A/N: Wow! It's been over five years since I've read, let alone updated this fic. I originally stopped writing it because I had no idea where I was going with it. Honestly, after rereading it, I can say with confidence that five years has provided no additional clarity haha. Over the years and even recently, I've had quite a few requests to complete it (shout out to Odestalove and PiffyEQ and my bud iphooqui). Unhappy with leaving things so unfinished, I took on adding one final chapter as a personal challenge to myself. I certainly can't say that this chapter entirely completes the intricate story I started weaving so many years ago, but I feel like it's a better end than where the last chapter left off, and I am, indeed, calling this the end.

Here we go then…

Chapter 12 - Poinsettia

Lily took her time walking back to her dormitory after the Slug Club party. She carried her strappy heels in her left hand and let the fingers of her right hand graze along the stone walls. Images of her time with Severus in the astronomy tower flashed through her mind and brought a grin to her lips. She was almost to the Fat Lady portrait when she thought she heard some sniffling.

"Hello?" she called out.

The noise stopped abruptly. Lily turned down the corridor to investigate. She could see some dark robes sticking out from behind a column. "It's after curfew," she said. "Is everything all right?"

"I have permission to be out. I was at the Slug Club party. Or maybe you didn't notice."

"James?" Lily walked over to him. His eyes were red and he wouldn't look at her. "What's wrong?"

"Oh don't act like you don't know. I'm sure the whole school knows by now."

Lily leaned against the wall next to him and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Most of the school is asleep, so I bet you're wrong. What are you so worried about?"

"Why don't you ask Sampson? He knows."

"Because I'm not talking to Sampson. I'm talking to you."

"Yeah. Now you're talking to me. We were friends, Lily. I thought we were at least. You abandoned me."

She couldn't help but feel bad, even though she knew she didn't have a reason to. She cared about James and was sad to see him hurting. "I didn't want it to be that way. It didn't have to be, but you've just been… I don't know… acting out. More than usual."

"Yeah, well. People do that for a reason."

"Okay. And I'm asking you why now."

James examined her carefully, noting her tousled hair, and slightly crooked dress. He sniffed and smiled to himself, his eyes moistening as he did. "I loved you. Did you know that? I do."

His vulnerability was breaking her heart. She wanted to tell him that she loved him too, but she couldn't. She wouldn't, because she knew she didn't love him the way he wanted her to and she knew hearing her say that she loved him as a friend would only be more painful. "Yeah. I knew that. I know."

"Nothing is the same. This year has been shit. I lost you. I lost Sirius—"

"You haven't lost Sirius. This stuff with Mary is nothing new."

James glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She could tell he wanted to talk. He just needed some reassurance.

"And you haven't lost me, James. My boyfriend doesn't have to be your favorite person for us to be friends. Mutual respect isn't so hard… a little understanding. If Sirius can do it, I know you can."

"Sirius is a better man than I am."

Lily shook her head. "That's not true."

James took a deep breath. "I've been having a really hard time, Lils."

She slid down the wall to the floor and patted the space next to her. He sat down and shoved a hand into his messy hair. "Before I air all my dirty laundry, are you absolutely positive that there is no chance that you and I could ever be more than friends?"

Lily looked at the floor, a gentle smile on her face. "I'm with Severus, James. And I love him." Part of her instantly felt guilty for not explicitly saying no, even though she was sure that was the proper answer.

"Okay, because you'll never be able to look at me that way after I tell you this… but I need to. I need to tell someone."

She gave a soft nod and put all her attention on him.

"I was kinda fucked up after you told me about you and Snape. I felt like I lost my best friend and the love of my life all in one. All I did was vent to Sirius. That was part of the reason he stopped spending as much time with Mary at the start of term. He was really great. Always knew the right things to say. Probably because of all he has been through with Mary, but I wasn't thinking of that. I couldn't see anything clearly. You and Snape made absolutely no sense to me and somehow that had happened and suddenly I was confused about everything."

Lily twisted her mouth to the side, feeling bad about her role in his mental breakdown. "At least Sirius was there to help…"

James laughed out loud. "Yeah, well I'm getting to how I fucked that up." He took another deep breath. "One night we were up in the stands out by the quidditch pitch. We go up there to drink sometimes. Anyway, Sirius brought his flask and we just got hammered. It was nice though. We talked about everything and I felt happy for the first time in weeks and I don't know what I was thinking…"

Lily could guess where this was going, but she waited for James to finish the story himself.

