章 1024: Stubborn Ⅱ

By the time Professor Ogden explained and demonstrated the mechanics of the spell along with historical information regarding the creation of the hex the class was over. "We will practice the spell, for your next class, I expect all of you to know it by then," Professor Ogden solemnly warned the students as they begin to gather their things.

Seeing Severus getting ready to leave, Lily hurries over and says, "Can I have a private word, Sev?"

"Oh, you're in trouble," Sirius gleefully said while James visibly winced at Sirius's remark.

"Excuse us," James apologetically said, before firmly dragging Sirius away by the collar.

"But Prongs, I didn't do anything wrong!" Sirius protested in bewilderment.

Then again, Sirius was incredibly dense. He really tended to put his foot into his mouth. Or as Terry bluntly put it, it was a constant wonder to him that Tiffany hadn't yet dumped Sirius' arse.

"Fine," Severus hmphed, before pulling his schoolbag onto his shoulder. "Where too, lils?"

Feeling that Severus was only playing along to humor her, Lily frowns. She leads Severus to an abandoned corridor, where they wouldn't be easily overheard.

"Alright, what's this about?" Severus briskly asked folding his arms over his chest.

Lily's emerald eyes carefully took Severus in as if reinspecting him. Severus's black hair is neatly cut and styled. The only change is the long white streak in his hair on his left side that goes from the roots to the tip of his hair. He had come a far cry from when they were children having grown into his long nose. He was rather dashing in his own way. And more importantly, he made her stomach flutter each time she met his onyx gaze.

"Is this about the Hogsmeade trip, because I can assure you, I didn't cancel our date on purpose," Severus explained. "I already told you that Rowan purposefully requested to be assigned to Hogsmeade."

"This isn't about our canceled date, Severus," Lily pointedly interrupted. "This is about you and Rowan."

"What about Rowan?" Severus's tone became cold and frosty.

"This can't continue, Severus," Lily calmly responded. "Things are only getting worse."

"I don't know what it is you think you know, Lily, but you don't anything," Severus rudely snarled.

Lily furrows her brow at Severus's tone of voice, but she knew that Severus tended to lash out when he was hurt or angry. It was a fault of his, but she wasn't about to be pushed away so easily. "You're right, I don't know what's going on, but I do know that it needs to be fixed."

"This isn't something you can fix, Lily!" Severus shouted, before burying his face in his hands. "It isn't something that anyone can fix."

"Oh, Sev," Lily sighed and pulled Severus into a tight hug. Severus is stiff and reluctant to hug Lily back, but eventually, he returns the embrace. Severus sighs and buries his nose in Lily's hair.

The two of them stand there in silence before Lily is the first to break the hug. "C'mon," she said grabbing him by the hand and leaving for an even more private setting.

A corridor with a windowsill that overlooks the ground. Lily climbs onto the ledge to sit and motions to Severus to join her. Ruefully sighing, he climbs up and sits down on the ledge.

Gazing onto the grounds, Severus remarks, "Did you ever think that you would be here at Hogwarts in a world that was entirely different to your own?"

"Not when I was young," Lily shrugged, "but then I met you. And how could I not believe I was a witch?" She impishly grinned.

"That might not have been my finest moment," Severus admitted in embarrassment. He hadn't exactly gone about the right way to tell Lily that she was a witch. In retrospect, it really sounded like an insult.

"Yeah, that was pretty bad," Lily burst out in giggles causing Severus to join in. The two laughed and laughed until their sides hurt. Breathless, they leaned against each other to catch their breath.

"Huh, I haven't laughed like that in a while," Severus muttered to himself.

"It's been a stressful year with our O.W.L.'s and all," Lily agreed.

Reluctantly pulling himself back, Severus leans against the wall but does not release Lily's hand. "I-, I don't think I've been a very good boyfriend as of late, have I?"

"I wasn't a very good friend at the start of the year," Lily good-natured shrugged. "So, we're even then," she countered with a warm smile.

