Love to Hate: A Jily Fanfiction

Mudblood

"Take that back!" James roared, his wand pointed at Severus.

"No! James, stop! You're both ridiculous!" Lily shouted over James and Serverus' pointless arguing.
Her big light eyes were clouding with tears as she raced from the edge of the lake.

"Lily wait!" James abandoned Severus, racing after her as she entered the building of Hogwarts.

Lily's feet pounded the stone of the castle. Mudblood. Severus had called her a mudblood. Tears stung at the back of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall yet. She raced right to the top of the astronomy tower, where she knew it would be empty and crumpled against the wall, giving into the big fat tears and sobs that racked her body.

"Lily?" The soft voice of James Potter interrupted her crying and she stood up, drying her eyes with her jumper sleeve just as he walked in.

His face dropped as he saw her, from concern into sympathy and he walked towards her, his arms open as if to hug her. She shoved him away and he let his arms fall in hurt.
"Get away from me." She snivelled and he stopped so he was a comfortable distance away.

"I'm sorry, Lily."

"For what? For bullying Snape, because you do that all the time."

"I'm sorry he called you a mudblood. No one deserves to be called that."

Lily frowned at him in confusion, "I don't care that I was called a mudblood, Potter. I am a mudblood, I'm not ashamed of it."

It was his turn to be confused, "Then why are you crying?"

She laughed a short, bitter laugh as she turned away from him, "You wouldn't understand."

He took a step towards her so she could feel his breath hot against her neck; it gave her goosebumps. "Then help me to."

She turned around, looking up into his mahogany eyes and without thinking, blurted it out.
"Because Severus wanted to hurt me. He used a word that he deems offensive and purposefully used it to upset me. He wanted to hurt me. He's my best friend." She sobbed, and this time, she didn't have the strength to push James away when he wrapped his arms around her.

He held Lily against his chest, resting his chin on her head as he stroked her hair.

"Lily. I am sorry." He whispered.

Snape hurried into the school once he finally was rid of the so-called Marauders. He had to find Lily, tell her he didn't mean it. God, he was such an idiot sometimes. He raced into the empty corridor and thought where she could be. Where did she usually go when she was upset? Normally to him, but since that was out of the question...The astronomy tower.
He raced up the steps taking two at a time, but stopped when he was near the top. What was he going to say? He did it because he had to show the other Slytherins he was just like them? He did it because he was already bullied enough by the Slytherins for being a blood traitor? Or that he did it because he knew it would irk Potter the most? Not one of those reasons would ever make Lily forgive him, but what did he have to lose now?

He continued his journey to the astronomy tower when he heard voices, more than just Lily's. He crept underneath the top of the astronomy tower, trying to see what was going on through the slats of the floorboards. He caught a flicker of movement, and his blood ran cold. He recognized the tall, broad figure of James Potter, but what made him furious was he also noticed the red head in his arms. James Potter was holding Lily Evans, her hands bunching up his shirt as she sobbed into him, and Potter was resting his chin on Lily's head, his eyes closed. No. No. No, this wasn't how it was supposed to be! Severus raced from the tower, furious.

Lily had seen a different side to James that night. She could see the emotion that filled his eyes, she could hear the sincerity in his voice and had felt how his strong warm arms had held her, and she craved it. She sobbed into his shirt and held him even closer to her by his shirt, like if she let go, she would be lost and alone. He smelt of a mixture of wood smoke and fresh laundry. It was intoxicating.

They stayed that for who knows how long, but all James could think was I'm hugging Lily Evans! When she finally drew back, her eyes were no longer teary.
"We'd better get back before curfew." She mumbled and he nodded.

They walked back to the dormitory in silence, but it wasn't awkward, it was comfortable, and for James it was full of possibilities. Did this mean she didn't hate him anymore? Had the dynamics of their relationship changed? He hoped so. The common room was empty when they got there, having just grazed curfew. James walked with her to her dormitory door and caught her arm.

"Lily, just so you know. I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you." His eyes were full and kind and Lily could feel herself giving into him again.

She stood up on tip toe and planted a kiss on his cheek, lingering close to his face for a second as she breathed him in. He was addictive.
"Thank you." She whispered by his ear, before turning around and hurrying into her dorm.

James stood there on his own a stupid grin on his face as he touched his cheek, where she had kissed him.