'So...Charles, I was wondering if you'd like to come to Hogsmeade with me tomorrow? You know I hate to interrupt your study..But it is the last visit of the year..' Lily Evans spoke softly while gazing up at the delicate leaves of the famous beech tree of Hogwarts. The afternoon summer sunlight shined down brightly on the Black Lake. Friday afternoon was bliss for the 6th years. Their final exam before the summer holidays was over, Lily was spending her free midday with her 7th year boyfriend laying down peacefully by his side.
'Lily, dearest.' Charles began, sitting up and taking her hands in his he gazed into her emerald eyes and drawled on ' The NEWTS are very important to me, and my family. I would love to go with you but I must side with my better judgement and stay here and study.' He continued on with another sentence or twelve explaining the values of hard work, and the lousiness of cramming. He continued to convey his views to Lily in a boring dead-panned voice, and in the same manner as one would speak to a three year old.
The tedious one sided conversation gradually bored Lily and she kissed Charles dully on the forehead, waved him goodbye and headed to find more interesting company than her boyfriend.
Severus Snape watched all this happen, he watched everything happen. He was a pale, greasy haired boy that walked around Hogwarts with a distasteful look on his face regularly. A scowl that could only be matched by that of Argus Finch. His long term friendship with Lily fell apart at the end of 5th year which left the two on bad terms..This could explain why he was following her back to Gryffindor Tower trying to think of a way to distract her instead of telling her about what his Slytherin friends were at on that side of the castle and the danger that she would be in ....
'Oi, Evans! Hold up would ya?' James Potter rounded the corner in record speed, his red and gold tie loosely hanging from his neck swinging in the breeze. Severus stayed hidden in a near broom closet as Lily slowed her walking pace as if she had been debating in her head to keep walking but then stopped in front of the closet and turned around to face the grinning profile of James.
'For a second there Evans I thought you'd keep walking'
'So did I.'
His smirk took up two thirds of his face and as per usual his right hand went straight up to ruffle his already unnaturally messy hair.
'So, Evans.... I was wondering...'
'Potter,' She shot him an unusual smile accompanied with glaring eyes. 'For once, could we have a conversation that doesn't revolve around either your arrogant demeanour, your obsession with me or homework?'
'Certainly, Lily dearest and what a better time to have such a conversation than over a butterbeer at the next Hogsmeade visit?'
Later, Lily still couldn't understand why she had said yes. Maybe it was because she was fed up with Charles, or the fact that the way Charles said Lily dearest sounded like a mandrakes cry in comparison to the gentle and somewhat appealing way Potter had said it. Or maybe it had been the fact that Potter had actually addressed her by her first name for once....Or maybe it was because after all those years, he might have actually deserved a chance....