Severus rolls his onyx-colored eyes before his face grows solemn. He hesitates, before saying, "What if I said that Rowan did something bad?"

"How bad are we talking? Cheating on an exam or really bad?" Lily asked.

"It's bad, Lils," Severus sighed and rubbed his hand with one face. "I don't how she can just stand there and not show a hint of remorse! It's like it meant nothing to her, lils!"

Lily narrows her emerald eyes at Severus, before furrowing her brow in thought. "Severus, is it truly that bad?" She asked uncertainly.

"When have I ever lied to you?" Severus brusquely said, before pausing at seeing Lily pointing glare at him. "I mean not when it actually counted!"

Lily looks unconvinced for a moment, before nodding her head. "Well, since I don't know what it was that Rowan did, I have to ask was it for a good reason or in self-defense?"

Severus opens his mouth to reply, before pausing in confusion. "Actually, I'm not certain about the reasoning."

"There's your problem, Sev," Lily squeezed Severus's hand. "You are always so quick to jump the gun that you never let the other person explain themselves."

A red flush creeps up Severus' cheeks in embarrassment at the acute remark. "No, I don't!" He indignantly protested.

Lily rolls her eyes and arches her brow at Severus but changes the subject. "So, are you going to talk to Rowan?"

"I'm still angry," Severus huffed.

"Did Rowan really hurt you that badly?"

"Rowan would never knowingly hurt me!" Severus instinctively defended his twin.

Lily gleefully grinned at seeing enlightenment dawn in Severus's onyx-colored eyes. "There you go," she smirked having finally gotten her point across through Severus's thick skull.

Having realized he was tricked, Severus darkly glared at Lily, but without any real sting to it. "Troublesome imp," he grumbled.

Innocently batting her emerald eyes, Lily shrugs nonchalantly, before squeezing Severus's hand again. "Don't let things go too long without talking, Sev. The longer it goes on, the harder it gets," she confessed. "I know because it had gotten rather bad between Petunia and me when I left for Hogwarts to the point that she called me a freak!"

Severus growls and opens his mouth to speak, but Lily doesn't let him speak. "Then Rowan came along, and things got better because I realized that I was also part of the problem."

"What!" Severus protested. "How can you possibly be part of the problem? It was Petunia who treated you like a freak!"

"Yeah," Lily acknowledged, "but I also didn't write back or include Petunia in anything. I hadn't realized just how left out Tuney felt until Rowan began talking to Petunia. And all of a sudden things finally made sense. We were both hurt and we just lashed out in the only way we knew how."

A flicker of guilt and shame flashes across Severus's face. He glances down at their clenched hands and sighs. "But Lils, it's just not that easy. Rowan-." He trailed off. "Even if Rowan did it for a good reason, I just can't believe she wouldn't say anything to me! I'm her twin for Pete's sake!"

"And that's exactly why Rowan wouldn't," Lily sadly pointed out. "Rowan has always looked out for you, Sev, and I don't think she will ever stop either."

Severus opened and closed his mouth unable to respond. At that moment, the memories of their childhood returned including the bad times. The times, when Rowan always hid or protected him. She always had done so even when it meant she would always be the one hurt in the end.

"Shrieking Harpies," Severus cursed and pulled his hand out of Lily's grasp.

"I messed up, didn't I?" Severus angrily said clenching his hand into a fist.

"Just a little bit," Lily murmured gently unclenching his fist. "But I am sure that Rowan will forgive you." Although what Lily didn't add was that Rowan was likely to punch Severus in the face first.

Wanting to change the subject, Severus says, "C'mon then, I'm hungry. I bet everyone's already done with lunch."

Lily hid a triumphant grin, before sliding off the ledge. The two of them hand in hand made their way to the Great Hall. And if they sat down to enjoy lunch together and held hands under the table, well, that was no one's problem but their own.