"Yeah so I… Anyway I kissed him. And I swear he kissed me back, Lily. We— I was so confused and nothing made sense and everything made sense."

Mary had mentioned Sirius's sexual openness more than once, so Lily wasn't completely surprised to hear that he'd kissed another guy. And the more she thought about it, she suspected that Mary was perfectly aware of what had happened between James and Sirius. She'd been so mean to James and she'd all but declared him gay on more than one occasion. Mary didn't have a problem with the gay part, she'd had her own fair number of encounters with girls, but Lily was positive that she'd have been hurt to know that something happened with Sirius and James. Hurt because they were best friends and hurt because that was threatening. "What happened?" Lily asked, pushing him to continue his story.

He glanced at her, nervous about how she was taking it all. "Well, we were getting into it you know and then he stopped. He just suddenly pulled away and said he couldn't. He said he loved Mary and that he was sorry and that he couldn't. And I've never been more embarrassed in my life…Well, until tonight."

"You don't have to be embarrassed around Sirius, James. You know that."

"Yes. I know. He spent the next several weeks trying to make that perfectly clear to me while I completely lost my mind. He felt bad. Like he took advantage of me or something and that only made it worse. Everything boiled over that day at The Three Broomsticks. I egged him on purposely. I wanted to fight him. I wanted to hit the reset button. I wanted to stop thinking about that night."

"Did it work?"

James took off his glasses and cleaned them with the hem of his robes. "No."

"Well what happened tonight?"

James laughed. "Tonight Sampson caught me messin' around with some 5th year… a guy. I don't even know his name."

"So…"

"So I just wanted to see. I wanted to see if you were my exception, or if Sirius was, or…"

"And what did you find out?" Lily asked.

James shrugged his shoulders gently. "I don't know, Lily. I don't know and it doesn't matter. Everyone else is going to make their opinion once Sampson tells."

"He won't tell. You should be more worried about the mystery fifth year."

"I'm not. I obliviated him."

"James!"

"What's done is done."

"Yeah and I'll just pretend I didn't hear that. Sampson won't tell. I mean, maybe he'll tell Severus—"

"Exactly my point," James said. "Snape hates me and this is just the piece of gossip to destroy me… Unless you intervene, of course…"

Lily sighed. "Please don't tell me that's the only reason you've told me all this tonight."

James took her hand in his. "It's not… but it'd help."

"I don't need to intervene, James." She removed her hand from his, but smiled. "You don't know him. You think you do, but you don't. This will be so completely inconsequential to him. You're right. He really doesn't like you, and he really doesn't like to spend time thinking or talking about the things or people he doesn't like."

"I don't trust him," James said.

"That's okay," she said. "Trust me."

The weeks following the Slug Club party had flown by and the end of term was rapidly approaching. The school was decked out in Christmas decorations and Lily and Mary sat in the library studying for their final exams.

"Time for a break." Mary stood and stretched. "If I look at herbology for one more minute, my brain will literally explode."

"Yeah. I think I know as much as I'm going to know for transfiguration tomorrow." Lily closed her textbook.

"So are you getting excited about your sister's wedding yet?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "Excited for it to be over and done with. What I am looking forward to is dinner with Sev and his mum. She sent an owl this morning inviting me."

"That's darling. What's she like anyway? His mum?"

Lily wanted to be honest without revealing too much of Severus's personal life. "She's really sweet. Been through a lot, but I like her." Lily laughed. "Although I kinda see where Sev gets some of his awkward social interactions from."

"What do you mean?" Mary asked.

"Well like, sometimes I'll be talking to her and she just completely zones out on me. Just absently staring into space."

Mary put her index finger to her lip, thinking. "Does she acknowledge it at all? When she snaps out of it, does she apologize?"

"No. She just keeps on as if nothing strange happened at all. Why?"

"Oh I am so acing my divination exam," Mary said, flipping through her textbook.

"What does this have to do with divination?"

"Severus's mum. Sounds like a classic premonition."

Lily laughed. "What? No. Severus's mum is not a seer. I'm sure he might have mentioned that to me at some point." Lily's smile faded as she was suddenly not so sure that he would've said anything. He doesn't say much about his parents at all. Still, that seemed significant enough to be worth mentioning.

"It's quite possible that he doesn't know Lils. Lots of seers are reclusive… or just think that they're crazy."

Lily turned this over in her head for a moment. It seemed perfectly possible. "Uh I gotta go talk to Sev."

