Severus, as a truly observant person, did understand very quickly what was going on. Somebody was trying to almost frame Severus and Natalie as being a couple, but to what aim? Who would it hurt? Lily? He hadn't seen her since studying with her and Maisie, and that had been two days ago. He decided to seek out Natalie, first, to work out if she knew what was going on. He found her in an empty classroom.
"Natalie?" He asked, seeing her curled-up figure against the far wall.
"Go away, I don't want to see you," her muffled voice came.
"I want to understand what's going on as surely as you do," Severus persisted. "We are the victims of somebody's poorly thought-out prank."
"I know that." Irritation seeped into the girl's tone. "And it's not poorly thought-out. Everybody knows, and nobody is thinking that it's not true."
"Presumably because I was helping you out with Charms," Severus mused.
"Or maybe," Natalie said bitterly, "because we are actually friends, Severus, no matter how much you hate admitting it."
"That may be true," Severus confessed quietly.
Natalie stood up tentatively.
"Of course it's true," she told him.
"Friend of a friend," Severus stated. "You're Lily's friend, and I'm hers."
"Not just a 'friend of a friend'," Natalie said irritably. "We are friends. Do you think I'd be crying if you were simply a 'friend of a friend'? I'm crying because it's hurt you as well; hurt your relationship with Lily, and mine too."
She stepped into the light.
Tears silently tracked down her face, and her cheeks were wet and blotchy. Her eyes were red-rimmed, but they still retained her usual confidence.
"Oh Natalie," he sighed, reaching forwards a hand to gently brush away her tears. "I can think of a song for this situation."
"Sing it," she pleaded.
He sighed again, and looked up at the ceiling.
"Don't cry-ee, don't sigh-ee,there's a silver lining in the sky-ee'," he murmured, and while he was not a born singer, he was tuneful in his performance.
"That's a funny song," she commented.
"It's a song much older than both of us," he told her, and that said something. Severus was forty after all. "To liven the spirits of those participating in the Great War."
"Which war?" Questioned Natalie naïvely. She was a Pureblood and therefore unused to such things.
Severus sighed for the third time in the last ten minutes.
"A war Muggles fought against each other. My father used to sing that song. He fought in the second world war of Muggles."
Natalie detected bitterness in his tone, and refrained from continuing on the same vein.
"I suppose I'll have to take Muggle Studies, then?" She said, grinning.
"Yes," he answered, "but first, we need to work out who did this."
They ran through some ideas.
"Somebody in our house, do you think?"
"Well, it's somebody who wants to make Lily jealous."
"And so, is therefore envious of you," Natalie mused. "A girl, presumably."
"It doesn't have to be," Severus commented. She looked up at him. "But yes, likely."
"In our year?"
"I would assume. I doubt girls either older or younger would be envious of me." Severus sounded doubtful.
"You've probably broken many hearts by going out with me," Natalie said casually, wondering what his reaction would be.
"It's debatable," he said at last. "But I think it's someone in our year. Somebody bitter?"
"Okay, we can rule out Lily, Alice, Mary, me, Emily, Jane, Alicia and Selena. They're all Lily's friends, our friends; they wouldn't do this to us." Natalie mentally ticked off the names in her head. "That leaves Deirdre, Olivia, Anna, the Slytherin girls, Millie, Betty and Berenice."
Severus was contemplative.
"Severus?"
"I know who did it," he said suddenly. "But first, I have to speak to Lily."
*
Lily was currently lying in bed, moping. Both Alice and Mary had tried to speak to her; both at first, and then just Alice.
"Lily, I know you're upset, but you have to move on. Severus isn't bound by his actions," Alice said earnestly. "Honestly, either way, he'll soon forget about Natalie. It's not a serious relationship. They bonded over Charms. Nobody gets married over Charms."
Lily simply groaned and rolled over. She'd been lying there for close on three hours when the door opened again, this time a lot softer.
"Who is it?" She grumbled.
"Severus."
"What?"
Lily jumped out of bed, and stepped towards the smiling boy. He had expected a slap but none came, and so his gentle smile remained.
"How on earth did you get in here?"
That had not been the first question he expected upon entering the room.
He shrugged.
"Overheard the password, and ignored the special group of three who threatened to discombobulate me. Not that they know what it means, of course."
Lily resisted the urge to laugh.
"Look Lily," he began, and his face became serious, "Natalie and I are not going out. I know who spread the rumours, and I want you to help me expose them."
He stared at her solemnly.
"And how," she replied, her voice shaking slightly, "do I know I can trust what you say?"
Hurt appeared on his face immediately, although it was quickly masked.
"We've been friends for years, Lily, years," Severus said steadily. "Even if I was going out with Natalie, did you really think that our friendship would simply fall apart? I'm not annoyed at you for feeling jealous, or whatever you're feeling. I'm hurt that you think I would just give up on you, just like that, for another girl."
His passionate tone made her want to cry. She felt tears pricking at her eyes.
"I'm sorry!" She cried, feeling a tear slip down her face. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry that I can't just ignore people who take up all of your attention! I'm sorry that I'm jealous! I'm sorry that I can't be your equal in being so unmoved and emotionless."
She started crying, then, properly, and Severus moved to put his arms round her. He didn't know whether to be hurt or 'unmoved and emotionless' at her previous comment.
"You are my equal, Lily, you always have been. And that is why I want you to help me expose Berenice Kirke."
*****
A.N. So, who guessed it? Who thought that it was 1). A prank and 2). Berenice Kirke ?
I'm surprised that Lily didn't ask Severus how he managed to enter a girl's dormitory but, after all, maybe it was just the author forgetting to include it. XD
Also, I've just, finally, published a character list of people in Severus' year because I feel like I'm probably confusing lots of you. Go and see what weird and wacky names I've conjured up.
Thank you for reading and PLEASE COMMENT!