Chapitre Cinq- Remedial Potions and Mixed Emotions

That night, James met Snape in the library to start studying for the quiz they were having on Monday.

“So, it’s Thursday…the quiz is Monday…We’re studying for it now, because…?” asked James, annoyed more now than he’d been in a long time.

“Because if we don’t start now, you’ll never get it by Monday.” replied Snape.

He knew it would be agony tutoring Potter every night for two whole weeks, but agony seemed like heaven compared to what he was feeling like right now.

“I told you, stir clockwise. You keep switching! You’re never going to get this right!” screamed Snape. The librarian gave him a dirty look and he shut up.

I’m surprised someone so incredibly stupid can still be able to stay at this school, Snape thought to himself.

“Sorry, my mind is on other things,” retorted James.

“Potions is a precise practice; one not successfully completed with a pea-sized brain that can’t focus,” snapped Snape, “Besides, Slughorn was on to your little game with Evans. I just hate having to suffer for it.”

“What? It’s not like you have friends you’d be hanging out with right now.” James snapped back.

Snape was livid. For the past hour and forty five minutes, all the two had done was argue non-stop. The rage was boiling over for the both of them.

“At least I don’t make friends with losers.” Snape said quietly. He had never been the best at defending himself because he barely needed to, on account of the fact that people seldom talked to him.

James snorted, “Is that the best you’ve got? At least I don’t make friends with people who sit around and write notes in their textbooks on all their free time.”

“Wanker,” mumbled Snape. He was so agitated he got up and stormed out of the library, leaving James behind with all the people who had been eavesdropping on his own humiliation.

His books were weighing down his bag, causing him to lose his balance and fall down an entire flight of stairs.

Bursts of laughter erupted all around him. He was so angry he wanted to scream with hatred.

All of a sudden, footsteps approached him. A gentle hand was gracefully hanging in front of his eyes, waiting for him to take it.

“Are you okay, Severus?” asked Lily as she told the other students to go away.

“I’m fine.” Snapped Snape through rigid teeth,

“Sorry, but you don’t look fine. Want me to help you carry your things?” she offered.

“I told you, I’m fine. I don’t need worthless pity from you.”

Snape grabbed his books, ran all the way up to the Slytherin common room, and up to his dormitory, finally stopping when he got to his bed.

Laying down, he burst out crying on his four-poster.

“I’m a worthless git. Now wonder I have no friends.” he told himself with a shaky voice.

He decided he’d better stop crying, wash his face and get away from everyone to avoid more ridicule.

Slowly getting out of the bed, he ran to the bathrooms and began to wash his forehead and eyes, trying to eliminate any signs of past tears he’s shed.

As he walked to the library where he’d figured he would read a nice book for a while, he ran into Lily again.

“Excuse me, I should watch where I’m going,” she said, looking at the floor.

Contrary to the beliefs of his peers, Snape had feelings; and right now, he felt awful.

“I’m sorry, that was my fault. And I’m sorry I was mean to you earlier. I guess I’m just not used to people being nice to me.”

Snape realized how much of a loner he sounded like and decided just to walk away after that.

“Wait, Severus!” Lily yelled back to him.

He turned around and saw her walking over to him.

“Do you want to go to Hogsmeade with me this weekend?”

Snape thought she sounded pretty sincere, so he agreed and left.

James figured Snape wouldn’t be back anytime soon, so he decided to just go back to the common room.

“How was day one of hell with the Snivell’s?” asked Sirius, chuckling.

“It ended early, but it was still unbearable.” replied James.

Sinking into a comfy, scarlet armchair, he thought long and hard about what Snape was saying. He really did want to pass Potions, but he knew he probably wouldn’t be able to again.

James felt that all hope was lost until he suddenly lost track of everything going on. Lily was staring at him.

“Yes?” He smiled at her.

“What did you do to him?” Her face was filled with anger.

“Do what to whom?” asked James, dumbfounded.

“To Severus, did you hex him again? Did you yell at him? Did you make him angry? What did you do?” She bellowed at James.

“I just defended my pride. He was the one who started it all, the bloody git.” James said back.

Lily frowned harder, “He tries to help you with Potions and you yell at him? You made the poor boy cry!” she yelled.

“I made him cry?!” James smiled broadly and received a high-five from Sirius.

Lily kept frowning harder and harder, “Why would I want a bastard like you taking me to Hogsmeade? I’m taking Severus. He knows how to not treat others like worthless trash! Maybe you could learn something from him.” And with that, Lily stomped out of the common room and through the portrait hole.