"Yeah you do that. I'll be busy jumping Sirius's bones."

Lily found Sev, Sampson, and Natalie in the ancient runes classroom. Sev and Natalie had written hundreds of runes on the board and were quizzing each other on them while Sampson seemed to cheer them on, or keep score… or something. "That's my girl!" he shouted, when Natalie correctly identified the rune that Severus pointed at.

"Hey guys. What do you say to a study break?"

Severus looked back at Lily and quickly put down the piece of chalk in his hand. "Okay."

Sampson looked between the two. "Now what kind of study break are you talkin' about Miss Lily?"

"Mind your own business, Sampson." Severus chuckled as he shoved his books into his bag.

"No, don't pack up, Sev. I really mean just a quick break. I need to study for care of magical creatures. I've neglected it."

She could see him turning the words over in his head, looking for some hidden innuendo. She gave a loud huff. "Sev, I'm not trying to have sex right now. I just want to spend a few minutes with you before we get back to studying. We'll have plenty of time for all that over break."

"We won't though. You'll have all the wedding stuff."

Lily glanced at the other two in the room who were both trying to look preoccupied with something else. She was surprised not to find any hint of redness in Severus's face. It made her happy. He'd grown really close to Sampson and Natalie… and Sampson and Natalie had grown really close to each other. Lily suddenly wondered if they might like some alone time. "Oh hush, Sev. Take a walk with me."

Severus followed her into the chilly corridor. "So were you serious about the no sex right now thing because—"

Lily cut him off with a kiss. "Yes I was serious. I'm so stressed right now. I have so much to do."

Severus scratched his head. "Not to seem pushy, but you know, they do say that sex can actually relieve stress." He trailed some quick playful kisses from her mouth down the side of her neck.

She giggled. "I know, but I'm supposed to meet James to study in a few."

Severus pursed his lips. "Right. Well there's one way to get me to stop talking about sex."

Lily had told Severus that James was in real need of a friend. She offered to explain exactly why, but he didn't care to know, nor did he think she should have to tell him. Her kindness and loyalty to her friends was something he loved most about her, even if he didn't love who she directed that kindness and loyalty to. Still, she had been spending a lot of time with him and the green eyed monster was starting to rear its ugly head.

Lily seemed to pick up on this. "You're my favorite," she said. "I can't wait for dinner with your mum next week."

He interlocked his fingers with hers. "What dinner?"

"Oh. I guess she didn't tell you. Whoops. Your mum invited me to an early Christmas dinner the day after we get home. I've told her I'll go. I hope that's okay…"

Severus smiled a little and shrugged. "Of course it's okay, Lily. I'm just surprised. My mother doesn't really… well you know." He shrugged again.

She found him hopelessly handsome. "Hey, this might seem completely off the wall, but your mother doesn't happen to be into divination, does she?"

Severus dropped her hand, immediately feeling guarded, and not exactly sure why. "Why do you ask?"

"Well Mary was studying for her exam and I was thinking that some of the characteristics of seers matched your mum." She felt bad for twisting around the story of how she came to arrive at her question.

Severus didn't know how to interpret the question. "I don't believe in that stuff." He started walking a little faster.

"Hey, I don't mean anything by it. And well, it is a reputable area of magic. Just because there are lots of phonies out there, doesn't mean real seers don't exist."

"Right. I know that."

"So… is she into it?"

Severus was quickly growing irritated with the topic of conversation. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I don't know, Lily. I don't really know what she is in to… aside from cooking and dancing. She doesn't exactly spend much quality time with me, you know?" That was only a half truth. Or maybe it was a half lie. Now that Lily had mentioned it, some distinct childhood memories of dozens of tea cups scattered across the dining room table surfaced. Flashes, of his mother inspecting each one carefully. Flickers of his father calling her insane.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry. I was just curious."

"It's fine. Maybe you could ask her yourself at dinner." He half hoped she really would.

"Maybe I will. Can I ask one more question about your mum? Please?"

She looked up at him with those big green eyes and it was impossible for him to deny her. "What is it?"

"Do you think she knew that I snuck into your room all summer?"

Severus laughed. "Yes. I'm sure she did actually."

"Why? Did she say something?"

"No, she didn't, but a vile of contraceptive potion appeared on my dresser after your first few visits. If I hadn't been so embarrassed I might have asked if she was hoping for a grandchild. The potion she left was absolute trash."

