Knocking on Severus' door, Julia patiently waited for him or his mother to open it. She knew his father wasn't home.
Eileen Snape answered, beamed and invited her inside, Severus was eating. Going into the dining room, the young boy saw his friend, hopped up from the table and hugged her tightly.
"Are we still going to see Lily today?"
"Of course, in the park, right?" He perked up at the thought of seeing his other best friend.
"Yeah, but I don't think Petunia will be there, I saw her going out with some of her lot."
"Muggles?"
"Well, that's what she calls us. 'Our lot.' I don't like it."
"She won't be there. Just me, you and Lily, and we'll all be going to Hogwarts in September, just you wait!" Severus said, with a glimmer of excitement in his dark eyes.
Julia grabbed his hand after he had finished his sandwich and they ran to the park. Lily was lying on the grass, looking up at the sky. This is what they always did; Severus lying in between Lily and Julia, watching time go by.
All three of them had received their Hogwarts letter, and Severus enjoyed nothing more than telling the girls about the four houses, lessons and Quidditch. Hogwarts seemed to be the only thing, apart from his friends, that could make him smile.
~~~~~~~~~
Julia was sitting with Severus and Lily on the train for the very first time, and none of them could contain their excitement.
They were chattering away, ignoring the two boys that burst into their compartment. They sat down and began talking about all the fun they would have when they were sorted into Gryffindor. Severus smirked to himself about their comments, thinking that their brash personalities would suit the house perfectly.
"What are you laughing at?" The boy with glasses asked abruptly, shifting forward in his seat.
"You know Gryffindor is the place where they put reckless, thick people, right? Doesn't matter in your case, you'll fit in just fine."
The other boy shot up so quickly that his wand was at Severus' throat before the girls even noticed the movement. Severus remained impassive and made no move to retaliate.
"Point proven. Now, kindly lower your wand before you get yourself expelled," he said calmly, though inside his rage was simmering.
It was enough to make Julia roughly bundle them out of their compartment.
They were embarrassed, but still shouted: "See you around Snivellus!"
Julia slapped them both and they ran away. Severus was very subdued after that, even with his friends comforting him.
"They were wrong, Sev," Julia began, "you do have brains, you are the smartest person I know."
"She's right, who else have you met your age that can do so many spells already?" Lily piped up.
"No one," Severus mumbled. Trying to make the young boy feel good about himself was a regular occurrence, his self-esteem was so low.
"Well, there you go then. That idiot has no idea what he's talking about so just ignore him." Lily comforted Severus.
The two girls hugged their friend from either side, causing him to form a rare smile.
"I'm lucky to have friends like you. You two are the only ones who care about me." He said softly.
"And we're lucky to have you, aren't we Lily?"
"Of course Julia."
There was a long pause.
Severus jumped up shouting, "Look, it's Hogwarts! We're here!"
"We need to change into our robes!"
Disembarking the train, the trio ran over to the boats idly sitting on the edge of the Black Lake. They sat in the same boat, gaping at the sight of the majestic castle before them.
Soon enough, they were standing outside the Great Hall, waiting for a stern woman to let them in. She was Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher and Head of Gryffindor House.
The doors swung open and the young children walked down the centre of the room towards the High Table. There sat a rickety stool. Professor McGonagall produced a patched hat and a roll of parchment before reading out names to sort them.
"Lily Evans."
Lily was trembling slightly as she sat on the stool. After some deliberation, the hat made its decision.
"GRYFFINDOR!"
Severus looked distraught.
"Don't worry Sev, I'll try and get into Slytherin with you." Julia rubbed his arm, while his eyes were brimming with tears.
"Severus Snape."
Severus was more confident than Lily had been. You could see him begging the Sorting Hat to put him with Lily but to no avail.
"SLYTHERIN!"
Severus visibly deflated, slid off the stool and sat on the opposite side of the room to one of his best friends.
"Julia Evermore."
"Now what to do with you, eh?" She could hear the Hat speaking inside her head, hoping no one else could hear it.
