1. Start Of My Fanfic:)

Of course Potter got picked for the triwizard tournament. Perfect Potter who can do no wrong.
And he asked me to the Yule Ball? I can't believe he hasn't got the message yet. He's an idiot.
I told him I was going with someone else. I just don't know who yet. Maybe I could go with Severus?
'I can't believe you turned down James Potter.' said Melissa again.
'He's an idiot who cares about nobody but himself. What's not to get?'
'But he LIKES you. He's been after you forever. Have you even seen him? He's beautiful.'
'I thought you liked Black? You cheating?' I teased her.
'Okay, well, yeah I like Sirius more but still... Can you believe he's going with Sylvia Bates? She's a horse.'
Honestly she was so bitchy sometimes.
It was the next day and I went up to Sev at the Slytherin table at breakfast. I saw some of his 'friends' nudging him and sneering:
'Hey Sev here's your little mudblood girlfriend.'
I sent them a scathing look.
'Sev can I talk to you after? Without these jerks?'
There was a chorus of mocking 'ooohhh's. And I thought Potter and Black were bad.
'Yeah okay. See you after then.' He said awkwardly.
I sighed and walked to the Gryffindor table. Why did Severus have to keep such bad company? If he didn't come to his senses soon he was going to end up a deatheater.
We were outside in a fairly secluded spot.
'Sev. Are you going to the Yule Ball with anyone?'
He looked taken aback and I realised how that sounded.
'Just as friends. Obviously.' I added quickly.
He seemed to deflate. In relief I guess.
'Yeah sure.' His grin was slightly brittle.
'Are you all right Sev?' I asked, worried.
He looked at me cautiously but pretended to laugh.
'When am I not?'
Well when ever 'The Marauders' were about. That was when.
I suddenly realise I was staring at him and he was fidgeting.
'We ought to get to lessons.'
'Yeah that's right' I agreed quickly.
As I walked absentmindedly to Transfiguration I thought about Severus. Was all well with him? I really hoped so.
It was lunch time and Melissa and I decided to eat by the lake under the sun. I'd taken my shoes and socks off and was dipping my toes in the pleasantly cool water.
We were laughing about how she had charmed a snail to emit puffs of shiny gold smoke when Melissa pointed out something happening further down the lake.
We hurried over barefoot clutching our shoes in our hands to get a better view.
It was the deatheater gang. Melissa glanced at me to see my reaction. She didn't understand why I liked Sev but still cared about my feelings.
Fury bubbled up inside me. They were tossing a first year about like a beach ball. Why? He was a muggle born. Figures.
I waited for Sev to do something. But he didn't. That was it.
'What the hell?' I ran towards them.
'Put him down.'
'Isn't that sad? Only person willing to stick up for him is another mudblood.' sneered Macnair.
I whipped my wand out and screamed
'Protego'
The boy thudded to the floor.
'Sev?' I looked at him.
He stood unmoving, unsure.
'You know what? You can forget about the Ball Severus Snape. Until you decide to ditch these losers you're not my friend.'
He looked hurt but still mumbled,
'I don't want to be friends with a mudblood anyway.'
Someone else hexed him before I could. He flew backwards and I prepared for another scene with James Potter.
He snatched my shoe out of my hand.
'You can have it back if you'll go with me.'
I was so not in the mood for this. I didn't even care that people could see I was crying as I sobbed, 'Accio' and ran off with my shoe.
The next day Melissa was hugging me and trying to console me. She'd got a date now. It was all right for some.
Why did all the guys have to be idiots?
In charms we were doing cheering charms which made me weirdly happy despite my circumstances. I sat next to Remus Lupin in that lesson. Normally I wouldn't talk to him purely because of his friendship with Potter but the cheering charm got the better of me and we got chatting.
To be honest he wasn't that bad. Not stupid and arrogant like his friends. I don't really see how he became friends with those idiots.
We were joking about how Flitwick really should be able to make himself taller, what with him being amazing at charms when I thought: why not ask Lupin?
It was odd but it made sense. Ish. He was nice and at this rate I was going to be the only 5th year without a partner.
'Ummm, Remus?'
He looked sideways at me at my change of tone.
'Yeah?' he sounded apprehensive.
'Do you have a date to the Ball. Or know of anyone who doesn't?'
Just to make sure it was very casual.
'Well, no but James...' he trailed off.