"Wait, who was it made by?"

Severus picked up on the worry on her face. "Surely you know I've already taken a look at your potion. Surely you know that."

She rolled her eyes. "Of course you did."

"It's the one Madam Pomfrey brews. It's quite exquisite actually. I asked her about it the day me, James, and Sirius got in trouble."

"You talked to Madam Pomfrey about contraceptives?"

"Who better to ask?"

Lily shrugged her shoulders. "I figured you'd be embarrassed."

"I was asking from an academic perspective."

"Riiight, I'm sure she's never heard that one before."

Severus blushed. "No really. Do you think she— Oh never mind. Point is, not one child has been conceived at Hogwarts since she adjusted the brew two decades ago… and now we've gotten all off track. Yes, my mother knows you came to our house. Why do you ask? Why the sudden interest in her?" He was getting grouchy.

"Well my interest in your family is not sudden, by the way. But I ask because I wondered if I might get away with sleeping at your place the night we go back home."

"My mother wouldn't care, or at least she wouldn't say anything if she did. Your parents on the other hand…"

"My parents think I'm coming home on Saturday— The day before the wedding, not Thursday," she said with a naughty grin.

Severus sat with Sampson, Natalie, and Mary on the ride back to King's Cross Station for Christmas holiday. Severus quietly observed his friends, intrigued by how much Natalie had come out of her shell. She and Sampson were good together, and she and Mary could be found hanging out regularly ever since they completed that muggle studies project together. There was a light knock on the door, but no one else seemed to notice. Severus leaned forward to see Sirius standing there.

"Mary?" Severus called. "I think Sirius wants to talk to you." He pointed at the door.

"What?" she asked between laughs.

"Sirius…"

Mary looked at the door and cuddled up next to Natalie. "I'm comfortable. Would you two die or start another world war if you sat in here together?"

Severus didn't answer. He just opened the door.

"Cool to come in then?" Sirius asked.

Severus cleared a spot for him to sit in response. The curly haired boy leaned over and gave Mary's thigh a squeeze before claiming the space that Sev had made. He looked around at everyone and let out a huff of a laugh. "So raise your hand if this group of people sharing a cabin on this train is the most bizarre thing to ever happen in five and a half years at this school."

No one moved.

"Top five?" he adjusted.

Everyone's hand shot up, except Severus's, who very slowly and discreetly lifted his index finger in agreement.

Mary laughed out loud and pointed at Severus. "That right there is the most bizarre. Severus Snape just agreed with something Sirius Black said. Let that happen with Potter and I'll have witnessed a miracle."

"Right. Well let's not get ahead of ourselves," Severus said. "Anyone up for a game of exploding snap?" He pulled a deck of cards from his cloak and wiggled them about.

Lily and Remus stopped by during their rounds to find their friends laughing and having a good time. "Have you seen James?" she asked Remus as they peered at the group from the hall.

"No. Maybe he is with Frank and Alice. I haven't seen them either. I can go find him if you want to take a break here."

"No, that's okay. You stay."

Lily's departure didn't go unnoticed by Severus and he knew she wasn't just going to complete her rounds. She had a worried look on her face. A look that, lately, had pretty much been reserved for James. Severus tried to let it roll off his shoulder. He and Lily had plans to have a very special Christmas celebration later that night and he was determined not to allow anything to ruin the mood.

There were lots of hugs and gift exchanges as everyone said their goodbyes on the platform. Severus and Lily sat on a bench and watched as their friends were picked up by loved ones, one by one.

"We have friends, Sev." Lily quietly rested her head on his shoulder.

"Indeed. But you are aware that I was friends with Natalie and Sampson before this year, right?"

She chuckled. "I don't mean it like that. I mean we have friends. Mutual friends. Could you ever have imagined?"

"No. No, I couldn't have imagined any of this." Severus felt a little uncomfortable. It was a feeling he couldn't remember experiencing so strongly since the summer— since last time he was home. A feeling that revolved around the thought that he really didn't deserve to be so happy.

"You know, when I lied to my parents about when I'd be coming home, I didn't really think about how we'd get from the train station to your house."

Severus stood and helped pull Lily up. "I never get picked up."

"I know, silly. You usually ride with me."

Severus stepped to the curb and hailed a cab. "Yes, but my mother doesn't count on the generosity of your parents. Come on." He smiled and opened to door for her. "Spinner's End, please," he said to the driver.