"Please put me with Sev, he needs someone, he's broken enough as it is." Julia pleaded.
"With a heart like that, do you belong there? But still, I detect cunning in you, you would do well in that environment. I'll put you in SLYTHERIN!"
Julia could have cried for how happy she was, rushing over to sit with her best friend. They looked over to Lily, only to see her talking to the Potter idiot.
"It's okay Sev, you've still got me with you!" Julia was very excited and hugged him.
He only nodded, obviously upset that the three of them weren't together. She let go quietly.
After the feast, they were led to their respective common rooms. Slytherin's was in the dungeons.
"So Sev, promise me we'll wake up tomorrow morning and go to classes together? We're at Hogwarts! Could life get any better?" Julia was overjoyed to finally be away from her father, even it was only until the Summer.
"Lily could be with us," Severus mumbled.
"Oh, right. See you tomorrow Sev." She ran off, feeling inadequate for her childhood friend. He only wanted Lily.
"Lee, wait!" He called after her, but it was futile. She had already gone to her dorm.
She collapsed on her bed and softly sobbed, because of both exhaustion and Severus' rejection. She didn't even realise it was time to get up until a short girl gently shook her awake.
"Are you alright? You were crying for a long time last night. Do you miss your family?" She asked, sitting down on Julia bed. "I'm Grace by the way."
"I'm just... I'm just tired, and my friend only wants our other friend to be here, probably instead of me. I'm actually glad I'm not at home."
"Does your friend have black hair about this length?" She asked, gesturing to her shoulders.
Julia nodded.
"He came knocking about half an hour ago, telling me to tell you he would wait in the common room for you."
"Thanks for telling me. I'm Julia."
Grace hugged the crying girl and went to her first class. Julia didn't even know what she had first.
She saw Severus sitting on the sofa by the green flames. He looked around, saw her and ran over to hug her.
"Lee, I'm so sorry about last night, I didn't mean to upset you, please can you forgive me?" He asked, all in one breath. "Wait, have you been crying?" He wiped her cheekbones with his thumbs, the tears from the previous night going with his hand.
"Of course I've been crying, I thought you would want Lily here with you instead of me!" A fresh wave of tears flooded her eyes.
"How could you ever think I would want Lily here more than you? I love you both the same, but who was it that tried to stop my father beating me, who smuggled me food when I was starving? Not Lily, it was you, Lee. I need you."
She softened at his emotional outburst, knowing how hard it was for him to talk about his home life. He had no idea about hers.
"Anyway, we have Charms first. I don't want to be late on our first day and I don't think you do either, right?"
Julia shook her head.
"Let's go then!" Severus said, grabbing her hand.
They walked as fast as they could without running and arrived a couple of minutes late.
Professor Flitwick went to scold them on their tardiness but saw Julia's puffy eyes and tearstained cheeks, and thought better of it.
Lily wasn't in this class, so they sat with each other. Julia and Severus mastered the Wingardium Leviosa charm together, making them the first ones to do so.
The rest of the day was just as successful, but they didn't have any classes with Lily. They were the first to finish their Swelling Solution, first to Transfigure a pin into a paperclip and first to finish their star charts that night. They were a great team.
~~~~~~~~~
Severus was trying to find Julia. He hasn't seen her since dinner and he had looked all over the castle. He needed to ask her something.
He walked past a wall on the seventh-floor corridor, thinking about how he needed to find her when an ornate wooden door appeared.
He silently opened it and was greeted with the sound of music. Julia was sitting in front of a glossy grand piano, her long fingers effortlessly gliding across the keys. She played a melancholy piece that he didn't know the name of. Julia slowly got up after playing the final cadence and noticed Severus standing there.
"H-how long were you there for?" She stuttered.
"Long enough to know how good you are. You never told me you played the piano!"
"I've been teaching myself since our first year, my parents can't afford lessons."
"Could you teach me please?" Severus asked nervously.