'I'd rather go with a blast ended skrewt than Potter. It's his own fault. Do you know anyone who doesn't have a date yet? I don't want to go alone.'
He looked torn between loyalty to his friend and the truth.
'Okay then. I'll blame you if James bites my head off though.'
I laughed even though I didn't think he was completely joking.
'Thanks Remus.' I said chirpily at the end of the lesson and gave him a quick hug (that's cheering charms for you). It made it a bit better that Potter was coming round the corner at the time. I winked at him as I walked past, unable to resist or completely hate him after that lesson.
Melissa's eyebrows were still raised in shock and possibly delight at the drama my date might have caused.
'Lily. You asked Lupin to the Yule Ball? Really? How is Potter gonna take this?'
I just grinned mischievously. Potter deserved whatever he got anyway.
'Well anyway, now we have dates, we need outfits.' she squealed.
I hit her with a cushion.
'Do you ever leave time for yourself to breathe?'
She whacked me back.
'Of course not.'
We collapsed into a pile of giggles. It felt good to just let myself be as girly as I liked.
That weekend we went into hogsmead with Jody and Trish. We were all set for a solidly girly day when, from the window of our second shop I saw Sev looking depressed. I know I'd decided to have nothing to do with him but he was my friend.
He hadn't seen me and Trish was looking for feedback on a swirling floor length gown. I sighed and turned back to my friends.
When we got back to the castle we all had full outfits and my worry about Severus had been eased by butterbeer.
'Hey Evans.'
Potter was grinning like a fool and had rumpled up his hair again to make it look 'windswept'.
'Don't you ever give up? Anyway Potter, I've got a date. Go find someone else.'
'What? You found someone else that soon after ditching Snivvelus? Good call on that by the way.'
'Oh shut up Potter. Yes I got a date and no it's not you. And don't talk about Severus to me.'
'Who is it?'
I grinned. I just couldn't help it.
'I'm sure you'll find out. He might even tell you.'
He smirked his usual cocky smirk but looked a bit lost and confused. I almost felt sorry for him.
The next two weeks whizzed past. Melissa wouldn't shut up about it. I heard that Potter was going with one of the Alices. Somehow it eased my conscience a bit. Strange. I didn't think i felt guilty.
We all sat in our room together on our beds in our pyjamas.
Jody was twirling sections of my hair around her wand which was glowing with heat.
I was rubbing some lotion onto my legs and arms that literally makes you glow.
Trish and Melissa were painting each others nails to match their dresses.
It was so normal and girly that I almost forgot about Severus and Potter. Well, maybe that was odd. A girl being girly forgetting about a guy who likes her THAT way?
But I felt so carefree and happy.
When we were done we just took it in turns to stand in front of our full length mirror and gawk at our reflections.
My dress ranged from the almost white of a clear sky to a brilliant, deep indigo, one colour gradually giving way to the next shade. It was tight and fitted at the bodice and had a poofed out skirt. Strapless.
My nails were painted dark blue to match my dress and Jody had losely pinned some of my hair away from my face. I could just about walk in my 5 inch black stilettos.
And I was doused head to toe in a shimmering sprinkling of blue glitter.
At that point I didn't even care that I wasn't trying to impress anyone.
It's not often you get a chance to look this beautiful.
Surprisingly we still had 15 minutes to spare so we decided to go down to the common room and bathe in the compliments we were sure to be given (I know it sounds big headed but what can I say? My friends are exceptional witches).
I don't think I'd ever seen everybody looking so flawless. Even the guys were transformed from students into people by their simple dress robes.
I was gushing about what Alice had done with her hair when quiet fell and 'The Marauders' made their entrance. It irritated me that they got almost silence when they arrived just because of good looks and a bit of skill on the pitch.
I caught Remus' eye as he walked in and laughed at his slightly stunned expression when he saw me.
Potter winked at me as he walked over and I was worried he was going to pester me again when he took Alice's arm.
But the look of utter disbelief on his face when I tottered over to Lupin and linked my arm through his was priceless.
'So you didn't tell him?' I asked Remus, laughing.
'I didn't know how.' he looked worried.
'Don't fret. He can't complain. And it's not even like it means anything.'
He nodded but still looked wary.
'Oh come on we've got a party to go to' I said lightly. So we went over to join our friends, I grinned and winked at Potter, I just couldn't help it.