Severus unloaded the luggage and slowly opened the door to his home. "Mum?" he called, but there was no answer. "I'm going to go check on her. Make yourself at home."

Lily entered his bedroom and was flooded with happy memories from the summer. She dug in her trunk and pulled out two Christmas stockings that she'd knitted for Severus and herself. She pinned them to his desk and stuck a candy cane in each. "That's better," she said.

"What's better?" Severus asked, leaning against the doorframe.

Lily moved so he could see the stockings. "A little Christmas cheer."

"They're perfect, thank you," he said as he shut the door behind him. "Are you ready for your gift?" They had agreed to give each other one thoughtful, inexpensive gift that year.

"Wait, the stocking isn't your gift, Sev. There is something inside."

He laughed. "Right. Okay." He dug around in the stocking and pulled out a letter. "It's from Tabitha Gorgerby. The auror that visited defense against the dark arts earlier this year?"

Lily nodded her head and grinned. "Open it."

Severus did as he was told. A smile crept on his lips as his eyes scanned the paper. "She's offered me a two-week internship this summer! What? I'm— I don't— I'm confused. I wrote her a thank you note, but I never sent it. We had that row and…"

Lily was grinning hard. "I found your letter and sent it, but not without making a little request at the end that you would have been too nervous to make yourself. She's excited to have you. You won't be off chasing dark wizards with her, but you'll get to do some amazing research at the Ministry. You'll learn so much. And I was only a tad bit selfish when I made sure the internship aligned with my family vacation."

Severus pulled her into a hug and lifted her off her feet. "you are the most amazing person on the planet. My gift is awful in comparison."

She laughed. "Only one way to find out. Let's see it then."

"It's in your stocking."

Lily's forehead creased. "You sly one. How'd you sneak something in there?" She reached her arm in the stocking and pulled out a tiny, neatly wrapped box. She sat on the bed, tore off the paper, and opened the box to reveal a necklace with a vial half the size of her little finger attached. She held it up to the light, as there seemed to be something inside the vial. "It looks like memories," she said. "Like a pensieve." She gasped as the swirls of cloudy blue revealed a snippet of she and Severus lying in the grass as children, followed by another of them running through the pouring rain that past summer, and another of them dancing at the Slug Club party. As the images faded away, the cloudy swirls formed the word "always." Lily was in tears. "How is this even possible? How did you do this? A pensieve doesn't work this way."

"Do you like it?"

Lily's face contorted as she cried some more. "I love it… I—"

"It's a charm."

"And here—" She paused to sniff and wipe her eyes. "And here I thought I was the master of charms."

"You are." He took the necklace from her and put it around her neck. "I had help from Professor Flitwick and about two dozen different books.

Lily stared up at him, eyes slightly puffy from crying. "I've never wanted to make love to you so badly." She tugged the hem of his shirt to bring him to her level and kissed him deeply, mouth open. He responded just as enthusiastically, lifting her body a bit to put her in the center of the bed. He paused only to remove his shoes and clothes while she did the same. Their movements were rushed, both eager to feel the other's skin against their own. They both rested on their knees as their lips crashed back together. Severus could still feel the moisture from Lily's tears on her face. He could taste the salt from them as he kissed her cheeks and made his way to her neck. Lily tried to get as close to him as she possibly could. She pressed her chest against his, as if she could force their hearts to beat in sync. She wrapped her arms around his back and caressed every inch of his skin that she could reach. Soon Severus's hand crept between their bodies, both already glistening with sweat. "Touch me," she said, urging his hand lower. He played no teasing games that night. All he wanted was to give her everything in the world that she wanted. He slid two fingers into her warmth and watched as the ecstasy she felt made her spine curl back. He took advantage of her exposed neck and chest and slaughtered her with kisses as he continued to pump his fingers in and out of her body. He soon fell back onto his bottom and replaced his fingers with his penis. She straddled and rode him until they both peaked. Lily just barely breathed the words "I love you," as she came down from her high.

"Always," Severus replied.

Severus and Lily spent most of the next day digging old Christmas decorations out of the basement and setting them up around the gloomy house. Eileen enjoyed watching them from the kitchen as she prepared a small feast for the three of them. They all settled down to eat just after dark.

Severus spent the first half of dinner telling his mum about Tabitha Gorgerby and his internship opportunity thanks to Lily, but eventually conversation lulled.

Eileen cleared her throat. "There is something you want to ask me about, isn't there, Lily?"

