Last Minute Detail {Severus}

[Lily Ann Evans]

but nothings greater than the rush that comes with your embrace
•AND IN THIS WORLD OF LONELINESS I SEE YOUR FACE •
yet everyone around me thinks I'm going crazy

It was snowing..it was always snowing lately the blizzards that had turned the land into something akin to a winter wonderland was growing weary on some people. Not Lily, she loved the weather like this she was more an autumn person but still all the seasons appealed to her in the same way. There was something distinctly beautiful and magical within them. She felt it in her bones. She was dressed for the weather though no need to risk having to spend time in the Medical wing when there was so much to do as Head Girl. Well, that would be soon under any account, they were due back to school. So who was to be bothered if they slipped off for a few days together in Diagon Alley before lesson ressumed ? They were both adults according to the wizarding world, and secondly this was both her birth month and Severus's as well. She was still trying to decide what to get him for his birthday. So she'd been peeking about in shops. She'd bought enough candy to stash in her drawer at Hogwarts, that this month she might actually get some of it. She wasn't really big on candy it was mostly kept to keep the younger years calm. She did however enjoy coffee with cinnamon creame and sugar, and her tea the same way.

She wore a fur trimmed pancho and her hat placed firmly over her hair and ears to protect them. She wasn't to keen on them turning the shade of red her hair was. Her Gryffindor scarf warm gloves. In her arms Snowflake seemed quiet content not having to pad along the streets with the snowy cold mess. Not that she could blame her. Lily had added a collar with a small bell with stars in it. This was more to protect Severus's Owl, Othello whom of which she seemed rather taken with.It gave the warning that she was coming to take cover or what ever it was owls did when a kitty was on the prowl, it simply couldn't eat. Though Othello would never hurt her cat, since he was too noble. Bowing to her when he saw her. Lily was quiet convinced that he was related to the griffon or hypogriff sub species. The red haired witch offered a quick greeting to those she passed in Diagon Alley, she had no intentions of being alone for too long, for one with the wintery background she stood out, and two the murders had made her uneasy and a touch--sad. It was bad enough they were about to be in the middle of a war, and worse yet that, that war was going to cause more loss of lives.

The willow wand that Lily kept tucked behind her ear came to her hand as she swirled it in a small circle just to the side of her. In the same way she might have cast Lumos. Instead little green and gold fairies burst into being. This spell was still a tricky one because the globes of light were meant to locate someone. However, they could only find someone willing to be found. Not that she assumed Severus was hiding from her. Still they swirled around her lifting her hair where it was dangling at her hips, and than darted off leaving a small trail behind them.Which only the witches eyes could really see.

So it was little surprise that it took her only a few minutes to find him.'Find anything interesting in my absence I should know about ?" she asked cheerily. Shaking snow out of her hair as she did so. "I believe I am done with my shopping at this point. Though..." she began softly as she placed her hand on his sleeve. "Seems the paper has even witches and wizards spooked, not as many people out and about as I remember."

WORDS ,, 853
TAGGED ,, Severus
OUTFIT ,, Ankle length patch work dress, granny boots with a heavy fur trimmed pancho , gryffindor scarf and fur trimmed hat. Messenger Bag with various things, a few boxs and enough candy to give anyone sugar shock. Oh and a plotting and scheming white cat called Snowflake.
NOTES ,, fairy tales..tsk.
MUSIC,, Living on a Prayer-Bon Jovi.
Mood Somewhat light.
CREDIT ,,[/size] lyrics belong to Leona Lewis.

[Severus Tobias Snape]

WALK BLINDLY TO THE LIGHT
and reach out for his hand .

don't ask any questions
AND DON"T TRY TO UNDERSTAND

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

[/color][/font]

It was not often that Severus wore more than his usual school or casual (so similar) clothing, he had slept on the park bench in storms as a boy when things at home were worse than the thought of that cold night, but it seemed that England had hit blizzard season and even Severus found himself wearing a hooded travelling cloak lined with fur and a pair of leather gloves. He could not say that he overly minded the weather, to someone who had been out in all weathers it took a lot to bother him, he didn’t have a love for it perhaps but all in all he was fairly ambivalent about it. Severus’ home was a warzone during holidays to say the very least, though Christmas dinner with Lily’s family, his mother and Andromeda had certainly been a highlight. Severus had been sneaky about putting his own contribution to the dinner onto one of Lily’s mother’s plates. Rose knew, of course, and hugged him, thanking him for the contribution later, he simply hadn’t needed a fuss making over it at the time. He enjoyed cooking, as akin to potion making as it was, so it was certainly no chore. Severus had bought Lily a necklace with charms and a locket to go with them. On the necklace was the locket and a couple of the charms Severus had bought with it, he had charmed those with protective enchantments, though charms were more Lily’s area. The locket had Lily’s name etched into the back with Severus’ tidy, almost calligraphic, script.

Othello had not quite deemed to join them in Diagon Alley today, he was sleeping after a night of doing whatever it is owls do. Snowflake seemed to be sweet on Othello, it had to be said, though of course Othello would never harm the kneazle. He had certainly been glad of the bell a couple of times, it had to be said, why the kneazle was sweet on the only thing she could not wrap around her little claw, no one quite knew. Severus had not been quite so quick to offer greetings to those he passed, though he would nod and say hello to anyone choosing to notice him. In this time where murders had become almost commonplace, it was not wise to be too open, and of course, Severus would always have his wits about him. He knew what role he would be playing in the war, between he and Lily having split up and being brought back together through help from Slughorn, Severus had walked too close to the Death Eaters to walk away, but he was quite possibly the best occlumens of his generation, possibly of any though he would not openly say that, that did not mean that his options were at all limited.

Severus’ ebony wand was tucked up his sleeve in a wrist sheath, always to hand with a flick of his wrist. Whether that was care or paranoia, one could guess as they would but it was there in any case. Severus was not hiding from Lily, only waiting for her to be ready to find him, and it was not long before he saw the little fairies that did her bidding in that regard. He smiled briefly as she found him, “A few bits and pieces, a book mother had been looking for, a bracelet for yours.” He pulled out the necklace he had bought for Lily and the charms not yet on it, “This caught my eye also.” Lily would be able to sense the magics coming from the charms already on the necklace, there was nothing dark, nor even borderline, but they would protect her in different ways if needed. He thought for a moment, “Yes, the papers have people spooked, but it is more than that. Some people can sense danger as the spiders do the rain.” It was something that was sure that war was coming.

[/center]

[/color] ![/b]
tag ! Lily
song ! Katherine Jenkins – Till there was you
[green]notes[/green] ! Nope
other Nope
[/size]
[/font]
[/ul]

[Lily Ann Evans]

but nothings greater than the rush that comes with your embrace
•AND IN THIS WORLD OF LONELINESS I SEE YOUR FACE •
yet everyone around me thinks I'm going crazy

Lily of course was the opposite she loved all the season and enjoyed them equally. Bare foot in sun dress in the summer and spring. Warmer clothes in Autumn when she blended into the backdrop of her house, and of course snow in winter, even though she needed to bundle up to keep warm. The red head also adored storms the wind, the lightening the thunder it was all magical to her and she had loved to be out in it as a girl. Unfortunately Severus had found himself her companion on more than one occassion when she'd slipped out her window onto her roof and just jumped off as she had the swing. To play in the weather without Rose catching her. She wasn't so lucky on his account, since he seemed to know by some inner sense when she was up to mischief. Lily had often included him in spite of his best efforts to get her to go back in the house. She knew how to charm him and turning vivid green eyes on him and a please often worked. Lily had known the dish that was his since she'd slipped over to his house for dinner when Tobias wasn't there. Lily really didn't like how the older man looked at her. She often stayed closer to Severus at times like that. Though said nothing because she was afraid of not being invited back. She had been happy over Christmas Dinner to have people close at hand. Even Tuney had behaved herself mostly. Aside for the bruise that was still fading on her cheek. She had helped to mask Andromeda's working of magic in the kitchen, because well she and Severus were already adults by the laws of magic. She enjoyed the dark haired girls company. They'd both been cursed with sisters who'd rather not have them. Lily knew that Andromeda was enduring she just saw that it chipped at her already. The war had not even really begun in earnest.

It was something that Lily was convinced of that Othello and Snowflake were having a go at them and actually sneaking off together. Much like the Owl and the Pussycat in the old Fairytale book Severus had gotten her one year. She had just had to much to do to actually call them on it or any real proof. Lily suspected that Snowflake was very similar to Severus, not willing to have just any mate. She wanted one she wanted and none else. So it was useless to tell that cat that Othello was a bird that it would never work. They had told her that Slytherin and Gryffindor would never work as well. So there they were. With all the murders it wasn't wise to be open, still Lily was Lily and she was nice to those she met in passing or otherwise. She also had enough cunning to mind her surroundings and enough luck to get her out of most situations. Still she was also careful there was no need to stress a situation that could turn bad. She had seen what Severus had done to someone who had hinted at wanting to hurt her. She knew he was more than capable when provoked of being ever bit the dark wizard other's said he was. They wouldn't be there as they were at that moment had it not been for Slughorn who had seen how it was affecting both of them. Francis had been sick in her bowl and listless. Lily had been little better in class, not quiet and energetic or willing to match wits with him as she had before. Than there was Severus who was tight lipped and more sullen than normal as well. When your two prized Potion students were like that obviously they'd had a falling out and so he'd found poor excuses to get them together. Talking out of turn, and being surly in class. Had landed both Severus and Lily a detention. Something that was extrodinarily rare for Lily and Severus both. They had both come to the detention and been surprised when Slughorn told them he had to run, that he had an appointment with Dumbledore, and locked them into the Potions lab. Slughorn's promise to be right back..became in a while. As in, in the morning. When he feinted innocents about them still being in there. Lily napping with her head against Severus's leg and him going over her homework to make sure she missed nothing. Slughorn had them brew a Peace Potion, but what they actually turned in was Amorentia a way of calling his bluff without having to say anything. The Peace Potion was also on his desk and to his secret pleasure not needed. He had discussed with Lily how to handle the situation. There was no easy way out of it and she knew he wouldn't hide from it. The idea to be a dual agent was terribly dangerous but no more dangerous than her becoming an Auror.

Lily beamed at him when he turned to show her his finds, he always had the best luck! Still her eyes widened a little bit. "Oh thats lovely." she said as she caught the charms that he held up. "Its not even my birthday yet, got to get through yours first." she giggled. Holding up a box "This is for you." she said "You worked to enchant them ." her fingers touched the small bright pieces. They appealed to her bright things always did but so to did he. "It is something that will always be, wars are bound to happen..its history." she mused softly. Her arm slipped around his waist as she leaned into him. "And the Snow has people feeling dreary, I personally find it fantastic, think of the snow angels, and snow men that can be built. I am sure the first years will be just thrilled." she said finding something to look on the light side of. "The papers always make things seem worse than they are, don't you think ?" she asked her gaze raised to his. "I just worry how much of it is actually true."

WORDS ,, 1257
TAGGED ,, Severus
OUTFIT ,, Ankle length patch work dress, granny boots with a heavy fur trimmed pancho , gryffindor scarf and fur trimmed hat. Messenger Bag with various things, a few boxs and enough candy to give anyone sugar shock. Oh and a plotting and scheming white cat called Snowflake.
NOTES ,, one disappointed Snowflake later. lol.
MUSIC,, Age of Aquarius-The Ninth Dimension
Mood Somewhat light.
CREDIT ,,[/size] lyrics belong to Leona Lewis.

[Severus Tobias Snape]

WALK BLINDLY TO THE LIGHT
and reach out for his hand .

don't ask any questions
AND DON"T TRY TO UNDERSTAND

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

[/color][/font]

Severus did not particularly hate any of the seasons, it was just that he was not overly enamoured with the extremes of hot and cold, cold he could handle better than hot, it didn’t affect his headaches. Autumn and Spring were his favourites, the different colours were something that he loved, though he would only let on to Lily, as far as others were concerned, sullen and brooding was his natural state of being. He had been out with Lily more than once, and he didn’t always really mind, but there had been no escaping his attentions, he not only knew she’d be out in that weather, but he had an uncanny knack for leaving the house and the same time she snuck out of hers to meet her as she landed underneath her window. On some occasions, he had made a token effort to get her to go back inside, over time it became more of a case of making sure she was wrapped up and didn’t catch her death, since they were wet already they might as well have made the most of it. Of course, they weren’t always wet to begin with, there was that time at the lake where they had wound up sneaking back into home, and getting caught, soaking wet in their summer clothes. Severus had known that Lily and Rose would both know it was his cooking, he had not intended to try and pull a fast one on them, but he had simply not wanted a fuss made over it by anyone else there. Lily had called him silly for it, laughing a little as she did, but it was simply the way he had felt, it was Rose’s dinner, as a whole, it wasn’t about making a gesture, it was just his way of contributing. He and Lily had thrown charms around to decorate the house and make it look sparkly, they had also duelled in the garden, though it was more a light show than a duel, and that allowed Andromeda to contribute in the kitchen, being as they were of age and a couple extra spells in the kitchen would go unnoticed. Severus had wanted to hex Petunia over bruising Lily’s cheek, and he knew Andromeda had not thought kindly of being with a sister that reminded her a little of her own, but all had behaved there, though the incident had been partly to do with he and Lily being out here now. It had been nice having Andromeda around for the day, he gave her the friendly touch on the hand or arm when he could, given things had gotten decidedly worse for her in the past couple of years. Narcissa he was fond of in the way he would be a sister, or one not in the Petunia class of sister in any case, and he made sure that when she said no, given her boyfriend was out of school when she was still young, it was taken as no. He had promised to look after her for Andromeda, she was strong, a yew wand, with a griffin feather core especially, would not choose a witch that wasn’t, but the war was working on taking its first victim before it had even really started.