"Of course! Do you want to start now?" Julia was beaming, gesturing for him to sit down beside her.
"Actually, before we start, can I ask you something?"
"Sure, Sev, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I was just-" Severus took a deep breath before speaking again. "Doyouwannagototheyuleballwithme?"
"Sorry?"
"Would you, Julia Kaitlin Helena Evermore, do me the honour of escorting you to the Yule Ball?"
"Yes! I'd love to!" Julia turned and hugged Severus. "Who's Lily going with?" She asked nonchalantly.
"Potter."
"Were you going to ask her?"
"I don't know, but I am glad I asked you."
"Severus, I don't have a dress."
"We'll find something for you, Lee. You couldn't look any worse than I will, my dress robes are horrible!"
She laughed.
~~~~~~~~~
With help from some of her dorm mates, Julia tamed her hair, an impossible feat in her eyes, it was so thick and wavy.
Severus managed to find her a dress that morning, and they went with Dumbledore to get it from Hogsmeade. It was midnight blue with silver embellishments on the bodice, perfectly fitting her curvy figure.
Julia agreed to meet her date outside the Great Hall. She hopped ungracefully while pulling on her silver stilettos and adjusting her bowler hat.
"You look beautiful, but seriously? The hat?" Severus was laughing as she came down the stairs.
"I never said I was normal, did I Sev? These shoes are bloody murder!" Julia moaned, pulling her other shoe on.
"You could murder someone with those shoes. Shall we?" He asked, extending his hand.
"We shall!" Julia put her small hand in his and they walked into the Great Hall.
Severus pulled her close and they started slow dancing. He was surprisingly good!
"I never knew you could dance, Sev!" Julia giggled, as he spun her around before dipping.
"I learnt for you, Julia. I knew how much this ball meant to you, heaven knows why though." He said, mumbling the last part.
"Well, you've made me a very happy girl, thank you! This is one of the best nights of my life!"
"It's the least I can do for my best friend. You wear that bowler hat better than Fudge!"
At that moment, Lily came over laughing with James. She waved and got two drinks before returning to her date.
"Lily looks so beautiful, doesn't she?" Severus whispered, looking at her wistfully. He was so preoccupied, he didn't notice that Julia's eyes were filling with tears.
"I'm just going to get a drink." She choked before running out, leaving her shoes behind.
She cried for what seemed like hours before Severus came to find her again.
"You left your potential murder weapons behind. What wrong Lee? I thought you were having fun." Severus said, holding out the shoes.
"Is Lily having fun with you? Or is she too busy with James? Is that why you came to find me? Because she was with him?" She asked bitterly.
"No, she completely ignored me, and I saw you crying so I had to see what was wrong!"
"You really have no idea, do you?"
"No, that's why I'm asking you to tell me! Was it because I made fun of your shoes?"
"Jesus, you have the emotional range of a teaspoon Sev! I don't care about these bloody shoes! Just leave it. Please." She stalked off into the Hall, leaving Severus alone in the garden.
~~~~~~~~~
Severus was missing Lily more and more, the bullying from the 'Marauders' had increased tenfold and Julia had long since fallen in love with her best friend. He seemed oblivious.
Severus and Julia were studying by the Black Lake when the Marauders strutted over and started hexing Severus. They used his own Levicorpus spell against him. Julia kept shouting the counter curse only for him to be yanked up by the ankle again.
Then Lily came over.
They hadn't properly spoken since the beginning of the year and it was now summer. She started having a go at James, his arrogance and his attitude.
James promised to leave 'Snivellus' alone if she went out with him. Severus looked crushed. She said no and softly said the counter curse. Unlike with Julia, James did not pull him back up. Severus was enraged and started spouting insults to James, Sirius, even Julia. Then Lily.
"I don't need your help, Mudblood!"
Severus stopped, realising the severity of what he had just said to his best friend. He immediately started apologising profusely, but she ran away.