The Great Hall was spellbinding. Every inch was draped in shimmering gold mists and a soft, soothing music was emanating from every surface.
I stood against a wall with Remus, Sirius, Sylvia, Trish and Colin Tetly (Trish's partner).
It amused me that Sylvia had opted to go with fashion rather than style and was wearing an unfortunate lime green minidress that clung in all the wrong places and was accentuated with matching plumage. Her possy were stood a few meters away, all dressed similarly. By his face I think Sirius agreed with my judgement of her outfit.
A circle of tables appeared round the outside of the room. The head table for the teachers, champions and judges had the emblems of Hogwarts, Beauxbatons and Dustrang suspended above it.
We all sat down at a table and a subtle change of the music signalled that the champions were about to make their entrance.
Okay maybe I could see what Melissa meant. James Potter didn't look bad in dress robes but, I reminded myself, he was still a prick.
Alice looked glowing and she wasn't even wearing any 'fyre, for radiant witches'.
I got caught up in the buzzing atmosphere and found myself applauding just as loud as the champions' bigger fans.
Enchanted rubies, sapphires, emeralds and diamonds that disappeared just before they touched something rained down on them as they made their way to the head table.
I could see other professors congratulating Flitwick on his excellent charm.
Melissa and Jody quickly rushed over with their dates just before Dumbledore stood up to make a speech. I smirked as Melissa tried and failed to hold back a snicker at Sylvia's dress.
I barely heard Dumbledore commend us on our hospitality to the other schools and our spectacular party spirit because I was too caught up in this almost perfect moment of family with my friends. I think I must have been a bit hormonal because I was close to crying happy tears already. You'd have thought it was a wedding.
Food that I think could match that at the start of the school year appeared on gold plates on all the tables.
I think we all felt almost drunk from the splendour of the food and there wasn't a moments silence as my friends and enemies told wild and improbable anecdotes that were insanely difficult to believe.
When the Champions started the dancing I walked over to the refreshment tables with Remus, Melissa and her partner (no I had no idea who he was) to get a butterbeer. Just to get the evening going. Once we had all downed at least three we joined the other dancers in the middle of the hall.
It was a slowish dance to begin with and I was surprised that Remus wasn't actually a bad dancer.
'I don't believe that those dancing lessons with your aunt were as disastrous as you said they were' I laughed over the music. He grinned and replied,
'Oh they were. I didn't say it was my fault though.'
Okay, so Remus Lupin has an aunt with two left feet. Good to know.
Another song came on and the dance became faster.
'Lets see how fast you can move Evans' he said in a voice that made it sound so dirty.
'Oh shut up you.'
We twirled and laughed for at least half an hour until Sirius grabbed his arm and pulled us away. He looked pained at the fact that a bogey coloured Sylvia was clinging to his arm like a leach. I think he needed saving.
'So, you two managed to not mangle each other then?' He joked after getting us all more butterbeers.
'Are you joking? Lily can't dance for her life. Somehow she managed to dead leg me with her shoe and that giant pile on earlier? That was everyone tripping over us once she slipped and pulled me down with her.'
'I can dance.' I said indignantly 'And your leg is fine. There WAS no pile on.' I added a pout for good measure.
Sirius couldn't stop laughing and even looked hopeful at the bored expression on Sylvia's face. She wasn't great company.
I think I knew that it was seriously weird that I was joking and just talking to two of The Marauders whom I loathed so much but I ignored it. I blame the butterbeer.
Sylvia finally gave up and walked off and Melissa (I noticed she'd ditched her partner) came over, probably to take advantage of Sirius' singleness.
After a while I found myself sitting with my friends apart from Jody and her partner and the four Marauders. Alice had gone to flirt with Frank Longbottom from the year above and I doubt Peter even had a date.
Melissa had broken out the fire whiskey and was practically sitting on Sirius' lap (I didn't see him complaining) and I made sure I had Trish on one side and Remus on the other so Potter had to make do with sitting opposite me. I pointedly refused to meet his gaze.
Somehow we managed to get onto the subject of lurve.
Melissa looked disappointed when Sirius announced that he didn't believe in true love. All the girls and Colin said they believed and Pettigrew provided a thoroughly neutral non-view.
'I believe there is someone special waiting for me.' I said.
'Finally she gets it.' said Potter with exaggerated mock exasperation.