Snowflake certainly did seem taken with Othello, and it was certain that the two had been, at the same time, unfindable. Now whether that meant anything…well kneazles were smart and they were certain that Othello was part griffin or hippogriff somewhere, it could well be that one of them had read and understood the owl and the pussycat and, if that one of them was Snowflake, there was going to be no headway made with the ‘he’s a bird, it won’t work argument’. Severus was not one to take his safety, nor that of those he cared about, lightly, so he was always going to be alert. Even when he and Lily had had their rough patch, he had been fiercely protective of her. Goyle had made threatening noises about his intent regarding her and had nearly died for them, the cuts showed more than clearly enough that there was emotion involved strong enough to cloud Severus’ control over his pet spell. Goyle had not received much sympathy, Lily was clearly going to be a pressure point, they had known that, most of them had at least kept such from the hearing of he they wished to be their pet dark wizard and potion master. Severus would have said that Slughorn had been very Slytherin about getting he and Lily back together had he not been as subtle as a sledgehammer, it might not even be a stretch to say that a sledgehammer could have given him lessons over the fine art of subtlety. For one, giving Severus detention for being sullen was a bum rap, he was always sullen, and had been no more so because that was hardly possible. Then given the potion and locking them in the room, well yes, he likely meant to be obvious about it. It had worked, Lily had been irritated by that time, not angry, Severus had seen things in a different light himself, putting it mildly, by the time they were half done, they had managed to talk things over. Then of course they’d been bored because some maniac had locked them in and they threw in a cheeky riposte for good measure, simply because they could. When Slughorn had walked in, Severus had thrown him a look and patted Lily’s hand to wake her, getting a mumble something along the lines of ‘I have the stir pattern right’ and Lily snuggling into him for his trouble. Severus would not hide from the war, and he had gotten too close to simply walk away, being a double agent was the choice that had been favoured over fighting openly from the beginning, the only other real option outside the fidelus charm, neither of them would take that route.

A smile touched his lips as Lily looked over the necklace, “Well yes, I know, but there are people that don’t have to wait for birthdays to be special.” He looked into the box that he had been given and ran his hand down the velvet and silk lined robe he found within, the colour matching Lily’s eyes with snakes embroidered along the sleeves and buttons. He looked up from it and gave a warm chuckle, “I’ll have to find an occasion to wear these, if I can only find someone to go to that occasion with.” There was a touch of humour in his tone, they both knew he wouldn’t be going with anyone but the girl currently holding his arm. He nodded, “And this one is over something as senseless as any muggle war, we would breed ourselves into extinction if they had their way.” He put an arm around Lily as she leaned into him, adding to their warmth, and in a way security given they were obviously ‘together’ and not such an easy target to pick off. He gave a mock dour look, “Yes, snowmen, snow angels and snowballs, I’m looking forward to school already.” He drummed his fingers against his thigh in thought, “Unfortunately, more than enough of it is I feel, we might well be looking at the ranging shots before the storm.” He squeezed Lily, they both knew they were in for a rough time, and that they would get each other through it.

[/center]

[/color] ![/b]
tag ! Lily
song ! Katherine Jenkins – Till there was you
[green]notes[/green] ! Nope
other Nope
[/size]
[/font]
[/ul]

[Lily Ann Evans]

but nothings greater than the rush that comes with your embrace
•AND IN THIS WORLD OF LONELINESS I SEE YOUR FACE •
yet everyone around me thinks I'm going crazy

She knew that Severus liked some of the Seasons and the red haired girl enjoyed them with him. She knew sometimes he got headaches and she did what she could for that. Her fingers often found there way to his temples and she rub them when the headaches were the worst. She knew it was needed and why he did it. Lily loved spring because all the fantastic flowers and she liked weaving them in her hair. With his help often as a girl not that on occassion he hadn't since than. Lily had always brought him home for the holidays but this was the first real holiday that Lily had been able to convince Eileen to leave Spinners End and come to Yule Dinner at her mothers. It had been important to her because she felt that her and Severus's parents should probly spend some time together. Or rather, his mother and her family. Lily was not fond of Tobias and the man was not home to be invited anyways. Rose was a warm and compassionate woman it wasn't hard to see where Lily had gotten her looks and personality from. Lily had known when he was cooking and had told him he could just add it no one would say anyting to him. Still she didn't say anything where anyone else would over hear. She did respect his right to keep it to himself. To Lily nothing was trivial, small things were as important as larger shows of affection. Lily was never going to be one of those girls that was troublesome or material driven. A flower could make her as happy as some exepnsive trinket. That her name had been done by his hand made the item all the more special.

Snowflake was currently enjoying the time she spent with Lily not at home. The kitty licked at her hair trying to tame the wild red mess. That fell to her waist her golden eyes going to Lily as though to say well see your a mess. It might have been true her hair was wind blown, and maybe a touch damp because of the snow but really did not warrent kitty attention. In her opinion. Still, Snowflake always knew best in these things or so she thoughts and since Lily didn't want claw marks she let the white and silver kitty get away with lots. That she and Othello seemed to be having something going on was not missed on her she had jokingly told Severus their companions were having a affair behind there back the fact it might be true only now dawned on them. She knew that even when she wasn't in his presence Severus likely had a good idea where she had wandered too. He took protecting her very seriously always had. Ever since they had been little children. Lily might have been the first to jump to adventure but it was Severus who followed along to keep her safe. She knew his pet spell when she saw it. He had taught her how to heal it and she had fair control over it but was very reluctant to throw it. If Slughorn had wanted to be sneaky Lily was sure he could have been, he was making a point to the pair of them about seeing something obvious. Slughorn had told her she was going to partner with Severus again on a potion and since things between them had been so bad. She'd snapped at him about it and strait out told him no. He had given her detention and than called Severus on his sulleness over it too. Slughorn had told them that he wanted them to craft the potion he left directions for and that he would be back shortly he had work to do in his office. They didn't see him until the morning. Irritated and upset was the best way to describe it, Normally Lily had been quiet good at Potions but this one bubbled and turned an angry shade of crimson. Lily had been stirring it wrong. It had taken actual physical contact to make her miss him that much more, like an ache that wouldn't fade. He corrected her stir pattern holding her hand even after. It had been something they needed. Half way through the potion it had settled to its proper color and they were no longer at odds. By morning they were back where they had been before their falling out maybe closer for coming to understand more about each other. They had also brewed the love potion an turned in just to revolt at being locked in over night.Not that they had'nt napped lily rubbing his temples. She felt safest when with him.He'd made sure she reste to and that was how Slughorn found them Lily using her robe as a pillow across Sev's lap his robe over her like a blanket.She had protested against waking much to her faint embaressment when she sleepily sat up. They had spent a full night up in front of the fire in Hogsmead discussing what they would do since there was no easy way to do it. Going to Dumbledore seemed the best thing. Hiding from the war wasn't acceptable with too much at stake. In the end Lily refused to hide the fact they were together, though he would take the mark. The fidelus charm would have been so simple, but neither was given to taking that path.

"A birthday is just another day, but one to be thankful for just the same." she said "Its so pretty, I don't have the proper words, you even put my name on it, I'd know your handwriting anywhere." she said. "And you say your not socially adept, thats one of the sweetest things you've said to me. " she had confirmed he could open the box with a nod. It wasn't like they needed special days to do things for each other they did small things each day. To that end Valentine's Day was nothing special there was no need of anything out of the ordinary being done."Well if your not careful it will be a wedding."{/color] she said with a chuckle. "Our mother's are now on good terms and talking regularly and since we know they know we slipped off for a weekend together alone.." humor colored her tone too. Lily knew he'd loved her a long time and there was no concerns that he'd be going anywhere with any girl but her. It was not something Lily took for granteed either.Lily tapped her wand to the necklace with its tinkling charms and it lifted and fixed around her neck the willow wand being tucked back behind her ear. One finger traced the snake pattern "Its very Slytherin, but than again, so are you." flashing him a playful smile. Lily merely nodded and shook her head at him "Yes, well there's only so many genes a pool can have before they become reduntant and you get, well...three headed babies." she was half joking but not really. "I think that there so against muggles they rather risk it than soil there tree with such taint." she didn't ask him if he was. Eileen liked her just fine and well he'd kill for her and almost had, if Goyle was any indication. His arm went around her and she nuzzled her face against the fur trimming to the cloak he wore also to stiffle the giggle that would have followed. LIly liked playing in the snow, was more than happy tp pause to have a snowball fight with first years. Problem was wither he was involved or not he was a target. "Honestly after so many years, you'd think you'd be use to it by now." she whispered. "Its our last year here Sev." sadness touched her voice "Brfore going out into the wide world. I'd rather enjoy the innocence before it all ends and we have to official be adults." she too thought it might have been attacks aimed to make people nervous, as wars went next it would be important people that would make an impact to add painic to fear. "It is the ways of war..." she agreed as she was squeezed she returned the favor. "So any idea where you plan to put your potion master title to work, I have no doubt under the heavens you'll achieve it." she said as her hand slipped down his sleeve to twine her fingers with his. She'd left her gloves somewhere as usual. "Lets get something warm and continue this conversation where we won't be in fear of becoming miniions of the Snow Queen."

WORDS ,, 1713
TAGGED ,, Severus
OUTFIT ,, Ankle length patch work dress, granny boots with a heavy fur trimmed pancho , gryffindor scarf and fur trimmed hat. Messenger Bag with various things, a few boxs and enough candy to give anyone sugar shock. Oh and a plotting and scheming white cat called Snowflake.
NOTES ,, one disappointed Snowflake later. lol.
MUSIC,, Time After Time-Cyndi Lauper
Mood Somewhat light.
CREDIT ,,[/size] lyrics belong to Leona Lewis.

[Severus Tobias Snape]

WALK BLINDLY TO THE LIGHT
and reach out for his hand .

don't ask any questions
AND DON"T TRY TO UNDERSTAND

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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Severus would be out with Lily in any weather and any season. That there were times he did not like as much, well that was something that he would deal with without complaint. His headaches came from the fact that he kept his barriers up in terms of his occlumency all the time, and there were very good reasons for this, now it was that he was intending to work as a spy for the Order, before that it had been more that his views did not match those he had begun to be sucked into the Death Eaters through, it had protected Lily as much as himself when they had had their spat, which was when he had started to keep his barriers up also, if they had thought that she needed dealing with in a serious way, if she had more sway over him than the residual protectiveness they felt they saw when he hexed Goyle as he had, and he had not been able to warn her, things could have gone badly for her. Lily had been somewhat Slytherin in getting Eileen to come to dinner over Christmas and Severus knew it had taken some doing, but then as could readily point out, Lily had to be on her toes dealing with him and perhaps acting Slytherin when needed came a little easier to her than might otherwise be expected. Severus was glad to have her there as well, he started to grow close to her late on, that had been through necessity, but he knew he loved his mother however he had felt when he had not known her reasoning for being distant and cool with him. When it came to Tobias though…he had no feeling that would give him pause in hexing him if such were needed. Of course, it had been good for Lily’s mother to have one of her close friends there as well. Severus had known that Lily had been right in saying he could just add what he had cooked to the dinner, he knew that Rose would not have minded and she had told him that after, he had simply wanted nothing saying over it, it was his way. That small things meant a lot to Lily was sweet, and Severus did put some thought into it, though the reason he did something along that line was more often than not a whim that he added some small touches to, there was another little surprise that he had to spring on Lily but he was not yet quite sure of the timing.

Severus was of the opinion that Lily’s hair looked just fine as it was, and it certainly did not need grooming, but then he was not a fan of having clawmarks either and had such pale skin to boot, he really wasn’t going to argue with the kneazle. It was something he had laughed at at first, the thought that Snowflake and Othello were courting in their own little animal way, but over time it seemed to be something that they ought to take more and more seriously. The thought of winged kitties was amusing…until one thought about the mess that might create if it were even possible, something that cannot be ruled out among magical creatures. Severus didn’t have spells on Lily to tell him where she was, and never had, he had simply had an intuitive knowledge of where she was, even of her state of mind, and it was one that she shared over him. He had not been one who had thought much of the term soulmates, and wouldn’t use such language loosely by any means, but that was very much how it seemed. He had always been protective of her when they were children and that was something that was going to ignore any spat the two of them had, he would not listen to her being threatened and take it lightly. It had served its purpose in its way, Severus had been mad, very mad, with himself, he had also been a bit mad at Lily, then he was mad for her sake at Goyle and that had left…well at that point without help, he was in knowing what he had once he had lost it territory. That had been when he had taken to keeping his barriers up, the least he could do was save her becoming a target. That she had flat out said no to partnering with him had hurt but had been understandable, he had been as much caught at odds as Lily when Slughorn had given them their joint detention. Severus had guessed what he was up to, Lily hadn’t, that had been a shame being that Lily was the one that was good with words and would have been better had she wanted to set about to sort things out…so Severus had simply done all he could and worked on the potion. That she had been irritated and upset had been obvious, and it was not good for the potion, it needed a calm hand as its own effects may have suggested and correcting her stirring pattern, pointing out the rather alarming bubbles when she said she was stirring just fine when she protested. Things had gone from there really, other than Lily snapping that she had the pattern now and please stop holding her hand, flustering the pair of them for a moment. They’d discussed things, and came to understandings they had perhaps taken for granted that did not take back or excuse past words by any means, but had allowed them to move past them without quite noticing it, fittingly enough as the potion had fallen to its correct colour. Things had just fallen back into place from there, without the anger between them there had been very few other ways that it could have gone. No they didn’t need to taste the peace potion, and it said that much more of them, they didn’t need their emotions manipulated by potions. It had helped having her to talk to about his options, and then Dumbledore, because it had been something he had honestly been at somewhat of a loss with, there really was no easy way of dealing with it other than running and that would be far from sure in its own right. Severus had taken the hardest path, certainly the most dangerous, but quite possibly the most useful. There would be nothing to be gained from taking the easy path.

He nodded, “It’s good to observe, but not to obsess over or restrict love to.” He nodded as Lily said that it was his handwriting that had drawn her name upon the locket and a colour briefly touched his cheeks, “Well try and get me to say something like that to someone I don’t believe it about and you’ll see how socially adept I am.” Severus was not one who was overly enamoured with Valentines Day, he loved Lily, he would love Lily every day of the year, therefore Valentines Day was just an excuse to sell overpriced cards and a boom period for expensive restaurants to him. Oh he would observe it and he would dance with her, but she would know that she was loved on any and every other day. He pulled a slight face, “Well mother promised me a day headstart before telling yours, whether she kept to that or not…” He did like that Eileen had someone to talk to, that much was to be sure, she had given up much of the wizarding world and had been badly treated for doing so. He smiled, “Don’t pretend you’re any less capable of being Slytherin after getting mother to Christmas dinner the way you did.” She’d had some resistance from Severus there in a way, being that he had slapped the back of her hand when she had taken some of his cooking to tempt her with while he was working on it. Lily did have a point, “Andromeda still looks for gills on her neck, though she has possibly accepted it’s not her generation that are due them.” It was a silly belief to be sure, families could not sustain themselves on their own blood, such had been proven, if families could not sustain themselves, then neither could the magic by itself. Severus squeezed Lily’s shoulder, she knew his own opinion on that, he loved her, would kill for her, and die for her, blood was not something that mattered. It could not be said that he liked many muggles, but he didn’t exactly like many wizards either, he was not a naturally open person nor, perhaps, had he been nurtured to be. In any case, there was no such taint that he could see in Lily’s blood or muggle blood in particular. He winced a touch, “Well I am, to a degree.” He got snow thrown at him, he levicorpused snow back and covered more than one thrower at a time head to foot in snow. It was the way things went. He smiled, stroking her cheek as he held her closer for a moment, “I can’t see you ever quite growing up. We should try to enjoy it as we can though, yes.” He griped about it, but he went to the balls with her, would go to the prom with her, he did the more social things that he would do for no other and would this last year. War was an act of futility when fought over something so breathtakingly stupid, but it could be sure that soon important people would die, it told everyone that no one was safe. He shrugged as Lily asked where he’d put his potionmaster title to use and interlinked his fingers with hers, “I’m not sure just yet. I don’t need a book to my name. I wouldn’t mind taking over from Slughorn when the time comes.” He nodded, “Can’t say falling into the Ice Queen’s thrall is an idea I am altogether enamoured with.” They had a room in the Leaky Cauldron, though Severus was game to go about anywhere.

