her to join the conversation. She left before it was time for class, saying that she had to use the bathroom. It was unlike Lily to dwell on something that she could not change, yet she had been very attached to Sev. Walking, Lily started slowly climbing the stairs that led to Charms.

"Petrificus Totalus!"

Lily barely had time to open her mouth, before her stiff body fell to the ground with a loud thud.

[AnneAnne]

"Listen up Evans."

Slowly, Lily opened her eyes only to see complete darkness. She tried to move her body but quickly realized that she was tied to something. She made at attempt to scream but no sound came out. Terrified she tried to remember what she had been doing before this. She knew that she had been on her way to Charms, but she could not remember seeing anyone in her way.

"Stop trying, it is no use."

"Who is there? Natalia, is that you?"

There was no mistaking it. Although Lily could not personally see Natalia, she knew that she was standing only a few feet away, her cunning voice slicing through the cool air.

"Look Lily, why don't we have a little talk girl to girl? I know that you used to be close to Severus, but he has bigger ambitions now. Do you understand?" questioned Natalia.

"I'm afraid that I don't," replied Lily, still struggling. "You have tied me up, you stunned me, all to tell me to stay away from Severus?"

"Let's get real Evans. You are the only thing standing in our way. I'm not going to pretend that you have no idea what I am talking about. It is true that Severus did at one point care about your opinion, but that no longer matters. Maybe I'm not making myself clear," whispered Natalia.

A moment of silence followed, and then Lily felt cold metal against her throat. Not daring to breathe she stayed absolutely still, tears flowing from her eyes. This was absurd. Did Natalia really care so much about Severus, or was this once more about something bigger than any relationship.

"I'll say it again," continued Natalia. "Severus has a mission. You might not see it, but you are holding him back. The mere thought of you is holding him back. Now personally, I don't understand it, but I won't get into that. I don't care what you know, I don't care what you have heard, you will drop it Evans. You will not tell anyone about this, and you certainly will not tell anyone about Severus. Also, you will take care to make sure that your little friends keep their mouths shut. Feel free to go against me Evans, but expect to pay for it. Your friend Amelie is sweet isn't she? It would be such a pity if she was to get hurt."

"What do you want from me?" asked Lily.

"Stay away from Severus. Stop trying to get him to change his mind, and stop your friends from getting their noses into our business. A revolution is coming Evans, a war that is bigger than anything that you have read about in those books of yours. I don't doubt that we will be on different sides Lily, but now is not the time. Now go, and remember what I have said."

Lily did not need to be told twice. As soon as she felt the ropes fall off, she scrambled to her feet and ran, feeling her way around the room. She did not stop running until she reached her room, and fell on her bed.

"Lily! You missed Charms, where the hell were you?"

Looking up, Lily saw that Amelie was sitting on her bed.

"I got sick, I was in the bathroom," replied Lily, sitting up and running her hand through her messy hair.

"No offense, but you do look terrible. Are you worried about Severus? I really do think that you need to talk to Dumbledore," suggested Amelie.

"Actually, I just bumped into Sev on my way here," blurted Lily. She knew that she only had one chance, and she needed to be convincing. "Sev said that the whole potion thing was just a laugh really. I mean, he isn't going to make it, and they were never going to use it on anyone."

"Lil come on, are you serious? Of course that's what he told you," said Amelie, standing up and putting her hands on her hips.

"I could tell that he wasn't lying Amelie. Look, I just think that telling Dumbledore would accomplish nothing."

"How can you say that? A person might be in danger, this is not like you."

"Just trust me okay? Severus knows that we heard them that night. They all know, they are not going to go through with it. I'm not saying that they aren't plotting something, but until we have proof we can't tell Dumbledore anything," begged Lily.

She knew that she sounded stupid. Even to her, her points were weak, but she did not care. She did not want for anyone to get hurt, but she knew that Natalia meant what she had said, and Lily could not stand the thought of anything happening to Amelie.

"Whatever Lil. Honestly, I never much cared about what Snape was up to, but I don't know what you're going to tell the guys."

****

As it turned out, Lily found herself retelling the same story to James later on that evening.

"We talked and I really think everything will be okay. They're just having a bit of a laugh really, I mean they believe that Voldemort actually requires their help. What I'm trying to say is that they wish that they could be important, you know how Avery is. There is no real mission James," snapped Lily.

She was not only tired by this point, but also afraid that someone would still want to tell Dumbledore.

"Calm down, as much as I would love to bust Snape, I don't have the best track record myself, I doubt that Dumbledore would believe me," laughed James.

Letting out a deep breath Lily smiled.

"So then you'll let the others know?" she asked, looking over at a table where Sirius was playing chess with Remus.

"Only if you agree to go on a date with me."

"I'm sorry what?"

"Look Lily, I really like you, and this is a great opportunity. Sirius really hates Snape, I can assure you that it will take a lot of convincing for him to not go to Dumbledore. You wouldn't want that would you Lily? All I'm asking for is one little date," offered James.