Severus looked confused, but Lily grinned. "I wondered if you would know."

"What—" Sev started, but his mother interrupted him.

"Unfortunately sweet girl, you've waited too long to ask. There is an owl for you."

A moment later there was an owl tapping on the dining room window.

"How do you know it's for her?" Severus asked, and just as quickly realized the answer. He glanced at his finished cup of tea and slid it out of reach from his mother. An action that brought a smile to her face.

"I don't need tea leaves to read my own son. Visions of you come to me day in and day out."

"So it's true then! You have the sight?" Lily asked.

"Open your letter dear."

Severus watched Lily's face drop as she read the letter.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Eileen gathered up a few dishes and took them to the kitchen.

Lily twisted her mouth to the side. "Sev I have to go."

"What? Why?"

"It's from Mr. and Mrs. Potter. It's James. He's having a really hard time right now. He needs… well they think he could really use a friend."

Severus tried not to let his irritation show on his face, but it always seemed like Potter could find a way to mess up his day, even from miles away.

"I don't understand. Your sister is getting married tomorrow. What could you possibly do for him with just a few hours?"

"It's not just me. They've invited his other friends as well… to see him off."

"What do you mean see him off?"

"I mean he is going to spend the rest of his break trying to get happy again. I should really go, Sev. I would do it for any one of my friends, you know that, right?"

He just stared at the table and nodded.

"I'll see you at the wedding tomorrow. And then we've got all break to spend together." Lily kissed the top of his head and rushed away to gather her things. She came out only moments later.

"Do you need fair for the Knight Bus, Lily?" Eileen asked.

"No, I have it, thank you. And thank you so much for dinner it was lovely. See you soon, Severus!" And she was out the door like a little tornado.

It was quiet.

"Sweet boy," Eileen said as she took a seat next to her son. "Not the way you wanted to end your day, huh?"

Severus continued to stare at the table. "What have you seen? About me."

"Don't worry yourself with that."

"I want to know. What have you seen?"

"Severus, sometimes it's best to not—"

He made eye contact with his mother. "I want to know."

She sighed. "I have had many visions of your future Severus, but divination is far more grey and abstract than your preferred subject of potioneering. I have seen a hundred possibilities for what may lie ahead for you. Some lovely, some…."

"What about Lily?"

Eileen squinted her eyes at her son. "She is the only one you will ever love. This is one sight for which I have seen no alternative."

He laughed. "Tell me something I don't know."

"…What I've said to be sure for you, cannot be said as surely for her. She will likely love another. This will be the cause of great darkness in your life; however, your love for her will always be the purest part of you and it will never be suppressed. Your heart will lead you to do lovely things. Extraordinary things."

Severus didn't care about lovely things. He was caught up on the part where she said Lily would fall in love with someone else and he'd go spiraling down some dark hole. "Okay so where is the grey area there? Why did you pick this of all things to tell me?"

Eileen looked confused. "Because you asked about Lily."

"Mum. You've been up in that room too long. I asked about Lily because I want to hear something good. I don't want to sit here feeling insecure about the fact that she ran out on our Christmas dinner to go comfort a guy who made my life absolute hell for five years."

Eileen seemed to regret speaking at all.

"Tell me something good, Mum."

"I cannot lie to you. I chose to share what I did because ninety percent of the visions are just slight variations of the same. This is likely the path you have been fated, but it isn't you fault. I'm quite sure we were cursed by my great—"

Severus got up from the table and went into his room.

His mother knocked a few minutes later, but he didn't answer. She spoke through the door. "If it works out… with you and Lily… it wouldn't be the first time you followed the unlikely path. You were meant to break Lily's heart your fifth year, but look where you are now."

He wished he could use magic just to tune her out. He wondered if she was honestly trying to make him feel better with what she was saying.

It'd taken everything inside of Severus to put on his suit and style his hair on zero sleep. He found himself wishing Sampson were around more than once while he was getting ready. He slipped into the last pew at the church just a few minutes before the ceremony began. The groomsmen and bridesmaids began their processional walk down the aisle. Lily, the maid of honor, was last. She was escorted by the best man, someone Severus was sure he'd seen at the bar the many times he'd had to drag his father home. Lily was stunning in a floor length red dress. She still wore the necklace he'd given her the night before.