James started shouting at him, how dare he upset her, who did he think he was. He hexed him again until Julia pushed through the gathering crowd and got him down. She slapped James and Sirius, reminiscing their first encounter.
"I know you didn't mean that Sev, she'll come around." Julia tried to comfort him but to avail.
"She won't ever forgive me, that's the most horrible thing I've ever done. Especially to someone, I love." Severus was nearly in tears.
"You-you love her?"
"I have loved her in that way since our second year. Who else would have me? She's so kind and accepting, how could I not love her? What will I do now?"
Julia was shocked at his outburst, realising that he didn't love her as she did him. Tears formed in her hazel eyes.
"I would have you, you stupid idiot! I love you, and I have since we met, but you were too blind to even notice me! It was always Lily for you, wasn't it? Never me."
"Lee-" By this point, Julia's chest was heaving with sobs, and Severus could only watch in despair as she poured her heart out to him.
"Remember in our first year, you said you needed me? That's when I properly realised I loved you, but I didn't know how to tell you, because I didn't know what love felt like. I was never loved, and I hoped that maybe you could. I know now that it will never happen." She fell down on the grass and brought her knees up to her chest, shielding herself from Severus' gaze.
He sat down beside and gingerly put his hand around her shoulder. When she made no attempt to shake him off, he slowly began to hug her.
"What did you mean when you said you were never loved? I thought your dad loved you to bits." Severus said pulling back, a confused look on his face.
"He-he's not my real dad. I was adopted when I was two, my real parents died. My adoptive mother died a couple of years after, and 'dad' became a drunk, blaming me for her death. He would lock me in my room for hours and forget to give me food. Now you know why you never saw my house or my parents? Now you know why I have never felt loved?" Julia sighed bitterly.
"No, he didn't-?"
"He did, just leave it."
"Leave it?! Christ, why didn't you tell me, Lee? I could have done something to help! Does Dumbledore know? Have you told him?"
"Why would I tell Dumbledore? What could he do about it? What could you do about it? I didn't tell you, for this reason, it's my problem."
"We'll tell him now then, maybe he could find you a new home!" He pulled her up and dragged her to Dumbledore's office.
Before Severus could call to the Headmaster, the gargoyle moved aside to reveal the winding stairs. The door to the office swung open to reveal Dumbledore sitting at his desk with Fawkes perched on his shoulder.
"Miss Evermore, Mister Snape, I trust you need something?" Dumbledore said calmly, stroking the Phoenix.
"Headmaster, Julia needs a new home. She can't stay where she is anymore."
"Sev, leave it-"
"And, pray tell, why must she move?"
"Her adoptive father abuses her. She is starved and locked up and-"
"Sev, STOP IT!" Julia was crying. "Just leave it."
And with that, she ran out.
"Please, Headmaster. I kind of know what she's going through, and she won't want help until it's too late. Please." Severus begged.
"I'll see what I can do."
"Thank you."
He ran out to find his best friend. When he found her, she pointed her wand at him.
"I'm sorry, Sev, but I don't want you remembering this."
"What, you don't like me knowing that you love me? That you were being abused? Were you ever planning on telling me that?"
"No. I wanted to take it to my grave. I'm sorry. Obliviate."
~~~~~~~~~
"Lily..." Julia sobbed over her best friend's dead body. Severus came up the stairs. He stopped just short of the door.
"No... Lils..." He ran over, holding his head in his hands. "This is all my fault..."
"How is it your-" she cut herself off. "It was you who told him about the prophecy, wasn't it? How could you do this to the girl you 'love'?"
"I do love her! It was me, but I didn't know he would go after her as well as her son, I swear! Come back to mine, I'll explain everything!"
"No, Sev. I can't do this anymore. I'm going to live as a muggle for a while. I need to get away from" she waved her hands around "this. Goodbye Sev."
She walked out of the house and Disapparated.
"JULIA!" Severus called after her, but she was gone.
~~~~~~~~~
Julia recounted all of these memories as she opened the door to her flat to let her interviewer in.
"Sev?"