Lily Evans and the Marauder's Secrets

The Alleyway Again

Severus slides a note in front of me during Potions the next morning. I stare at it for a moment before looking at Sev in confusion. He doesn't look back, presumably because he's trying to hide the fact he's sending a note to me at all, scribbling it quickly behind his cauldron while the other Slytherins are up getting extra ingredients.

Lily, we need to talk.

Following his lead, I wait until Rosier is wrapped up in brewing to slide a note back as surreptitiously as I can.

Everything okay, Sev? You've been kind of quiet since yesterday. I missed being able to spend time with you at the Ministry thing.

Yes. I'm fine. But it's urgent. After dinner, meet me in the courtyard. Bring Potter.

I stare at Sev's spiky handwriting, sure I'm reading it wrong. Bring James? I don't think Sev has ever in his life requested James's presence anywhere. But when I glance at him and mouth "James?" to be sure, he nods then drops his eyes again.

I pass back one more note.

Okay. We will be there.

***

I can't concentrate on any of my classes the rest of the day. Thank goodness Professor McGonagall lectures the whole class period, because I definitely don't have enough spare brain cells to put towards complicated spellwork today.

James is on edge, too, partially in anticipation, but also with . . . not anxiety, exactly, but something similar to it. I'd caught up with him on the way to Transfiguration and while he'd made a deeply skeptical noise in his throat when I'd shown him the note, he'd agreed to come and see what Sev wanted. I wish we could have talked out what we expected, but after he agreed to come he disappeared into Transfiguration to sit with Sirius and Peter (Remus was out ill again), and I hadn't seen him at all during lunch. It seems that, despite his support against the Minister yesterday, he still doesn't want much to do with me, and the uncomfortable tension stalks us all the way outside after dinner.

When James and I reach the darkening courtyard, it's deserted except for Severus pacing back and forth across a patchy stretch of grass that's started to show through the snow, his cloak billowing around him. When he sees us coming, he meets us halfway across.

"You're finally here," he says. "And Potter actually came."

"What's this about, Snape?" James says, folding his arms and scowling at him.

"It's..." Severus trails off, and tries again. "The..." But again he can't finish. To my surprise, Sev's eyes snap to me. "Lily, I need to talk to Potter alone for a minute."

"What?" James and I say together.

"I can't..." Sev fights for the word. He closes his eyes in frustration then abruptly turns to James. "The Slytherins are in the Shrieking Shack."

James freezes.

I frown.

Sev continues, pronouncing each word distinctly, his eyes locked with James's now. "And they're planning on using it indefinitely."

James doesn't move. I look back and forth between them, thoroughly confused. "Why–" I start, but James interrupts me.

"Lily. Give us a minute?"

I gape at him. "Seriously?"

Neither Severus or James say anything, just look at me, their expressions mirror reflections of absolute seriousness.