cool girl
8th October 1975
Chewing the inside of her cheek, Lily watched as Severus picked a fight with Black and Potter for the second time today.
She looked at Remus, who shook his head, looking as annoyed with Black and Potter as Lily was with Severus – he didn’t get involved though, he turned to Peter to continue whatever conversation they had been having before Severus’ interruption.
Remus never got involved. In fact, Lily wasn’t sure what he thought about the fights the three would get into, but that didn’t matter.
Lily hated letting it happen, but she also didn’t want to tell Severus to stop. Asking him to stop would only cause more arguing later, and Lily was tired.
She did like Severus. He had an amazing wit and was a wonderful conversationalist when he wanted to be, but she had noticed a recent tendency to belittle everyone who he saw as inferior to himself.
There was a part of her that knew, if she wasn’t friends with Severus, she would be receiving the same treatment that Potter and Black were at this very moment. Yet, she wanted to believe he was redeemable, that there was a part of him that would shine through if she showed him that he was allowed to be who he really wanted to be.
So, she stood there, watching as the words escalated and cut deeper.
Severus began to laugh. It was cold and made Lily’s hair stand on end. “You’d know all about the dark arts, wouldn’t you Black?” he sneered. Lily had no idea what he was getting at, but she noticed that Black was suddenly standing straight, and Remus was now paying attention to the argument. “Afterall, I heard the unforgivables are rather common at home; that your mother was particularly fond of the Crutiatus, especially on you.”
“Severus!” Lily exclaimed, lifting her hand over her mouth.
Lily’s stomach twisted.
She felt sick.
Black had gone a deadly shade of white and grey, whilst Remus looked angry in a way Lily had never thought possible. Potter looked conflicted between hexing Severus and dragging all four of the Marauders away before someone did something they wouldn’t be able to take back.
Lily wanted to do something; she wanted to yell at Severus, she wanted to explain to him why he could not say that, no matter how much he had been provoked.
“Severus,” she began, her temper rising through her like boiling water.
Severus cut her off. “Not now Lily,” he hissed, not even looking at her.
As Lily’s nostrils flared, she heard Potter call out her name. “Evans,” he said, and Lily noticed he had a tight grip on Black’s arm, who was yet to make any movement.
She was about to tell him to ‘fuck off’, but as they made eye contact, she got the message loud and clear.
Grabbing Severus’ arm, and using strength she didn’t know she had, Lily dragged Severus down the corridor.
“Merlin’s sake, Lily,” he protested, writhing his arm under her hand.
Lily felt the anger seep into her bones again.
She ignored him.
“Lily, let go of me,” Severus continued to protest, trying to pull his arm from her grasp. “Let go of me, you Filthy Mudblood,” he screamed.
Stopping in her tracks, Lily felt her blood run cold.
Her vision went red as she clenched her fists, using all the restraint she had not to punch him.
She was staring at the floor when she heard a scuff and a squeak from behind her.
“Levicorpus!” she heard one of the Marauder’s exclaim. She expected it to be Potter, or even Black.
She was not expecting Remus.
“Put him down, Remus,” Lily said, her jaw set. When Severus was still thrashing about upside down she turned to the boy. “Now,” she hissed. Reluctantly, Remus lowered his wand, muttering under his breath as he glowered as Severus.
“Lily, I didn’t-“ Severus began.
“Don’t ever talk to me again,” Lily said, looking at no one as she walked away.
-----
“He said what?” Marlene seethed, pacing around their dorm. “The slimy git,” she hissed. “I’ll rip him limb from limb until he can taste his own blood-”
“Marls,” Dorcas interrupted, drawing her attention from her revenge plotting to Lily, who was currently holding a pillow so tightly, it looked as if it were about to burst.
Mary had embraced Lily from the moment she spoke of what Snape had done - she always did have a strong maternal instinct - and she was glaring at Marlene as if to tell her to shut up.
Marlene sighed. “Sorry Lily, I know he meant a lot to you.” There was an unspoken, ‘Even if I don’t know why.’
Lily sniffed, wiping her eyes with her robes. She hated that she was crying, but she couldn’t help it. “I’ve wasted so much on him,” she mumbled, squeezing the pillow tighter. Dorcas placed a hand on her knee.
“No, Lily,” she said, her eyes suggesting she would not accept LIly arguing against her. “He is the one in the wrong here. You offered him friendship, and kindness, and he spat that back in your face,” she insisted.
The other two nodded. “She’s right Lily,” Mary told her, her voice soft and sweet. It was the tone she used with the homesick first-years and Lily felt herself calming at her voice. “But just so you know, if you do wish to take Marlene up on her offer to dismember him, I’ll help you hide the body,” she said, with such conviction, that Lily couldn’t help but giggle.
“Thank you,” Lily said. They had been telling her for years that Snape was not someone she should associate with, that he was heading down a dark path, but she had ignored them, choosing to see a small glimmer of light within him. Yet none of them were yet to say, ‘I told you so.’
“We’re always here for you Lily,” Marlene said with a smile.
Lily choked on a cry, smiling as if she’d just been told she had an unlimited supply of chocolate biscuits. “Oh, come here,” she said, gesturing for a group hug.