Loving Lily: A Snily Story

Chapter 2 - Lily's Troubles

Severus's eyes moved down to Lily's belly, which remained hidden by the covers.

As much as he hated to acknowledge James's child, he understood that pregnancy was a delicate state for both mother and baby.

"No, thank you, I'm fine." Lily said quietly, "I'll be there in a moment."

"Take your time." Severus replied in his low voice before he turned and stalked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind himself.

Lily sat up in bed a few seconds later and sighed to herself while she looked over at her trunk that Severus had placed in the corner of the room.

She was amazed at her own audacity.

After her emotional display last night, how had she found the courage to look Severus in the eyes again?

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Severus ordered a few of Hogwarts' house elves to bring up two plates of breakfast directly to his personal chambers, a service not often utilized by Hogwarts' faculty, but one that could be at any time.

When Lily finally opened the bedroom door and stepped out, she found Severus waiting for her in the living room, sitting at the small table in the room, on which sat two plates of food and two steaming cups of tea.

Severus saw the way Lily's eyes widened hungrily as she looked at the full plates.

Once she came close enough, Severus left his seat and chivalrously pulled her chair out for her.

"Thank you, Sev." She murmured politely as she sat down and pulled herself up to the table.

Severus sat back down across from Lily and while they began to eat, he eagerly anticipated what she would say.

Considering the circumstances, Severus imagined that Lily would be speaking first.

"I'm sorry about last night.... that was....um, humiliating." Lily said in a quiet voice.

Severus couldn't help but notice that she ate the cinnamon biscuits on her plate first, hurriedly munching them down.

"There's no need to apologize." Severus replied, "However, I was......quite confused."

"Confused?" Lily asked as she looked over at Severus with the familiar light in her green eyes that he recognized so fondly, "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out of nowhere like that. I've just had a lot of time to think and last night....I...I blurted out a thought."

"......I was under the impression that you hated me for......that day, since that day." Severus frowned.

"I never hated you, Sev." Lily sighed, "I was angry for a time, but I've come to understand why you said it. That word........I don't like it, of course, and it wasn't the right thing to do, but at least I understand why you did it now. Your friends were watching, his people were watching, if you hadn't done something, they would have hurt you later. They may have even hurt me too."

Severus stared at Lily for a long moment with an unreadable expression before she looked up from her plate, met his gaze, and went on, "I was telling you the truth last night, though. I'm sorry for the way that I acted. That wasn't right either, I never should have laughed. I should have supported you and stood beside you, that's what good friends do. I was....frightened of where you were headed, of the movement you were joining. I thought you were lost."

Severus remained silent but a forlorn frown planted itself on his face before Lily looked at him and asked, "Can you forgive me, Sev? For being a bad friend?"