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[/color] ![/b] One thousand, six hundred and ninety four
tag ! Lily
song ! Katherine Jenkins – Till there was you
[green]notes[/green] ! Nope
other Nope
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[Lily Ann Evans]

♥Lily{Ann}Evans♥

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But nothings greater than the rush that comes with your embrace[/color][/size]
and in this world of loneliness I see your face
Yet Everyone around me [/color]
I Thinks that I'm going crazy
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Lily was something of a bad weather fan, it never seemed to fail the worse the storm the more she wanted to be out in it. She had been a premie when she was born and had grown up smaller than most girls her age. Still it wasn't an unusual sight to see, to see Lily out on the balcony balancing herself as she went to enjoy the wind in her hair or the rain on her face and against her skin. There was no wonder that Lily was drawn to old magic much like a druid she was drawn to the seasons. No matter what they were. Still he rarely complained and Lily knew that he knew her all to well. There bond was something bordering uncanny, he would know when to bring a coat with him and often catch her just dropping from her roof and she would know when he needed her company in the park. the two of them were passionate it was the way things were. Thre falling out had said as much, it had been over something as silly as name calling. She never wanted to be called that again and it had hurt, but she had gotten over it. They were the only two people who could truly hurt each other, and had her by breaking it off with him over the name calling. Still she had been to wounded to move on too wounded to care she went numb to try and patch herself up. He was always the one she went to when she was upset so it was harder it was like a part of her was missing. Thanks to Slughorn they didn't need to live without each other. There was no doubt that Severus loved her he didn't make confessions of love lightly and he'd told her more than once he did. Though he was worried for her Lily was a capable witch on her own, and very capable of his spells, that he'd made sure she learned and learned well enough to not use verbal means said alot. She had left Crabbe floating in one of the towers she had left the message with him that next time she'd drop the spell so he fell a few stories on his head. Not that she thought it would do any real lasting damage. Lily had used tears when all else had failed to get her way through things. She knew as well as the next person that wasn't the proper thing to do. However, it had done the trick. Not to mention she'd been rather pouty that Severus kept smacking her hands when she had stuck her fingers into the food he was preparing for nips here and there. Though, he found out why later that evening have Petunia's husband over. In response to being told she was a touch slytherin she'd worn silver and green to dinner. A soft sliver tunic over a shimmering emerald green skirt buttoned heeled boots, mostly to give her height. Only Eileen and Severus would have even known the cheek behind her colors. It had been a lovely dinner aside for the presents opening that morning and the bruise Lily had used makeup to cover a peaceful day over all. She had not invited Tobias no doubt he wouldn't come in anyways. Lily had grown to distrust him the older she got and wasn't fond of being alone with him. She was a small pretty girl, but she was also every bit as fierce as her hair color would betray.The threat of living to regret it had been meant. Lily wasn't one to threaten and certainly not people who were going to be her family. However that was the very reason she had dropped that threat. Eileen and Severus had been under the mans ruling thumb and knew to fear him. Lily did not and she was Gryffindor on top of that. Lily was of a mind anything Severus gifted her with was special, small things brought her joy, even it he thought it was sweet it was how Lily had been even as a girl. Money wasn't everything.

Much like certain books, one did not own a cat it owned them. Lily was smart enough to recognize this fact and mind it. She allowed Snowflake to lick her what was the harm ? She'd not do it long given how snowy and cold it was out here. She dusted snow of the long skirts she wore and her hair. Snowflake decided that it was the finer point of valor to wait until later because it was darn cold outside. The problem that came with her cat, and Severus's owl was they were both very Slytherin and apparently far better than even Severus and Lily at not getting caught. Lily still held to the fact that she thought winged kitties would be splendid she could imagine they would be troublesome perhaps, but thre was no way she would rule out getting one. Like little kids anything small with fur and large eyes could have some of her affection. The whole soul-mate thing was another level but there certainly was something to the fact they shared a Patronus in her thoughts. They had been closer than close, even as children. He had been the one to hold her when she cried about Tuney the person she shared her dreams with. The level of atunement they had with each other was impressive. It couldn't be faked or immitated.So being the more otherworldly of the two of them even though she was the muggle born witch. Lily believed in it. Than again Lily was at heart a romantic, and always had been. Not that she wanted a knight on a horse to rescue her she was too Gryffindor for that. In Lily's opinion she could save herself but had no problem playing childhood games where she didn't have to. Crabbe and Goyle had learned better than to get into trouble wih the pair of them. Since where one was the other was too, oh certainly now that they were back together again they had there ways of playing the cards they'd been given. There anger at each other was because of the passion they shared it was something that was well above the normal.Though if they could still fight about it, they still had something to save. Lily had not told many souls what had occured between her and Severus. Mary, Alice and Marley were the only ones who knew since they shared a room and it was hard to have a cry when your girlfriends are worried sick. Not that word had not gotten around about it. Lily had not told her mother or her father because it didn't seem right to shadow there opinion because of a falling out between herself and him. No matter what happened they still cared about him too. It had hurt but it would have been wrong to turn those who cared for him against him, and no better than the people trying to pull them into there web. She had written to Eileen about it under strict promise that she would not tell Rose and Harold. Since she needed witch advice. Eileen had owled her back and told her that her son was not perfect, he came from a pure blood line no matter what his father had been, that she knew Severus loved her more than anything in his life. That he had to have been in a very bad place to ever say such a word. That what it actually brewed down to was could she accept it and forgive him, could she still love him and look beyond it, was she strong enough to love a dark wizard. That what her son was and what he would always be. Lily had to think on it. She didn't really have long before Slughorn who hated to see two of his favorite students at odds, detentioned the both of them and than locked them in. Lily had been shocked certainly and irritated but knew it took both of them to do the work. She had snapped at him for holding her hand, because it made her heart beat faster and her want to turn into him and hug him. She restrained herself and managed to put thoughts into words. They had leaned into each other and talked as they had talked before. Two months had done neither of them any good apart. His placing his barriers up never was notice by Lily, because she was past those and knew the boy behind them. It was than she had asked if he would teach her to guard her mind too, since what they had planned to do was so very dangerous. Lily was disciplined but needed it refined. It was the hardest path, they were on but it was something they would do together.

"Well I observe it, the romantic in me demands it. Though I don't believe all the hype attatched to it and its certainly not anything to loose any sleep over." she told him with a shake of her head. She was still examining each of the small charms with a child-like curiosity of what she had been given. She glanced up and leaned up to kiss his cheek at the blush. "Its what makes you, you and I wouldn't want you to say such a thing to anyone else to begin with." her tone soft as she peered up at him through her lashes a faint smile on her lips. There Valentines Day were often observed with chocolate and reading. Lily didn't feel it a absolute need to go out. She loved him every day of the week much like he did her. So it was observed but not overly important. She didn't need a day to dance with him, she'd dance with him any time he wanted her too. Even being her favorite warm spot,sitting somewhere with her stretched out her head in his lap and reading, his fingers in her hair. A common place for them even though he never noticed he did it alot of the times it was a comfort for him she knew. "Oh my...well if tells mine than I know I am in trouble." she said as she tossed a glance to the surroundings. "I didn't quiet tell mine that you and I were slipping off to be alone, I told her I had last minute things to do as Head Girl which I do...I have gotten most of the stuff, I have a new robe and gotten my badge I got the candy needed..but..I didn't quiet tell her all of it." she murmured."Mostly because were of age and while I love my family don't get me wrong, I don't feel they need to know every intimate detail." Lily merely raised a brow at his mention of her being Slytherin and she shrugged her shoulders slightly. "The reason was for a good purpose." she said simply. Lily knew that it would work but she didn't often pull that sort of thing. "She deserved to have a family outting as much as my sister and that pig she calls a husband." she said and bit her lip. "Vernon, I mean." she murmured flushing slightly. He well knew that Lily didn't like the man. She still thought Tuney settled for someone with money rather than someone she loved. Lily had accepted the smacks to the back of her hands when she had tried to snitch food, but had often countered by nuzzling him or kissing him to snitch it. Lily had to think Slytherin when dealing with slytherin."I have told her, time and again she is fine, it skipped her but she doesn't hear very well, she worried about her children too, I told her firmly that she needn't worry just not to marry a cousin..." she said with a shake of her head. "Bella now, she got all the crazy." the red head said and was sure of herself. Bella had set herself up as attempting to be Lily's worst nightmare and that only worked so well, since she was as much a match for her as anyone was. When he winced though Lily smiled at him "I know you shouldn't have to get use to it, and I will always stick up for you but still..." she couldn't do much for him other than be in his corner when things happened. She had tried not to laugh to hard when the last person who'd nailed him with a snow ball, had alot of snow dumped on them. They had it coming of course, since if he's not involved he's an innocent bystander, but one more than capable of making his will known. Lily knew he would grip about going to balls, he really saw no reason. She liked to get out on occassion and music and dancing was always fun and she wouldn't go alone. The whole murder thing did bother her as much as she put of a pleasent face and carried herself like it didn't. It was a waste of life and if she could help put a stop to it. She would. Dumbledore already knew her stand on the subject and she was a firm member of the Order. Though her first alligence was to her husband to be and there shared goal was to help as many people as possiable. "Well, he's spooked with the War you know, I think ahh your friends." her hand slid discreetly up his arm to the mark. "Might be pressuring him." she whispered softly. "Last time I talked to him at length he was saying Slyhterin certainly isn't what it once was." she kept her voice low. "I fear he's going to hide from the War, he said its no place for a Potion Master, and I don't think Horace has it in him to be in this war, I hope he goes somewhere safe." she had a certain fondness for the old man. As much as she gave him cheek. She laughed softly about being thralls of the Snow Queen. "Well mind the weather and don't get a sliver in your eye." she answered. She knew the fairy tale of the Snowqueen, she had shared those with him as much as he had given her the stories of the magical world. "I could use something warm to drink." she said wiggling her fingers "I misplaced my gloves--Again." she said rolling her eyes lightly. "I don't mean to but I set them down for a second and move away and there just gone." Lily shook her head faintly. "So how grounded do you think I am tomorrow ?" she laughed good naturedly leaning into his arm Snowflake curling around her shoulders to keep close and warm.

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[x]♥Status♥Finished
[x]♥Words♥2790
[x]♥Tags♥Sev
[x]♥Notes♥ Nope
[x]♥Music♥ Wh Don't You And I-Chad Kroger and Santana
[x]♥Clothing♥ Ankle length patch work dress, granny boots with a heavy fur trimmed pancho , gryffindor scarf and fur trimmed hat. Messenger Bag with various things, a few boxs and enough candy to give anyone sugar shock. Oh and a plotting and scheming white cat called Snowflake.

[Severus Tobias Snape]

WALK BLINDLY TO THE LIGHT
and reach out for his hand .

don't ask any questions
AND DON"T TRY TO UNDERSTAND

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Severus knew full well that Lily was a fan of bad weather, she loved the energy and the passion, and given her knack with old magic, almost druidic in nature, there was little surprise that the most powerful shows nature could put on would be those that she would feel drawn to. He also knew that rain was cold and a lot of it could make a small girl sickly, and with a perception that bordered on the uncanny, he knew when she might have…ah…forgotten her coat. He wouldn’t complain though, he was quite willing to get soaked with her. The two of them had always just wound up being there for the other, it had been only natural that they would grow closer over time, and with that they gave each other the power to hurt each other in a way no one else could dream of doing, that much had been obvious when they had their falling out. It would be an easy excuse to say that Severus had had his buttons well and truly pushed by James, but he could keep control of his temper, it was something that he had kept a strong discipline over since, so he didn’t excuse himself over the whole issue as much as his mother had assured Lily that he must have been in a very bad place to ever utter such a word. Severus had not thought of moving on, as much as other girls sensing the esteem he could hold with the Dark Lord tried to turn his gaze their way. That he had hexed Goyle as severely as he had was a clear enough indication that his thoughts were not going to be taken from Lily so easily that any girl could replace her. The whole thing had affected Severus as badly, as much as he had patched Lily up when she had needed someone to cry to, she had been at times the only light in his life, similarly the person he went to when he was suffering in the way that he had been away from her, so Slughorn’s intervention had got a look from Severus, but he knew that it had been for the best, that they could either patch things up or one or both of them might have some kind of closure. He had had no sympathy for Crabbe when someone had finally safely let him down, he knew what would have driven Lily to that in any state of mind. Severus had had a private smile about that later on, the pair of them had been as talented together at charms, mostly with Lily’s drive in that area, as they had been in potions and Severus with hexes. There were very few people with whom tears would have an affect on Severus, the same went for him mother, Lily was one of the very few people who could pull it off with just one of them, let alone with both, and the fact that she was already pouty at getting the back of her hand smacked over food snitching would most likely have helped her cause. He had not had the most favourable first impression of Vernon Dursely himself, and Severus had cooked extra, there was almost a whole meal half cooked ready just to finish off, and that would serve for later in the week in any case, and he had had another platter of mince pies and a Christmas cake waiting to bring over which he had done with less discretion than he had his other contribution to the meal earlier in the day. He had simply smiled at Lily’s cheek and told her the colours suited her. They did in more ways than his inference that she had a Slytherin air about her but she could take that as she would. Petunia was frankly lucky that Lily still loved her, he would have had no problem hexing her for the bruise underneath Lily’s eye, but he would not do anything to her that would upset Lily of their parents as much as she might deserve it for acting like a spoiled six year old…which meant not all that much had changed as far as he could see. He knew what Lily had done for he and Eileen in regards to his father, and he knew that she had meant it, the two of them looked after each other, that was really all there was to it, he would kill for her, he nearly had. He would never try to buy Lily, he had never needed to either of course, she was not a possession or a pet, or a trophy wife, anything they did do however big or small was because of a love that was already there.

