The one with the sisters - Year three [COMPLETED]

Chapter 10 - The one with the promise

As soon as Lily let out another giggle, she heard a groan from behind her. She didn't need to look back to know to whom it belonged. Every time this happened - and it happened far more frequently than the girl would like to admit - it was because of the same people: James Potter and Sirius Black.

"They're unbelievable." Lily mumbled grumpily, cutting a bit of the plant in front of her so she could put them in her Potion just the perfect amount of the ingredient.

"Let them be, Lil." Severus answered, a hint of a smile making it way to his lips.

"Let them? I won't let them, Sev. It's just unfair. You've never done anything to them." Lily angrily threw her hair over her shoulder, not once taking her eyes off the cauldron sitting in her desk. "It's just not fair."

"I don't mind, Lily, really. And if you say anything you'll be in trouble..." Severus shook his head. "Just let them be. Maybe they'll eventually leave me alone."

"It's been more than two years now, Sev! They won't stop!"

"Miss Evans? Is there a problem?"

Without even realizing and not really meaning to, in the middle of her annoyance, Lily had raised her voice so much it had disturbed Professor Slughorn. The old man turned to face her, quite confused by the girl's outburst. He would've expected something like this from Iris - and not without reason -, but not from Lily. Still, he smiled at the girl. Thank Merlin he loved both sisters.

"No just... I was just trying to find my... Find my..."

"Here, Lil." Severus interrupted her, passing the girl a piece of Wormwood, noticing she was too pissed off to think clearly about a lie to her Professor. "Take mine."

"Thank you, Sev." She smiled at him and he shrugged gently.

As soon as Professor Slughorn turned his back to return to talk to Mary and Marlene, the groaning restarted.

"Are you having any problem there?" Lily asked in a very low whisper, making it quite clear the hatred she felt toward the four boys sitting in pairs just behind her.

"If I say yes, will you help me, Evans?" James asked with a smug smile in his face, leaning over his desk toward her, almost knocking his poorly made Shirking Solution over.

"Never in a million years, Potter." Lily spat, disgusted, also leaning forward in the opposite direction of the boy to make sure she as distant from him as possible.

"Give up, James. If it's hard for you to get her attention when she's alone, never mind when she's so occupied with Snivellus." Sirius chirped in the conversation, the same stupid smirk playing in his lips.

"Don't call him that." Lily almost growled at them.

James and Sirius exchanged an amused look. Remus rolled his eyes and Peter hid his face in his hands, knowing that whatever was about to happen now wouldn't be good.

"Or what, Evans?" James challenged.

Severus' hand flew toward Lily's arm to stop her from doing anything stupid, but before she even react to James' words, Slughorn's voice ringed through the classroom.

"Very well. Time's up. By now, you should have a clear blue potion in front of you." He said in his usual cheerful voice.

Lily's eyes widened. She hadn't finished her potion. For the first time ever, she wouldn't get a full mark in Potions and all because of them. Maybe she'd be lucky. Maybe Slughorn would believe she did a good job as usual and not check her potion in particular. Oh, who was she trying to fool? Of course he would check her potions. He always did. Just so he could compliment her and her job and tell her how far she'd go.

"Let's see what Miss Evans has for us." The Professor smiled as he walked toward her.

"Hum... Professor, I don't think I did my best job, but that's because..."

She stopped talking when she felt Severus' hand squeezing hers. She frowned at him, but her confusion only increased when Slughorn started to laugh. Sure she had expected a reaction from him, but surely not that one.

"Always so modest, Miss Evans... You did a perfect job. Look... Perfect color, perfect texture... Excellent, Miss Evans, excellent."

"But..." Lily looked at her potion to confirm. He was right. It was perfect. But she was sure she hadn't finished it. How did that happened? Unless... "Severus..."

The Slytherin boy beside her shrugged. She tried to prevent herself from engulfing him in a hug, but she couldn't contain a squeal of delight. Severus chuckled at that.

"Thank you so much, Sev." She whispered, as Slughorn walked away to check other students' potions.

"It's alright... That's what friends are for."

Lily wad about to respond when two loud laughs interrupted her. She turned around to see Sirius and James mocking Peter, who apparently had made a terrible job with his Potion judging by Slughorn's and his face. Remus was clearly trying to comfort him, but Lily could clearly see the smirk on his face as well, as if he was doing his very best not to laugh.

"Yeah... I guess so..."

Severus looked from Lily to them and back to the girl, before frowning.

"What's wrong, Lil?" He asked.

"Oh? Nothing." She tried to cover up with a shake of her head, looking down and covering her face with the cascade of red hair around it.

"Come on, Lil... I know you better than that." Severus said, gently, pulling some strands away from her face and searching for the bright green of her eyes that he loved so much.

"It's just..." She sighed. "It's just Iris is starting to spend time with them and I'm scared."

"Scared of what?"

"Oh, I mean... She never liked you that much, did she? I'm just... What if she starts acting like them, annoying you and pulling away from me?"

Severus looked at her and then at the four boys who were still laughing. He shook his head.

"She won't." He decided, causing Lily to finally look up at him, with a smile in her pink lips. "I promise you, Lil, she won't."

"Thank you, Sev... You don't know how much it means to me that you care." She said, and he frowned at her.

She doubted that he cared? She was the only thing he cared about.

"Of course I care, Lil." He decided to say, even though he believed she should already know that. "I'll always be here for you."

"You promise?" She asked, her green eyes shining with nothing more than pure bliss and hope. He smiled at the sight. Such a pretty sight.

"Always. I can promise you that."