'Yeah right. You just believe in harassing girls until they get tired of rejecting you in front of the entire school.'
Potter just laughed and said,
'You getting tired yet Evans?'
I glared at him.
'Potter, I think you'll find I have a lot of stamina.'
He looked at everyone in general and stage whispered,
'She's in denial.'
I stood up sharply.
'If you weren't such a hippogriffs backside you might actually have a chance.'
I stormed off to laughing and a chorus of 'oooh'ing that was infuriatingly reminiscent of the Slytherins in the hall the day all the drama with Sev happened.
Thinking about him seemed to have summoned him up because I literally walked into him.
'Oh I'm sorry.' I said. So polite it had bite. Then I noticed he was on his own. Oh I couldn't be bothered to be frosty.
'Sorry.' I said again but this time with feeling 'Why are you alone?'
'Couldn't get a date. Everyone else could.' He sounded so matter of fact. I knew it wasn't meant to sound accusatory but my mind twisted it so it sounded that way.
'I am sorry Sev. I was just angry... Why didn't you do anything?'
He knew what I was talking about.
'They wouldn't accept me otherwise. And you're the only one who would accept me any other way.'
I wanted to ask why I wasn't enough but I knew it was unfair. We weren't even in the same house. He'd be lonely. I saw a glimmer of emotion in his eyes. We were best friends. Nothing could change that. He was like my brother when my sister abandoned me. My guide when I was just entering the wizarding world.
I wrapped him in a tight hug.
'Oh Sev.'
After a few minutes of silence just with our arms wrapped round each other I said,
'You want to dance? You won't be embarrassed to be seen with a muggle born?'
'Yeah I'm so embarrassed. I just stood here hugging you for ages for that very reason.'
Sev didn't usually use sarcasm. It was nice to hear him joke fit once.
'Come on then.' I said, dragging him onto the floor.
Unlike Remus he really couldn't dance so we just shuffled around to our own rhythm holding hands. It reminded me of us before Hogwarts, just living to our own, different, magical rhythm. What would I do without him?
As the song ended someone tapped me on the shoulder.
'Care for a dance Evans?'
I know a look of irritation was on my face but on Sev's was a look of unadulterated hate. I didn't know it was possible to dislike him more than I did.
'No Potter I don't.' I snapped without even looking his way. Again I found myself storming away from him. God he was cruising for a bruising.
Sev looked at me expectantly.
'I think I need to go to bed. He's not going to stop pestering if I stay. Night Sev.' I said apologetically, well aware I might not be able to talk to Sev this way again.
I wrapped him in a tight hug. Tears leaked from my eyes but I didn't care.
'You're my best friend Sev. You know that right?'
He pulled back and looked me in the eyes. Turbulent thoughts seemed to be storming around in his head but he smiled sadly and said,
'I know Lily. Night Night.'
I turned away from him and didn't notice any of the short walk to my dormitory. I found myself undressing with tears streaming down my face. I looked at myself in the mirror. Pyjamas, red rimmed eyes and long, ginger, static-y hair.
Why did it feel like I was losing Sev?
'Lily. Lily, it's time to wake up.' I heard Melissa's voice softly coaxing me awake.
I opened my eyes groggily and winced at the bright light.
'Good afternoon sleepy head.' she grinned,
'Afternoon?' I slept that long?
'Yup. You looked so sweet and peaceful.'
Even though I felt half dead I managed to give her a scathing look.
'So how was last night?' I asked, changing the subject before it got to awkward places.
'It was great. I got a few dances with Sirius.' she grinned mischievously,
'Where did you take off to? James said you ran away from him again.'
I gasped indignantly and hit her with a pillow,
'I did NOT run away from him. Either time. And for your information I went straight to bed.'
'Apparently you were with Snape.' she looked as if she had a bad taste in her mouth.
'So what if I was?' I snapped testily, instantly on the defensive.
'I thought you weren't friends with him any more?'
'He was on his own. Not with the deatheater idiots.'
'He IS a deatheater idiot.'
'No he isn't. He's just, just a, he's a great friend.'
'Friend?' she snorted 'Yeah right. Just friends.'
'What the hell Melissa? We've been best friends for years. Of course we're friends.'
'That's not what I meant but if you say so...' she trailed off and walked out, leaving me frowning at the door. Why was she being like this?
I didn't want to leave the warmth of my bed but I knew I really should get up.