It had been a risk buying a kneazle for someone who wasn’t there at the time, at their best cats were known to be picky over their owners, kneazles were even more so. That Snowflake had taken to Lily had not been a surprise, but it had not been a sure thing either. Snowflake had certain views about how her human should be groomed, but the weather had cut her off at the pass it seemed. It was true that Snowflake and Othello were very Slytherin critters, and given that Severus had been caught sneaking out of the house, they were quite possibly better at being Slytherin than he was. Of course Severus could never have known that the two of them would share a patronus, it was certainly not something that he cared to complain about if he were honest, it was a link to Lily that he would always have. Severus did not know about soulmates as such, but he would be the first to say that their bond was closer than many couples who had been wed, they knew when the other needed something without words ever needing to pass between them over it. At the least, they were in tune with each other, higher up the scale, the soulmate thing was indeed possible. Severus would quite happily play the knight in armour, even if that armour was black, to keep Lily safe, not that, all worries aside, he felt that she couldn’t look after herself if that were needed. It was very rare that the two of them were apart in any case, it gave the message that if one were to mess with one of them, it would draw the ire of the pair of them, in this way they channelled those passions of theirs into making their bond ever stronger, rather than letting them go almost unacknowledged where they could spill over for better or for worse as they once had. The reason they had burned themselves, the reason it had hurt so much, was exactly because there was still so much there between them. It was why Severus had put his mental barriers up and kept them there, Lily could still influence him, if he could do nothing else, he could make sure that no one ever saw that and decided that she needed dealing with. Of course the migraines had put him in a foul mood more often than not, though he had learned to deal with them, especially once he had help from Lily. It would not have worked out as well as it had have done had Severus’ touch caused Lily to melt into him there and then, had she not snapped at him to remove his hand. The two of them had needed to talk, they had needed to resolve the issues they had between them and they had become all the stronger together for it. Severus had spoken to Lily, then Dumbledore and then Eileen before taking the Mark. He would have spoken to Lily’s parents also, but he knew that they could only let them in on as much as was needed to keep them safe, he had wanted everyone he cared about to know what they were planning, to give their own criticisms or advice on it, before they made that step. It was a hard path and it was one that affected more than just they, it had needed to be done. He knew that he had Lily by his side, that made it that much easier, and frankly he could do more from that side of the fence, whether it was tossing children into shelter and throwing curses people had a good chance of getting up from or gleaning information from those who trusted him more that would be dangerous were it not known to the Order. The hardest path, the one certainly carrying risk, was the one that would offer them the best chance of getting through this, and would allow him to help as many people as he could.

“Oh, I certainly think that it should be observed, it is a special day, but as I say, it’s not like you’re any less special any other day.” He was lucky he had already pushed down the blush or he would have blushed more at the kiss, he leaned in to give her a peck of his own, “Good, because there’s no one else I could honestly say that to.” She held his heart, with her romantic little soul, and there was no other woman who could ever be that meaningful to him. He knew that she liked dances and doing something special, as much as they could spend the time by themselves, with a cooked meal, chocolate and their love, he would only put in a token gripe and one that could never be taken as serious before he would be getting ready to go to the ball or to a restaurant or just to a secluded spot where they could gaze at the stars. He could certainly dance, there was no denying that when one saw them duelling for show, and would with her whenever the mood took one or the pair of them. He didn’t grimace, just about, “Well as I say, she promised us a day’s start, and she’d have known if I were lying or holding anything back, and I couldn’t have really at that point just because I’d been caught in the act, so she knows pretty much what I knew.” He had a shifty eyed look at that, he hadn’t exactly said that they would be staying at the Leaky Cauldron but they had to stay somewhere. He nodded, “Yes, she did, and I’m glad you managed to get her over there, she is as well if only because she admires how very Slytherin you were about it.” He patted her hand at the mention of Vernon, that was not something that was a good match in anything more than money, and that was very much like what he had seen over and over again in the Commons, in the balance, while he would never say to Lily that she had brought it on herself, he had to feel for her, if only because she was Lily’s sister. He didn’t altogether mind Lily sneaking away with food, he liked to cook, the food was right there and sometimes just as tasty not cooked, it was more a token protest as much as you really shouldn’t be out in this rain was, there was no rancour behind it. He pulled a face, “Yes, and she knows that does Andy, but it’s the world she sees all around her, and one that she feels she has to endure at the moment, quite possibly contributes to her not hearing so good.” He knew the situation she was in quite well, he was helping her keep up with two years of NEWT work so that she could leave a year early and still be fully qualified for where she wanted to be after school, she was disciplined enough to do it too if she could keep it up another five months. Bellatrix had found that she could not bully Lily, and now she had the slight protection of being Severus’ link to the Order. Whose double spy he was there were those on both sides who would quite readily believe he belonged to the others, that was what made having the support of those he did all the more important. A smile touched his lips for just a moment, “I know.” He wouldn’t join in, but he was quite capable of making his will known, Lily had smartly dodged but then she had known what was coming, just about everyone else in the immediate ten foot radius were not quite so lucky. Severus would go to balls with Lily, he just wouldn’t go just because it was the done thing. It was pretty much his position on it, his first thought was for Lily, if she wasn’t going somewhere, well it was a fair bet that there would be no force that could make him go of his own free will, or even against it. He bit his bottom lip as she spoke of his ‘friends’ “Well yes, I think they’ve adapted to what he did for us but they’re not altogether happy with it, it took me some doing to convince them that I was using you rather than being influenced by you.” He had found out he could lie under the effects of veritiserum that night, though he had not seen his drink spiked with it, he knew its effects. He shook his head, “It isn’t. It started changing when mother was there, even so it’s nothing like it was six years ago.” He considered himself old Slytherin, the Slytherin that knew that the values of being ambitious and cunning, that the distrust of muggles who had not been raised to respect the world they had found themselves thrown into did not suggest genocide. He sighed, he had heard Slughorn also and he knew he was not in a frame of mind where he could deal with the war, “I was thinking of offering to be a secretkeeper to hide him, maybe with Dumbledore, at least then he’s looked out for and there’s people that know where to find him.” It was part of the reason he had turned his thoughts to the Potions subject, his love would always be with Defence Against the Dark Arts, but he could see that the school could use a potion master as much as the Dark Lord might need one he thought loyal to him in that position. At the mention of Lily having misplaced her gloves, Severus took her hand in his gloved one, rubbing the back of it with his thumb, “Well I know a mug in the Leaky Cauldron that has your name on, or could do very quickly.” He shot a quick wink at the latter part of his comment. He shrugged, “Quite possibly grounded from graduation until Christmas, though I doubt it will be enforced by then, all with the proud of exam results. In any case, there’s little worrying about it will do for now.”

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[/color] ![/b] Two thousand five hundred and nineteen
tag ! Lily
song ! Shadowbeast – Escape Key
[green]notes[/green] ! Nope
other ! Nope

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[Lily Ann Evans]

SHE SAID WE GOTTA HOLD ON TO WHAT WE GOT

IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERANCE IF WE MAKE IT OR NOT

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Even with her being a fan of such weather her spirits dropped with all the snow. Given there was only so much she could do in snow. Lily was a small girl she always had been. She'd never quiet gotten the growth spurt that Petunia had. Petunia had shot up, so had Severus. Oh she had gotten curves but no height. She figured something had to give in response to being pretty and having magic. She didn't complain about it, she accepted it. The snow on the other hand. Was worrisome. If it kept falling, she'd keep trying to go out in it to do things and she was sure to catch cold. There was no hope for it. There was also no passion with it really. It feel steady and calm. Did not rage against the heavens or howl with wind. That part of the storm she liked. She could sit with a cup of coffee and watch from the towers all night. As a girl it was never unsual to see her spinning about in the rain, usually in her night clothes or a sun dress. She never strayed far from home. She knew she'd be in more trouble if she did. If it was really hot she would slip off with Severus to the lake. He had taught her how to swim after all seemed a shame not to use it. Lily had told him once or twice in a whisper she hadn't forgotten her coat. She just didn't want to wake anyone up getting it out of the coat closet. She would wear heavy jammies in the winter if she came to him and her bear slippers. It never struck the little girl she shouldn't be able to just drop off the roof and land on the ground without harming herself. It had just occured in the same way Lily could cause flowers to bloom from her will alone. Still the jackets were welcome, sometimes she brought a blanket with her and if he came to her bruised or battered she'd take care of him, in the same way he took care of her. Arms wrapped around him since touch and comfort weren't something widely given to him. Lily was a red head she understood tempers all to well and was still working at mastering her own. Her sweet nature often watered down her anger but not always and she had her times when she exploded her temper burned hot and her passions hotter, so when it was a case of both. Naturally they had hurt each other. Lily knew about his Occulmency and his Legimency she had been interested in it since they had talked about it. She was also interested in Animagus's if only because she was madly curious about it. Lily had only asked him at there fifth year to train her so she could block her thoughts as well, because it was the only way it was going to work with the plan. She had gone to Dumbledore with Severus and explained what they wanted to do. It might have been ridiculious had it been almost any other students of him. His Head Girl however, as he well knew was firmly rooted in the Order, she was a noble hearted person. Than you had Severus, who would do anything for the girl in question. There was an undefinable bond between the pair he'd noticed when they had gotten caught in Myrtles Bathroom, that time in there fifth year, he had also heard about there falling out from Slughorn who had been positively stunned. Albus had suggested he make Peace between the pair. That it played right into his own plans was also noteable but Albus wasn't all seeing and all knowing just a good judge of character. Lily and Severus were just that a pair of matching ends they completed each other in a rather yin-yang sort of way. He was the spot of darkness in her brightness and she was the brightness to his dark. Crabbe had cornered Lily when she had been alone in the towers, thinking to be a big man, and impressive and terrify the smaller red head. All it had done was serve to make her mad enough to hex him. Lily had not been kind in her hexs, boils and dangled upside down. She had placed him in a manner that he could have fallen out the window. Lily had pointed out the window and leveled her wand at the older boys nose and told him. If he ever attemped that again, they would be scrapping parts of him off the battlements for years to come. It wasn't a threat made lightly, and every word was meant. Lily refused to show the fear the degenerates seemed to feed off of. Refused to allow Bella to pick on her because she was a mud-blood. That term no longer effected her, after having the one closest to her utter it.It would just make her eyes darken and if she hexed the person in question it was usually worse than her normal hexs. Severus had the worse reaction to the word. When it came to tears, Lily didn't like to use that method but if it served to get her second mother over, than it was excactly what would be done. She knew all to well how to get her way she usually only had to ask she didn't press unless it was something she really really wanted. It had been good to have the extra food after her sister and her husband left. There was also the feeling of a pressure rising and leaving. Allowing them to be up late into the night in front of the fire place just chatting and talking. Lily had choose those colors because of his teasing her, which only led to more teasing on the same front, but when the day closed it was all in good nature.Much like when they were children her with her head against his leg, listening to everyone talk. The bruise under her eye would fade as she had told him it was what it was. Her mother had threatened to ground Tuney if she was still under her roof, because it had been childish. Killing for her was never something Lily wanted from him . There was that darkness in him, he made no excuses about being a dark wizard and a damn good one. He would but just as she knew he would , she would never ask such a thing of him. He was her's and she was his not in a possessive owning way but in a manner that simple was. They had been in love long before either even knew it. A love that had only grown stronger from childhood.

Snowflake wasn't alarmed that Othello had chose not to come with them, what did amuse her was he was an owl use to this type of weather but he was in the Owlery away from it. It was amusing to her to say the least. Lily was her human and she had to look after her mostly when her hair was all fly away because of the weather someone had to keep it tame. She never could keep ribbons in it. Snowflake suspected Severus but had not actually caught the boy stealing ribbons. Oh she'd caught his fingers in her hair. He petted Lily that was okay. This weather was something to be endured like all things that too would pass. She knew she just stayed close to her human and tried to make sure she was warm. Snowflake would go find Lily's gloves for her later and bring them back. Once she had warmed her icicles that were paws at the moment. It wasn't hard to slip out with the fact Lily and Severus were usually together and studying they weren't needed so it gave them a chance to wander. Patronus's had come simple to Lily she was usually a happy girl so she'd laughed when the doe burst forth and trotted around her gracefully. She had encouraged him to try and had been rathered stunned that first time when his Patronus manifested fully into a doe to match her own. Than there was Potter with his Stag. Lily had almost thrown a book at him. She had told Mary McDonald in a tone an inch of Scathing, that Potter couldn't leave her alone had to chase her in magic too. Though ought to watch himself too with his doe patronus as well. To define the term they were Soulmates. Soul mate is sometimes used to designate someone with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity, friendship, love, intimacy, sexuality, and/or compatibility. it was an appropriate term. By Severus's own definition of them.Neither had to play a single role they both played many in the various child hood games. Sometimes Lily could be the princess needing saving sometimes she rescued him. As long as they were together they were happy. It was likely more obvious to there parents, as the closeness of childhood only deepened between them. Obvious since they had been caught kissing by Tuney. Lily had wondered what the big deal was and had said so. Typical to Severus he'd shrugged about it not like he knew. She remembered it quiet well it was in there favorite clearing in the woods where the flowers grew up. She had told him to close his eyes and had leaned in and kissed him. It was completely innocent but made her feel warm and fuzzy and she had blushed brightly. She had encouraged him to kiss her back next time. She wasn't even aware Tuney had been spying on them until she had told her she might get pregnant and have freak babies, that could float or maybe claw there way out like an animals. Tuney had said it to be spiteful, but Lily hadn't taken it as such and had told Severus they needed to go to the library right now since she had to do some important research on babies and where they came from. He had as always tried to protect her , tried to take the blame from her. They had a keen understanding of each other, that went way beyond the normal, they had been almost like a married couple even young. They had not quiet played house Lily wasn't a dolls and kitchen tyoe girl. Her excitement lay outside in the weather, playing imaginary games, that weren't so imaginary. Though they had realized they could cook, and had made cookies one day when no one was home at the Evans, as Tuney was off with her older friends, Harold was at the office, and her mother was working at the Coffee Nook. They following year they had actually planned out a nice meal for her parents anniversary. Petunia was out at the mall, Lily took herself and Severus to see the movies. It was a double feature at a run down old theater. The Wolfman and The Creature From the Black Lagoon. They had a presence together that most people didn't. The little boy dressed in clothes a bit to big for him, or the girl with the bright hair dressed absolutely opposite of him, in a sundress or long sleeved shirt and cordarory pants. Even than the two of them were close together and during the Wolf Man it was safe to say they were sharing a seat.It could be seen discreetly with Lily holding his hands on occassion. The older they got the clearer it was. Maybe if they had set down and defined what it was between them was what they both assumed it was there wouldn't have been a blow up over James Potter fancing her. Lily was the one good with words but she didn't have them, she had not slept well since that night she'd cried herself to sleep after yelling at him outside of the Fat Lady when Mary had told her. Lily had let Marley cuddle with her only because Marley looked like she'd cry if she didn't. It was the problem with being the mother, if you were upset the rest of your friends were either on tip toes around you or effected by your mood. She'd numbly listened to some of her less close friends tell her she was better off without him. They just didn't know.She had snapped at him yes she had when he'd put arms around her to help improve the hap hazard way she was stirring. It was so framiliar from how they had been she'd wanted to cry. She'd wanted to hit him for making her want to, she wanted to collapse in his arms and cling to him, to plead with him not to go down the path she couldn't be with him on, to not let go of the soul that belonged to hers. Her uncertainty had led to her snapping at him about hold her hand as she had the stir pattern now. She knew the sharpness of her tone made him recoil, it was enough to get her head on strait and talk to him. She had asked him if he'd like to know who she fancied since obviously he needed enlightenment. Her answer had been the same boy who had slept with her on the roof of her house under the stars in summer, the same boy who'd let her squeeze him tightly during the Wolfman (she didn't mention he was hugging her back pretty hard to) the same boy who'd kissed her in the rain and I suspect nearly killed one of his house mates for I'll go on a limb and be arrogant , me. She had held up a hand and told him she wanted no more apologies all she wanted was him to think about what he was doing to himself, what he was going to do from there on out. If he wanted her in his life still that she couldn't bear to see him walk into darkness without so much as a light. by the time they were done, they had a plan. It was dangerous, and it was something that could get them killed if they lacked complete faith in each other. With the air cleared about just who Lily Evans actually fancied it was much easier. He had no fear she was going to run off with another boy. She would live her life running, especially when they had a family some day, she refused to be a coward. She was a Gryffindor through and through with all that entailed, including that bravery in the face of danger. She couldn't run and wouldn't and she knew he felt as strongly. So there only real option was to talk to Dumbledore. It wasn't the easy path, but it made Lily more valueable alive than dead as well.