The ceremony was nice and quick. Mr. and Mrs. Vernon Dursley were announced and the bridal party left for pictures. Everyone else was encouraged to head to the reception room. Severus wasn't in the mood for small talk with people he didn't know, so he put on his coat and took a short walk to the frozen pond out back. He could see the bridal party taking pictures on the bridge across the way. Lily was a beautiful sight, even from a distance. He laughed as she bounced in and out of her coat in between photos. After thirty minutes or so, they all made their way inside for the party. Severus didn't follow them in. He figured Lily would warm up and come find him eventually, which she did.

"I have hot cocoa," she said in a sing-song voice from behind where he sat in the grass. "I'm sure you'd prefer a butterbeer, but I unfortunately cannot make that happen." She sat down next to him.

"You look amazing."

"Thank you. You don't clean up too bad yourself."

Severus nodded and stared out at the pond. It wasn't difficult for Lily to pick up on his subdued attitude.

"I'm really sorry about dinner yesterday, Sev. I know you were looking forward to a fun night with your mum. I was too."

He wanted to do the right thing and ask how Potter was, but he couldn't get the words out. He just kept wondering who the man his mother has seen Lily fall for is. Something in his gut screamed James Potter and it made him nauseous.

"Severus what's wrong? Are you really that upset?"

He shook his head. "No…"

"Then what is it?"

He exhaled deeply and laughed a little. "Have you seen yourself Lily? You're so gorgeous. If everything amazing about you was only skin deep, you'd still be too good for me."

"What? Where is this coming from, Sev?"

"I talked to my mum after you left. She's seen things."

Lily was already in defense mode. "Seen what?" She began muttering nasty things about divination under her breath and Severus couldn't help but chuckle.

"Asking her about this was your idea."

"No. No, you misunderstood. I just wanted to know if she could see. I had no interest in hearing any premonitions. That stuff is so unpredictable anyway. There's no point."

"She did say that."

"What else did she say?"

Severus looked into Lily's eyes. "She said you're the only girl I'll ever love."

Lily smiled. "Oh well in that case she's clearly gifted."

"She also said that you'll fall in love with someone else and I'll spiral down some horrible dark path, but use my love for you to redeem myself or some other achingly bitter saccharine nonsense."

Lily's eyes turned cold and angry.

"Lily—"

She shoved his shoulder hard, causing him to spill his cocoa on the grass. "Lily what the—"

Her eyes were already filling with tears. "I can't believe you, Severus. Do you remember Friday night at all? Did you not feel what I felt?"

"What? Lily, of course—"

"No. Listen to me. Did you feel what I was feeling? Because that was real. You should think of that night and it should clear every doubt you ever had about us from your head. You shouldn't be wasting one millimeter of mental space on any that stuff your mom said. Have you heard of self-fulfilling prophecies?"

"Yes."

"Well all that means to me is that we have control. Either way. So just don't buy into it, Sev. Make a choice. If you take control, then the 'sight' is no more than really strong daydreaming. Anybody can daydream, right?" she was beginning to calm down.

Severus wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Anybody can daydream."

She lowered herself flat on the grass and took Severus with her. "So daydream with me, Sev."

He interlocked their fingers and they both stared up at the sky, the way they used to do when they were kids. "Okay."

"You and I, we'll get married," she said. "Straight out of Hogwarts. We'll do it, and people will say we're nuts."

"They'll say we're too young," Severus added.

"Yeah." Lily laughed. "But we won't care. Sampson will get everyone dressed to the nines and Mary will throw us the best party. Natalie'll make sure it's the kind of party you'd love. Small. Warm."

He ran his thumb over the back of her hand. "That sounds nice. We'll both get great jobs too. Lily and Severus Snape will make Slughorn's hall of fame within five years of graduating."

"I say three years." She shifted her head to look at him and found that he was already looking at her. "We'll have a baby," she said. "A girl. She'll be just like you, Severus. She'll be so smart. Smarter than you actually, and you'll take nothing less. She'll be introspective, and confident, but humble. Her hair will be black as night, just like yours. She'll have your dimples, and hands, and eyes—"

"No."

Lily pouted, surprised by the protest. "No?"

"Your eyes. She'll have your eyes."

"Okay, my eyes then." She smiled. "What shall we name her?"

He stared at the sky for a bit, thinking. "Sparrow."

Lily said the name a couple of times, rolling it over her tongue. "Sparrow. I like it."

"And if it were a boy?" he asked.

"Oh I've always been fond of the name Harry, but that's a different day dream, isn't it?"

He leaned over and gently kissed her face. "I suppose it is."