The one with the sisters - Year Six [COMPLETED]

Chapter 11 - The one with the Valentine's day

"Mary and Marlene are dating?" Iris asked, as she played with Lily's hair when they were sitting by the Black Lake.

"Yeah. Marlene is with Connor, from Ravenclaw, you know?"

"The Keeper?"

"That's the one." She nodded, with her eyes closed, enjoying her sister's touch. "And Mary actually gave a chance to Peter."

"Peter?" Iris frowned. "You mean... Pettigrew?"

"Yeah. He asked her out today at breakfast and she said yes." Lily shrugged.

"She liked him?"

"Apparently."

"And he liked her?"

"Apparently."

"Well... I didn't see that coming."

"Neither did I, honestly. She never talked to me about it. I didn't even think she interested in somebody."

Iris shrugged but Lily didn't see. She was still with her eyes closed, taking in the best she could the peace and warmth of that Valentine's day.

"And James? Asked you again?"

At that, Lily opened her eyes. She looked at Iris expecting her to be wearing that beautiful yet incredibly annoying smirk of hers. Instead, she was smiling. A genuine, curious smile.

"He did." Lily sighed, turning her head toward the Black Lake on Iris' lap. "But he wasn't... You know... He didn't act like his usual self. He wasn't cocky and didn't trip on his way to me."

"He didn't?"

"No." She shrugged. "He was actually quite nice. Asked if I wanted to have a walk with him."

"And you said no?"

"Yes. But I was nice. And for the first time, he didn't insist. Sirius seemed to be as surprised as me when James left with a smile after I turned him down."

Iris nodded with a smile as Lily kept staring out to the Lake. After a few seconds, the older twin spoke up again.

"He's getting better." Lily said. "He's changing."

"And you know why, don't you?" Iris asked and Lily groaned.

"Don't say it."

"But it's true." Iris giggled. "He's changing because of you."

"Oh, whatever..." She rolled her eyes after realizing she wouldn't win the discussion. Lily sat up and stared at her sister. "What happened between you and Remus?"

Iris' eyes widened, but after the shock, she broke the eye contact with her sister. It was her turn to stare at the Black Lake.

"Nothing." She lied.

"Oh, come on, Irie..." Lily sighed, placing a hand on her sister's arm. "You were so happy before... You know. Always laughing and hanging together... And then... Then suddenly you weren't anymore and now you can barely look at each other."

Iris gulped. She wanted to say, but she couldn't. Lily didn't know about Remus' secret and Iris wouldn't be the one to tell her. With a long, heavy sigh, Iris spoke up again.

"I guess we're just too alike to work together."

Lily frowned at that, but said nothing, afraid that if she did, Iris decided she didn't want to talk anymore. Instead, she just slipped her hand in Iris' and squeezed it gently.

"We both build walls, you see? But at the same time, we both want to help each other, comfort each other, be there for each other. We yelled and said some things we shouldn't have said and realized that as long as none of us opened up, we couldn't be together."

Lily didn't really understand, but still, she wanted to help her sister somehow.

"But you closed up because of mum and dad?"

Before Iris could respond, a way too familiar voice interrupted her.

"Lily." He said. Lily's whole body language changed and her shoulder's contracted. "Can we talk?"

"There's nothing to talk about." She said, looking at Iris, instead of him. "Snivellus."

Snape flinched at the name. Iris looked down and Lily closed hers, uncomfortable with what she had just said.

"Lily, please..." He pleaded. "I just want to talk to you."

"On Valentine's?" Iris scoffed. "How convenient..."

"No one's talking to you, you mud-"

Iris gasped and Snape cut himself off before he could finish. Lily was in a second up in her feet and glaring at Severus.

"What were you saying?" She yelled and he flinched.

"I didn't mean to."

"Didn't you? Why? You never cared for her."

"But I care for you!"

"Yeah? And you have a weird way of showing it, then!"

"Lil..."

"No. Don't call me that." She spat, taking a step forward toward him. "And I don't want you talking to me again, Severus! You say you care for me but you mistreat everyone else like me!"

"They're not like you, Lily." He tried to argue, but she only scoffed.

"All the other kids you hexed side by side with Avery. They are all mudbloods like me." She growled and he bit the inside of his cheeks, a clear sign of annoyance and discomfort. "What makes them any different?"

Snape stared at her. He opened his mouth and closed it again. Lily huffed.

"That's what I thought." She said, turning around, walking back to sit by Iris. "Now, please... May you go away Severus?"

Iris looked down, trying not to show her satisfaction. In Lily's sake, not Snape's of course. The Slytherin stood in silence for a second, before shaking his head.

"I'm not giving up on you, Lily."

And with that, he left, leaving both girls to spend the rest of that Valentine's day making fun of all the couples around the school.