"Well I know that and I feel so much the same Sev." she murmured as she peered up at him through her lashes. "Thats why we make an appearance at the Valentines Dance, and we slip off early..maybe we can slip here and fix ourself a meal and have a nice little evening just you and I and possibly Shakespeare.?" when he leane in to return the quick kiss to her cheek lily smiled at him and turned her head slightly so he caught her lips instead and tossed him a devious little grin. "opps" she said though was clearly in no way sorry for the little trick. "Of course I can not promise how much attention Shakespeare would get." Lily was not one of the girls who played with heartstrings, she loved deeply , fierecely and passionately she made no excuse for that. Still her words were low and soft and meant for his ears only. She was also well aware his gripes were only token in nature and that he would be looking foward to just being together no matter [i[what

[/i] they were doing. Of course there was no question of wither he could dance on the dueling floor, it was clear he could he was fast and he was graceful. Lily was nimble and graceful so it made for an interesting pairing, she was good at being missed when in a duel. When play dueling with him, usually for her father in the back yard, they were rather impressive and anyone seeing them could tell they worked almost as a single fluid machine. He would throw a hex and she would block and return volley. She didnt know if it was the same with other couples, but it certainly did with them. Lily's romantic nature was not something she could help it was simply part of who she was. She held firm beliefs about a few things.Mostly over from her parents and what they had. Sure she'd asked him to dances, and other times waited for him to ask her. She'd never ask him to marry her she was independant but the romantic in her wouldn't allow for that. She would be forward with him, she'd taken the iniative to kiss him when she wanted to but they were so very in tune it was eerie. She brushed her fingers into his hair and smiled up at him "Ah, well your mother is good at that, so is mine." she said "I ..blanked with trying to explain myself fully..mostly because she'd likely get more out of me than she'd like to know." Lily rolled her eyes faintly at that. "Its really not such a good thing when she starts asking things I just blather on like I can't keep my mouth shut, and while I am not ashamed of anything I--we have done, some things are ..private." she knew he'd understand what she meant, she was always so close to Rose. Again she nodded her head "Well I love her like a second mother, I saw no reason for her to sit at home alone, or waiting for your father to come home." her tone going slightly icy at the mention of Tobias. "If that is the only way I can get her to dinners than so be it, I would do it again without another thought." he patted her hand and Lily sighed "If..if Tuney loved him I would not be so bothered, but its more like shes trying to escape mum and dad...me." she raised emerald eyes to his. "It doesn't settle right with me, I'd rather be poor and living in a shack than have all that and not love the person I am with, you can't put a price on love, on desire on affection..but leave it to my older sister too." Lily took the swats to the back of her hands for the first few times, than she bit him. Not hard enough to break skin, hard enough to leave a mark good thing for high collars who knew what her sister would have said to that. Nothing if she were wise, but this was Tuney they were talking about. Lily chewed her lower lip all her dear friends were planning on escaping from the War, Lily knew it. There would be a large marriage ratio , than there would be a large divorce ratio once the fear of the war had faded. Not to mention the baby boom. it was in the history book honestly. "I just don't want her to do something silly..you know." she said "We can teach her all she needs to pass school and to shield her mind, but we can't hold her hand out in the real world, and she endures, and she endures but she should learn to live not just endure." she was to passionate to hide and she couldn't imagine that Andy would hide forever.Bellatrix had been given a warning shot with his pet spell, she had missed her on purpose. Not the lock of hair near Bella's ear. Lily wasn't going to be bullied and she wasn't afraid of Bella though some might say she should be. Lily knew she hated mudbloods, and thats all she'd ever be to her. However, Lily had pointed out it would have been insulting had it come from someone of importance and not an inbred bitch. Yes, she used that word. Not often would anyone hear swears from the small red head, but she had that infuriating temper. Lily had been a little hesitant to stand up for him after the incident with Potter and Black when he'd called her that name. Still it came natural to her and she couldn't just turn it on or turn it off. Lily loved him. Lily had not just moved she'd gave herself a good tumble in snow to get out of the way. She knew she'd be in the Hospital Wing suffering the flu if she'd gotten dropped under that much snow! She had pounced him though knocking them both into a drift but giggling in spite of the cold snow spilling down her top and plasterin her hair to her face. That was the story they'd come up with and she had been shocked but pleased he could lie under Veritiserum.It would serve him well. Did Lily have any fears for it, only that she'd loose him and be alone. He needed that one person who could strip away all the layers to the boy underneath and that was what Lily would do. They were fighting this War to save people, not loose each other."Its not there place to choose that though, oh of course filthy blood." Lily said with contempt and a wave of her hand. "Let them mess with me, and see where it lands them. They'll also find out Sluggy is far smarter than he lets on to be." she said and a faint smirk touched her lips and lit up her eyes. "Sides, I have no problem with physically taking my agression out on them if they push me to that." she had done it before and Slytherin girl now stirred clear of her. The girl's nose had needed magical healing to not appear broken. Lily knew how to hit Rose had shown her. Lily didn't hit like a girl. "Do you think he'll last another year at Hogwarts, or that he'll go before that ?" it was an honest question from her. She knew Slughorn wasn't fit for a lifestyle of War, he cared too much about his students to ever possiably hurt one, no matter the side they were on. "I'll secrets keep with you after all Francsis needs to be looked after too." she said. Francisis being the Lily Petal Fish she'd made for Slughorn because it had delighted him. "There are small villages peppered all over the place, where he can hide...but finding something he likes will be key." she murmured. "Your going to be a Professor aren't you Severus ?" she asked with an arched brow. She leaned against him when he rubbed her fingers, they were cold now that she noticed them. rosy like her cheeks. She was thoughtful as they walked one hand clutched to Snowflake who made a excellent impromptu glove and the other in his hand. At the wink shot her way Lily colored slightly and giggled. "Good to know I bring the best out of you...theft and delinquency included amongst these traits." she teased. "Wow think we can get off for good behavior for Easter..only to be grounded again when we slip off easter egg hunting." it was her turn to shoot him a wink. "Not that I can think of anyone better to look for brightly colored eggs." she let him lead the problem with her eye color was she became color blind easily and it was so white out. She was still alert though thoughtful. "You know...you'd make a good Professor." she admitted. "I mean you've taught Dark Arts for years to people who'd listen." the softer snow flakes fell and was turning into bigger ones which only made Lily smirk. "Oh, we may well be snowed in."
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WE GOT EACH OTHER AND THATS ALRIGHT

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FOR LOVE WE'LL GIVE IT A SHOT[/color][/center]

[/b][/color]Finished
Partner In Crime!!![/color]Sev!
Word Count!!![/color]4417
Music!!![/color]Everytime-Brittany Spears.
Lyrics!!![/color]Bon Jovi-Living on a Prayer
Notes!!![/color]
Wearing!!![/color] Ankle length patch work dress, granny boots with a heavy fur trimmed pancho , gryffindor scarf and fur trimmed hat. Messenger Bag with various things, a few boxs and enough candy to give anyone sugar shock. Oh and a plotting and scheming white cat called Snowflake.
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[Severus Tobias Snape]

WALK BLINDLY TO THE LIGHT
and reach out for his hand .

don't ask any questions
AND DON"T TRY TO UNDERSTAND

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The country had been blanketed with snow for much longer than would have been expected. That there had been a white Christmas had been a moment where people had become excited about it all over again, but the snowflakes had continued to steadily fall and the land was uniform in its whiteness. It was a depressing sight, and not just for those who had no use for snow at all. It was true that there was no passion to it, it didn’t have a storm, howling wind, thunderously brooding clouds or the deluge of rain, it just…was. Severus’ own thought was that it was magically induced, and he certainly knew that magical or natural, there were certainly people taking advantage of it to cover dark deeds. Severus had never fussed at Lily for long, he had simply been there, with a coat if needed, though he was by no means forceful about it, in all likelihood if she really didn’t want to wear more than she was already, she wouldn’t, he was simply there with the option for her to. Severus had taught himself to swim, so he really didn’t have a professional instructor’s advice to draw upon but he had managed to swim well enough and it was perhaps a testament to the fact he was a natural teacher, as he would show in Defence Against the Dark Arts, that he had been able to teach Lily. Of course Severus had known that Lily jumping off the roof had been magical, the same way animals were attracted to her and flowers bloomed just for her. He had taught her what he could about magic, what his mother was teaching him, and about the magical world, He was wary about muggleborns coming into school, because they had not grown up respecting, or even knowing about, the world that they had found themselves thrown into, and many considered magic a new toy without care for the repercussions misuse of it could have. He didn’t hold that against them in the genocidal way that others in his ‘circle’ did them even existing, but he had done what he could to help Lily prepare for school. The two of them looked after each other, of course there were times when Severus was vulnerable, and one time where he had been beaten pretty much within an inch of his life, had his mother not been teaching him occlumency, had the fear outweighed the anger, both of which he had tried to suppress, things could have ended extremely messily that night. Their passions were strong and their tempers were explosive as they had both proven. Severus kept a tight rein on his now, though if the two of them had have sat down and just talked about their relationship before that incident things would have been different. Though it perhaps would not have left Severus in the position where he was able to get close to the Death Eaters to do what they planned to do, as dangerous as it was. Training Lily in occlumency was important, she would likely not be able to keep the Dark Lord out, oh she could get him out but not before he had seen something, Severus was the only mind completely closed to him, but there were leglimens among the Commons, Severus knew who they were though he had not been invited to learn such information, and so of course Lily knew. They had to be careful about that, the wrong person picking up the wrong thought would make things complicate to say the least. Of any two other students the plan would have been turned down and quite rightfully so, for one it meant that the Order, or rather Dumbledore and Lily, would have to trust Severus to give the Death Eaters enough to stay useful but not enough to seriously harm the Order, they must also trust him to pick and choose what to tell them, though Lily had a say in that, from the other side, lest a leak be too obvious. And this of someone whose mind was forever guarded, but there was that bond with Lily, there was also the fact that he was, beneath the front, beneath the fact that dark magic ran in his veins, a good person. Lily could see that, she had seen the little boy grow into the man he was, the rest…well they could keep an eye on him all they liked, but conflict, however mild, was somewhat inevitable. Severus also had other plans, he was not the chessmaster that Dumbledore and Voldemort were, but he could see ahead to taking the role Slughorn was seriously considering vacating, making him ever more useful to the Dark Lord and possibly able to choose the Death Eater…‘excursions’ he went on, likely the worst of them or where he knew children may be in the firing line to do what he could from the shadows to lessen the blow. This could only work with people who were as close as he and Lily were, the relationship alone had people who were certain it was a sham among the Death Eaters, that was the plan after all, add to that those of the Order who don’t quite trust it, and the fact that Severus had to maintain the lie the Death Eaters believed meant that if they didn’t know each other, if they didn’t trust each other completely, well it wouldn’t work and that was why it had to be those two. It was why Lily knew everything, why they decided between them what each side should know, there would be no secrets, no doubts between them. Crabbe had received no sympathy from Severus to say the least and his partner in crime, Goyle…well considering he had been silly enough to say such things in front of one the Death Eaters had only just sunk their talons into, at a time their pet potionmaster and dark wizard was not quite theirs, he had been given a ticking off. They hadn’t done that in front of Severus but Goyle was not the best at hiding his mind, that much was for sure. Lily was doing entirely the right thing in making threats and backing them up, it ensured that she was not going to be kicked around, whether just because or some scorned girl had her thoughts set on matching with Severus if not for her, of course that had stopped when one girl had made Severus an offer in front of the wrong company, not that she would have got a different answer from him, nor saved her the wrath of a scorned redhead. Where there was fear among the Serpents’ Den, there was respect, however grudging. Eileen had not regretted going to the Christmas dinner, of course, and Lily had had experience getting Severus to balls, it was certain that she was going to find a way if she needed to. There had been an atmosphere with Petunia and Vernon there, at least two of them wanted to hex the former for throwing a present at Lily for one and as for Vernon…well reaching for food was liable to get one’s hand bitten off. Of course Severus had planned ahead for that, they had known before time Vernon was coming, fortunately. The whole thing had been more relaxed, and of course friendly teasing and cuddling in front of the fire once everyone had had their fill was more than welcome. Severus neither hid nor excused the fact that he would kill for Lily, that he nearly had. He was a dark wizard, that didn’t mean that he used it as an excuse by any means, but it was not something that he would hide either. Of course there had been love long before they had known what it was, they had nearly found out too late, that was a mistake they were not going to make again, both of them knew all too well what it felt like breaking their hearts.

