Turning Time (A Harry Potter Fanfic)

One Last Kiss, pt. 2

The next morning, while the other Gryffindors were going down to breakfast, Harry, Raven, and Severus stayed behind to wait for Lily. When she came downstairs, body tired but eyes brighter than ever, Raven and Harry gave them some space.

Lily didn’t notice Severus at first, and when she did, she told him to wait a second and ran back upstairs.

Severus shifted on his feet and wiped his hands on his robes.

Lily returned with a potted flower. It was the Moon Lily Severus had given her before their first year of Hogwarts. “I still have this. And…” Lily pulled out a stone from her pocket, “…this, too.” The stone, so far, read “Severus Snape and Lily.” She set both things down on the table, then fidgeted, unable to look him in the eyes. After a moment of silence, she wrapped her arms around him.

Severus hardly hesitated to do the same. Tears ran from Lily’s eyes to his shoulder. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m sorry.” 

Severus gripped her tightly, not wanting to lose her again. “No, it’s my fault.”

Lily smiled, though he couldn’t see it. “I couldn’t have imagined you saying that until now.”

“I promise, I’ve changed.”

Lily let go and tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear. “I know. I would’ve believed it at the beginning of the year, but I didn’t know if it would last, I was hurt, and I didn’t want to risk going through that again.” She took his hands and studied him. “You probably think I’m pathetic. I was protecting myself when I should have been protecting you, too. You’re so incredibly strong, and Jacob and Raven are the best friends you could hope for.” She studied their entwined fingers.

“I shouldn’t have said what I said. I—I didn’t mean it then, and I don’t mean it now, not about anyone.” Severus bit his lip, eyes reddening, but still dry. When he opened his mouth to speak again, his breath shook. “I missed—I missed having you around.”

Lily smiled, and this time he could see. “Me too, Severus.”

At the sound of his name, he grinned—and it was the most genuine, happy smile Harry’d seen on Severus since before the “Mudblood” incident.

Lily remembered something else. “I’m sorry about what the Slytherins did to you.”

Severus froze, and Harry, off to the side, also didn’t know what to do. How could she have found out?

“Cassandra told me about what they did in between classes. It sounded awful, and so, I’m sorry for not being there.”

Severus and Harry relaxed; she didn’t know the worst of it. 

Lily hurried to add, “I don’t want you to think that I want to be friends again because I feel sorry for you, or anything. That’s sort of why I couldn’t…” She trailed off.

 “No, I know. Er, so, what’s gonna happen with James?”

Lily’s expression soured slightly. “I told him that I didn’t fancy him anymore, and that I wouldn’t be able to forgive him for what he did.”

Severus was alarmed. “What he did…?”

“No, no, I mean, he only tried.”

“Oh.” Severus scratched the back of his neck, gathering his thoughts, and Harry guessed that he was fighting the urge to ask if that meant she and James hadn’t done it at all.

“After that—as in, when he was still hanging upside down—I felt like I had to make him feel better.”

“Why?”