She had no idea where to go. She walked up and down countless staircases, until finally she found it.

“Does this lead to the Slytherin common room?” she asked the painting. She’d never asked a painting a question like that before.

The man in the painting stared at her, “yes, why?” he asked.

“Can I go in? I’m looking for someone.” She was nervous, the man in the painting could tell.

“Well, sure.” The man smiled, but didn’t swing open, “what is the password?” He was glaring at her now.

“Um uh, well, I don’t know. I’m not in this house. I’m in Gryffindor, see?” She pointed to the house crest sewn onto her robes.

“And then why would I let you in…seeing as you don’t know the password.” Lily could see how angry the man was. She was scared.

“I’m looking for someone. He must be inside there.” she replied.

“I see. Well then, what shall we do?” He asked her.

“Um, do I…knock on your face?” She asked quietly.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” he screamed.

A Slytherin prefect burst through the portrait hole.

“Why is there such a ruckus?! People are trying to do their work inside!” She yelled.

The portrait told the prefect, “You see Agnes, this girl was trying to get in without the password. She isn’t even in this house!” exclaimed the man in the painting.

“Castlavara is my name, Higgins. It’s not Agnes.” The prefect turned to Lily, “And you, why are you here?” the prefect shouted, “Are you the cause of all the commotion?!”

“I’m sorry, Miss, I’ll just leave.” Lily said quietly.

The prefect pulled her aside, “You’re going to Professor Slughorn. He’ll have to deal with you.”

Lily and the prefect walked down to the dungeons, where they found Slughorn marking essays.

“Well, hello Castlavara. I’m marking your sister’s essay as we speak!” Slughorn smiled at her.

“And how is Barbacia doing?” asked the prefect to Slughorn, returning his smile.

“Well, she is doing well, but never as good as you, Cass.” Slughorn then noticed Lily. “What do you need, Lily, my favourite student?” He was beaming at her.

“Actually, Professor,” interrupted the prefect, “She’s the reason we’re here. She was making quite a scene outside the Slytherin common room. I figured she must be punished. Everyone was trying to do their homework and she was outside yelling at poor Higgins!”

Slughorn looked confused, “Why were you outside the Slytherin common room, Lily?”

“I was looking for Severus, actually.” she confessed.

“A question about Potions?” asked Slughorn, “Because you can ask me now, I’m right here.” He smiled at her. He had always loved her as a student.

“Well, not really. I just really wanted to talk to him.” she said quietly.

Slughorn was still beaming. “Cass, take Ms. Evans up to the common room so she can talk to Severus. If Higgins puts up a fight, he can deal with me.”

Castlavara took Lily back to the common room, whispered the password so she couldn’t hear it (although it did sound kind of like ‘boiled carrots’) and led her up to Snape’s dormitory.

Lily knocked. There was no answer.

“There you go, he’s not here. So, go away.” snapped the prefect.

Not a moment later did Snape open the door. He looked quite bewildered to see Lily. The only thing he was wearing was a tank top and his tighty-whities.

“Bad time?” she asked, almost bursting out with laughter. He looked so ridiculous, yet so Snape-ish at the same time.

“Yeah…” replied Snape. He closed the door after and went back to his bed.

The Hogwarts four-poster with the green and silver sheets had always felt quite comfortable each time he sank himself inside of them, but today they felt stiff and hard, as if the springs in the mattress had been replaced by a slab of concrete and his sheets felt as though they’d just been washed in cornstarch.

“I need to get out of here. I need to find her.” He said out loud.

He jumped out of his bed and threw his robes back on before running down the spiral staircase, through the portrait hole and out to find Lily.

Walking slowly, feeling defeated, Lily trudged back to the Gryffindor common room.

It was quiet, but the silence was broken by someone who was running behind her.

The person stopped running. He (or she, Lily didn’t quite know) was now, basically stalking her. She turned around to tell him (or her) to leave her alone when she saw…

“Severus!” She leaped into his arms and gave him a big hug.

He pulled away from her.

“What did you want before?”

She smiled and put her arms around his neck. His hair fell against her hands, making them very greasy.

Lily noticed there were people around, lots of them. They were watching her and Snape. She saw James looking, now she had him.

She pressed her lips against Snape’s and pushed her tongue into his mouth. He must’ve thought she was the worst kisser alive, but she felt pretty much the same way about him.

Everyone around them burst out in excitement (and moderate grossness). Lily could her James shouting.

She smiled against the kiss. Victory is sweet.