Othello was a creature of the night and so used to the cold. However, that did not mean that the bird didn’t have brains. It was more than cold, the snow would melt and turn into water as well which his feathers could deal with but it simply was not necessary for him to be anywhere but where he was warm and snug for now. Snowflake could think what she liked on the matter. Severus knew that Snowflake suspected that he was the one that pinched the ribbons, kneazles were smart, the best way of evading that was quite simply that Severus did not know he was doing it himself half the time, that he had never been caught really said a lot. It had taken a few tries for Severus to bring about his patronus, but he was not one that would give up because he happened to fail the first time, as rare as that was. He had been surprised to see that it matched Lily’s, but it had brought about one of his rare smiles, especially at how happy her own, and then his patronus made her. He had been less than amused that Potter’s had suddenly come about as it had but then the two of them didn’t need an excuse to be at each others’ throats, James didn’t even know Severus could cast one. Severus certainly knew a dictionary definition of the term soulmate, and it was certainly a reason he didn’t dismiss the notion, what the two of them had simply fit, and it always had to a degree. They were deeply in tune with each other, in a way that was only possible if they shared something deeper than their feelings for each other as powerful as they had been. Their childhood games had not known gender roles, they had simply not cared nor had need to, whatever was a good idea at the time, well neither of them were the kind that they would make fun of each other. Severus would not have closed his eyes and kept them closed for anyone but Lily, and he had been surprised, warm, fuzzy, confused and actually had colour in his cheeks, which was rare. He had kissed Lily back the next time as she had suggested, they didn’t quite know what it meant, it was innocent, but of course Petunia had had to add her bit to it and worry Lily. Severus truly hadn’t known he was going to drop the branch on her, but he couldn’t say that he was sorry either. He had tried to reassure Lily that Petunia didn’t know what she was talking about, that people kissed all the time and babies didn’t spring up from them, but Petunia had put the idea in Lily’s head and Severus was tall enough for the books they needed, not that the librarian should have let them get anywhere near them, let alone long enough for Lily to write that report. He would have taken the blame for her any time, their mothers were used to the fact that when one of them did something wrong, however rare that was, they’d both own up to it to save the other and had once argued about whose fault it was in front of their mothers until they’d both been let off what they had done, and told not to do it again, before there were headaches all around. When they had found out that they could cook, especially since Severus could liken it to what he knew of potions, really there had been no stopping them. They would later on tear potions apart and rebuild them, they had done that to recipes long before they were ever in school. They were young adults before their time really, Lily was motherly and taken to looking after people and things, Severus had had to grow up quickly because of the environment he lived in, so that they had a presence that gave off a husband and wife vibe was not altogether surprising. They had taken it for granted to a degree and that had really been their problem, they had never actually thought about it, then teenagers get insecure, especially under the stress of the problems Severus had with the Marauders, things had simply come to a head. Severus was not one who words came easily to but he had had to find them, which simply weren’t coming. So he had fallen into what came naturally, she was stabbing at the potion, it needed a stir and a gentle one at that, and showing came easier to him than telling, especially as she had snapped that she wasn’t doing anything wrong, going as far as to suggest maybe he had put the wrong stuff in which was next to impossible under any circumstances. The familiarity had not been lost on him, and he knew that to just slip into the familiar without talking would do them no good, but he had simply not known what to do. Severus had been under no illusions that he had screwed up over the whole situation and had mutely listened to her words, giving the slightest of nods at the mention of nearly killing over her. He had explained to her why he was closed off, why he hadn’t met her eyes, that he had headaches keeping his barriers up but that he must, because the moment a leglimens got how he felt about the situation…that what he had done over Lily had made the point stick because they thought that with that one thing aside, he believed the same as they, and when she asked if he did the only answer he could give her, that he could trust himself to be able to say, was that he wouldn’t keep his barriers up if he did. Things had fallen into place from there, once they were able to actually talk, and they had made that plan, because he was in too deep to walk away and they both knew it. They could regret it as much as they liked, it was the truth. Neither of them were going to hide from it, there were no easy options and they weren’t looking for them, they would do what they had to do.

Severus smiled, “That certainly sounds good. Though perhaps it would save time if we pretended we’ve already had the argument over who is cooking and agreed we’d both do it together.” He took the ‘slip’ regarding the kiss as unflappable as ever, quipping as he interlinked his fingers with hers, “Saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch and palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.” He squeezed her hand and pecked her on the lips once more, flashing the ghost of a smirk, “I should think that Shakespeare may end up feeling the third wheel should he join us but I am sure he will get some attention. Initially.” Severus had studied dance while finding his duelling style, also fencing, and he had linked the two together nicely, having a brutal riposte while his footwork made him hard to pin down, he was as proficient in the arts that made up his style separately as he was on the duelling stage, or more realistically in the times to come the battlefield. They duelled for show and that was impressive to say the least, volley and counter volley that could stretch on for longer than some would imagine, all the while adding visual effects one would never find in a true duel, flame took shape and coloured sparks flew as the two worked as one fluid machine. Of course one thinking that that was how they duelled when it came to an actual duel would find themselves dangerously underestimating the position they were in. Severus knew that Lily was a romantic and he loved her for it, that while she would be forward on certain things others had to be done properly. He meant to do them properly, that much was certain, as was the fact that again, he was the one needing to find the words and time whereas neither came naturally to him, though in his pocket was certainly a part of that, that had been an impulse buy but one that had simply been right. He had faith that everything else would feel right when it was meant to, whether that was ten minutes from now or ten weeks. He nodded, looking rueful, “Yes, get one of us alone and they could get more out of us than Dumbledore and the Dark Lord combined.” It was true, when they weren’t trying to take the blame while they were together, just about anything could be got by one or both mothers getting one of them alone. He squeezed her hand, “Yes, they don’t need to know everything, though I shouldn’t imagine they wouldn’t guess. I think they knew about us being an us before we did.” He nodded, “I did ask her last year, tried to convince her, but she’s…” The word stubborn came to mind and fled before his lips could utter it, “I’m glad she had a good time. I’m sure she’ll come without tears now she’s been once.” He knew what he had in his mother, distance had allowed that, Lily had sat through his surly moments over her in their younger years. Nothing had changed on the matter of Tobias though, Severus would hurt him, and badly, if he dared show his face over the holidays, he was no longer a scared little boy in that regard. Severus sighed, “Petunia knows what she wants, you cannot live her life for her, nor should you have to.” Lily loved her sister, Severus knew that and would not try to convince her otherwise, “We know what is right for us, that we value love, not power, or wealth.” It was perhaps a kind way of saying she’s made her bed, let her sleep in it, though Severus would never admit to those thoughts. He only knew that he would give up anything to spend his life with the woman he loved. He had smacked Lily’s hand playfully, and had taken the bite in return. It had been another time she had been snitching ingredients before he mock grumbled at her to get out of his kitchen, which had led to Lily getting half of it through asking his mother who simply was not going to say no. People were running into marriages, and would run away from them, the only thing he and Lily could do was to be true to themselves and each other. “We won’t hold her hand in the real world, no, and she is already making her own plans, though she may need help those few months she is not of age. I believe she is going into the same area as Molly Prewett, I can only imagine that helping her cause.” Molly was already formidable, and Severus knew as close as they could be when Molly wasn’t around muggleborns Andromeda felt she would drag into trouble on her behalf, if anyone, or any few people, could keep Andromeda looked after until she had somewhere to live and couldn’t be called back at her father’s whim, it was the three of them, “As for learning to live, I think she can, but she needs a world around her that will let her, Hogwarts isn’t that place for her and nor is her family home. She’s stronger than most will give her credit for though, she’ll come through.” Severus knew what had happened between Lily and Bellatrix, it was hard not to especially given as she was one of those that did not quite trust him. He had handled himself well enough though, another not quite lie, an untruth spun the right way, he was as slippery, and when it came to it, as dangerous as a snake to grab hold of. Severus had tried not to get Lily in the blast but she had had to move quickly in any case, and the mood he was in he wasn’t quite as careful as he could have been. He had made sure he took the brunt of the fall into the drift, that was only fair given he had caused the situation in the first place. It had been a shock for Severus also to find out that he could lie under veritiserum, but he was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth in that regard, as much as he didn’t plan to have to overly rely on it, he would be more careful from now on. The benefit was that the Dark Lord trusted him, since he could not lie under veritiserum, he would not think that anyone was capable of something he wasn’t, that someone was in any sort of way more powerful or adept than he. “Yes, he is, and you are, more capable than any of them will ever give you credit for, that is their weakness, the inherent weakness in any ideology based on despising those that are different.” Simply put it was what they would need to rely on for this war. He bit his lip in thought, “I honestly do not know the answer to that. He is strong, but he is in a position the Dark Lord wants one loyal to him in, and I fear that he cannot hold that position for long.” He nodded, “We’ll look after him if that’s needed, and make sure that he’s happy where he is, or as happy as can be.” They owed him that much, possibly more than could be put into words. He thought about Lily’s question for a moment, “Yes, I believe I am. It’s something I would like, it’s also something that suits the Dark Lord, and he has connections.” He shrugged, “Not that he will need them, the Order will want an eye kept on me and being under Dumbledore’s nose will satisfy that, it will also make me more valuable to the people I am spying on for them, from both ends it’s a logical step if it’s a route I’d be willing to take in any case.” He shrugged, though there was the trace of a smile, “Well yes, I did take example from a certain swing, not that anyone will be surprised that you have an influence on me in delinquency other than the fact that I should have been the bad example in the first place.” He nodded, “Well someone needed to teach them, there was no way half the class would have passed the way things were.” It wasn’t like he had consciously set out to teach, he had fallen into the role and that had given a few reason to be thankful, it grudgingly so, towards him. He caught Lily’s smirk and responded with her tart comment with one of his own, “Well, it’s better to be snowed in than out, I think, shall we make our way there before the latter becomes a distinct possibility?”

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tag ! Lily
song ! Colours of the wind - Pocahontas
[green]notes[/green] ! Will make pretty later
other ! Nope

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[Lily Ann Evans]

She said we got to hold onto what we got

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It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not.
We got each other and thats all right for love we'll give it a shot
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Oh,we've got to hold on Ready or Not

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You live for the fight
When thats all that you've got[/color]
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Lily was also certain that it had something to do with magic, being in tune with it there was something just not right about it. She'd spend more time sick while it was on the ground than well in the coming months. She had no desire to go play in it like she did at first. It was fun still to play with her friends but Lily was of a mind to pounce people into the snow banks. Which was honestly a great idea at the time. Until the real world kicked in and she realized how small she was. That Severus was always there with a coat when she was ready to sneak out never failed to amaze her and never failed to get him a hug for his troubles. Most of the time Lily took the coat because she didn't want to wake Tuney up or her mother. Though Rose always seemed to have a sixth sense about Lily knowing when she was going to creep out onto her roof with Severus. That he had learned to swim in the lake outside his house wasn't missed on Lily who'd never learned so far, so when Severus choose to teach her she was a good student as she tended to be. She listened well and didn't try to do more than she could. Mostly she lingered close to Sev in the water so he could make sure she didn't go in too deep. He was a natural leader and he was really gifted with it. If he could help two dunderheads like Crabbe and Goyle pass up to there N.E.W.T's he was almost a miracle worker.

Lily had a step up from most Muggleborns having acess to Severus and to Eileen through him at least at first. He told her things that few first years should know. She was both appalled but fascinated by Dementors since they seemed to her to be her absolute opposite. Dark and Emotionless, where she was bright and passionate. Yes they terrified her and yes she had nightmares about them. Still she wanted to know more. It was why Lily was able to produce a Patronus early her fifth year. Complexe as it might have been. Than had been able to teach him as well she had been touched he had created the same one as her. Than very irritated by the fact that Potter managed to create a Buck. It was just there way of watching out for each other. The summer she'd had a pretty bad cold because she'd run around in the puddles at night when she knew better, though she'd never really not do that. She'd been too sick to come out and play. She felt bad for that since it had set up Severus to get hurt by his father. Still she'd been the person he'd come to rather than run and hide somewhere. Her mother would have given her an earful having a boy in her room, let alone in her bed. Had it not been such extreme circumstances. Severus was just a mess his poor nerves had been jangled beyond repair and he was shaken. Lily had gotten hot water and band-aids and did her best to patch him up. She herself wasn't very well. She had hugged him and told him it would be okay.He had clung to her and that meant there was no putting him to bed and leaving him there or sitting in her rocking chair. No he needed contact, needed touch needed to know he was loved at least by her. Than it had been the harder task of talking her mother down when she saw what had happened to Severus.

When it came to her mind Lily didn't pretend to think she was as good as her love.However it was that very emotion that would likely keep Voldemort out of her head. She made no pretenses she didn't pretend she wasn't passionate she showed affection openly, she wore her heart on her sleeve.Those happy emotions were usually running around her thoughts like a warm blanket. That would be how it was best described to peek into Lily's head. Being wrapped in a blanket of warmth an care. Dumbledore had been shocked and rightly so when his Head Girl to be had come to him with her questions and than with Severus. Had they not been mature students and only in trouble in Severus's case for trying to teach others Defense of Dark Arts.She had warned him it would be a thankless job and people would doubt and some would hate him. Still it was his path and she wasn't going to let him down it alone. They were both going through this together, there would be no lies, no lines and no secrets. This was there way of making a differences this was how they'd contribute. At the end of the day they did not belong to a side, they did not belong to a war they belonged to each other. Lily knew she was in a position where her loyalties could be questioned as well. Since most of the Death Eaters looked on her with either disgusted indifference or like she was someone's treasured pet. Even than, Lily backed herself up with word and deed. Few people wanted to mess with a girl who would back up threats, given most of the pure blood woman were concidered high society and didn't need to do such things. Lily on the other hand was as rough if not rougher than the men. Lily couldn't help she had inherited Rose's temper.

Christmas had been just fantastic for Lily, she had a great time even with the fading bruise under her eye. Petunia wasn't the smartest person when it came to Lily's friends. She knew how Severus was protective of her but still she wanted to pull her temper tantrums and she was older than Lily by a few years. She had fallen asleep across Sev's lap in front of the fireplace listening to her parents and her friends talking companionable it was something that made Lily feel at home and alright to doze off into sleep. It also was a fact that she and Severus were alot closer something neither of there mothers had missed. Ithad been needed since his taking the Mark. It was the fact that he would kill for her and had almost proven it to his own House Mates that worried Lily, he had admitted to it to her as well. That they had always loved each other was nothing to be surprised about however the strength of that affection was what kept them together.

