Chasing Lily Evans

Death Eater friends

"Oi, James!"

James turned around just in time to see a pile of books with legs crash into him. "What the bloody hell was that?" he said, annoyed, getting up. "Sorry, mate. But there's a full moon this week, and I thought..." A look of understanding dawned on James' face as he saw the title on one of the books, Animagi Transfiguration Guide. Sirius brushed his messy hair out of his eyes impatiently and looked imploringly at James. "I think we should tell Remus," he said softly. James sighed, "And what, have his painful transition become even more painful? Sirius, you know Remus. He'll think he's robbing us of our fun." Sirius sighed, "All right, but if we're going to do this without his help, we need to buck and and start paying attention to McGonagall."

"Jamez!"

As James looked for the source of this heavily accented voice, he noticed a girl with red hair walk up towards a group of boys clad in thick furs. "'Ello? Jamez?" Sirius was the first of the duo to notice the girl from the night before, Camille, waiting for James. "Oi, James," he jabbed him in the ribs, which caused him to finally tear his eyes away from Lily laughing and smiling at the stupid Durmstrang boy. "Git," he breathed, turning away.
"Ah, Camille!" he said in surprise. She smiled as well, a beautiful sight in the middle of the dull Hogwarts corridor, causing many a student to look away from the radiant sight. "Could you pleez help me navigate the ladiez lavatory?" she batted her eyelashes at him enticingly, and he grinned.

As he walked with this stunning beauty by his side (Sirius rolled his eyes exasperatedly and picked up his books), Lily, who had missed the whole episode, decided to freshen up in the girls' bathroom before Potions. As she skipped towards the bathroom, she happened to notice James and a girl from Beauxbatons casually strolling towards the same destination. James, who seemed to have a radar for Lily Evans, glanced at her, a wicked idea forming in his head. He stopped abruptly and took the confused French girl by the waist, kissing her squarely on the lips. Camille was not one to stand idle for long, and participated enthusiastically, unaware of the girl who had stopped in her tracks just a few feet away.

As James pulled away after a passionate snog, he looked around and spotted Lily. He expected her to look angry, jealous or even sad. What he did not expect, however, was a disgusted and slightly irritable look on her face. "Excuse me, you two are blocking the way to the girls' bathroom," she said coolly, walking away daintily as they let her pass. James gazed at her with frustration and curiosity; what was Lily Evans' problem?

***

"James? What happened?" Peter's face morphed into one with nervous curiosity as he gazed at James' annoyed expression. "Jaaaaaames, what're you-" Sirius stopped his singsong mocking abruptly, also taking in James' face. "It's got something to do with Lily, hasn't it?" Remus deduced, sighing. James shook his head, rocking back and forth.

"Camille Broucher, that girl from Beauxbatons, I--"

James suddenly broke out into a smug grin, "I snogged her." Sirius whooped and thumped him wildly on the back, Peter looked as if he was about to burst and Remus just shook his head. "Jamesie's first snog, was it?" Sirius crowed, and James chuckled. "Was it everything you imagined it would be?" Sirius mocked. "You would know, wouldn't you? You've got the most experience--"

***

"Hey, Sev!"

Severus' lips broke out into a slightly sad smile. "Morning, Lily. What's up?" Lily smiled brightly, and just like that, the awkwardness lifted.

Lily had confronted him recently about his choice in friends, and he didn't know how to react. He couldn't ignore the fact that her best friend, Mary MacDonald, was in the hospital wing and according to Madam Pomfrey, had just escaped serious injury. But, they were his friends. They were all he had at Hogwarts, except for Lily, but she was in Gryffindor and who knows when she'll finally decide to start listening to that Potter boy or her good-for-nothing Muggle sister. His friends in Slytherin understood him, understood and encouraged the hatred he felt towards his Muggle father. Lily won't understand, she would never understand. But these boys, they promised they'd help set it right. That they'd avenge him and his mother and all those pureblood families marred by these filthy Muggles. The only thing Severus was still confused about was how he felt about Lily, his very own Muggle-born friend.

"So, Sev," she enunciated, looping an arm through his, "How you doing?" He shrugged, adjusting his arm ever so slightly so Lily won't have to remove hers. "Fine. I'm ahead of all my homework, you know, and I've been trying out some new potions, trying to invent one--" "I bet I'll see your face in the Prophet one day, and say to my children, 'Oh, I used to be best friends with him! I even inspired the potioneer in him.'" She smiled playfully and Severus forced a laugh. He couldn't decide whether it was a warm compliment or a clear-cut hint that they won't be friends for long, let alone anything more. 

"Enough about me, how're you?" 

Lily shrugged as well and launched into a story about her Christmas break plans excitedly. Severus didn't pay attention, but only stared at her radiant beauty, feeling drunk but happy. Most girls did anything they could to get Potter's attention-- even a couple of Slytherins-- but he never did care for any of them. But he was paying such attention to Lily, his Lily; it was only a matter of time before she succumbed to his charms. But, so far, even having the knowledge that the famous James Potter fancied her, did nothing for her. He felt troubled, knowing that James was everything he was not, and everything a girl desired; handsome, smart, charming and confident. He had good robes and ordinary Muggle clothes, whereas he, Severus, had to hide under disgusting clothes his mother handed down to him. "... and Derek said he'd try to visit, but how can come to London to go to a rock concert with me, I can't imagine..." Severus broke out of his gloomy musings and asked, trembling a little, "D-derek?" "Yes, Derek Wayne! I've told you about him, haven't I? He's a boy from Durmstrang, and he--" "Why didn't you ask me to go to the rock concert with you over Christmas?" he asked, hurt. 

"I just thought--"

"You fancy him, don't you? This Derek Wayne from Durmstrang?"

Lily turned crimson, "Well, I'm not really sure-- I mean, we're just friends, but he is really nice, and I don't--" She stopped abruptly and by the look on Severus' face, it's a good thing she did.  "First you tell me you don't want me to hang out with my friends, then you start fancying this boy, it's not fair--"

"Sev, you're still my best friend, I just don't like the looks of them. You know they worship the dark arts and I heard they're conspiring to become a part of the You-Know-Who's Death Eaters..."

"Well--" Severus scrambled around for something hurtful to say, "--maybe you should just be friends with Derek instead, or better yet, why don't you go out with Potter?"

"What's Potter got anything to do with this?"

"Him and his weird friends, they like you. And as you're like any other girl here, what with making eyes at a boy from Durmstrang, maybe you should be one of Potter's conquests! You tell me you don't like the 'dark magic' my friends are doing, but everyone knows Durmstrang is the birthplace of the Dark Arts." 

Snape turned on his heel and left, simmering, leaving Lily standing hurt and confused with tears pricking her eyes.