Four To The End (prev Shifting Lines) - Book One (Marauder Era)

Chapter Thirty-Four - Guess I'll Go Eat Worms

Lily was distant with Remus on Friday and he had no idea what to do... how to help her. He didn't know how to comfort someone, though he had somehow managed that night they made their pinky promise. That had been entirely accidental. He didn't know the right words but at lunch he gave it a try by telling her he was sorry about what happened. Lily had a rather wane smile as she thanked him, so he wasn't sure it was enough.

He wanted to ask her about her unusual friendship but didn't dare, didn't want to upset her anymore, didn't want her thinking he was like Twycross. He didn't disapprove of it... he was just curious. Very, very curious.

He stared across the hall at Snape, at his sallow skin, his greasy hair, his big nose, wondering... how on earth did a Slytherin like that befriend a Muggleborn Gryffindor? It made no sense! Of course, this placed some pressure on Remus. James disliked Snape. Lily liked Snape. So this meant if James tried to pull pranks on Snape, what did Remus do? He recalled dumping the pumpkin juice on the Slytherin weeks ago, and felt a little guilty. He just hoped he wasn't put into a position where he had to make that sort of decision.

"Do you w-want to do something after Defense?" Remus offered.

"No, thank you," she said softly.

Remus nodded and went back to eating, wishing he was normal so he could know what to say.

*

That evening he headed to study group by himself, not sure if Lily would show up. Hoping Twycross wouldn't show up but the blonde was already there when he arrived at the library. So were Bones, Pierce, and Craft. Buckling showed up a moment later, then Silverlocke about five minutes before six, then Lily came in at exactly six, clutching her bag to her chest, face quite pale except for two bright spots in her cheeks. She sat down in her usual seat between Remus and Twycross.

"No Snape?" Pierce asked while Twycross coughed, visibly annoyed by the Hufflepuff's question.

Lily let out a small sigh. "No, he doesn't feel like this is his sort of thing." Her voice was high and clipped. She began piling her books in front of her, rearranging them into their usual order of studying.

"He's welcome to join us whenever he wants," Buckling said and Lily finally smiled.

There was some tension throughout the evening between Lily and Twycross (as well as between Twycross and Silverlocke) however overall it went pretty well. After they finished for the evening Remus and Lily walked back together. Twycross went ahead, not wanting to walk with Lily (though she had given Remus a hopeful look that he ignored; if she expected him to be on her side she was sorely mistaken). Every minute they walked in silence he felt worse, felt like he was completely failing as a friend.

On the sixth floor he stopped walking, waiting until she stopped as well. "I d--didn't really get a chance to s-say but I don't mind if he--he joins us."

Lily stepped closer to him. "That means a lot to me, thank you."

Remus scuffed the toe of his shoe against the floor. "I th-think Slytherins and Gryffindors can be friends."

Now her smile spread, her eyes crinkling a bit. "Really?"

"Yeah, I mean... why not?" Aside from the fact they were vicious rivals. It was like the Montagues and Capulets (only hopefully without the idiotic ending).

"I think you'd like Severus," she said as they began walking again. "He really likes to read a lot, too. That book you were reading a couple weeks ago... errmmm... about the unicorn...?"

"Death of a Unicorn?"

"Yes, that one; he's read it too."

"Ahh." He didn't know what to say again, for entirely different reasons. He could not imagine himself friends with Snape, even if they did both like the same books. He would be friendly if need be, for Lily's sake, but that was it. "How did... you two...?"