Snowflake thought that Othello was just playing hard to get because he didn't want to go into Diagon Alley with them. She had told him so in no uncertain terms too. Still if she needed a place to stay she was good at perching herself on a perch and wrapping around her owl. Othello never seemed to mind and Snowflake didn't try to eat any of his friends. Snowflake only smacked fingers when they invaded the soft silky hair she was sleeping on, and never with claws out just a warning shot was usually all that was needed with Severus. Lily understood that James and Severus were never ever going to get on well. Meaning at all and she knew that she could only try to keep them away from each other. Not that she'd side with either of them, given much of there argument sprung from her. She didn't want to be the reason behind it, well one of the reasons anyways. That the two of them were soulmates simple was what it was. It had been a term that fit them both like a snug cloak and held meaning to Lily and her romantic nature. at least outwards. Not that many knew what Severus thought outwards because it rarely showed. Childhood had been all the better because he was in it, she was use to Tuney dominating there games, and dragging her younger smaller sister around with her. At first Tuney's protectiveness had be appriciated but than it had gotten to the point of trying to bully Lily into doing things, but she was a girl who knew her own mind. Kissing had been a curiosity she'd caught her mum and dad kissing before and she wondered what was so special about it. She had told him to close his eyes because it was how it was done once she was sure she wasn't going to miss or fall over she'd closed her eyes too. Trust was something that came hard to Severus but she never doubted that he'd trust her when she asked something of him. She had been pleased with the results, pleasently surprised even. She had even whispered to him softly she thought that the color in his cheeks was pretty on him. Lily didn't say what she didn't mean. Of course Tuney's whole temper tantrum had gone down bad. Than she'd gotten Lily in trouble since Tuney was a teen ager and should honestly know what was going on. It had led Lily to do research and of course her Partner In Crime was Severus. He had height Lily didn't and he could reach the medical books. Lily had written a very good clinical report. It wasn't from her own point of view because she had no idea of it. Most of it wasn't very appealing at that young an age anyways so there was no worry of her trying that or nudging Sev into it. Since as was known by both there parents if one had an idea the other was deffinantly on board for it. Lily had only written it for Tuney who'd than given it to there mother. Lily didn't try to lie, and she didn't try to get Severus in trouble for it either. It was her report. Still that didn't stop him from feeling guilty or them sticking up for each other even in the event of both of them being in trouble. Like swimming with there clothes on. Lily was smart enough to not point out it was better than swimming without there clothes on. Since they'd just be scolded all the more. Lily lacked any embaressment about her body she was what she was and there was no shame for that in her opinion. Tearing apart recipes came as natural as working potions with Severus would later. Lily had watched her mother closely helped in the kitchen so when the two of them had discovered they could cook. They were able to make meals that adults would be proud of.

Lily and Sev had played at being adults long before they had been, there was still something about Lily that was innocent in the motherly nature she had and how she wanted to take care of things. She nursed birds and squirrels back to health around where they lived. Severus had grown up so fast living with a father like his and the urge he had to protect her from things so naturally there was the feeling around them that said that they were a couple even before they were or maybe that was more appropriately said before they realized they were. Since anyone looking at the pair would see a wide eyed emerald eyed girl holding onto a pale dark haired boy far to sullen for his young years. Than toss in the stress of Hogwarts and growing older and the fact that they didn't discuss it. That is had taken the m word to shake her to her foundations. It wasn't even the word mudblood Lily had been teased with that before. It was coming from him that caused it to hurt. It had put them at odds in a way that would either make them or break them. They were fortunate that they had Slughorn who had forced them to confront it since he saw first hand the effect it had on Severus and the way Lily was putting herself off.It had been tense to be around him, hard to be touched and not turn into him for comfort, since when she needed someone to hold her it was him she turned to. It was the worst two months of her life up to that point, nothing not even Tuney turning her back on her had hurt like that. She had told him what she thought, had asked him things had discussed his options with him. There had also been the discussion about them even if he had up his occulmency it didn't mean his responses would be any less fatal if he felt she was in danger. She'd never be able to bring herself to betray him either and that alone said enough. She was and had been the balm to his emotions, the comfort to his pain and he was that for her as well. They were a couple that was all there was too it. All the stolen kisses in the rain the childhood games had matured into something deeper and binding as any married couple and stronger than many because the foundation had long been laid. It was over Amorentia that they made there own plans. Since he couldn't back out, and she wouldn't run from it. They only had one real option. It wasn't the first time his Lily had been Slytherin in nature and wouldn't be the last.

"Oh of course, we will simply both be cooking." she said with a nod of her head. Amused by his words since it was quiet true the pair of them had gotten into a debate over who should do what. That they both enjoyed cooking was also another reason behind it. He wasn't bothered in the least by the brushing of lips. A faint smirk on her lips. "Have not saints lips and holy palmers too..that they must use in prayer..O then dear saint let lips do what hands do, they pray-grant thou lest faith turn to despair ." she quoted back to him stealing both Romeo and Juliet and leaving Juliet to him again. He gave her hand a squeeze and Lily rubbed her thumb across his hand. than he pecked her lips again and Lily twined her fingers into his hair and brushed her nose across his affectionately. That she was the one use to showing affection wasn't surprising but it made her cheeks flush with color and her eyes light up when he did. It meant he was in one of his rare but affectionate moods which meant playful as well. She could have just melted into him at that point and forgotten the world. However there was the little case of being out in the snow and melted snow often led to the sniffles for her. Where upon she was pounced on by those who watched over her to take care of herself better. That they dueled was certainly for show the flashing of lights and the way that they moved all that was proper to a duel since it was really nothing more than for show the foot work and the movements needed to be present. Her father who fenced with her mother often enjoyed watching them duel. He had taught Lily and Severus both when they had begun seeking there own styles.Anyone who actually assumed that those were indeed the way things went would find themselves sorely pressed seeing as Severus never played in dueling and Lily was capable of having a cup in front of her if her transfiguration spells got through.

When it came to the romantic filled Lily was not a person who did all the things by the book. She'd been the first to kiss him and she'd been the first to iiniate anything between them. It was because she knew he often wasn't sure of himself or merely didn't have the proper words. Though he spoke eloquently when he spoke it was finding the right words that was always the hardest for him it seemed. Lily recognized this and for the most part did what she could to elevate the tension it brought with it for him. Lily could only giggle when he said that there mothers were better able to get more out of them than the Darklord and Dumbledore combined. She nodded and leaned into him as they walked. "Well, that is also very likely because what our mother's think matters to us and we love them and would not want to disappoint them in any way shape or form." she said with a sigh."I think they would grudgingly approve of what we are doing because its what we need to do to help others." she said "I mean my mother didn't totally freak out when she saw what the ministry sent, though Mary's mum and dad did...She almost wasn't allowed to come back." her tone had dropped into that low intimate whisper that kept them taling softly between each other and there attention to each other. Lily was of a mind that there mothers really didn't need to know what went on since it would most certainly get them both grounded or worse the talks that parents seemed to think they needed. It had been a needed little bit of tantrum to get Eileen to dinner and she did not regret doing it, she was just glad that her second mother felt good enough about it to come along of her free will again. "Tuney does not know what she wants, well not in the proper way." she argued "Its always like were in a competition I didn't sign up for." she said in a huff. Her eyes narrowed. "She doesn't seem to get I don't want the life she does and she thinks shes beating me to it. All I ever wanted was ---" she glanced up at him and smiled brightly at him."Was you." she finished.

As far as I am concerned she can hide out with me, with us. Hell mum would put her up too." she added "If she really wanted too." there were ways around it Lily knew as much. "Well there is also the fact your mother could pull something. She's a Prince and she knew Druella in school." Lily shrugged "Your mother's photoalbum says more than she lets on." she glanced up at him "So that might work, since you know Knockturn Alley isn't as scary for Purebloods." she worked in the shop as much as Severus had over there holiday. When it came to Bella she was one of Lily's mean spots. Lily didn't fear her so what if she was crazy, she also knew better than to throw certain spells, and Lily knew her shield charms were powerful, short of a chargeing Minotaur..and that had been early there fifth year. Lily wasn't afraid to throw hexs back, and nor was she afraid to use ones that would hurt beauty. she'd never use his spell unless she was sore pressed because her temper and the fact she had not as much control over it. She touched his lips with her fingers when he bit the bottom one. "Don't worry it too much it will bleed." she murmured and shook her head slightly. "I think Sluggy needs a chance to get away from it all, but I also think he might need an offer to do so...since he'd feel torn between leaving his kids and maybe even us." she arched a brow "Hey, I'm on your side Sev, the class does need teaching and we do need to watch out for the others, and yes the Defense Against Dark Arts Teachers get progressively worse and worse." at the mention of her swing Lily tossed her firery mane and looked away from him her lips pressed though there was no anger to it. "Oh, for the love of..." she began "That IS my swing, Severus." she folded her arms across her chest. "Oh well see I have an advantage of being looked at as sweet and innocent.." she made a sound "We both know that is so not true." she added with a laugh. "Ah well, being snowed out is for people who can't apportate my love. she whispered."Though your point is taken and it looks like yet more snow." she sighed deeply and shook her head.

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• My Partner(s) In Crime:Sev
  
• I've written this many words:3857
  
• I'm wearing this:Ankle length patch work dress, granny boots with a heavy fur trimmed pancho , gryffindor scarf and fur trimmed hat. Messenger Bag with various things, a few boxs and enough candy to give anyone sugar shock. Oh and a plotting and scheming white cat called Snowflake.
  
• I just want to note : That swing will always be Lily's no matter how old she gets to be.
  
• I was listening to thisWhy Dont You And I-Chad Kroger and Santanna.
  
• Credits: Living on a Prayer-Bon Jovi, This Layout Me...
  

[Severus Tobias Snape]

WALK BLINDLY TO THE LIGHT
and reach out for his hand .

don't ask any questions
AND DON"T TRY TO UNDERSTAND

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Severus was a dark wizard and he knew the taste of dark magic, the smell of it. He was not so in tune with one who could call on old magic would be, that was not possible in short, but to one whom dark magic came to naturally. It had only been on the very edge of his perception at first, but thinking about the weather being magically induced, particularly knowing that the werewolves were using the weather to their advantage, there was very definitely a dark magic taste in the air about them. The snow itself was not any different, it wasn’t any more dangerous than regular snow for any reason, but it shouldn’t have been here and that much was hard to unintentionally ignore now he knew it was there. He hadn’t been told about it so it wasn’t something he ought to know, but there were ways of finding out, that he was sure of. Severus hadn’t known how he had met Lily each and every time a coat was needed himself, he had just known. It was why the soulmates idea did hold some ground, that is was indefinable but definite all at the same time, and had happened over and over again. Severus had had little to do before he had met Lily, and he had no idea that really children should not be teaching themselves to swim. He had had a couple of hiccoughs with it at first, but he had had to grow up quickly, incredibly quickly, given that the relationship between his parents turned sour some time between his birth, and he assumed that he had his father’s name meant it had been after his birth, and his first memory. With that maturity, he had known to be safe, to be careful, there had only been once he couldn’t touch the floor of the lake he was in before he was quite ready, but he had managed to get himself out of that mess because no one else was going to. He had never let Lily get out of her depth, though he had grown a little before teaching her, so there was never going to be any danger. He wouldn’t have said he was a natural teacher then, but then, again, he had no idea that a nine year old shouldn’t be able to teach it. The truth was that he had a drive to teach, and there were people who were very lucky for that.

Severus had been taught early when his mother had had a mind to teach him, or as Severus had since learned, when it was safe for her to do so. He had also been taught the consequences of misusing magic, it was something that many pureblooded children were taught, even if it seemed that they forgot it given Mulciber’s actions in their fifth year. Severus had tried to defend him, somewhat without any hope of doing so given there was no defence for what he had done, and he would have done something about it except that Lily and Alexander, the latter being particularly aggressive in a way that made Severus wonder, had beaten him to it. There would not be many Slytherin that would guess that Alexander had done what he had done for Mary, and Severus only had a passing suspicion himself, but Severus knew what it was like to know someone meant a loved one harm, or had dealt them harm, Severus had nearly killed and that had when he and Lily had broken up. It could never be thought that it was Lily’s fault that Severus got hurt, it was his father’s. It was as simple as that. He shouldn’t have been in the position that a ten year old being well or ill defined how safe he was from his own family. Severus had managed to make his way over to Lily’s somehow, he had no idea how, it was the one place that he felt he would be safe after that incident. The condition he had been in, it was doubtful that he would have lived the night spending it outdoors if it were at all cold, so it was lucky he had made it. He didn’t know why he had gone to Lily’s room from the outside rather than use the key, he had some vague recollection of a delirious thought regarding it not being polite to walk through the family area in the state he was in. Not that winding up in Lily’s room was any better, especially not at night considering there were Rules about that, but he must have conveniently forgotten about that. There was also the fact that subconsciously, he knew that he needed to avoid Rose for just that moment, things would have been extremely very not good had Tobias still been at home when she had gone over, she didn’t need unforgivable curses, she was a Redhead. He hadn’t been in any fit state to complain that Lily was filling him with bandaids when he needed quite very possibly much more than that in that sense. He had needed someone to touch, someone to care, because the damage had not only been physical, it had gone much deeper than that. He was angry, frustrated, above all else very, very scared, he had still been stuck reliving it, he needed something that was not what was in his memory happening to him. It had taken a while for Rose to calm him down long enough to fix him up properly and it was a while after she had left before he could sleep.

Severus was confident that Lily could handle a leglimens trying to get into her mind, and that they would have a hard time getting anything useful. They had paid special attention to teaching her occlumency and with methods of dealing with someone having gotten in while she worked to force them out and they had taken it seriously, though Severus had once commented that if the Dark Lord were to peek into her head, he would explode from the warm fuzzies and that would be the war over. It was not something that he was willing to test, however. Ideally no one would be able to get in at all, but Severus knew that, without bragging about it, he was fairly unique with how adept he was. Severus knew that what they were asking of Dumbledore truly was a big ask, and it was one that would sow dissension in certain areas given that Severus was not exactly the most popular of people with certain groups before anything to do with the Death Eaters came into it. He and Lily had discussed it for quite a long time before going to Dumbledore, and then they had discussed it with his mother to get her opinion on it, they would have gone to Lily’s parents as well but…well in some areas the less they knew the safer everyone was, it wasn’t fair by any means but it was the way of it. There was no doubt between them that they were committed to this path, he knew that it would be a thankless job for him, he knew that he was going to be distrusted in both camps, that was ok by him so long as Dumbledore, and especially Lily, knew where his loyalties lay, it was the rare person that he cared over the opinion of in any case. Lily knew how to handle herself among the Slytherin, by extension the Death Eaters, she had never been one to allow herself to be picked at and that was something that would be very well remembered, especially as the Death Eaters whole MO was fear and she could inspire fear if ever someone piqued that redhead temper of hers.

Quite honestly, Petunia was incredibly lucky that Severus loved Lily, and Rose as a second mother, too much to harm one that was related to them. She was a petulant, ill tempered, self obsessed piece of work and that was listing the better of her qualities, or rather those that were mentionable in polite company, as far as Severus was concerned, and while he was not hostile towards her, he was as cordial only as needed not to cause friction at what ought to be a happy occasion. Lily tended to call it his mocking mood, when he was that little bit too nice, not that anyone who didn’t know him would pick that up given that he was usually as sullen as can be in any case. Severus had stayed awake a little longer than Lily, quietly adding to the conversation here and there but it hadn’t been too much longer since he had fallen asleep himself. They woke up under a blanket on that sofa that no one decided to own up to, meaning it was something to do with their mothers and there was little point bringing it up if one was hoping for a straight answer. It was not something that Severus would deny, that he had nearly killed for Lily, and that he would again. At least it isn’t something that he would deny to her even if he were capable, she knew far more of him than more or less anyone else could ever have claim to.

Othello was strong in his belief that he really did not need to be out here when it was nice and snug in the owlery, Snowflake could let him know what she chose. That the kneazle lay curled around him did not concern him, other owls were a little twitchy but they had no reason to be. All Severus had ever wanted was to be left alone by James, he had defended more than anything, but he had showed James that he would not be the victim, had he less control, or had he meant it, James would not have a face to look at in the mirror right now. James had stolen one of his hexes and used it on him, he had tried to break he and Lily up, and had almost succeeded, and he was generally unpleasant around Severus, there was also the fact that Sirius tried to kill him, Peter was…well he was a hanger on and more than a little creepy, then there was Remus who was the least objectionable of them by quite the distance, and had been as much a victim of circumstance, more so, than Severus but the issue would still be there, the Marauders wouldn’t be on Severus’ card list any time soon. That he and Lily were close had always been obvious, Lily had been the bright spot in a dark childhood and Severus had been taken with her before either of them knew what that meant, and of course friends was very definitely enough since most muggle children their age were still in the ‘ew cooties’ phase when it came to the opposite gender. Soulmates fit, that was something that Severus, for all of his stoic nature, was not going to deny between he and Lily, whatever anyone else might happen to think. Severus did not think much of Petunia at all, but as much as Lily knew that, as much as he could hide nothing from her if he tried which given no one else had a read on him said a lot about the closeness of their relationship, he didn’t say anything or act on it, he kept the peace as much as he could, though it had taken a look from Rose before he stopped casually using magic over the Christmas dinner to shake Vernon up, she knew what was going on well enough there. There was nothing that Severus would not trust when it came to Lily, not that anyone looking like her through means of a particular potion would have the same result, even when they were young, something deeper than their skin simply called out to the other when they were in each other’s presence. So of course, Severus was never not going to close his eyes when Lily asked, he hadn’t even questioned it. Of course, Lily telling him that colour in his cheeks looked nice made him blush all the more, it was always going to be that way especially because he knew that Lily did mean it. Severus had tried to convince Lily that they did not need to do that research, that it would be ok, that they were very quite possibly likely to be too young for that to be a concern, but that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t help her, he was always going to be there with her no matter the trouble that it might get them into with their parents. Of course, they were not going to do anything that they found out doing that, and Petunia, if she hadn’t known, really ought to have given that she was old enough to have a baby but young enough that she really, really shouldn’t. A lot of it didn’t make sense but then that was being a child for you. Severus was sure that Rose still had that report and dreaded what might happen if they had children to tell embarrassing stories to. Severus and Lily got into messes together, quite of both of their doing, and each tried to take the full blame, it was perhaps what made the few times they did get into trouble not so bad with their parents, neither of them would lie to get out of trouble, but would defend the other. Lily and Severus were just naturals when it came to concocting, to mixing whether it was mixing flavours, properties, preparing it in such a way that made something seemingly insanely out of left field come together and they had shown that early, it was what would lead into being as good as they were in potions, and the understanding that they had of each other when it came to that, they didn’t need to talk to know just what the other was thinking even when it wasn’t in the recipe.

Severus had had to grow up, it was as simple as that. Oh he had Lily and through her, her parents, but before he had met her, if he didn’t look after himself then quite simply he couldn’t expect anyone else to. He had not slacked off when he had people taking more of an active interest in his welfare than his father was and his mother could allow herself to. Of course Severus would have done anything for Lily even at that early age and his mother had found her potion ingredient stores a little lighter when there was a small critter that needed fixing up, he knew basic stuff even then and often he helped to speed the recovery. Severus had always had a somewhat antisocial air about him, he couldn’t really help it given the environment that he had grown up in, but there had always been something about Lily that had brought out the boy in him a little, though in turn it was that they were both so mature before their time that they could have been mistaken for a married couple when they simply went to the scare features at the cinema, not that the fact they clung together in the scary bits did anything to dispel that theory. The problem was that they had been blind to that themselves, or had taken it for granted, and teenage insecurities, prodding classmates, other classmates trying to eat away at the side of him Lily knew to bring him under their control, everything had escalated to the point where they all hit the button marked breaking point and the person that had been lashed out at had been the one person who did not deserve it and would be hurt most by it. He had realised what he had done very quickly, but of course it was too late by that point, not that he was bright enough in that frame of mind to get it, that trying to do something about it right there and then could only make it worse. Of course, that had left the Death Eaters a way in, they had taken a boy who was suddenly lost and they had filled a gap, bringing him closer to their inner core. Of course, they had a vested interest in he and Lily not getting too close to each other, the times that one or the other of them had not tried to meet the other’s eyes in passing had been wasted opportunities as the Death Eaters had grown quite adept at making sure that they didn’t get many chances. Then after Severus had nearly killed after an ill word towards her, he had realised that he was a risk towards her, that he had been drawn close enough to the group that they would harm anyone who had any other influence over him, that had been when he had taken his already considerable skill in occlumency and turned his efforts to having it in effect at all times which made it harder to read him, not that Lily couldn’t had they just been able to make eye contact. It had taken Slughorn to give them their chance and that had been a considerable risk for Severus’ Head of House, but of course Horace had known that, no Slytherin took a risk he wasn’t willing to pay the price to when the Piper came calling. It had been up to Severus and Lily to make the most of the chance that he had bought them. Severus had known that putting his arms around her, his hand on hers, to fix the stirring pattern had been a familiarity that might have broken them, something that could cause her to melt into him without their problems being discussed or with those problems still there, to push away from him. At that moment, he had only been thinking about the draught, given that he had been unable to put his thoughts into words. It seemed that the whole thing had brought Lily’s own mind into focus and broken the barrier between them talking. At that point, he could only listen to her, and answer her honestly, by the time the peace draught was finished, they had no need of it. Their relationship had always had a strong foundation, it was always likely to be the cast that it could be rebuilt if they had had that time alone. The amorentia had been a bit of cheek towards Slughorn for locking them in his classroom and being less than subtle about why, it had also been showing off to a degree but it had filled the time when they had needed to talk about the future plans rather than sleep. It was a dark path that Severus was walking down, but it seemed all the less daunting knowing that he had his light, and that he had Dumbledore’s backing.

Severus nodded, “And I am sure that it will just come together as a meal.” They both liked the same things in most cases, and they had a way of working together without even looking at each other at times, it was quite a sight in potions where one would deviate from the instructions and the other would just go with it without needing to say a word, it was something that transferred to the kitchen where they had first worked at tearing recipes and methods apart before school. Severus gave a wry chuckle, carrying on the line without a stumble, “Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.. Then move not, while my prayer’s effect I take.” Severus lifted Lily and spun the two of them a half circle as he brushed his lips against hers once again, “Thus from my lips, by yours, my sin is purged.. Then have my lips the sin that they have took.” It was rare that Severus was playful, it had to be said, but he and Lily had had a place to themselves for the past day, their own even if temporarily, there was no stress or pressure or exams or double roles, it was simply a case where they could be with each other, perhaps as they would be once school was finished, so if there was a time where Severus could be less guarded, now was certainly it. Severus was also pounced whenever Lily was ill with her friends having the quite unreasonable assumption that he had any more control over Lily than they were able to exercise, not that either of them were seen quite that often when Lily was ill given that Severus slipped potions into both of their cups to enable a much needed restful sleep. It had to be that way, the first time she had switched their cups, the second the draught had been in his cup to begin with but he got pounced for it after, so it went in both cups now or in the pot itself. Severus loved to duel with Lily, it was a dance and one that the two of them could take on the road together if the coming years didn’t look so bleak. It was good that he and Lily were able to do this, especially as they could put a lot into it given that each knew how the other worked, it was safe given that the effort was put into flashy light effects rather than anything remotely harmful, though there were ways of tagging those that ‘hit’ if sparring in earnest rather than in show was their aim. Another misconception if one watched Severus duelling was the thought that one might have a back and forth volley with him, if someone managed that then they were very good indeed. He was every bit the fencer in that regard, he moved only to block and often he made only one attack, which with the speed of his strike, the silence of the command and the fact that his mind was closed had very little warning either as to the fact that it was coming or what it was and how it may be countered. That was the most dangerous thing about his duelling, a curse that could neither be countered nor blocked, the person it weas aimed at relied on a dodge or a miss, Severus did not often allow the former and had never had a problem with the latter.

Some people might have been put off that Lily took the lead in some romantic situations. Severus liked and rather appreciated that she would, and that she knew it was not always easy for him to as much as he would in certain occasions. He was an eloquent speaker when he was in safe ground, and he could be so when he had to lie like hell to keep himself safe as he had, and would have to, among the Death Eaters, but give him a romantic situation and…well, he stumbled quite often, so it was fortunate that there had only ever been Lily for him. Of course, there was one role that she would not take on for herself and one that he would not seek to pass on, that of proposing, but he would look for an opportunity with that and do it right since it was one of those things where it really did matter. He nodded at Lily’s comment, “Yes, we wouldn’t want to disappoint either of our mothers, so it’s harder to keep anything from them, alas, they know this well.” Not that Severus minded, and the smile that touched his lips affirmed that, both he and Lily could think of both of their mothers as theirs given the friendship that Rose and Eileen had. “I saw the leaflets as well, mother filed them in the correct receptacle.” Tobias had received an owl given that he was a muggle with a wizard child, not that he was often home nor that the pamphlet was worth what it was printed on other than fuel to a fire. “Someone at the ministry has a lot to answer for, I doubt that Mary is the only muggleborn who had problems convincing their parents to let them come back.” What that leaflet had done had been to rob people of the chance to finish their education and what good was that if they could not look after themselves? Their mothers knew what they needed to, Eileen knew of Severus’ path since he and Lily had spoken to her before he had embarked upon it, Rose…unfortunately there was quite a bit that would only worry her without being able to do anything about it or would be dangerous to Severus and Lily if it were known by someone not able to hide their minds. If Lily had acted Slytherin in order to get Eileen to come to dinner, Rose had intimated towards her that her mission, and she’d damn well better choose to accept it, was to get Eileen to dinner. Eileen needed a Christmas dinner with family around that cared for her and she was going to get one come hell or high water. Of course, getting her over once was the battle won, she wouldn’t refuse to again. Severus pulled a face, “Petunia will come to realise this if it is true that it is not the life for her, all you can do is leave the door open to be there for her if and when she has need of it.” That was if the older sister was not too proud or stubborn should that day come but that didn’t need saying. His cheeks coloured a touch and he squeezed Lily’s hand, “Then we are both lucky, all I have ever wanted is you.” That gave more to the soulmates argument, that there had never been anyone else for either of them, and there never would be, that much had been clear to the pair of them when they were apart, there was just something within the pair of them that yearned, needed to be together and trying to deny it would ultimately do nothing but make the pair of them miserable.

Severus nodded, “Andromeda knows this and she only needs to ask, she will when she has figured out what is best for her.” Andromeda had goten on well with both of their parents, and Eileen and Druella had certainly been friends, close ones if the photos did not lie, “Mother’s shop does have a living area, either way there are ways of keeping her safe. And yes, mother and Druella were close, it makes me wonder what would have been had mother not married father, or if it were not such a stigma.” Severus would certainly not have turned out as he had now if he was a pureblood given Eileen’s line, but it never would have been possible. Eileen’s line was Le Fay, neither they not the Princes interbred as much as most wizarding families did, it was not good when old magic was prevalent in the line. He squeezed her hand again, “Still, no regrets there given where we both are now.” Lily wasn’t afraid of Bellatrix and Severus knew that this infuriated the Slytherin girl who was simply not used to people standing up to her and certainly didn’t like it. Still, she would behave, she would have to otherwise others would slap her down, not that Lily needed them to, given the plans that this relationship allowed the Dark Lord to put into place. Lily had had to learn his spell, and the cure to it, the first to defend herself if needed, the second so that she did not have a death on her hands, also because someone did need to know the cure, no one would have kept a death from being on Severus’ hands had he not snapped back to his senses and given his control normally, if it were that bad then at that very moment he meant it to be every bit that bad. He shrugged as Lily said that worrying his bottom lip would cause it to bleed, and wisely did not point out that he had seen her doing the same not all too long ago, that was a quick way to get a dirty look and perhaps counterproductive as a whole. “Yes, Sluggy needs to get away, he is crafty and clever, and the worst of those with their little vendetta will be graduating, but there are people with contacts that he would not want to see called.” It was a tough subject to talk about, Severus very much liked his Head of House, he was exactly the kind of Slytherin that Severus thought himself to be, that was before taking into account just how much he owed him. “If the situation comes up, then I shall take it, not just for the war effort on either side, but because it’s a job that I would like to take.” Doing something that one did not enjoy would grind them down piece by piece and he would not allow that to happen to him. He shrugged, “I need to get my Masters first in any case.” He smiled as Lily shook her hair, “I’d say only as long as you can keep it but we both know how that would end up.” Namely with them on the floor, they both knew that Lily was not so sweet and innocent. He squeezed her hand, “Yes, more snow and we shouldn’t be in it, the amount that looks to be coming.” Being snowed in would have been no idle threat were they not able to apparate, that was to be sure. He opened the door of the Leaky Cauldron for Lily as they reached it, “Would you like a drink and something to eat here or should we ask for something to be brought to our room?”

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[/color] ![/b] Five thousand and twenty one
tag ! Lily
song ! None
[green]notes[/green] ! Will make pretty later
other ! Nope

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